11/23/2024
Late Model Racing Western Australia
Chalmers Wins Kalgoorlie Thriller!
Despite a heap of rain hitting the track in the week leading up to tonight’s fourth round of the Pro Dirt Series, the Kalgoorlie International Speedway track lent itself to some great racing, with Joe Chalmers (Team BCM Motorsport:) emerging victorious!
Chalmers had the perfect night, setting the quickest time in qualifying (and in hot laps prior!), winning his heat, winning the A Dash and then leading all but one lap en route to the feature race victory.
Qualifying saw Jamie Oldfield (Oldfield Racing) and Freddy Kinsella (Team Green Racing) round out the top three, and they would each take out the other heat races, though it wasn’t without drama as Jamie was forced to change an engine between qualifying and the heat race!
Also suffering drama in the heats was Abbey Pickering (Allaboutracing), who found herself going upside down in turns one and two, ending her night prematurely. She emerged unhurt and after being cleared by the medics, was the red hot favourite with the crowd at the interval, showing off her now destroyed racecar.
After Chalmers won the Gold Dash from Jamie Oldfield and Kodee Brown (McCorry Brown Racing Team), Jason Oldfield (Oldfield Racing) would win the Silver Dash from Victorian visitor Brendan Hucker (Hucker Racing) and Mat Robbins (Robbins Motorsport ) while Tasmanian Brad Smith (Brad Smith Devil Motorsports 6T) claimed the Bronze Dash from David Boyes (Boyes Motorsport) and Jeff Pahl (Pahly Racing).
Eighteen of the nights twenty two starters would take the green in the thirty lap feature race, Shaun Cubbage unable to get on top of steering issues that plagued his night while Rod Musarra (Team Rocket) worked hard to correct an issue he sustained in hot laps only to have the same issue reoccur just prior to the feature race, also ending his weekend.
As the main event went green, Chalmers got the jump, over Jamie, while Brown from position three looked underneath and Kinsella from position four ran high looking for his own way through.
Chalmers lead Jamie Oldfield and Brown on the opening lap while Warren Oldfield (Oldfield Racing) began putting pressure on Kinsella for fourth.
Chalmers, Jamie and Brown pulled away slightly from the rest of the field, but the battle further back was just as exciting, five cars fighting for position with Robbins ultimately coming off the worst, becoming the first retiree on lap four.
Interstate visitors Smith and Hucker were also having their own private fight, Smith looking for a pass on Hucker but it didn’t come off and he was forced to back out and wait for another opportunity.
Up front, Chalmers got into traffic and put a gap between himself and Jamie while Brown was battling to stay in touch with the lead duo.
Chalmers put two lapped cars between himself and Jamie as Brown struggled to make it past the first lapped car, further back Smith and Hucker still fighting for position.
Warren Oldfield got under Kinsella and took fourth position on the line before the lapped car of Nathan Richards got involved, Richards spinning and bringing out the yellows, Kinsella sent to the rear for his part in the incident while Warren Oldfield hit a hole at the same time and ultimately went infield under yellow with power steering issues.
Fifteen cars would restart, Chalmers alone on the front with Jamie and Brown behind him, Luke Halliday (Halliday Racing) and Oldfield next in line.
Chalmers broke away cleanly as Kodee applied pressure to Jamie Oldfield, but couldn’t make the move stick, Kodee running high down the back straight and riding the wall, getting his #07 machine perpendicular to the track, before coming back down on all four wheels and slowing. Kinsella, who was on a charge from the back, was left with nowhere to go and spun sideways into Brown, somehow able to restart while Browns race was over.
Chalmers would again lead away, this time with Jason and Jamie on row two while Smith and Halliday were now on row three. Chalmers got free as Jamie and Jason battled, Smith then having a moment and Hucker shooting through into the top five.
Smith got back by Hucker and set out after fourth placed Halliday, but by this stage Chalmers and Jamie were well clear of Jason, Halliday and Smith.
Chalmers got into lapped traffic again which slowed him momentarily, but it wasn’t enough for Jamie to close the gap, though the next lapped car did provide that opportunity but still Jamie wasn’t close enough to make a move.
The third lapped car saw Chalmers run low and Jamie went high, Chalmers moving up and taking Jamie’s line away, the duo then going either side of another lapped car and Jamie coming out in front by the barest of margins to lead lap twenty two.
Chalmers got back by the very next lap, utilising another lapped car to his advantage, the top two now in clear air, having an awesome battle.
Jason Oldfield and Halliday were also in a fight for third but all eyes were on the battle up front as the laps wound down, Chalmers approaching a wall of three cars.
This time however, Chalmers was able to take the advantage and move ahead, getting by the three cars in quick succession and going on to claim the win in what was an epic race ahead of Jamie Oldfield and Jason Oldfield, while Halliday and Smith rounded out the top five.
Teams now have just twenty four hours to get their machines ready and head a few hours down the road for Round Five at Esperance Speedway, proudly presented by the team at Ross's Auctioneers & Valuers. With a number of extra cars expected, and if tonight’s action is anything to go by, you won’t want to miss this!
