McFadden Fastest on Aussie Championship Night Two
Official release: Valvoline Raceway
January 27, 2017
James McFadden took his Milwaukee Tools #17 Maxim and like his sponsor promptly drilled the field in second preliminary night of the Rod Bowen’s Prestige Smash Repairs SCCA Australian Sprintcar Championship at Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway tonight.
With the writing on the Warrnambool Classic winner’s cheque barely dry McFadden set out to claim Night Two of the title in emphatic fashion and after starting alongside fellow front rower West Aussie Brad Maiolo he took off and was never headed in the all-the-way 30-lap A-Main.
“Wins are hard to come by,” he grinned from the podium as Grand Marshall Bob Tunks presented him his winner’s trophy, “so I’m really pleased that we have Tom and Stephen here from Milwaukee Tools to celebrate this with us.”
Ian Madsen stormed back to second place after initially starting on the inside third row and after almost falling back to almost outside the top ten he pressed back forward to runner-up after disposing of Robbie Farr late in the race.
“We’ve got some work to do,” he conceded, “I wouldn’t say we’re where we need to be. We need to go away and come back with something a little different.”
Robbie Farr railed to second but could never run down McFadden and had to relinquish a certain second when he smashed the cushion and Ian Madsen slipped through.
“I need to work on a few things myself here,” Farr explained, “I was good up one end of the track but not the other. I have to work on my consistency a bit and get both ends nailed down.”
Miami QLD teenager Lachlan McHugh was again solid placing fourth behind Farr and leading home Brooke Tatnell in fifth, Sam Walsh sixth, Matt Dumesny seventh, Max Dumesny eighth, Daniel Harding ninth (who had to come from winning the B-Main) and Grant Anderson rounding out the top ten.
Matt Dumesny was, to the naked eye, the fastest car on track and ripped from the inside fifth row to what looked like a potential podium before he made one error in turn one/two and coughed up a number of positions.
Outside the top ten were Brad Maiolo (eleventh) ahead of Darryl Campbell, Garry Brazier, Toby Bellbowen, Jack Lee, Matt Smith, Chad Ely, Allan Woods, Bryan Mann, Thomas Jeffrey, Mitchell Wormall and Darren Jensen in 22nd.
DNF’s were Ryan Jones and Max Johnston.
Quick time for the night was Bryan Mann in the #16 DRIVEN Oil entry with a stout 12.760s lap to win the Maxwell Industries USA $1500 voucher over Brooke Tatnell’s 12.851, Ryan Jones’ 12.889, Brad Maiolo’s 12.926, Matt Dumesny’s 12.936, James McFadden’s 13.005, Ian Madsen’s 13.019 and Robbie Farr rounding out the ten with 13.038.
The B-Main was won by Daniel Harding who led home fellow transferees to the A-Main in Jack Lee, Mitchell Wormall, Matt Smith, Toby Bellbowen and Thomas Jeffrey.
The C-Main went to Alex Orr, Kim Becker, Brendan Scorgie and Michael Cunningham as the first four transferees to the B-Main.
More information on the night’s results will follow soon including the highest 42 drivers on points who will advance to the final night of competition.
The final night of the 2017 SCCA Rod Bowen’s Prestige Smash Repairs Australian Sprintcar Championship is Saturday night, January 28, 2017.
