Tonight was an event all about the Speedcar legend Johnny Fenton, at the Perth Motorplex but we may well have seen the start of another legacy as Daniel Harding stepped into Speedcars for the very first time and won every race he contested!

Harding was sensational all night, acting as a super sub for the regular pilot of the #71 machine Daniel Golding as he was away attending a wedding. He would race his way through the field to claim the win in his first heat after starting at the back, while he claimed his second heat (the third of the night) from the front. Kaiden Manders would claim heat two (which Harding did not contest as part of the format), setting up a Harding, Manders front row for the feature, with Tom Payet and Nicholas Rowe filling out the second row.

As the twenty-lap feature race went green, Manders and Harding went side by side, albeit briefly as Harding broke away quickly into the lead as Payet began to pressure Manders.

Just behind them was Keenan Fleming and Rowe who were battling it out side by side for fourth and desperately trying to stay with the lead pack.

With three laps complete, Harding had already broken out to a 1.5 second lead over Manders and Payet, while Fleming had disposed of Rowe, and Travis White and Beau Doyle had arrived on the scene to pressure Rowe.

Payet went low on lap six on with a slidejob and came out of the corner in second, but it was all for naught as he would then spin in turn two to bring out the yellows with six laps complete.

This would reduce Harding’s 2.9 second lead to nothing, and Manders went low looking for a way by on the restart, but Harding would again just race away.

Payet would retire infield a few laps later, but back on track Harding was again well ahead of Manders, who in turn now had a big gap on third placed Fleming.

Beau Rogers would join Payet and Ross Heywood (who retired on lap two) on the infield on lap ten, while Harding up front was ahead by over three seconds. It was nearly all over as a car slowed in front of Harding and bought on the yellows with five laps remaining, but Harding was just able to avoid it and maintain his lead for the restart.

This time Harding didn’t quite get away as quickly, Manders running low as Harding went high, but after settling back into a rhythm a lap later, Harding would again pull away in what was fast becoming a dominant night on debut.

Travis White would get by Fleming for second with a handful of laps to go, and two laps later, with the white flag flying, Fleming would be forced to the infield.

Back on track though, Harding continued his unbeaten grand slam run, winning his first ever Speedcar feature race on debut, crossing the line ahead of Manders and White in what was a fitting night of racing to honour the legend Fenton.

Beau Doyle, Nick Rowe, Tyson Bryden, Cory Smith and Gary Mann would round out the finishers and with these results taken into account, Tom Payet is now the leader in the Perth Motorplex Track Championship, Forty eight points clear of Keenan Fleming, with Beau Doyle thirty six points further back in third.

The next show for the Speedcars will be back at the Perth Motorplex next weekend, Saturday the 19th of February!

Release by DTN Media.

Pics Courtesy Richard Hathaway Photography, DTN Media and WASDA Media.

Official Results

Heat One, 7 laps: 1. Daniel Harding, 2. Nick Rowe, 3. Kaiden Manders, 4. Keenan Fleming, 5. Tom Callaghan, 6. Beau Doyle, 7. Cory Smith, 8. Patrick Watson, 9. Beau Rogers. DNF: Glen Mears (6), Ross Heywood (0). Total Time: 1.58.346. Winning Margin: 1.190. Fastest Lap: 165.332 Daniel Harding.

Heat Two, 7 laps: 1. Kaiden Manders, 2. Tom Payet, 3. Nick Rowe, 4. Travis White, 5. Gary Mann, 6. Beau Rogers. DNF: Lee Austen (5), Tom Callaghan (2), Tyson Bryden (2). DNS: Ross Heywood, Glen Mears. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.839. Fastest Lap: 16.362 Kaiden Manders.

Heat Three, 7 laps: 1. Daniel Harding, 2. Keenan Fleming, 3. Tom Payet, 4. Patrick Watson, 5. Beau Doyle, 6. Travis White, 7. Tyson Bryden, 8. Cory Smith, 9. Gary Mann (6). DNF: Lee Austen (0). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 3.246. Fastest Lap: 15.890 Daniel Harding.

Feature, 20 laps: 1. Daniel Harding, 2. Kaiden Manders, 3. Travis White, 4. Beau Doyle, 5. Nicholas Rowe, 6. Tyson Bryden, 7. Cory Smith, 8. Gary Mann (19). DNF: Keenan Fleming (19), Patrick Watson (14), Beau Rogers (10), Tom Payet (9), Ross Heywood (2). DNS: Glen Mears, Tom Callaghan, Lee Austen. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 1.674. Fastest Lap: 15.676 Daniel Harding.