For the fifth time this season at the Perth Motorplex, Tom Payet has raced his way onto the top step of the podium, this time claiming his first Gold Cup win!
Payet put in a strong performance all night, winning his opening heat and then having an epic battle with Kaiden Manders in the second heat where he was forced to settle for second, seeing him coming from pole position in the feature.
Long time rival Manders had an unfortunate DNF in the opening heat seeing him forced to start near the back of the feature race, allowing Keenan Fleming to be elevated to the front row of the feature alongside Payet after a third and a fourth in his heats.
Unfortunately a number of other drivers all suffered DNF’s throughout the night, with Russell Taylor failing to get going in hot laps, his night over early, while Dan Golding found himself upside down in hot laps after contact with the turn three wall, his night also over.
Ross Heywood came to grief in the second heat race, rolling over heavily in turn two, which meant ten cars were left to start the fifteen-lap feature.
Payet got the jump and moved high as the feature went green, comeback racer Lee Redmond using the inside line to grab second after starting in position three, with Fleming dropping into third place.
Kaiden Manders, coming from position eight, was straight into fourth place by the completion of the first lap and a lap later he passed Fleming to take over third place.
Lap four and Manders dove under Redmond for second, but Redmond fought back and retook the position. A lap later Manders tried the same move in the same corner and this time it paid off, Manders now free to set out after Payet with ten laps remaining.
Unfortunately for Manders, Payet was simply too good, lap after lap he stretched his lead out and by the time the chequers flew, Payet was over five seconds ahead of Mnaders, with Redmond finishing in third place.
Tonight’s results also mean that Payet has also extended his lead in the Perth Motorplex Track Championship to 153 points, essentially locking in victory with his attendance at the final show, with Manders in second and Beau Doyle holding on to third place.
Indeed, it is nearly the end of the season for the Speedcars now, with just one show remaining, back at the Perth Motorplex on Saturday the 16th of April, so drop everything to make sure you will be at that one, the final show of 2021/22!
Release by DTN Media.
Pics Courtesy Cochrane Photography, Richard Hathaway Photography and WASDA Media.
Official Results
Heat One, 8 laps: 1. Tom Payet, 2. Travis White, 3. Lee Redmond, 4. Keenan Fleming, 5. Beau Doyle, 6. Cory Smith, 7. Vaughan Manders, 8. Andrew Charles. DNF: Ross Heywood (6), Tom Callaghan (2), Kaiden Manders (1). DNS: Russell Taylor, Daniel Golding. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: Declared. Fastest Lap: 16.316 Tom Payet.
Heat Two, 8 laps: 1. Kaiden Manders, 2. Tom Payet, 3. Keenan Fleming, 4. Lee Redmond, 5. Beau Doyle, 6. Tom Callaghan, 7. Travis White, 8. Vaughan Manders, 9. Cory Smith, 10. Andrew Charles. DNS: Ross Heywood, Russell Taylor, Daniel Golding. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.453. Fastest Lap: 16.915 Tom Payet.
Feature, 15 laps: 1. Tom Payet, 2. Kaiden Manders, 3. Lee Redmond, 4. Keenan Fleming, 5. Travis White, 6. Tom Callaghan, 7. Beau Doyle (14), 8. Vaughan Manders (14), 9. Andrew Charles (14). DNS: Ross Heywood, Russell Taylor, Daniel Golding. Total Time: 4.15.278. Winning Margin: 5.387. Fastest Lap: 16.726 Tom Payet.
