DAYNE KINGSHOTT IS AGAIN KING OF WINGS CHAMPION!
Feature photo by: Cochrane photography
Defending Maddington Toyota Sprintcar Series Champion claimed the drawn-out and drama-filled 40-lap feature race at the Perth Motorplex on Saturday night, November 9 from Callum Williamson and Kris Coyle.
Kingshott was able to control his car enough to win on the rubber down track that proved brutal on tyres and put some of his rivals out of the contest when their tyres ran out of rubber. Of the 23 cars that took the green light, only seven greeted the chequered flag.
The driver of the Krikke Motorsport W2 came from position six – the same starting position he won the race from last year.
This was after he was quickest in his qualifying session and raced from fourth to first in his heat race. Kingshott then dropped back to third, after starting from pole, in the A Dash. He raced up to second with about six laps in the book, but then dropped back as far as fifth before gradually moving back into the lead with about 10 laps remaining.
As a result of a fifth, followed by two wins in a row, Kingshott is the early season points leader, 14 points clear of former series champion Williamson, who threatened to take the win in the feature race.
Williamson set the Victory 1 Performance overall quickest time, before starting fourth and winning his heat race, setting up a position one start in the A Dash, which he unfortunately didn’t start, with electrical issues.
Despite the setback of starting the final from position 11, he was up to third at about quarter race distance, before hitting the lead on lap 25.
Williamson dropped back to third for a period before getting into second late and recording his second podium result of the season, bettering his third at the last outing. Coyle came from position 14 in a very solid and workmanlike drive that saw him chase grip on the low lines of the track, with success.
It was a good recovery after he was sixth quickest in his qualifying group and then took a sixth in his heat race. Coyle gained a couple of spots in the opening laps, but then lost ground and was back to where he started before moving up to 10th with nine laps completed.
By lap 16 his transition forward was obvious, settling into sixth and after running fourth for a while, with three laps remaining he claimed the final podium position. Brad Maiolo, who started from p2, staked an early claim on the race, leading until lap 24.
In the next handful of laps he dropped back to fourth before getting back to second until he suffered tyre failure with only a few laps to the chequered flag.
It was a tough end for the driver of the LJM Racing W77 after he was second in his heat race and then won the B Dash, setting up the front row start.
Kaiden Manders qualified on pole after being second in his heat race and winning the A Dash. After jockeying between the podium positions early on, he was out of the contest just over mid-race distance after being tagged by another car which set off a chain reaction, resulting in damage to a couple of cars.
Daniel Harding started from position three and dropped back as far as seventh at one point, before making up lost ground, getting to second, before heading infield with a flat left rear tyre.
New Zealander Michael Pickens, in his second outing in the Sean Carren-owned W95, took fourth, backing up his second in the season opener back in November. Earlier Pickens was second in both his heat race and the B Dash.
Jason Kendrick was fifth after being caught up in a few incidents and going to the rear of the field on two occasions, including once where the team had to replace the front end of the Triple M Kendrick Racing W11. At the start of the night Kendrick won his heat race and was then fifth in the B Dash, putting him out of p10 for the final.
AJ Nash was sixth in his second outing in the Nash family-owned W51, a result he would not have thought possible after starting the final from p19.
Wayne Russell was the only other finisher, crossing the line in seventh after starting from p20.
The series will head south for the first appearance at Bunbury Speedway in two weeks, with the feature being the LJM Sprintcar Grand Prix on Saturday, November 23.
Qualifying:
Group 1: Callum Williamson 13.709, Aaron Chircop 13.716, Ryan Lancaster 13.718, Michael Pickens 13.799, Trent Pigdon 14.001, Michael Keen 14.081, Jaydee Dack 14.106, Taylor Milling 14.112.
Group 2: Dayne ? Kingshott 13.762, Brad Maiolo 13.996, Jamie Maiolo 14.052, Andrew Priolo 14.205, Joel Ettridge 14.407, Wayne Russell 14.841, Myles Bolger 15.129, Harrison Peet 15.218.
Group 3: 1st Daniel Harding 13.892, Kaiden Manders 13.981, Ryan Newton 14.315, Jason Kendrick 14.408, Jack Williamson 14.570, Kris Coyle 15.007, Brooke Newson 15.747, AJ Nash NTT.
Heat 1: 1st Callum Williamson, 2nd Michael Pickens, 3rd Ryan Lancaster, 4th Michael Keen, 5th Aaron Chircop, 6th Trent Pigdon, 7th Jaydee Dack, 8th Taylor Milling.
Heat 2: 1st Dayne ?ᅡᅠKingshott, 2nd Brad Maiolo, 3rd Andrew Priolo, 4th Joel Ettridge, 5th Jamie Maiolo, 6th Wayne Russell, 7th Harrison Peet, 8th Myles Bolger.
Heat 3: 1st Jason Kendrick, 2nd Kaiden Manders, 3rd Ryan Newton, 4th Daniel Harding, 5th Jack Wiliamson, 6th Kris Coyle, 7th Brooke Newson, 8th AJ Nash.
Revolution Racegear A Dash: 1st Kaiden Manders, 2nd Daniel Harding, 3rd Ryan Newton, 4th Andrew Priolo, 5th Ryan Lancaster. DNS: Callum Williamson.
Revolution Racegear B Dash: 1st Brad Maiolo, 2nd Michael Pickens, 3rd Dayne Kingshott, 4th Jamie Maiolo, 5th Jason Kendrick, 6th Aaron Chircop.
BR Motorsport Midpack: 1st Michael Keen, 2nd Kris Coyle, 3rd Joel Ettridge, 4th Jaydee Dack, 5th Taylor Milling, 6th Jack Williamson, 7th AJ Nash, 8th Wayne Russell, 9th Harrison Peet, 10th Myles Bolger, 11th Brooke Newson. DNF: Trent Pigdon.
Feature: 1st Dayne Kingshott, 2nd Callum Williamson, 3rd Kris Coyle, 4th Michael Pickens, 5th Jason Kendrick, 6th AJ Nash, 7th Wayne Russell. DNF: Brad Maiolo (lap 37),
Jamie Maiolo (lap 34), Jaydee Dack (lap 34), Taylor Milling (lap 34), Myles Bolger (lap 34), Brooke Newson (lap 34), Daniel Harding (lap 28), Michael Keen (lap 23), Ryan Newton (lap 23),
Kaiden Manders (lap 22), Ryan Lancaster (lap 22), Andrew Priolo (lap 22), Harrison Peet (lap 14), Joel Ettridge (lap 2), Aaron Chircop (lap 1), DNS: Trent Pigdon.
Championship points: Dayne Kingshott ? 590, Callum Williamson 576, Kris Coyle 568, Brad Maiolo 554, Jason Kendrick 550, Kaiden Manders 548, Jamie Maiolo 548,
Taylor Milling 542, Jack Williamson 522, Ryan Lancaster 518, Jaydee Dack 516, Andrew Priolo 504, Michael Keen 502, Wayne Russell 498, Aaron Chircop 490, Brooke Newson 490,
Daniel Harding 488, Joel Ettridge 484, Ryan Newton 412, AJ Nash 398, Jason Pryde 396, James Inglis 376, Harrison Peet 358, Trent Pigdon 302, Michael Pickens 288, Myles Bolger 232,
Brock Kenny 200, Shaun Bradford 104, Todd Davis 50.
SEAVEY’S USAC NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP