The top 3 from Saturday night's feature race. Pic by Bruce Russell.
IT’S been a long time between drinks but Jamie Maiolo finally got to stand on the top step of the podium when he won round 10 of the AHG Sprintcar Series at the Perth Motorplex on Saturday night.
Maiolo won the 25-lap final from Cameron Gessner and Shaun Bradford but up until the last lap it looked like he was going to finish second to polesitter David Priolo who led for most of the event.
Priolo blew a left rear tyre as he raced into turns 1-2 on the last lap, spinning around before being tagged by Maiolo who managed to keep the car going and claim the win.
It was a tough night on the track with some of the big guns leaving the venue with heavily-damaged cars.
Ryan Farrell didn’t even make the feature race after major contact with Callum Williamson in a heat race that saw the #26 machine heavily damaged and the driver limping to the ambulance for medical treatment.
Seventeen-year-old Brodie Minchin started on the front row for a heat race and only lasted one lap after getting out of control and being clipped by another car on the back straight, also ending his night early.
The Williamson crew thrashed hard to get the #73 machine repaired in time for the feature race only to crash out with contact with Jason Boland at the start of the feature race.
Mark Wells, who started from P9 and raced up to sixth in the early laps, ran too wide in pits bend before flipping on his own.
Maiolo looked very strong, particularly in the middle part of the feature race when he closed the gap on Priolo before the leader managed to stretch the lead again.
Contact between Shane Norris and Troy Beckingham in pits bend four laps from home saw the field bunch up again and put Maiolo on the back of Priolo for the dash to the flag.
After Priolo’s tyre expired Maiolo didn’t hesitate as he raced to the line for his first feature race win in a few years.
It was reward for the LJM Racing team that has been consistent over a long period of time but unable to get the #99 machine a major win.
QUALIFYING:
Group 1: Ryan Farrell 14.936, Shaun Bradford 15.248, Mark Wells 15.298, Steven Ford 15.305 and Rob Watson junior 15.377.
Group 2: Brad Maiolo 15.164, Shane Norris 15.294 Kye Scroop 15.380, Troy Beckingham 15.719, Rod Howe 17.236.
Group 3: Jake Beard-Miller 14.537, Jason Kendrick 14.576, David Priolo 14.702, Jason Boland 15.256, Brodie Minchin 15.262.
Heat 1: 1st Brad Maiolo, 2nd Callum Williamson. 3rd Cameron Gessner, 4th Shaun Bradford, 5th Jason Boland, 6th Steven Ford, 7th Kye Scroop, 8th Rod Howe. DNF: Jason Kendrick.
Heat 2: 1st Ryan Farrell, 2nd David Priolo, 3rd Jamie Maiolo, 4th Shane Norris, 5th Troy Beckingham, 6th Mark Wells, 7th Troy Lawson, 8th Brodie Minchin. DNF: Jake Beard-Miller, Robert Watson junior.
Heat 3: 1st Troy Beckingham, 2nd Jason Kendrick, 3rd Cameron Gessner, 4th Mark Wells, 5th Shane Norris, 6th Jason Boland. DNF: Robert Watson junior, Callum Williamson and Ryan Farrell.
Heat 4: 1st David Priolo, 2nd Jamie Maiolo, 3rd Kye Scroop, 4th Shaun Bradford, 5th Bradley Maiolo, 6th Steven Ford, 7th Rod Howe.
Feature: 1st Jamie Maiolo, 2nd Cameron Gessner, 3rd Shaun Bradford, 4th Jason Kendrick, 5th Bradley Maiolo, 6th Kye Scroop, 7th Troy Lawson, 8 Rod Howe. DNF: David Priolo, Shane Norris, Troy Beckingham, Steven Ford, Mark Wells, Jason Boland, Callum Williamson. DNS: Brodie Minchin, Ryan Farrell, Jake Beard-Miller and Rob Watson junior.
The top 3 from Saturday night's feature race. Pic by Bruce Russell.
