The form Late Model driver of the 2012–13 season Craig Vosbergen over the Easter Long Weekend at Timmis Speedway in Mildura, Victoria, scored back–to–back wins in the Easter $10,000, which was supported by J & J Ruston Engineering.

Vosbergen, from Perth in Western Australia, led every lap of the Easter $10,000 deciding feature race, which was over a distance of 50 laps, and led home fellow Western Australian Jason Moyle in second and NSW–based youngster Ben Nicastri in third.

After Vosbergen recently winning the Western Australian Title, along with runner–up finishes in both the Australian Title and Wild West Tour Series – on both occasions behind American star Steve Francis, successfully defending the Easter $10,000 was a great way for him to cap what has a successful 2012–13 season.

“The goal coming over to the east coast was to defend our Easter $10,000, and it’s very satisfying to achieve that,” Vosbergen said, who was lucky to suffer damage in the early stages of the feature race after he was forced to avoid crashing into a lapped competitor who had spun out. “The Easter $10,000 is an event that’s growing every season, and we’re more than happy to support it. We certainly don’t race for the money, but the prize money will go a long way to covering all our expenses coming over here. Any time that you can do that in speedway is a good thing.”

Former South Australian Champion and Easter $5,000 winner Darryl Grimson put in a gutsy performance throughout the Easter $10,000 feature race, but a late challenge for the lead on the final lap on Vosbergen didn’t pay off, and he was credited with fourth.

“Craig (Vosbergen) was caught up behind some lapped traffic in the closing, and it allowed me to close in on him, because, in clear air, we were on the same pace,” explained Grimson, who drove the NSW # 67 Ed Borg owned Mastersbilt. “I knew that if I was going to be a chance of winning, I was going to have to go around the outside. It was a gamble that I knew that I was going to have to take, because there was $10,000 on the line. I tried on the last lap to go around Craig and the lapped car, but there was nothing up there on the high line of the track. When I went to the top, I knew it was either going to make or break me, but it didn’t work out. If I had my time again, I wouldn’t change a thing, because I race to win and I wasn’t going to die wondering.”

Behind fourth placed Grimson, who was the final driver on the lead lap, was Darren Forrest (Vic), Andrew Leach (SA), Luke Raymond (SA), Nigel O’Neill (NSW), pole shootout winner David Robertson (NSW) and the final finisher Liam Heaton (ACT) in 10th.

After originally finishing in an impressive fourth, Stuart Hill (SA) was disappointingly disqualified post-race due to being underweight. Ross Nicastri (NSW), local favourite Mat Crimmins (SA), Bill Mentiplay (Vic) and veteran Graeme Lilford (NSW) all failed to go the distance in the feature race.

Earlier in the two–night event, at the completion of the four heat races, Vosbergen was the highest point scorer and was the favourite to take out the pole shootout, which decided the feature race starting positions. Vosbergen was defeated in the pole shootout by Robertson.

The South Australian Late Model Association Inc would like to thank all the competitors, officials and Timmis Speedway for all of their effort over the weekend, and also major sponsor J & J Ruston Engineering, along with heat–race sponsors Crossroads Holiday Park Mildura, OZ Mine, J & J Ruston Engineering, Gauge Works, Scotcher Race Fuels & Oils, Hytek Concrete Australia, Forte Engineering, Performance Techniques and Signs on Para, and lap sponsors Metro Tow, McCarthy Motorsport, Lonsdale Competition Tyres, Raymond Racing, AAA Mortgage Solutions, NR & YM Vaughan, Genesis Shocks, Auto Pro Murray Bridge, Crimmins Racing, PMD Race Products, Lake Eildon Houseboat Sales, S.McLay Mechanical, Blair Athol Auto Parts, Signs on Para, Better Trailers Canberra, Famous Toledo, Crane Services, Active Batteries Discounters, Maid of Auckland Hotel, Gardner Bearings, Neale & Nulty Transport, ND & MM Ciampa, Rob Collins, J & J Ruston Engineering, Gauge Works, Hytek Concrete Australia, Real Port Traders, Performance Techniques, RACIN Tyres & Accessories, Surfside Custom Systems, and Universal Metal Cleaners.

Craig Vosbergen