Kaiden Manders has tonight picked up right where he left off last season, claiming the Powerpalooza feature race at the Perth Motorplex to kick off 22/23 in style!
Manders, back aboard the Graham Jones Racing #4 machine, grabbed two second place finishes in the heats (won by Keenan Fleming and Lee Redmond respectively) to lock in a pole position start for the twenty lap feature alongside Fleming.
Using all his experience, Kaiden shot straight into the lead as the race went green, moving high as Fleming and Redmond battled down low just behind him for second.
Behind them, the two Golding team cars were also battling for fourth ahead of the rest of the ten car field, with Ross Heywood and Beau Doyle unfortunate casualties of the nights racing prior to the feature.
Remond put a slide job on Fleming through turns three and four to grab second with two laps complete, with the move only just official as the red lights came on after Tom Payet went upside down after tangling with Matt Watkins in turn four.
The restart saw Manders leading Redmond, while Fleming quickly got swamped by Harding and Golding, dropping back to fifth.
A few laps later the race was back under caution, this time for Russell Taylor who finished his night stranded up high in turn three.
The restart order was Manders, Redmond, Harding, Golding, Fleming, Patrick Watson and Lee Austen and from here, apart from Watson heading infield on lap twelve and Austen doing the same with one lap to go, the order would remain unchanged, Manders winning his twenty first Perth Motorplex feature event, his seventeenth at the track in a Speedcar.
Redmond and Harding would complete the top three while Golding and Fleming rounded out the finishers.
Although the season is only just starting, the next one will be a big one for Speedcars as they contest the Neville Lance Twin 14’s! These races will form part of the program for the City of Kwinana Westernapolis event on the 5th of November!
Release by DTN Media.
Pics Courtesy Cochrane Photography and Richard Hathaway Photography.
Official Results
Heat One, 8 laps: 1. 26 Keenan Fleming, 2. 4 Kaiden Manders, 3. 17 Daniel Golding, 4. 88 Matt Watkins, 5. 71 Daniel Harding, 6. 52 Lee Redmond, 7. 65 Russell Taylor, 8. 51 Beau Doyle, 9. 76 Patrick Watson. DNF: 95 Lee Austen (4), 2 Ross Heywood (4), 7 Tom Payet (1). Total Time: 2.13.809. Winning Margin: 0.438. Fastest Lap: 16.232 Kaiden Manders.
Heat Two, 8 laps: 1. 52 Lee Redmond, 2. Kaiden Manders, 3. 71 Daniel Harding, 4. 26 Keenan Fleming, 5. 17 Daniel Golding, 6. 88 Matt Watkins, 7. 76 Patrick Watson. DNF: 65 Russell Taylor (7), 95 Lee Austen (6), 51 Beau Doyle (1), 7 Tom Payet (1). DNS: 2 Ross Heywood. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.924. Fastest Lap: 15.683 Lee Redmond.
Feature, 20 laps: 1. 4 Kaiden Manders, 2. 52 Lee Redmond, 3. 71 Daniel Harding, 4. 17 Daniel Golding, 5. 26 Keenan Fleming. DNF: 95 Lee Austen (19), 76 Patrick Watson (12), 65 Russell Taylor (7), 88 Matt Watkins (1), 7 Tom Payet (1). DNS: 2 Ross Heywood, 51 Beau Doyle. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 1.184. Fastest Lap: 15.571 Lee Redmond.