Maiolo gets first win on the board

A big crowd enjoyed the speedway action and QUIT Bunbury Speedway promoter Ron Krikke said he was pleased with the night.

“The wingless had 19 cars in the pits and put on a very good night of racing with all cars starting the 20 lap feature and putting on a very exciting race with the Pittard brothers finishing first and third,” he said.

“Also the super sedans had a strong return to Bunbury after a few years absence with 16 on hand.

“It was a good start to our new season.”

Brad Maiolo claimed his first victory of the season when he won the fourth round of the AHG Sprintcar Series at Quit Bunbury Speedway on Saturday night.

It was Maiolo’s first sprintcar feature race win at his home track – something that has eluded him up until now.

He won the 30-lap race from Jason Kendrick and Daniel Harding – with all three drivers having to work their way to the front as the race unfolded.

It was a solid night for Maiolo who claimed the Victory 1 Performance Quick Time Award at the start of the night with a 13.587-second lap to edge out big brother Jamie’s 13.596, Jason Kendrick’s 13.896 and Jason Pryde’s 13.973 – the only four drivers to dip into the 13-second zone.

The feature race was not even a lap old when Scott Chatwin went wide in pits bend and flipped after the right rear tyre tagged the fence when he got caught off the racing line.

Jamie Oldfield, who started on the front row with Michael Keen – both campaigning 360cui-powered cars – was the early leader but had the field come back to him when AJ Nash spun around with three laps in the book for the first restart.

After the race got going again Brad Maiolo bolted into second and on lap seven he went around the outside of Oldfield for the lead.

After just 10 laps were completed, Nash spun again with Maiolo leading from Oldfield, Keen, Mewett and Scroop.

Kendrick and Harding were still lurking further back in the pack but were starting to gain some serious momentum.

Jamie Maiolo headed infield on unlucky lap 13 and one circulation later he was also joined as an infield spectator by Nash.

By mid-race distance it was Brad Maiolo from Scroop and Oldfield with Kendrick and Harding rounding out the top five.

Kendrick then started to make the moves, with Harding running in close quarters.

He passed Maiolo for the lead with seven laps remaining but it was to no avail as Mitchell Wormall went over in the 1-2 turn, seeing the red lights come on.

After the restart, Kendrick was not able to get the heat into his tyres and by this stage Maiolo knew where the quick part of the track was and raced hard to the finish line and the win.

Kendrick took second after starting from P12, with Harding coming from P11.

Scroop banked some solid points after taking fourth with Oldfield holding on for fifth from Darren Mewett, Robert Mould, Keen and Pryde.

Corey Hunter hasn’t enjoyed a good start to the season, recently suffering major engine damage at the Perth Motorplex – and on this occasion, with a different car and motor package, he crashed hard on the back straight in the first heat and took no further part in the night’s action.

Pryde backed up a solid time trial result with a win in the second heat while Mould and Mewett then claimed well-deserved heat race wins.

The series takes a break next week before round 5 is held at Perth Motorplex on Saturday, December 9.

The event will also host the WA Sprintcar Championships and a solid field is expected to nominate.

More pictures from the Speedway: