Dennis Jones added some new meaning to the label “Things with Wings” when he attempted to fly, becoming airborne late in the race after coming together with Justin Barton.

The starting grid for the eight VSC Sprintcar nominations was Daly, Barton, Mark Laity. Dennis Jones, Andrew Hughes, Shane Steenholt and Dave Dennison.

At the flag, the green light was closely followed by the yellow with the Chief Steward unhappy with the disorderly start and ordering a restart.

The second attempt saw Daly get away well, but this was also short-lived when Dennison spun in turn two, bringing the yellow out again.

Third attempt lucky, with Daly again claiming the lead, followed by Laity, Barton, Jones, Hughes, Steenholt and Dennison.

The field remained in that order for much of the race with a battle emerging between Barton and Jones for third.

Daly had opened around a half-lap lead by lap fourteen, and Laity had been caught by the squabbling Barton and Jones, making it a three way battle for second and third. On lap eighteen, 

Jones rode over Barton’s wheel, with both cars thankfully recovering without losing ground. Daly took an easy win by over half a lap. 

Fans were abuzz with speculation that Daly would break his own track record at Rushworth, but this was not to be.

Although Daly claimed the fastest lap with a time of 13.450 seconds, this was just 0.121 short of his existing record. During the event, all Sprintcars recorded times under fourteen seconds.

The final five placings were Daly, Barton, Laity, Jones and Hughes.

Supporting feature event was for Marsh Modifieds, with the final field reduced to five starters. 

Jonathon Knight had pole with Garry Kakoschke on the outside followed by Timothy Knight, Justin Bradley and George Potts.

Despite a brilliant showing in the heats by Johnathon Knight, it was Kakoschke who claimed the early lead and was never headed.

The field of Kakoschke, Johnathon Knight, Timothy Knight, Bradley and Potts just spread out during the event, with Johnathon Knight trying unsuccessfully to close on a flying Kakoschke.

Final placings were Kakoschke, Johnathon Knight, Timothy Knight, Bradley and Potts.

An initial 14 nominations for GV Production Sedans was reduced to just nine starters in the final.

Much of the action was produced in the heats, with some hectic mid-field battles for placings were taking place.

In heat three, Scott Burchett had claimed a commanding lead with the pack fighting behind him.

This culminated in a five-car pile-up in turn four involving Echuca’s Rachel Pratt, Ash Brown, Leigh Jeffery and Warren Alexander.

All escaped with just panel damage and dented egos.

This left the final grid of Burchett, Pratt, Shane Hutchins, Jeffery, Brown, Matt Walker, Scott Smith, Mark Bergman and Warren Alexander.

Pratt out-dragged Burchett for the lead and the field settled down with Hutchins in third followed by Jeffery and Brown. 

The mid-field battles of the heats did not eventuate, except for a tussle between Brown and Walker. 

Pratt had opened a quarter-lap lead from the rest, and Alexander retired with a broken front suspension.

Final placings were Pratt, Burchett, Hutchins, Jeffery and Brown.

GV Production Sedans were recording times in the 20 -211 second bracket.

It was bonus points night for some of the GV ladies with the non-appearance of two of the previous front runners.

Line-up for the final was Bendigo’s Natalie Thompson, Jacquie Fitzpatrick, Kelly Nadort, Leanne Hodge and Echuca’s Maddie Naismith.

The ladies stayed pretty much in that order with Fitzpatrick challenging for the lead, and eventually getting past Thompson, who in turn was looking for a way back to the front.

An opportunity occurred on the last lap when Fitzpatrick went wide coming out of turn two, and Thompson pounced to take the flag.

Final results were Thompson from Fitzpatrick with Nadort third followed by Hodge and Naismith.

Juniors presented with five cars for the final, Thomas Conboy from Bendigo on pole from Lachie Fitzpatrick, Josh Cecil, Issiah Hodge and Kodye Basten. An interesting race developed with Conboy 

taking the lead and Fitzpatrick lost some ground to fall back into a challenge by Cecil. 

Conboy escaped into the distance as Cecil tried to find a way past Fitzpatrick. Hodge retired to the centre, followed shortly after by Basten. Placings at the flag were Conboy from Fitzpatrick, Cecil, Basten and Hodge.

This week, the GV Open Saloons had their final to themselves and with fifteen starters the local Big Bangers were promising plenty of action. They did not disappoint.

The front three rows on the grid saw Phil Lamb from Peter Welch (both Bendigo), Keith Simmonds, Wayne Gilsenan, Adam Box and Shaun Thompson. Peter Fitzpatrick started out of position eight, and Mark Cecil from eleven.

Lamb hit the front from Welch, followed by Gilsenan, Keith Simmonds, Thompson and Box.

The field spread out with Lamb leading Welch, who started to close on the leader as they commenced working their way through lapped traffic. 

By lap seven, Fitzpatrick was in ninth, and Cecil in sixth when the red flag stopped the race with a car on fire on the infield.

The restart order was Lamb, Welch, Gilsenan, Thompson, Keith Simmonds, Box, Brad Simmonds and Cecil. 

An intriguing situation ensued as the cars circulated under yellow for several laps whilst the placings were sorted, with Fitzpatrick trying to re-join the field in fourth spot, then third.

Gilsenan held his position in the tight single file line-up, with Fitzpatrick circulating two-wide on the outside while the chief steward went to confer with the lap scorers.

Fitzpatrick then retired to the infield.

The restart had positions unchanged, with Cecil proceeding with what was the drive of the night. 

From lap eight, he was picking off a car a lap, and by lap twelve was in fourth spot. Mark Cecil in the ancient six-cylinder Torana was simply outdriving the big V8s of Keith Simmonds and Box.

Thompson, meantime had got past Gilsenan to take over third, with Gilsenan dropping to seventh in the process.

With two laps remaining, Keith Simmonds finally got past Cecil.

The chequered flag dropped on Lamb and Welch with the Steward announcing a two position penalty on Thompson for an earlier indiscretion, promoting Keith Simmonds to third with Gilsenan in fourth, and Box fifth.

With the majority of the GV Open Saloons posting times in the 20 – 21 second bracket, Lamb’s best time was 18.845 seconds and Welch 19.381.

The final meeting for the season at Rushworth Speedway will be on Saturday, May 28, with the return of the Super Sedans, supported by Grand Prix Midgets.

On the same program we will see the last round for GV Open Saloons, GV Production Sedans, GV Ladies and GV Juniors.