McHUGH, JENSEN, FARMER, WILSON – TOOWOOMBA WINNERS

Round one of the Queensland Speedway Spares Ultimate Sprintcar Championship was held at Toowoomba’s Hi-Tec-Oils Speedway, Saturday, October 5. 

Lachlan McHugh and Cody O’Connell led the field from the green flag with McHugh securing the lead with Michael Pickens soon driving underneath O’Connell to secure second, while Harry Stewart raced underneath Brent Kratzmann to move into fourth by the end of the first lap.  McHugh immediately began opening a handsome lead while O’Connell got back underneath Michael Pickens before Stewart looked, unsuccessfully, underneath them both.  

McHugh looked comfortable out in front, while Stewart closed in on Pickens and the pair argued over second.  Stewart slid perfectly underneath Pickens as they came through turn four, only for Pickens to immediately return the gesture as they raced down the straight to regain the position.  Stewart continued to chase, while behind them Luke Oldfield was on the move coming from position ten. He had made impressive progress and was quickly closing in on the battle for the final two podium positions. 

A comment was made prior to the feature stating that Oldfield would have a big job ahead of him. In fifteen laps he had made it to second, a big job certainly and he made it look easy in Luke Oldfield fashion running wide open and on the fence. Oldfield slid underneath Stewart, only for Stewart to quickly regain. Oldfield took an opportunity again on the bottom making his way ahead of Stewart and Pickens in quick succession.  Dylan Menz joined the battle, trading sliders with Stewart until Stewart secured third in heavy lapped traffic. 

McHugh was in a league of his own as Oldfield, Michael Pickens, Harry Stewart and Dylan Menz, with Mick Sauer now entering the equation and searching for way into the top five. Stewert and Sauer running side by side lap after lap. Stewart persisted on the high line, both cars evenly matched, certainly putting on a show.

McHugh and Oldfield untouchable from the rest.  As the battle for the final podium position was on in earnest, race fans did not know where to look as it was frantic with Pickens, Stewart, Menz and Sauer putting on a show.  Menz put himself between Sauer and Stewart only for both to get back past Menz half a lap later as they raced three-wide through turn two.  Sauer ran the bottom, Stewart the top, the pair side-by-side in the last few laps. Stewart with a double podium on his mind.  Menz brought about a caution with five laps to run after riding the turn four wall ending his night which left us all wondering what may have been. 

Sauer shot ahead of Stewart on the restart.  Stewart got the position back moments after Sauer faded with either a fuel or electrical issue. Lachlan McHugh took the win ahead of Luke Oldfield while Harry Stewart secured his first Sprintcar Podium in third.  Stewart now in a select few drivers that have podiumed on the same night in both Sprintcar and Speedcar.  

DANNY DAVIDSON SPEEDCAR MEMORIAL

It was a busy night for Harry Stewart and Dylan Menz doing double duties and you couldn’t help but like Speedcar racing in Queensland at the moment the best of the best travelled to Toowoomba’s HI-Tec-Oils Speedway. 

For the Ian Boettcher Race Parts Danny Davidson Memorial Dylan Menz and Rusty Whittaker shared the front for the 20 lap sprint to the chequered flag.  

Harry Stewart from position four alongside Scott Farmer.

From the green Menz went to the high line with Whittaker in pursuit. Farmer drops to the bottom and into the race lead. Casey O’Connell slipping into second.  Meanwhile Harry Stewart was making a lane for himself driving the middle line. 

As this was happening O’Connell was having a big look around the outside of Farmer as was Stewart the trio running three wide momentarily as O’Connell slipped into the lead just as the race was getting exciting. It was time to take a breath when Scott Doyle rolled to a stop in turn three.  From the restart it was O’Connell, Farmer and Dylan Menz, Stewart drops to the bottom and again they are three wide Farmer slides up under O’Connell and couldn’t make it work falling a car length short.  Next time round with eight to run Farmer tries again and this time into the race lead Menz tries a slider under Stewart.  Stewart, having nothing to do with that, accelerates away with six laps to run O’Connell and Stewart were running the top.

Menz seeing an opportunity slides up under both of them and into second with just a handful of laps remaining the two were at it again this time making contact leaving O’Connell stranded up against the turn one wall.  From the restart Menz slid up underneath Stewart and into second and that’s where he finished this year’s Danny Davidson Memorial after an impressive drive.  Scott Farmer was first to the chequered flag and a hard charging Harry Stewart in third.    

The final event of the night saw the Field the Dress Label Pro Sprints 360-LS Sprintcars feature which doubled as the Alan Morrison Earthmovers Club Championship Series.  Luke Manttan and Kye Jensen leading them all into turn one.  Manttan got the better start but Jensen hit back on the high line, the pair raced side-by-side until Jensen secured the lead, meanwhile Dan Murray and Ryley Smith negotiated over third.

Part way through the race Smith got the better of Kye Jensen momentarily leaving Jensen to defend second from a determined Luke Manttan.  Jensen soon charged his line for the better, slipping back underneath Smith to regain control of the race.  Smith and Jensen traded sliders for a number of laps before another caution paused the race. Jensen led the restart, with Smith again throwing all he could at Jensen which had the race fans wanting more.  At race’s end it was Kye Jensen taking the win ahead of Ryley Smith and Luke Manttan.  

The Compact Speedcars also a crowd pleaser on an all open wheel night Dion Wilson first to the checkered flag from Darren Baldwin and Andrew Parkes third. 

Speedway returns to the highbanks on October 19th featuring V8 Dirt Modifieds ,Modified Sedans AMCA Cars and Lightning Sprints 

To keep up to date with what is happening at Hi-Tec-Oils Toowoomba Speedway go to the Facebook page for regular updates. 

QUICK RESULTS | 5 OCT 2024

Sprintcars

1. Lockie McHugh

2. Luke Oldfield

3. Harry Stewart

360-LS Sprintcars

1. Kye Jensen

2. Ryley Smith

3. Luke Manttan

Speedcars

1. Scott Farmer

2. Dylan Menz

3. Harry Stewart

Compacts

1. Dion Wilson

2. Darren Baldwin

3. Andrew Parkes