General News
29 March, 2022
Jackson, Owen, Maggs big winners on Green Night
MATT Jackson won his first Victorian Speedcar Championship at Heytesbury Stockfeeds Simpson Speedway on a Saturday night that saw the crowd decked in green to support Chris Gillin and the Gillin Boys Foundation Muscular Dystrophy Awareness fundraiser.
MATT Jackson won his first Victorian Speedcar Championship at Heytesbury Stockfeeds Simpson Speedway on a Saturday night that saw the crowd decked in green to support Chris Gillin and theGillin Boys Foundation Muscular Dystrophy Awareness fundraiser.
Sydney driver Jackson started in position three and hung in throughout a contest that came down to the last two thrilling laps of the night.
Jackson’s persistence through the 25-lap feature race gave him the opportunity for the late, desperate charge for the lead that got him home by a nose against polesitter Travis Mills.
Racing into turn four with two laps to run Jackson made contact with Mills and came out front.
Mills, a multiple winner of the Victorian title, had no answers for Jackson, who proved his talent to cross the line just 0.159 seconds ahead, winning the 76th running of the championship in front of Mills in second and Nick Parker in third.
“I just threw a haymaker. Millsy got bouncy in three and four and I just sent it,” Jackson said of the tight finish.
The “Green Night” was a success, with the crowd getting behind the cause of raising awareness and funds for muscular dystrophy by wearing green, buying green shoelaces and contributing to the donation tins and raffles throughout the night.
Popular speedway announcer Gavin White pumped up the fun factor, renaming himself Gavin Green for the night and joining Chris’s dad Ash Gillin in the four-wide salute to the crowd, one of the speedway highlights of this season.
“It’s great to have the support of Simpson Speedway to raise awareness,” White said.
“I know Chris will be loving this at home.”
The TJ Race Chassis Stampede Series for Formula 500s was won by the hard-driving Max Owen of Warrnambool.
Polesitter Dylan Willsher had a poor start, leading through the first lap but then conceding the front spot to Owen who shot from third to first.
Young Owen’s sped through lap after perfect lap in a very steady and mature drive, withstanding a number of challenges throughout to secure a solid victory ahead of seasoned campaigner Tim Rankin of Simpson in second and Willsher in third.
Series leader Jordan Rae posed a constant danger for Owen but clipped the right rear of Rankin in the final lap, rolling his car and his way out of race contention.
Owen said the cautions throughout the race were his biggest concern.
“They got me worried. I just wanted to get the restarts right,” he said.
Lilydale junior driver Tyler Maggs showed his liking of the Simpson raceway, providing another gutsy drive in the final of the Formula 500s juniors 20-lap final.
Koby O’Shannassy took a handy lead from pole position for the first 10 laps and looked on track for victory, but Maggs was in hot pursuit alongside Max Bevan and Zoe Pearce.
Maggs overtook O’Shannessy, as did Bevan, while Pearce held fourth with Dakota Luckett in fifth.
Maggs did everything right and credited the win to his legendary grandfather Jack Maggs and father Daryn post-race.
“I need to again thank pa and dad,” he said.
“For me, I was just trying to focus on getting a good start and the lead.”
Simpson Speedway’s next race meeting is on Saturday, April 9 and will feature a round of the SRA 360 sprintcars Triple Crown series, the Merrett Family Trophy Race for wingless sprints and street stocks.