28/02/2014
By Paul Yeatman
The plan was to do some more video recording but flat batteries killed that idea off. The track reporter was a bit lax paying attention to all the races, so the reporting may be a bit fanciful.
Friday night saw the conclusion of a two night series of track racing sponsored by Drouin Cycles and The Sufferfest. Most riders returned for a second night and there were some new faces.
Session 1
The first sets of races were scratch races. Here the bunch begins together under control until a whistle is usually blown to signal the start of the race. This is to allow all the riders to be together at the start so nobody is left behind.
Junior 11-13, Junior U15-17 and mixed Senior A-C grades races three races each on a hot fast track.
First to race were three J11-13 riders, who were contesting a scratch race. With two laps to go, Number 83, 84 and 81 were all together. Heading into the final staight, 83 had been gapped by about 10 meters. 81 took the win by a length and a half over 84, with 83 coming in a few seconds later.
The five C graders kicked off their racing with a lap scratch. Mitch Jones was the favorite, having performed well on night one. Matt Dutneal was also one to watch, having races strongly at round 4 of the Summer Club Track League earlier in the month. With four laps to go it was anyone’s race. With a lap to go, Jones and Dutneal had gapped the field. On the line it was Jones from Dutneal with Wayne Tunks just getting over the top of visiting rider 52 in the blue.
B grade was to be an interesting race with many fancied riders and seven in total. Andrew Gordon was looking good after a good show at the Victorian Masters Track Champs at DISC. Mariah Dastey was also in form. Clint Wilson and Trev Rollinson should both have been peaking after the state champs. Anyone could win.
With 11 laps to go of the 15 lap scratch race, Clint Wilson had launched a promising attack and had a sizable lead. He ran out of legs and was absorbed by the bunch with about 7 to go. A late attack by Gordon was countered by Dastey in the last lap. Across the line in order were: Dastey, David Jordan and Rollinson who had been looking in danger for most of the race.
A grade started off with it’s five riders doing a 20 lap scratch. The returning riders were Jarryd Jones, Paul Yeatman and Criag Skinner. New riders were Shannon McCurley* and David Salton. This race was fairly sedate and everyone stayed together.
With 2 to go, rather than swing off, Yeatman stayed on the front, figuring an attack would go if he swung up. He took a risk and attacked off the front with 1.5 to go. It did not pay off in the end as he was reeled in by Jones and Salton just before the final bend and McCurley in the home straight. Skinner came in about half a wheel behind Yeatman.
*At least I think she did not race round 1.
Session 2
The second set of races comprised point score racing. This style of racing starts out much like a scratch event, but incorporates intermediate sprints. The first four riders accumulate points throughout the race. Points may or may not be doubled for the final sprint and if a rider manages to lap the field, they get a bonus 20 points, but must still contest the remaining sprints to ensure they are the winner.
The J11-13 Stuffed happened and the race was raced.
The C Grade race raw the bunch get strung out by an early attack by Lachlan Jordan who rode pretty much the entire race off the front. Rider 52 tended to come across in second with Tunks in third. In the final sprnt it was Jordan from “rider 52” from Tunks, Adelle Whelan and Zoe Veldaman.
B grade went around and around in their points score race and in the second last sprint it was Dastey first, Rollinson second, Dutneal third and Jordan forth. In the final run over the line it was Dutneal, Gordon, Dastey and Waddell.
A grade 12 lap points with sprints on laps 9, 6, 3 and zero. Yeatman attacked early and almost got the first sprint, but was foiled by Salton in the last few meters. In the later half of the race Skinner got a gap on Jones and Salton and Yeatman was half a lap back towing McCurley around. The race reporter is not sure who came where, besides forth and fifth.
Session 3
The final set of competition comprised scratch races. After the results from the Session 1 racing, would the outcome be the same, or would tactics and/or tired legs produce different results?
The final 11-13 saw another scratch race. Who came where will be updated once the results are sent through.
The C grade looking at the sequence of photos from the last lap, “52” came first, a LCCC rider second, Tunksy third, Whelan forth and Veldaman fitfth.
The final B grade scratch race saw Mitch Jones and Lachlan Jordan promoted. Things were fairly sedate until Gordon attacked in the closing stages, dragging Dutneal along with him. Dastey was on the front of the chases in a group of four with Rollinson, L. Jordan and Jones.
For the final time across the line it was Dutneal from Rollinson, Dastey, Gordon, Waddell and Jones.
The final race of the evening A grade 20 lap scratch saw a cheeky attack by Yeatman as soon as the whistle rang, then 3 laps later he was caught and a further 3 laps later, dropped when he swung off after doing a turn and Jone hit the gas.
Salton, McCurley, Jone and Skinner were looking like they’d lap Yeatman before the end of the race, but in a crowd pleasing move, he clawed his way back into the bunch with four laps to go. A lap later, Jones took off Yeatman gave chase. With two lap to go, he swung up, but nobody was coming through so he returned to the head of the chase.
With a lap and a half to go, Jones was a good 100-200m ahead and Yeatman had a gap on the field. They would come first and second with third, forth and fifth place unknown to the race reporter at this stage.
Results for the series
U11/13
- Alex Gibson
- Lachlan Jagoe
- Felicity Waddell
C Grade
- Mitchel Jones
- Matt Dunteal
- Lahlan Jordan
- Wayne Tunks – Sufferfest winner
- Zoe Veldeman
B Grade
- Mariah Dastey
- Trevor Rollinson
- Andrew Gordon
- Rob Waddell – Sufferfest winner
- Dave Jordan
A Grade
- Jarryd Jones
- Paul Yeatman
- Craig Skinner
- Jack Walk – Sufferfest winner
- David Salton
To top things off, once the presentations were held, fireworks started up in the background thanks to the Warragul Show.
Other Track News
The plan is to run out Club Track Champs on the 21st of March and the Gippsland Track Champs on the 28th. These dates will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Here’s a stack of photos free for personal use only. If you want to do anything else with them, you need to purchase what you want.
Video of final presentations
