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[WSS] McFadden makes it 6 from 8!
by Speedway Australia
McFadden makes it six from eight!
2 January, 2012
On paper it seems almost impossible, but then Alice Springs born Queensland based James McFadden is not an ‘on paper kinda guy’ and so the idea of winning six WSS main events from eight starts in a field of this year’s calibre is certainly not out of his mind space.
And now it’s not out of his rivals, or the spectators’ mind space either.
In winning his sixth WSS main event in the eight rounds contested so far 22-year-old McFadden is also now the Speedweek Champion, and has the keys to his car owner Scott Milling’s 2009 Shelby Cobra road car.
Milling made the offer prior to the series kicking off, challenging his driver to win Speedweek and he could ‘have the Shelby’.
Tonight in the pits the generous Milling confirmed that he’s good for the bet and that McFadden can now take delivery of the Cobra.
“I’m not sure I should do that,” grinned McFadden, “I’d be dangerous in that thing. You see kids, take my word, drive carefully on the road.”
In wrapping up Speedweek, James also too the #25 Totally Workwear Cool Chassis to a hat trick of main event wins with success at Mt. Gambier, Avalon and tonight Sungold Stadium, Premier Speedway Warrnambool.
He’s also netted over $50,000 in prize-money so far for the team in the eight rounds held.
He nearly didn’t get the sweep tonight though, Steven Lines very nearly rained on his parade with two laps to go.
Lines “Monstered” his younger adversary going into turn three with two laps remaining and overtook the leader for a brief moment before McFadden returned serve.
“I was probably too nice in that situation,” frowned Lines after the race, “next time maybe I won’t be so nice and I’ll close the door a bit harder, but I don’t like to race that way and I didn’t want to wreck us both.”
The final spot on the rostrum was filled by third placed Garry Brazier in the Capalaba Wreckers J&J after the six-times Australian Champion started on the front row alongside McFadden for the 35 lap feature race and also timed in second fastest in Revolution Racegear qualifying at the start of the night.
“It’s good to see that these young kids are going so well,” Brazier said after the event, “the sport’s in good hands. It’s been great racing with World Series again and I think we’ve really got the hunger again.”
Fourth across the line in the epic main event was Stephen Bell in the Victory Lane Racegear #88 after another solid performance from “Belly” saw him mix with the WSS big dogs with typical swashbuckling style on the Premier clay.
Brooke Tatnell brought the #1 Toyota Genuine Parts Cool Chassis home in fifth place and recorded second place overall in the Speedweek points score despite being in some discomfort with an injured left hand from an incident at Avalon two nights ago.
Running in behind Tatnell was David Murcott in the new Eagle chassis the team built up for him after the big crash at Avalon Raceway two nights before. The hard charging Victorian was a lively customer around the dreamy Warrnambool surface that had several different lines to work with.
Seventh place went to Nick Lacey in the Look 3D Eyewear #26, recording along the way one of his best WSS results to date in a night in which he pretty well flew under the radar all meeting.
Rounding out the top ten were Ryan Farrell in the Bayaire Industries #2 in eighth, Ian Madsen in the Australia Wide Towing Cool Chassis in ninth and WSS Grand Marshall Max Dumesny coming through the field from seventeenth to tenth in the Valvoline / GKR Transport Maxim.
In a race that was mercifully free of multiple car wrecks the only major stoppage of the race occurred when defending WSS champion Robbie Farr had a power meeting with the turn four concrete wall in an incident that destroyed his East Coast Pipeline / Hi-Tec Oils Maxim when something broke in the car.
“We’re not really sure what happened but it appears his front end and steering jammed for some reason and that slammed him into the wall,” said ECPR Crew Chief Nick Speed.
Finishing just outside the top ten was Mitchell Dumesny in the Engine Armour #77 Maxim in eleventh, ahead of Darren Mollenoyux’s Warrnambool Crane Hire #77 in twelfth, Dylan Jenkin thirteenth, Mitch Foster fourteenth (after coming from the B-Main) Danny Reidy fifteenth, Jack Lee sixteenth and Ryan Davis the last of the cars still running.
DNF’s included Robbie Farr, Daniel Pestka (front end damage) and Shaun Bradford (hit the wall in turn two).
The B-Main was won by Dylan Jenkin from Mitch Foster, Max Dumesny, Daniel Pestka, Danny Reidy and Ryan Davis – all six transferring into the A-Main despite the best advances of Jason Johnson to come from the eighth row of the grid to all but snatch the last transfer position off Davis.
The young Winchelsea (Victoria) hard charger refused to be bumped from the transfer to the big dance and snuck through by 0.029s over the luckless Johnson who had earlier in the night rode out a punishing rollover in turn four in his heat race.
It was a rare mistake to jump the cushion by the popular American and he crunched the wall hard.
The C-Main was won by Glen Sutherland over young West Aussie Carl Dowling.
James McFadden won the Vortex Gold Shootout and secured pole position, as he did the round prior at Avalon.
Likeable South Aussie veteran and all round good guy Trevor Green suffered a back injury in his opening heat when Taylor Milling flipped and the NATRAD #4 Maxim got airborne big time, vaulting over backwards and landing hard down on the tail.
Track Safety workers and Paramedics took significant time to get Trevor out of the car safely and then transfer him to Warrnambool Hospital for X-Rays where it was determined that he has damaged his C1, C2, C3 and C4 vertebrae in a situation that seems to have aggravated the injury he suffered at Toowoomba two seasons ago.
Trevor’s racing future would seem to be in limbo right now as doctors discuss his options.
World Series Sprintcars wishes Trevor a smooth and speedy recovery and will release more information as soon as it comes to hand.
Teams now head 1495.5 kilometres north to Archerfield Speedway for next weekend’s two-night (Friday-Saturday) Round Nine WSS event that coincides with the 2012 Australian Open.
Many of the WSS teams will also compete at Archerfield this coming Wednesday night in a non-WSS event at the circuit.
Top 20 points overall:
1. James McFadden (2376)
2. Steven Lines (1917)
3. Brooke Tatnell (1909)
4. Robbie Farr (1905)
5. Jason Johnson (1901)
6. David Murcott (1849)
7. Ian Madsen (1776)
8. Max Dumesny (1740)
9. Dylan Jenkin (1693)
10. Trevor Green (1611)
11. Garry Brazier (1472)
12. Danny Reidy (1422)
13. Grant Anderson (1288)
14. Glen Saville (1255)
15. Jeremy Cross (1225)
16. Daniel Pestka (1180)
17. Ricky Maiolo (1109)
18. Matt Young (979)
19. Luke Dillon (844)
20. Richard Morgan (746)
Speedweek Overall Points
1. James McFadden (1558)
2. Brooke Tatnell (1386)
3. Steven Lines (1269)
4. David Murcott (1241)
5. Garry Brazier (1211)
6. Jason Johnson (1139)
7. Robbie Farr (1123)
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