14/11/2015
By Rob Monk
Race two of the B&T Plumbing Series was contested at the popular Endeavor St Circuit. In the warmup for the race over 20 juniors rode a few laps of the circuit. Thirty six riders contested the main races.
D Grade and B Grade started at 2.00 o clock. The D Graders set a solid pace with Bruce Evanson stretching them out for much of the first half of the race. Envanson took the first sprint from the Cameron Schreyer. Bruce was quieter in the second half of the race and Adele Whelan, Kerryn Milner and Kristen Theile did a fair bit of the pace making. In the final sprint Macca Parkinson showed her experience and waited till just the right moment to come off Evanson’s wheel and pass him near the line. Cameron Schreyer was third. Then followed Adele and Kerryn Milner.
B Grade rolled around at a steady rate for most of the race. Craig Taylor, Jason Tubnor, Steve Muggeridge and even Geoff Thomson shared the pace making. It is always a little sad to see former quality riders like Jayman Prestidge struggling in the lower grades. He has really let himself go and while he had ambitions of getting up the road mid race his ability seems to have deserted him. It is a long road back for Prestidge. Zvonko Maric was able to chase Prestidge down easily. Zvonko was the main engine in bringing back the most threatening break of the race when Clancy McColl and Craig Taylor got up the road. In the sprint Simon Baxter should have been fresh as he not seen the front for the whole race. Steve Muggeride led it out but Jason Tubnor was perfectly placed and sprinted up the right hand gutter to take the win. Then followed Taylor, Baxter, Maric and Geoff Thomson.
C Grade stayed together for most of the race. Dave Thomas tried a few attacks but Col Manintveld and Ross Henry would not let him get away too far. Ross was having his first race back after a serious back injury. The three month layoff didn’t worry him in the sprint though and he won easily from Ben Perry, Col Manintveld, Dave Thomas and Rob Waddell.
While B, C and D grade largely stayed together for most of the race the A grade race was blown to bits after 15 minutes of racing. Shane Stiles was in one of his playful moods where he jumps up the road and tempts someone to come and join him or catch him. Matt Parkinson and Brett Kennedy thought they were good enough to let him go and they would catch him whenever they wanted. They may be strong but they are not smart. Stiles was dragged back by a series of attacks from Kennedy and Parkinson. Stiles went again and was joined by Pete Whelan. Parkinson argued that others should help him chase but he already had everyone in the hurt box. He rolled off the front and told his partner in crime Brett Kennedy to jump over the gap to him. Meanwhile Stiles and Whelan were going up the road. Kennedy managed to drop the rest of the field as he went across to Parkinson but the race was already gone. So obsessed were Parkinson and Kennedy with splitting up the chasers they ensured they would only race for third. For the second half of the race Stiles and Whelan rode away from Kennedy and Parkinson who rode away from Rob Monk and Graeme Parker. Paul Yeatman had been dropped and was the first rider to be lapped by Stiles and Whelan. In the sprint Whelan took the win from Stiles. It was a remarkable ride from this pair as they lapped half the field. Kennedy was gifted third by Parkinson. He’d asked Parkinson half way though the race “What are we doing here Matt?” Parkinson’s answer “I don’t know.” That sums up his race.
After two rounds of the B&T Plumbing Series Colin Manintveld leads with 12 points from Shane Stiles and Bruce Evanson on 10 points.
This week racing moves to Burke St Warragul starting at 2. Please register online here to race or via facebook.