The 2024/25 Pro Dirt Series is proudly supported by Maddington Toyota & CanningVale Toyota, ABN Trade Mates, McPhee Freight, scardifieldssmash, Heatleys Safety, Industrial & Automotive, Ross's Auctioneers & Valuers, SupaFit Seat Covers, My Race Pass, Wilson Brewing Company, The Event Mill and Dirt Track Nutters.
Release by DTN Media.
Pics Courtesy JSP/DTN Media.
Contingency Awards
DTN Pole Position - Joe Chalmers
Heatley’s Hard Charger - David Boyes
Supafit Supa 7 - Peter Walker
Ross’s All Star - Luke Halliday
Wilson Hard Luck - Abbey Pickering
Official Results
Qualifying, 2 laps: 1. A1 Joe Chalmers 14.844, 2. 51 Jamie Oldfield 15.108, 3. 318 Freddy Kinsella 15.145, 4. 07 Kodee Brown 15.145, 5. 15 Warren Oldfield 15.187, 6. 94 Luke Halliday 15.259, 7. V23 Brendan Hucker 15.378, 8. 95 Abbey Pickering 15.465, 9. 11 Jason Oldfield 15.471, 10. 57 Mat Robbins 15.562, 11. 90 David Boyes 15.641, 12. 76 Ben Strautins 15.738, 13. 81 Peter Walker 15.745, 14. 80 Damian Hudson 15.754, 15. 7 Shaun Cubbage 15.836, 16. T6 Brad Smith 16.020, 17. 24 Jeff Pahl 16.051, 18. 25 Ryan Huxtable 17.747, 19. 74 Nathan Richards 16.817, 20. 04 Greg Horan 16.934, 21. 21 Rod Musarra NTT.
Heat One, 8 laps: 1. A1 Joe Chalmers, 2. 07 Kodee Brown, 3. V23 Brendan Hucker, 4. T6 Brad Smith, 5. 57 Mat Robbins, 6. 81 Peter Walker, 7. 74 Nathan Richards. Total Time: 2.03.441. Winning Margin: 1.941. Fastest Lap: 15.135 A1 Joe Chalmers.
Heat Two, 8 laps: 1. 51 Jamie Oldfield, 2. 15 Warren Oldfield, 3. 80 Damian Hudson, 4. 24 Jeff Pahl, 5. 04 Greg Horan. DNF: 95 Abbey Pickering (1). DQ: 90 David Boyes. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 3.031. Fastest Lap: 15.512 Jamie Oldfield.
Heat Three, 8 laps: 1. 318 Freddy Kinsella, 2. 11 Jason Oldfield, 3. 94 Luke Halliday, 4. 76 Ben Strautins, 5. 25 Ryan Huxtable. DNF: 7 Shaun Cubbage (0). DNS: 21 Rod Musarra. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.410. Fastest Lap: 15.807 318 Freddy Kinsella.
Gold Dash, 6 laps: 1. A1 Joe Chalmers, 2. 51 Jamie Oldfield, 3. 07 Kodee Brown, 4. 318 Freddy Kinsella, 5. 15 Warren Oldfield, 6. 94 Luke Halliday. Total Time: 1.38.556. Winning Margin: 1.687. Fastest Lap: 15.633 Joe Chalmers.
Silver Dash, 6 laps: 1. 11 Jason Oldfield, 2. V23 Brendan Hucker, 3. 57 Mat Robins, 4. 76 Ben Strautins, 5. 81 Peter Walker, 6. 80 Damian Hudson. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 1.028. Fastest Lap: 16.023 V23 Brendan Hucker.
Bronze Dash, 6 laps: 1. T6 Brad Smith, 2. 90 David Boyes, 3. 24 Jeff Pahl, 4. 25 Ryan Huxtable, 5. 04 Greg Horan. DNF: 74 Nathan Richards (5). DNS: 7 Shaun Cubbage, 21 Rod Musarra, 95 Abbey Pickering. Total Time: 1.40.964. Winning Margin: 2.386. Fastest Lap: 16.084 T6 Brad Smith.
Feature, 30 laps: 1. A1 Joe Chalmers, 2. 51 Jamie Oldfield, 3. 11 Jason Oldfield, 4. 94 Luke Halliday, 5. T6 Brad Smith, 6. 90 David Boyes (29), 7. 81 Peter Walker (29), 8. 76 Ben Strautins (29), 9. 24 Jeff Pahl (29), 10. 25 Ryan Huxtable (28), 11. 04 Greg Horan (28). DNF: 318 Freddy Kinsella (18), 74 Nathan Richards (17), V23 Brendan Hucker (18), 07 Kodee Brown (10), 15 Warren Oldfield (9), 80 Damian Hudson (9), 57 Mat Robbins (3). DNS: 7 Shaun Cubbage, 21 Rod Musarra, 95 Abbey Pickering. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 1.520. Fastest Lap: 15.898 A1 Joe Chalmers.
Article Credit: DTN Media
