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Lee Nash Takes Out Wss Support
Ross Allen posted Monday February 8, 2010.
The Wingless Sprints returned to Perth Motorplex last night for the first time since their State Title over a month ago, in support of the World Series Sprintcars Grand Final. 18 cars were on hand as once again the class showed it is a club on the move, the turnout having been rallied in little over a week. The nominations included many of the leaders in the division this season, with 7 of the current Perth Motorplex Top 10 in points on hand. This meeting was not part of the season long chase for points, but with 18 cars on hand the racing was bound to be no less fierce than usual. Ultimately, it was Lee Nash who resumed his love affair with racing at the venue, but not without a huge battle under the Triple Race Format.
Nash did indeed lead the field away in the first heat of the night, and raced away to what looked like a race winning lead. State Champion Trevor Reynolds had worked his way off the second row, into second spot and moved into position to challenge. Ryan Condren and Marshall McDiarmid had 3rd and 4th under control, while further back in the pack there was some heavy work going on. Chad Gordon became an unwilling participant in a clash between Kyle Beard and Phil Taylor (who retired to the infield) and lost several laps parked on the edge of the track on the back straight hoping for a restart that never came. Late in the race Adam Brauer turned the HA Young Plumbing Contractors #13 around in Pits Bend, as Reynolds did take the lead and win over Nash, Condren and McDiarmid.
There was a messy start to the second event of the evening, with both expected front row occupants missing from the field, and only Brauer moving forward as the 'one to go' signal was given. As the field rounded pits bend, Brauer was suddenly surrounded as Gordon moved up on his outside, and another car saw a gap on the inside front row. Redmond charged away and was followed through by Liam Dowling and Carl Pickersgill. Dowling exited the event, handing 2nd to Pickersgill, and Bill Stocks had quietly worked his way from 6th to 3rd in the space of a handful of laps. Meanwhile McDiarmid, who was looking to build on his points tally from the first event in the Motorworld Wangara #22 copped a heavy hit in Pits Bend from the South West Removals #16 of Carol O'Sullivan which shuffled him well down the order, but fortunately didn't force him out of the event.
The action was plentiful through the pack, with John Grigg making up plenty of spots in only his second outing and joining the top 10, with Cory Gilpin also making forward progress in his first meeting. McDiarmid was trying to salvage as many all important points as possible, while Ben Migro was hanging onto 7th as the likes of Reynolds and Nash charged through looking to consolidate their positions. Adrian LaMacchia had a tough time of it in the House of Computer Rentals #95, first tagging a spinning Tom Bovell, before looping it himself towards the completion of the journey. Ultimately Redmond held his lead throughout to register the 100 point maximum, followed home by Stocks, Pickersgill and Reynolds.
Courtesy of his 197 point tally, Reynolds had the all important pole start for the 3rd race, with Redmond alongside on 195. Lee Nash was sitting ominously in 3rd on 194, while Stocks was continuing his form from Bunbury with 193. A great mix of drivers in the front two rows, and at the start it was Reynolds who led them away. Nash quickly put the Williamson Motorsport #55 into 2nd, and when Reynolds retired from the event grabbed the lead. Pickersgill turned The Panel Shop #25 around in turn one, and was lucky most cars avoided him, but in the heavy traffic LaMacchia could only hit the anchors and ended up backing the #95 into Pickersgill. LaMacchia continued with a very second hand rear nerf bar, and Pickersgill unfortunately exited the event.
McDiarmid was making fantastic forward progress, and was followed into the top 3 by Dowling as their pace proved a little too hot for Stocks. Grigg was having a wonderful time of it moving into the top 5, while Ryan Condren's hot and cold night continued as he first moved up the order to 5th, then slipped late race to 7th. Gordon was having one of his best outings in the best Tractors Group #8, holding sway in 8th after a late pass on Migro to round out the cars on the lead lap.
Nash, whose superior car speed in this race was apparent, took a comfortable win of near 7 seconds, ahead of McDiarmid. Dowling harassed McDiarmid hard in the closing laps but had to be happy with the 98 points on offer for 3rd, with Stocks and Grigg rounding out the top 5.
This all left Nash as the evening's winner with 294 points, ahead of Stocks (290), McDiarmid (286), Dowling (281), Grigg (280), Migro (277), Reynolds (276), Redmond (274), Gordon (273), Condren (271), Pickersgill (270), Gilpin (269), Beard (268), Taylor (267), Brauer (267), Bovell (260), LaMacchia (259) and O'Sullivan (249).
Next week, the points chase is back on in earnest at Fast Friday and Nash will be looking to defend his season points lead as the likes of Darren Sutton, Nikki Nash and Merv Lowther rejoin the fray. Be there to watch the battle unfold, in the season long race continues, supported by Our Car Autos, Consolidated Diesel, Classic Contractors, Walsh Logistics and All Star Towing & Tilt.
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