The 2016/2017 Junior Speedway Racing Association season has come to a close with Round 9 of the JSRA Country Super Series proudly supported by Ultra Tune Malaga, which doubled as the annual Fab Martinelli Cup at Pithara Speedway.
With good fields in both New and Top Stars, the event promised to be great, however no one really knew it would be this great. The afternoon began with a thrilling New Star Junior Sedan race, with Bryden Southwell claiming the heat win on the last corner as Luke Malcolm ran wide.
Heat Two would see Luke Malcolm race from the rear of the field to storm to victory ahead of Bryden Southwell and a fast finishing Alec Vanzetti, while heat three would see another great race, with Malcolm, Southwell and Alec Vanzetti finishing in that order again.
Luke Malcolm and Bryden Southwell would start the 15 lap feature race from the front row, with Alec and Connor Vanzetti sharing the second row. Luke Malcolm made the best of the start, as the challenge was on further back between the Vanzetti brothers. Jhy and Montana Pack duelled it out for the minor places, as the entire field race very close.
Alec Vanzetti now started to charge after Bryden Southwell who sat in second place, as Jhy Pack also made his way through the field. With a big group of drivers racing for the minor places, Luke Malcolm started to come upon lapped traffic, which closed the leaders up together. Alec Vanzetti used this to his advantage as he moved to the lead from Malcolm and Southwell.
Vanzetti would run wide coming out of turn 4, as the lead changed once again. With four laps remaining, Luke Malcolm lead from Alec Vanzetti and Bryden Southwell as Ahryn Curtin made up a couple of positions. As the leaders came upon another lapped car, the white flag was displayed as Luke Malcolm continued to lead from Bryden Southwell, Jhy Pack and Alec Vanzetti.
Luke Malcolm would managed to hold on from a very fast finishing Jhy Pack who narrowly defeated Bryden Southwell and Alec Vanzetti to claim the Fab Martinelli Cup and Round 9 of the JSRA Country Super Series.
The racing from the Top Star Juniors was of the highest quality and was some of the best we have seen all season. Right from the first green flag, the racing was hard fought and extremely close with Jake Avins narrowly defeating Peter Katona and Rahni Musarra.
Heat two was an absolute highlight of the entire season, with the top 5 in Jake Avins, Blake Webb, Izak Davies, Peter Katona and Jackson Derrick racing in close proximity. Jake Avins managed to skip away, while the rest battled it out right to the last corner, racing four wide to the checkered flag. Avins would win from Jackson Derrick and Blake Webb.
The third and final heat of the night would see Jackson Derrick start from the front row and win comfortably in the end ahead of Blake Webb and Jake Avins.
Come the 20 lap feature race, it was clear after the heat racing that this would be a great race and it surely didn’t disappoint. Jake Avins and Jackson Derrick from the front row started well and raced side by side for numerous laps, with Derrick applying immense pressure and trying a passing manoeuvre on a number of occasions.
Jake Avins would go so close to rolling his Datsun Sunny with 15 laps remaining, as Blake Webb now closed in on Jackson Derrick in third position. Derrick soon closed in on Avins once again, as Peter Katona approached Blake Webb before a yellow light would come on for a spun car.
From the restart, Avins and Derrick would skip away from the rest of the field, though this would be short lived with yet another restart. At the half way point of the race, the race for the lead started to intensify as Peter Katona looked to the inside of Jackson Derrick. A yellow light would see the field close up once again, before the battle for the lead resumed.
With very little room separating the leaders, Jackson Derrick would hit the front with 7 laps remaining, as Peter Katona loomed large waiting for one mistake, which soon came as Jackson Derrick ran wide. With only four laps remaining, Avins, Katona and Derrick circulated very quickly, making it a row of three as they raced for the lead. This would soon come to an abrupt end as Jake Avins was left facing the wrong way in turn 1, with Jackson Derrick deemed the cause of the stoppage and was sent to the rear of the field.
Jake Avins would continue on in the race lead, as Jackson Derrick, Izak Davies and Alex Swift all retired from the event. At this point, Peter Katona’s bonnet started to lift, with Rahni Musarra moving into a prominent position before Brooke Watson would find herself facing the wrong way.
A green-white-checkered restart would be ordered, with officials making some attempt to rectify the issue for Peter Katona. As the green lights came on for the final time this JSRA season, Jake Avins would prove to be too strong and held on to take his final Junior Sedan race and the Fab Martinelli Cup from Blake Webb and Rahni Musarra. Peter Katona would unfortunately have to retire, with the bonnet continuing to flap in air.
Official Results:
Top Star Junior Sedan Final: 1. W11 Jake Avins, 2. W108 Blake Webb, 3. W12 Rahni Musarra, 4. W66 Seth Hinsey, 5. W37 Brooke Watson DNF: W06 Peter Katona, W7 Alex Swift, W95 Izak Davies, W27 Jackson Derrick, W21 Jack Dalton
A big thank you to Ultra Tune Malaga for their support of this Round of the JSRA Country Super Series and to Josh Martinelli for supporting the JSRA representing his Father Fab.
Attention for the JSRA now turns to the Annual General Meeting and End of Year Presentation Evening from 5pm on Saturday May 27th at the Victoria Park Carlisle Bowling Club. Please make sure you get your tickets from Kirsten Derrick as soon as possible.
The JSRA must thank our valued sponsors of the 2016/2017 Season for their support of Junior Sedan Racing in WA:
Hamon Tyre and Exhaust Centre (HTEC)
Whale Plumbing
Callcott and Downey
Hydroblasting Kalgoorlie
Eyerite Signs
True Value Hardware, Moora
Cranecorp Australia
Ultra Tune Malaga
Torque Wear Australia
BK Signs
Sean McManus Web Development
Ellement Produce