WARRNAMBOOL PREMIER SPEEDWAY: McFADDEN SOARS TO THIRD CLASSIC CROWN

Feature photo by: Richard Hathaway photography

By: Thomas Miles courtesy Auto Action

Date posted: 26 January 2025

A methodical James McFadden has won a third Flying Horse Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic after a titanic fight for victory at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway, Sunday night, January 26.

In front of a sold out crowd on Australia Day, the 52nd Classic at Warrnambool delivered as McFadden charged from fourth to first and overcame challenges from Jamie Veal and Jock Goodyer as they raced hard for the majority of the 40-lap affair.

The 2025 victory goes alongside the NT star’s previous successes in 2017 and 2020, while it is a first for Brady Motorsport, which has already enjoyed a prolific 2024/25 season.

As McFadden used his smarts to hold on in a race where the track produced multiple lines of racing, Cory Eliason snared second.

The fight for third went down to the final corner as Jamie Veal shut the door on Brock Hallett.

Despite looking fast up high and challenging for victory, Goodyer ended up down in fifth after some late-race moments.

McFadden marked his third Classic crown with an endless amount of rapid doughnuts.

His salute to the crowd on the wing may not have been quite as clean, but it did not diminish a classic drive.

“I was puffed. That track was a lot of fun. What a race,” McFadden said.

“This is the race I grew up watching and wanting to win, so to do this three times is unreal.”

Chasing a maiden win, Goodyer started on pole and got a great jump.

He enjoyed a clean run through the first lap as Veal and McFadden wrestled for next best.

The entire field safely made their way through the opening laps and settled into a pace and examined the track offering multiple lines.

At the end of lap three McFadden had a look down the bottom and jumped to second after a side by side run with Veal, but the tables turned quickly as McFadden dropped to fourth below McHugh, who flew around the outside.

After 10 laps Veal was now on the attack and gave Goodyer his first scare, stealing the lead.

McFadden also put the foot down, passing McHugh and making it a three-way fight for victory.

McFadden was down low and Veal up high as they wrestled for the lead amongst lapped traffic and the #V35 eventually prevailed.

The leader board read Veal, McFadden and Goodyer on lap 13 when Chase Randall became the first casualty.

He pulled to the infield and Callum Williamson followed him a few laps later with engine issues.

But most sensationally for the race, McHugh also found himself in the infield with steering fluid all over the car and dropping out of fourth.

Critically McFadden also found himself in the middle of the drama and was given his position back and regained second for not causing the yellow.

At the restart, Goodyer went high at the restart and it was a smart move as he passed McFadden with ease for second.

He continued to use that momentum to challenge Veal for the lead, but just when he looked to steal it, the yellows returned for Grant Anderson, who suffered mechanical dramas.

It was a single file restart with the only position change Brock Hallett dropping out of the top five.

Veal was able to gain some breathing space on Goodyer as Charge and Eliason had a fierce fight for fourth.

But as they caught lapped traffic again, the race for the lead erupted on lap 24 with the top three all at close quarters.

McFadden appeared to be on the back foot in third, but pulled off a superb slide job to rise to second.

He tried to do the same to steal the lead, but that attempt was blocked by the lapped Kobi Wright.

However, a second crack was successful and he hit the lead, but only just.

McFadden and Veal carried on side by side and just when things were getting extremely tasty, everyone caught their breath when Matt Egel spun at turn two and caused the second caution.

In what proved to be the key moment of the race, McFadden got a mighty restart and immediately pulled two car lengths on Veal, who was worrying about Goodyer up high.

Goodyer tried for three laps to make the high line work, but he crept too far up the track and clipped the turn two wall with 10 left.

This saw the Tasmanian drop down to fourth with Eliason also slipping past.

The moment sparked Veal’s late-race charge as Veal was now on the back foot and the American charged to second.

Meanwhile, Goodyer was suffering some wheel spin and fell out of top five behind Hallett, who was also on the move.

Having been as low as seventh on lap 29, just 12 laps later Hallett soared to fourth and was fighting for the podium.

He tried to continue his charge on the final corner of the final lap, where he attempted to go around the outside of Veal and steal third.

However, Veal was privy to the move and shut the door by sliding up the track in the knick of time on corner exit.

Ahead of them McFadden had already taken the chequered flag to complete a brilliant drive with Eliason less than second behind.

It was certainly a show the sold out crowd would not forget.