SAVILLE ONE AND TWO IN VICTORIAN GRAND PRIX MIDGET TITLE

The Victorian title and Rod Quarrell Memorial is now in the hands of New South Wales racer Rod Saville who came to and left the Rushworth Speedway with the victory in this season’s state title. Making the night even more special Janelle his daughter finished in second place with David Bacon the first Victorian car to finish in third place.

Four heat races would sort the boys and girls out for their starting positions in the twenty-lap title race and pre event favourite Trevor Perry started out perfectly with a victory in heat one by more than ten seconds.

Andrew Ward (#88 Fry’ Service Repairs – Suzuki) started at the front of the field with Travis Florrimell, Shawn Ward, Mark Blackeby, Perry, Rod Saville, David Bacon, Troy Buis, Steven Bennett(#79 SR Bennett Haulage – Honda CBR) and Lisa Chalcraft all lined up behind. Florrimell had a brilliant first start however; the race was called back after Saville had been deemed to have jumped the start and given a warning. A second start attempt however saw Florrimell exit the track with a chain problem and Saville led the re-start on lap one.

Perry led lap two, Saville (#59 Saville Racing – Suzuki) lap three and then Perry from lap four before another re-start had the steward saying Saville jumped again and he was this time disqualified as Perry led until the end. Perry won from Blackeby, Bacon and Buis as Andrew Ward did not finish because of carburettor concerns, Shawn Ward (#44 Huntsmen Trailers – Yamaha) because his chain broke and Bennett who spun on lap eight and watched as the last two laps finished without him.

Chalcraft moved to a front row start in the second heat of the night with Buis, Bacon, Bennett, Janelle Saville, Chris Fowler, Dennis Myers, Rod Saville, Blackeby (#10 Spitfire Restaurant & Grill – Yamaha) and Perry lined up in that order.

Myers was the early race leader in heat two with Fowler chasing him and Perry moving into third on lap six with four laps to go. Myers started to get fuel flow issues and Fowler was about to pass him however Perry flew around the track on the high line and passed Fowler and Myers and took the lead. Perry took the result from Fowler, Myers, Rod Saville, Janelle Saville (#2 Smithy Racing – Suzuki), Chalcraft, Buis, Bennett, Blackeby and Bacon.

Fowler won the only heat race without Perry starting in it when he started in pole position and made the most of it. Myers started outside pole, Janelle Saville and Bennett on the second row then Chalcraft, Buis, Bacon (#36 DB Kanga Hire & Cleaning – Yamaha), Florrimell and Shawn Ward.

Florrimell continued to have issues with his chain as again it came loose and he failed to finish, this time he was in second place when it went pear shaped for car #81. Fowler stretched out a big lead and Myers again had fuel flow issues; however Fowler won by eight seconds from Janelle Saville, Bennett, Myers, Buis (#5 Rock Solid Productions – Yamaha), Chalcraft and Bacon whilst Shawn Ward broke a steering arm and did not finish.

In the final title qualifier the fourth of the night, Perry started from pole position with Rod Saville alongside then Blackeby, Shawn Ward, Myers, Florrimell (#81 TM Lineboring – Suzuki), Fowler and Janelle Saville closing out the line-up.

Flomimell’s luck didn’t get any better as he again had the chain dislodge in his final heat this time on lap one, whilst Rod Saville’s front end broke on lap two finishing his final chance to move up the qualifying order in the twenty lap title race.

Shawn Ward was second until lap six when he had a flat tyre halt his charge as he started to slip back and Perry (#1 Perry Brothers Chassis – Suzuki) went on to increase his lead out to ten seconds and go on and win from Myers, Fowler, Shawn Ward and Janelle Saville. Blackeby broke a rear stub axle and did not finish the heat race either.

The Rod Quarrell Memorial that doubles as the Victorian title was then ready to go for twenty laps with Perry, Fowler (#13 Ballistic Performance Parts – Yamaha), Myers, Janelle Saville, Buis, Bacon, Blackeby, Bennett, Chalcraft, Shawn Ward, Rod Saville and Florrimell the line-up for the start.

The title race began with Fowler getting the better of Perry and taking the early race lead. Perry was fast behind him clocking 17.650 on lap five whilst in second as the top three Fowler, Perry and Myers (#11 Super Balance Shepparton – Suzuki) sizzled around Rushworth in their 1000cc machines.

On lap eleven, Perry exited the race when his engine went ‘Bang’ in a big way and Myers moved into second, on lap twelve Fowler also left the racetrack just as Myers had passed him for the lead whilst the chain was coming off the engine due to broken engine mounts and the engine moving some time during the race. With Myers in the lead, another Victorian title to his many others he already has won looked good.

Rod Saville who had made a gradual rise from towards the rear of the field to the battle up to Myers as he chased him along the pole line whilst Janelle went up high looking to pass her dad and Myers. However Myers engine also exploded leaving a massive hole in it on lap eighteen and that put a halt to the race and Rod Saville was able to win the restart and go on to win from Janelle Saville, David Bacon, Lisa Chalcraft (#15 Jacobson Transport – Suzuki) and Mark Blackeby.

Shawn Ward did not finish when his tyre came off the king pin on lap five and Florrimell again had a chain with other ideas other than propelling his race engine and racecar.

The Victorian Grand Prix Midgets association thanks Club Supporters:

Ballistic Performance Parts

TM Lineboring & Engineering

Super Balance Automotive Shepparton

Pitstop Mowers

Jacobson Transport

AJ's Motorcycle Parts and Apparel Shepparton

Vern & Jackie Parker Photography

Rock Solid Productions

Written by Dean Thompson

DMT Sports Media

For Victorian Grand Prix Midgets Association