Jamie Veal had ‘never seen the place before’ and yet dominated proceedings in the 30-lap USC QLD Series main event tonight at Hi-Tec Oils Speedway Toowoomba.
Veal steered his rapid #35 SWI Engineering Maxim to a speedy victory to narrowly lead home Robbie Farr in second place and Bryan Mann third in a hectic main event in front of the biggest crowd of the season to snare the $6,000 on offer.
“This is a great little place,” he smiled after the win, “I got caught up a bit in lapped traffic and there were times when I couldn’t get the car settled but I really enjoyed it here, it’s something completely different to what we’re used to.”
The win was a cool birthday present for Veal’s crew chief Glen Beaton.
Robbie Farr’s solid second place in the USC branded #7 Cool was an important victory for his USC Chase aspirations and good enough to snare him the inaugural USC QLD Championship victory in the process.
“To win the first ever USC QLD is something our entire team is really proud of. It’s a great reward for how hard everyone has worked and the competition was really tough up here this year,” Farr smiled.
Bryan Mann’s solid third place in the A-Main was a just reward for a consistent evening in the Driven Oil Eagle.
“Anytime you can run third to guys like Jamie Veal and Robbie Farr you know it’s been a good night. I noticed that Jamie was running up on the highline a bit towards the end and that was where we were most of the time. I’m happy for the boys that we could get this podium result.”
The event was heart breaking for James McFadden.
Still physically sore from a bone jarring wreck that completely destroyed his car at Warrnambool last Sunday night Jay-Mac and crew chief Tim Gleeson had high hopes for a positive result tonight.
It looked to be heading that way too as the #25 Westralian Diamond Drillers Cool began the main event on pole.
Charging into turn three on the first lap however fellow front row starter David Murcott made an aggressive play for the lead and made contact with the left front of McFadden’s car.
McFadden turned hard right into the wall and the dual WSS and Australian Champion rode out a painful and car destroying crash.
Murcott restarted at the rear of the field but the remainder of McFadden’s season seems in serious jeopardy.
Peter Lack charged typically hard to try and wrest the USC QLD crown from leader Robbie Farr but an eventual fourth place from an original fourth row start was not enough to place him any higher than second in USC QLD points.
South Australian young gun Jake Tranter was stellar in what was just his third Toowoomba start to place fifth in the CRW #45 ahead of QLD USC debutant Matt Dumesny in the Valvoline Synpower #57 Maxim – the latter showing plenty of ticker to work his way forward.
Impressive teenager Lachlan McHugh was seventh despite front wing damage in the Castrol Global Lubricants #23 ahead of David Murcott who soldiered back from the rear of the field to eighth in the Horrell Motorsports entry.
Danny Reidy edged inside the top ten with ninth in the Mitchell Motorsport #19 ahead of Darren Jensen’s #75 Cometic entry in tenth.
Brandon Rawlings brought the #44 Consol Racing Maxim home in eleventh over the Kratzmann’s Karavans entry of Brent Kratzmann in twelfth, the RHK #59 J&J of Kevin Titman in thirteenth and Brent Aprile’s #42 KKR entry as the last classified finisher in fourteenth.
DNF’s were Andrew Scheuerle, Anthony Lambert, Mitchell Gee, Dan Murray, David Whell and James McFadden.
The B-Main was won by Kevin Titman.
The Pole Shootout and Quick Time in Qualifying was claimed by James McFadden.
Final USC QLD A-Main results:
1. Jamie Veal VIC
2. Robbie Farr NSW
3. Bryan Mann QLD
4. Peter Lack QLD
5. Jake Tranter SA
6. Matt Dumesny NSW
7. Lachlan McHugh QLD
8. David Murcott VIC
9. Danny Reidy QLD
10. Darren Jensen QLD
11. Brandon Rawlings QLD
12. Brent Kratzmann QLD
13. Kevin Titman QLD
14. Brent Aprile QLD
15. Andrew Scheuerle QLD
16. Anthony Lambert QLD
17. Mitchell Gee QLD
18. Dan Murray QLD
19. David Whell QLD
20. James McFadden VIC
The Think Money Super Sedan main event was a battle and a finish of epic proportions with Ian Brims getting the victory by the narrowest of margins (0.274s) to Matt Pascoe in second place and Sean Black in third.
Wayne Brims claimed fourth place ahead of Matthew Williams, Des Korn, Nicholas O’Keefe, Justin Randall, Bob McCosker and Daryl Moon rounding out the top ten.
The Legend Cars provided some spirited racing with James Duckworth dominating the heat racing and the main event to claim victory from Sydney youngster Hayden Pascoe in second the West Aussie Jack Alfirevich home in third.
Dallas Czerwinski came home in fourth place ahead of Ian Jones in fifth and Leigh Walker sixth.
The USC Chase continues now to Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway for the next two weekends (Saturday, April 9 and Saturday, April 16).
Ends release…
