26/11/2016
by Jason Tubnor
It was the usual suspects who smashed up the A grade race on Saturday. Matt Parkinson and Jayden Manintveld swapped the role of attacker and chaser often enough so that the rest of the field was in the hurt box after 10 minutes. Josh Akarsu tried to pick up the pace on the King St hill early but was left to dangle 3 laps in a row. Then when Parkinson put the pace on though the corner and Chris Joustra, who cornes like a super tanker, let the wheel go the break formed. Parkinson, Manintveld, Lumby, Rollinson and visiting rider Scott Walkerden cleared out. Jaydon took the intermediate sprint from Walkerden. Matt Parkinson led out the final sprint and Walkerden and Manintveld staged a drag race to the line. Manintveld just got over the top of Scott on the line. Rollinson was third with Parkinson fourth and Lumby fifth.
After being dropped from A grade less than 5 mintues in the race last week Jayman Prestidge and Rob Monk enjoyed the return to B grade. Jayman and Paul Rowse got away early but their breakaway was ruined when Rowse punctured. Prestidge was caught before the intermediate sprint. Youngster Ollie McLean spent a couple of laps solo off the front and still held a good lead when the whistle blew for the intermediate sprint. He was caught in the home straight but surprised everyone when he attacked again almost immediately. He took the intermediate sprint from Rob Monk. Jason Dastey, Paul Rowse and Sean Holden had multiple attempts to break away in the second half of the race but with 2 laps to go the field was all together and a bunch sprint looked inevitable. Dastey, who couldn’t sprint out of sight on a dark night, decided to have one last go at breaking away. With a lap and three quarters to go he took off. Everyone looked at each other. It seemed like they were waiting for Monk or Prestidge to chase but neither blinked. They weren’t in the mood to chase. Dasteys lead grew. At the bell Holden finally took up the chase with some help from Graeme Parker and Luke Morrison. They ate into the lead but Dastey held on around the home turn. Prestidge hit the front of the chasers with 400 meters to go and went nowhere. Dastey had time to zip up the Jersey, have a look around and cross line with his hands in the air. Rob Monk was well rested after contributing nothing to the chase and won the bunch sprint for second from Tex Walker, Jason Fritzlaff and Luke Morrison.
The C grade race was dominated by youngsters Col Brown and Pete Finlayson. They battled out the intermediate sprint and the finale. When Col Brown and Leigh Jamieson went up the road late in the race Duane McDonald had to work hard to bring them back. Youngster Kobi Merchant continues to the impress and she hit the lead early in the final sprint but Col, then Pete passed her in the run to the line. First was Pete Finlayson, second Col Brown, third Rob Waddel. Kobi was fourth and Evan Campbell was fifth.
The D grade race was interrupted with a crash mid race. Series sponsor Shaun Donaldson hit the deck but remounted and still managed second in the intermediate sprint to Dave Smith. Dave Smith was also too quick at the end of the race and took victory from Connor Bagot with Col Manintveld in third. Trev Rollinson was fourth and Shaun Donaldson fifth.
It was good to see the return of octogenarian Terry Kelly to racing on Saturday. Terry shepherded the E graders around for a few laps then remember it was a race and the old competitive juices kicked in. He took the intermediate sprint from Frank Bensted then kept on going up the hill. Only Robyn Baker was able to go with him. Robyn and Terry swapped turns for the second half of the race and held off all the chasers. Robyn took the win from Terry. Frank was third with Annie Pryjmac fourth and Kristy Rollinson fifth.
Racing returns to Endeavor Street next week at 2.00 PM. Please register for racing online via the club website or facebook.
