‘The General’ John Day had an indelible effect on Speedcars and indeed Speedway in Western Australia and it is on that note that we are pleased to once again run the John Day Speedcar Classic this weekend at the Perth Motorplex.
This will be the seventh time this event has run and with the last four years’ worth of winners in the field, not to mention the teams that won the race the two years before, it is sure to be a cracker!
Coming into the event as the defending Champion is Kaiden Manders, though this year he will be campaigning a different car to the one in which he nabbed victory last year. Driving the Graham Jones Racing #4 machine last year, this season Kaiden is aboard the Dan Golding Racing #71 machine, and having already won a feature race in it this season (not to mention the car winning six out of a possible six races at the Motorplex so far this season), should be a hot favourite again on Saturday.
Replacing him in the #4 machine this weekend will be 2019/20 winner Michael Pickens. Teaming up the GJR a few years back now, it took a while to get that elusive feature win as Pickens adjusted to the high banks of the Motorplex, but they broke through back in 2019/20 and now have three wins to their name at the venue. Racing Sprintcars last weekend will have done no harm as he gained more track time, and now back in a familiar seat, Pickens will again be one of the main threats.
The final former champion in the field is Tom Payet, who claimed both the 2020/21 and 2021/22 versions. Still aboard the Bennett Motorsport #7 (the same team that won the inaugural John Day Speedcar Classic with American Tucker Klaasmeyer in the seat), Payet has shown he is right back on the pace, coming into this weekend’s show as the last start winner after victory at Albany a fortnight ago.
American Logan Seavey is back aboard the Travis White #38 machine for this year’s running of the race and after a third place finish last year, is out to get some retribution. After running as high as second last year, the locals outclassed him in the end, but with some track experience now under his belt and the team having gelled even more, he will certainly be one to watch!
Of course, the local drivers will be just as keen to make their own marks on the race this weekend, all having had ‘The General’ play some part in their racing life, if only his team of bright orange push utes starting their vehicles!
Beau Doyle has a family connection to drivers of the utes and after a podium in Albany recently will be hoping to continue that good run, while Cody Nash has turned plenty of heads since debuting in the Speedcar ranks and with three podiums from three starts this year alone, can also be considered as a top contender.
Jake Robinson is another rookie who has recorded some good results so far this season, while others including Keenan Fleming, Glen Mears, Vaughan Manders and Alfonso Guadagnino would love to be able to add their names to the feature race winners list once again.
Add in a whole heap of other names including Lee Austen, the returning Tyson Bryden, and the Watson brothers Patrick and Joel amongst others and this could be one of the most hotly contested John Day Speedcar Classic’s we have ever had!
Thanks to all the sponsors who are making this event possible: Add Life Home and Commercial Improvements, Air Control Transport Refrigeration, Bennett Motorsport, Graham Jones Racing, Lance Auto Electrics, Speedcars Australia INC., Asteel Powdercoaters, Oval Track Racewear and Diecast, Dale Concrete, Thermal Dynamics Engine Heaters, Hair Tizz Bibra Lake, RPM Race Products, CKN Construction and the entire John Day Racing team and family.
Release by DTN Media.
Pics Courtesy Cochrane Photography.
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2 Ross Heywood | Hollywood Heywood Racing
3 Nick Rowe
NZ4 Michael Pickens | Michael Pickens Graham Jones Racing
7 Tom Payet | Bennett Motorsport
8 Jake Robinson | Robinson Motorsport
9 Lee Austen
15 Rob Golding | Golding Motorsport
16 Alfie Guadagnino | Guadagnino Racing Team - GRT
V19 Steven Henderson
23 Glen Mears | Mears Racing
26 Keenan Fleming | ASTEEL Racing
30 Aron Sharp | SHARP Motorsport
USA38 Logan Seavey | Travis White Racing Logan Seavey Racing
44 Tyson Bryden | Tyson Bryden Motorsports
51 Beau Doyle | Beau Doyle Motorsport
52 Cody Nash | Redmond Racing 52
57 Vaughan Manders
71 Kaiden Manders | DGR
75 Joel Watson | Watson Racing Team
76 Patrick Watson | Watson Racing Team
89 Cory Smith
97 Gary Mann | iRacing Mann
ππ’ππ‘ πππ¬ π¦π£ππππππ₯ ππππ¦π¦ππ πππ¦π§π’π₯π¬
2017-18 Tucker Klaasmeyer (USA)
2018-19 Jason McDougal (USA)
2019-20 Michael Pickens (NZ)
2020-21 Tom Payet
2021-22 Tom Payet
2022-23 Kaiden Manders
