With no thoughts of a Championship result to cloud his mind Kerry Madsen cruised to an all the way win in tonight’s preliminary A-Main at The Perth Motorplex, leading home Brooke Tatnell and Steven Lines in the 25 lap affair.
Whilst it might have appeared that Madsen had the handle well and truly reigned in on the #29 American Racing Custom Wheels KPC chassis the driver himself explained that it was far from an armchair ride.
“To be honest, I was never really happy with my track position. I knew that Brooke was running slightly higher than me but I was bouncing around all over the place out there trying to find somewhere that suited where I was at. I don’t think I ever really found that place.”
Tatnell was quick to praise Kerry, even if he wasn’t prepared to himself.
“That’s why he wins World of Outlaw races and why he’s driving for such a great team, because he is that good. We didn’t really have anything for Kerry tonight and as for that bloody Steven Lines, he just won’t go away will he?” grinned the 8 times WSS champ.
Lines himself was businesslike in the Hauls Haulage #3 KPC, running third to the lead duo but sitting right on Tatnell’s (his main championship rival) #2 KMS Cool tail tank.
“We did what we had to do tonight,” said the Mt Gambier hard charger, “my job tonight was to get through that race with some points and keep Brooke from making too much ground on us with one night to go.”
James McFadden brought the Totally Workwear #25 Cool home in fourth place in a determined drive to stay within touch of the two drivers looking to steal away his WSS crown.
Fifth home was Luke Dillon in the Diamond Bay Motorsport #26 Maxim after the South Aussie set his 6th Revolution Racegear Quick Time in qualifying earlier in the night.
Rounding out the finishers were Shaun Bradford (GKR Transport Cool) in sixth, Cameron Gessner seventh (Cowara Contractors #41) Tim Kaeding (KMS Cool) eighth after coming from 15th and winning the B-Main, Matt Egel in ninth (Muir Motorsport Cool) Brad Maiolo (LJM Produce Maxim) in tenth and Ian Loudoun eleventh in the Peet Motorsport #65.
Some bone jarring wrecks were unfortunate highlight TV show reels including Jamie Maiolo when something broke on his #99 LJM Produce Maxim sending him into a violent series of rollovers, Jason Kendrick flipped heavily on the main straight after he and Callum Wlliamson tangled coming out of turn four, Jackson Delamont who crashed heavily into the turn four wall and Trent Pigdon who rolled in turn one.
Also registering a DNF were Robbie Farr (flat left rear) David Priolo (flat left rear) Jamie Veal (mechanical) and Garry Brazier (mechanical).
Several drivers did not make the transfer from the B-Main to the A-Main including local hero Mark Wells (8th) Trevor Green (11th) Dylan Jenkin (12th) Daniel Harding (13th), Shane Stewart (14th) and Daniel Pestka (15th).
Jenkin and Pestka in particular both struggled to overcome a disastrous evening when they failed to make the inversion cut after qualifying.
Shane Stewart again endured a heartbreaking evening with a crash then thrash job to even make the B-Main.
The points situation sees Brooke Tatnell slide marginally back on Lines as the Championship heads to it’s final night of the season at the Motorplex tomorrow (Saturday) night.
Steven Lines 3236
Brooke Tatnell 3105
James McFadden 2976
Luke Dillon 2906
Jamie Veal 2729
Dylan Jenkin 2231
Shane Stewart 2166
Daniel Pestka 2046
Jackson Delamont 1991
Garry Brazier 1682
Daniel Harding 1662
Jordyn Brazier 1280