SAVILLE WINS LATEST MASTERS SERIES ROUND AT RUSHWORTH SPEEDWAY
A great field of competitors nominated for and arrived to compete at Rushworth on Saturday night in the latest round of the Victorian Grand Prix Midget Racing Association ‘Stinger Chassis’ Masters Series, including in the line-up was winner from a fortnight ago Chris Fowler, Ash Fowler, Paul Perry, Janelle Saville, and Gary Bowyer amongst others.
Competitors were scheduled to compete in three of four heat races during the evening all of which were ten lap distances and ending the night with a twenty-lap final.
The first of four qualifiers began with Riley Bowyer (#N50 – WAR Chassis – R1 Yamaha) from Sydney on the front row expecting Matt Kamolins to line-up with him. However Kamolins had engine issues through the evening starting from the first race. Shawn Ward, Paul Perry, Terry Brown, Jack Ward, Booker, Saville, Fowler, Gary Bowyer (#N5 – WAR Chassis – R1 Yamaha), Mark Blackeby and Alex Myers-Hudson completed the field. On lap one Perry took the lead from Booker, Riley Bowyer, Saville, and Fowler, whilst Brown dropped a chain and exited the race.
Gary Bowyer moved into fifth on lap two and a lap later into fourth. His run didn’t stop there as he moved to third on lap four whilst Blackeby moved into the top five by lap eight. At the chequered flag Booker won from Perry, Gary Bowyer, Riley Bowyer, Blackeby, Myers-Hudson (#V11 – PBR Chassis – Suzuki GSXR 1000), Saville, Shawn Ward, Fowler, and Jack Ward.
Booker had the prime pole spot for heat two with Travis Florrimell alongside, Daniel Meredith, Perry, Gary Bowyer, Myers-Hudson, Fowler, Saville (#N2 – PBR Chassis – ZX12 Kawasaki), Jack Ward, Brown, and Alex Gouveia made the line-up for the start. Booker led lap one from Florrimell, Perry, Meredith, and Gary Bowyer. Myers-Hudson was fifth by lap three and by lap five Booker was lapping the back markers. Gouveia (#V32 – Stinger Chassis – Suzuki GSX 1100) left the race on lap seven with rear wheel damage and Myers-Hudson claimed another place to move to fourth by lap eight. At the chequered flag Booker defeated Florrimell, Perry, Myers-Hudson, Meredith, Gary Bowyer, Brown, Jack Ward, and Saville.
Once again Kamolins (#V22 – Independent – Suzuki GSX 1100) was unable to take part in racing this time in heat three with his engine issues still not overcome. Gouveia began from pole with Saville, Jack Ward, Brown, Blackeby, Meredith, Riley Bowyer, Florrimell, Shawn Ward (#44V de Dion Chassis – Yamaha R1), and Perry also in the field. Saville charged to the lead at the green and lead Gouveia, Brown, Florrimell and Meredith. A lap later Gouveia dropped back into fourth spot and by lap five Florrimell moved into second spot with Meredith into fourth.
On lap seven Florrimell (#V81 – Stinger Chassis – Suzuki GSXR 1000) hit the wall and broke his front end and Saville led Brown, Meredith, Blackeby and Perry on lap eight. At the chequered flag, the result would be Saville, Brown, Blackeby, Perry, Meredith, Shawn Ward, Gouveia, Riley Bowyer, and Jack Ward.
The final qualifier field would start with Myers-Hudson from pole, Blackeby (#V10 – PBR Chassis – Yamaha R1) alongside, Fowler, Gary Bowyer, Shawn Ward, Gouveia, Booker, Meredith, and Riley Bowyer all on track. Getting a great start was Fowler who moved to the front to lead on lap one from Myers-Hudson, Shawn Ward, Blackeby and Booker. On lap two Booker moved third. Eight laps in to the race and Fowler still lead Myers-Hudson, Booker (#50V – HMJ Chassis – Yamaha R1), Blackeby and Shawn Ward.
On lap nine Booker spun and at the restart Fowlers (#V13 – HMJ Chassis – Yamaha R1) car slowed as the battery bracket had broken and he drifted out of the lead and the race, whilst Gouveia had brake issues and parked infield. Myers – Hudson picked up the win from Blackeby, Shawn Ward, Meredith (#V8 – Stinger Chassis – Suzuki GSXR 1000), Booker, and Riley Bowyer.
In order to mix things up a little the pole qualifier Booker had to choose a ball from a bucket that was numbered to determine the number of spots would be inverted for the feature. Booker drew the number six and would as a result start from sixth whilst Meredith would start from pole instead of sixth. Booker very nearly didn’t make it out onto the track with a broken steering box mount causing concern. The team managed to engineer a fix to get him out on track for the final.
The start order for the final was Meredith, Saville, Blackeby, Perry, Myers-Hudson, Booker, Gary Bowyer, Shawn Ward, Riley Bowyer, Brown (#V88 – Stinger Chassis – Yamaha R1), Jack Ward, Fowler, and Gouveia.
As the green flag waved the field off Saville took off to a lead all comers back to the start finish line with Booker in second, Perry, Meredith, and Gary Bowyer the top five. Trying to get into the top five after being inverted start at row three Myers – Hudson moved to fifth by lap five and fourth by lap seven. Fowler’s woes continued as he had a flat right rear tyre and left the track to park infield on lap eight. Myers-Hudson moved to third by lap eleven and was on rails rounding drivers up.
Riley Bowyer with a broken fuel line which was black flagged out of the race as officials noticed a trail of fuel on the race track. It is believed the damaged occurred when at a lap twelve re-start Meredith’s car just took a little time to take off in the middle of the pack and the bunch behind had nowhere to go with somebody slamming into Bowyer ripping his fuel lines loose from the fuel tank.
A lap later Gary Bowyer also ended his race with engine concerns and on lap fourteen Myers-Hudson lost a chain as it came loose ending his run forward. Saville was still leading as she had every lap so far from Booker and Perry (#V33 – Paul Perry Chassis – Kawasaki ZX12). At the twenty-lap mark Saville took a sensational win from Booker, Perry, Shawn Ward, Meredith, Blackeby, Gouveia and Brown all finished before drivers celebrated together with Cathy Spence and Paul Perry running a BBQ for all to kick back and enjoy each other’s company.
Written by Dean Thompson DMT Sports Media For Victorian Grand Prix Midgets Racing Association
(c) Vern and Jackie Parker Photography
(c) Vern and Jackie Parker Photography
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