STEWART NSW MIDGET NUMBER ONE; VEAL NSW SPRINTCAR CHAMPION

A proud Michael Stewart after winning the 2022 NSW Midget Championship displaying the Neville Donnelly Shield and magazine from association sponsor Speedway Classics. Photo: by Gary Reid.

BY DENNIS NEWLYN

“This track on the top side is wild,” claimed National Champion Jamie Veal as he accepted the winner’s trophy following his victory in the 63rd running of the New South Wales Sprintcar Championship in a night that provided superb, high speed action at Eastern Creek Speedway, Sunday, April 24.

It was a night of history and tradition as the 79^th edition of the NSW Midget Championship also went under the flag as the state title was retained by Michael Stewart.

To complete the show that was watched by a strong attendance, Luke Weel drove to victory in the Wingless Sprint main event.

It was also a night of rough and tumble action after some drivers got upside down but, overall, the two NSW titles will go down as wonderful history-making events in the first season of action at the new Eastern Creek Speedway.

NSW 2022 Sprintcar Championship top three: Winner Jamie Veal (centre) is flanked by third placed Brock Hallett (left) and second man home in the title, Marcus Dumesny. Photo: by Gary Reid.

Veal had to maintain a solid pace throughout the title as a lurking ultimate runner-up Marcus Dumesny was always there ready to pounce – especially when lapped traffic came into play.

Third placegetter Brock Hallett also was in the picture, which made this title a torrid contest for the top three placings.

It also ensured Veal had to pick his spots in lapped traffic and keep the foot firmly in the bucket where tyre wear also came into play in the latter stages of the 35-lap final.

“We were pretty lucky to get the win looking at our tyres,” Veal later admitted.

“We haven’t got much left,” acknowledging the victory was closer than many people would have realised.

On his way to victory, Veal cut the fastest lap of the race with a speed of 121.809 km/h in a 13.595 second lap.

The final started on a spectacular note when Troy Little got too sideways through turns one and two and was collected by the oncoming traffic. 

Carnage followed in a pile-up that left Little, Ben Atkinson, Lachlan Caunt, Daniel Sayre and Max Johnston out of the event without recording a lap.

When the race resumed it was Veal who bolted. But also in there was defending titleholder Robbie Farr who loomed as another threat to Veal’s supremacy.

This was the pattern of the race in the initial stages. Marcus Dumesny then closed on Veal as Farr gained on both to heighten what was developing into one of the best NSW Sprintcar Championships in modern day history.

Farr and Dumesny held their own personal match race and Farr later made an inside passing attempt which proved costly.

He just got his #7 car a little too sideways on the pole line as he attempted the move entering the back straight and slewed enough sideways to end his momentum – and chances of winning a fourth state title as he finished on the infield.

Dumesny came again at Veal and almost got to the front entering the back straight. It was an attention grabber for Veal who responded with some calculated moves through lapped traffic. There was just a gap big enough that Marcus could not breach. At the finish it was Jamie Veal, who 24 hours earlier won the preliminary main event, the winner of a super 2022 NSW Sprintcar Championship.

Veal also was a heat victor, while Marcus Dumesny took two heat wins. Jordyn Brazier also was very impressive in the heats and raced to two scintillating victories.

Two drivers who had tough runs in the earlier events were Jason Davis who got upside down in heat 9, while Blake Skipper also went wrong way up later in the night.

The NSW title top ten were: Jamie Veal, Marcus Dumesny, Brock Hallett, Tate Frost, Daniel Peskta,

Ian Madsen, Jessie Attard, Jordyn Brazier, Grant Anderson and Grant Tunks.

NSW MIDGET TITLE

The prelude to the NSW Sprintcar Championship was a sensational running of the state title for the Mighty Midgets.

This race was one of the great titles befitting an event that carries so much history and tradition.

It was as good as it gets as National Champion Matt Smith and winner Stewart continually swapped the lead. 

Lap after lap the battle raged – throw in a few slide jobs here and there and this was a race for  the ages!

The action was punctured earlier after a coming together between Daniel Paterson and Gary Rooke.

Matt Geering later stopped the race after he rolled between turns three and four while not long after Dylan Menz also suffered the same fate at the same part of the track.

As the laps unfolded former title winner Matt Jackson also made his presence felt as he charged his  way toward the podium.

By this time, Stewart had established the biggest lead of the race and took a grip on the trophy, but further back Smith and Jackson were hard at it.

Jackson nabbed second, but Stewart had bolted as he raced to victory in the title he won the previous season at Nowra Speedway. Like Veal, Stewart also put down the quickest lap when he clocked 105. 464 km/h at 15.702 seconds. Smith was placed third.

Menz, Jackson and Smith were heat winners. Stewart’s prizemoney also was bolstered courtesy associate sponsor Speedway Classics magazine with a $2,000 winning bonus.

Luke Weel drove a near perfect race to win the 25-lap Wingless Sprint feature race. He looked strong as he consolidated the front ruining, while ultimate second placegetter Jason Bates and the third-placed Mark Blyton also turned in strong performances for an impressive top three result from the Wingless Sprints which again turned up with big numbers on the night.