Drouin Speedway had a huge day of racing on Sunday the 8th of December with the annual Eliminator Cup for Standard Saloons leading a show packed with important race events including the Mighty Mouse Magic for Mini Sprints & the beginning of track championships for Division 2 Hot Rods, VSC Sedans & Junior Standard Saloons.

The Standard Saloons had the best of inform drivers from around Gippsland including Morwell’s Chris Stewart who had won a race meeting the night before at Rosedale Speedway. Competition included Mark Miles, Leigh Gooding from Trafalgar East, Jacob Vuillermin & Matt Nelson.

In three rounds of heats each driver round was split into three races. Devlin Saunders, Stewart & Nelson won the first round heat races. Stewart, Miles (from Pakenham) & Gooding took out the wins in the second round. The final heats dished up a welcome surprise with Michael Esparon taking a commanding win ahead of Gooding in the first of the heats before Vuillermin & Victor Benson rounded out qualifying.

The Latrobe Waste Recyclers Eliminator Cup’s unique format has all starters running eight laps all trying to get into or stay in the top twelve. Then drivers change race direction and the twelve remaining drivers try to finish in the top eight over the next eight laps. The final eight run for the money and the win and Stewart was just unstoppable getting to the front early in the race and controlling it from start to finish to take a win from Miles, Gooding, Vuillermin & Ash England who had a strong day with a great finish.
Stewart was gracious in winning. “Thank you to Drouin Speedway Club, the sponsor and everybody involved with my race team. It is always great to win and much better to win in front of those people that mean the most to me. Well done to Mark & Leigh on their results also.”

The Division 2 Hot Rod track championship got under way with enthusiastic drivers determined to get a great start in the three round series. Andrew Galley, Morwell’s Scott Laidlaw & Ricky Mills took heat wins in round one supported by Allman’s Fencing Traralgon before the drivers lined up for the feature race. The feature was a shoot out between Traralgon’s Mills & Laidlaw whilst Galley didn’t get to start the final due to blowing the inlet manifold gasket.

Mills looked on his way to a win before trying to overtake backmarkers one stepped out to overtake another forcing Mills high on the race track where he and the backmarker connected. With damage to the front end of his car Laidlaw took advantage and went on to win from Mills who held on for second, Rob Tatterson who was consistent all day, Broderick Stray & Ricky Low.

In Mini Sprints the Drouin Speedway Club were honouring the late Colin Lindell who was a former state champion in the division and the pilot of the Mighty Mouse race car. The Mighty Mouse Magic was the events name and the Victorian Champion Owen Milton took a blistering win in heat one before Stuart Ferguson charged away with the win in the second heat.

The final began with Ferguson from Bass and Milton alongside each other on the front row and Milton blasted off to the lead gradually stretching the lead out to a ten car length advantage on a drying race track. Whilst heading into turn three the car got further sideways than Milton had aimed for and the car backed itself into the wall and up and over on its roof.

With Milton out Ferguson broke away from Kevin Bomford and Owen Bulman driving onto victory with Peter Schnoor & Ben McCleary rounding out the top five.

The Junior Standard Saloon Track Championship got under way by holding the CB’s Bin Mob Cup with Rosedale racer Steven Danks starting where he left off the week before at Nyora Raceway with a win in heat one and then again in heat two. Bairnsdale Speedway Club’s Joshua Thomas got the better of Dank’s in the final heat taking the win in the final heat.

The final was once again a battle between Thomas (from Traralgon) & Danks and with a much better handling race car and Danks with a little front end problems, Thomas went on to take a great win over Danks, Tyson Cull the Victorian Champion, Michael Suckling (from Inverloch) & Bailey Perkins.

Speedway Sedan Australia Juniors in their 1200cc machines completed two heats and a final for the Jenkins Sheetmetal Junior Sedan Slam due to car count being low and visiting Geelong youngster Michael Skene a winner at Drouin last season took the win in both heats and the final ahead of Jack Van Breman. Back in the pack Ricky Cornwell & Josh Stewart had a great tussle throughout the day with Cornwell getting the better of the battle in the final. Skene beat Van Breman, Cornwell, Stewart & Casey Ingram who made a great recovery from a rollover earlier in racing.

Finally the VSC Sedan Track Championship with a combination of eligible Open Sedans and Sports Sedans put on a great show for the running of the JA Signs & Graphics Dash. Andrew Spink a former Pakenham resident took a great win in heat one against regular locals. Brendan Miller took the win in heat two and three.

With a big fan squad Joel Andrews put a great move on Miller during the final as Miller got caught out in a wet spot and Andrews got on past and held strong to win from Miller, Jaedn Alberni, Spink & Marcus Reddecliffe in the final.

Drouin Speedway Club are grateful to Allman’s Fencing & Southern Chassis Works for supporting the Division 2 Hot Rod Track Championship by ensuring all three rounds have a trophy sponsor.

Drouin Speedway thanks the following for their support:

Ampworks
Robin Hood Hotel
Drysdale Chaff Mills
Brimstone Fire
Polish N Shine
Victory Lane Race Gear
Ramsdale Wreckers
Laser Electrical
Inaction Photos
Drouin Waste Recyclers
TNT Autos
Monckton Concrete
Latrobe Waste & Recycling

Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media
For Drouin Speedway Club

Latrobe Waste Recyclers Eliminator Cup Winner Chris Stewart (C) Inaction Photos

Mighty Mouse Magic Winner Stuart Ferguson (C) Inaction Photos

Division 2 Hot Rods winner Scott Laidlaw C) Inaction Photos

Junior Standard Saloon winner Joshua Thomas C) Inaction Photos

Joel Andrews won the Open - Sports Sedan race (C) Inaction Photos