Just like he did last year, Kaiden Manders has opened his Esslinger Engineering Speedcar Triple Crown account with a win in what was the first round at the Perth Motorplex, proudly presented by The Pool Shop Group.
Manders, Tom Payet (Bennett Motorsport) and American visitor Alex Bright (Graham Jones Racing) would be the three drivers who claimed heat race wins in the lead up to the feature event, with a number of drivers having issues early on, including in the opening heat when Lee Austen went upside down in an incident that also saw Jake Robinson (Robinson Motorsport) involved.
Sixteen of the original twenty cars who fronted up for the night would look to take the green for the twenty-lap feature race after the demise of Robinson as well as Bart Curnow, Brodie Minchin (Minchin Motorsport) and Gary Mann earlier in the preliminaries.
Unfortunately, fifth place starter Tyson Bryden (Tyson Bryden Motorsports) was then added to that list, heading infield on the formation lap, leaving fifteen to actually start the all-important race.
As the race went green, Bright grabbed the lead on the lowline through turn one, with Manders running mid track just behind him.
Tom Payet would move into third with Manders sliding Bright for the lead through turns one and two on the second lap before Bright charged right back by.
Behind them Keenan Fleming (ASTEEL Racing) was attempting to do the same to Payet but unable to make the move.
Lap three saw Manders go low through turns three and four and this time the move stuck, Manders taking the lead.
With the field starting to cross the line to complete the fourth lap the red lights came on for the second time in the night for Lee Austen, finding himself upside down again after Cory Smith spun in front of him in turn three.
Seventeen laps would remain on the restart with fourteen cars still running, Manders breaking away as Payet went low to steal second from Bright in turns one and two.
Unfortunately, it was all for naught, with Joel and Patrick Watson (Watson Racing Team) coming together and Patrick spinning in turn two to bring out the yellows once again.
Bright struggled out of turn two on the next restart and this gave Payet another opportunity to get by, while up front Manders had again broken free.
The field would then spread out, Manders leading Payet, Bright, Fleming and Glen Mears (Mears Racing).
Just past the halfway point would be when Manders would first encounter lapped traffic, but it wouldn’t slow him down any, Payet over 5 seconds behind with five to go, and Bright nearly four seconds further back.
The laps wound down and the order remained relatively unchanged, only Nick Rowe and Cody Nash (Redmond Racing 52) able to hunt down and pass Glen Mears for fifth and sixth respectively.
Manders would cross the line 7.607 seconds ahead of second placed Payet, with Bright coming home third in what was an exciting opening to the Esslinger Engineering Speedcar Triple Crown, a series Manders of course leads currently from Payet and Bright.
However, in the Pool Shop Group Perth Motorplex Track Championship Payet has extended his lead to forty-eight points ahead of Cody Nash, with Glen Mears sitting third overall.
The next show will be round two, proudly supported by Coverall Sheet Metal, doubling as the annual New Year Speedcar Derby!
The 2023/24 Esslinger Engineering Triple Crown is proudly presented by Esslinger Engineering, The Pool Shop Group, Coverall Sheetmetal, Air Control Transport Refrigeration, Transwest WA, American Tire & Racing Services, RPM Race Products and Asteel Powdercoaters.
Release by DTN Media.
Pics Courtesy Cochrane Photography.
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
RPM Pole Award – Alex Bright
Asteel Powdercoaters Quick Time – 16.240 Kaiden Manders
Air Control 1st Division Two Driver – Cody Nash
Air Control 2nd Division Two Driver – Joel Watson
Transwest Hard Charger – Cody Nash
American Tire and Racing Services Lucky 7th – Glen Mears
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Heat One, 8 laps: 1. Kaiden Manders, 2. Alex Bright, 3. Tyson Bryden, 4. Keenan Fleming, 5. Glen Mears, 6. Cory Smith, 7. Alfonso Guadagnino, 8. Nicholas Rowe, 9. Patrick Watson, 10. Bart Curnow. DNF: Cody Nash (4), Lee Austen (4), Jake Robinson (4). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 1.297. Fastest Lap: 17.016 Kaiden Manders.
Heat Two, 8 laps: 1. Tom Payet, 2. Nicholas Rowe, 3. Cody Nash, 4. Tyson Bryden, 5. Joel Watson, 6. Alfonso Guadagnino, 7. Lee Austen, 8. Stuart Yates, 9. Brodie Minchin, 10. Aron Sharp. DNF: Rob Golding (5). DNS: Jake Robinson, Gary Mann. Total Time: 2.18.073. Winning Margin: 2.526. Fastest Lap: 16.979 Tom Payet.
Heat Three, 8 laps: 1. Alex Bright, 2. Keenan Fleming, 3. Kaiden Manders, 4. Tom Payet, 5. Glen Mears, 6. Joel Watson, 7. Rob Golding, 8. Cory Smith, 9. Stuart Yates, 10. Aron Sharp, 11. Bart Curnow. DNF: Patrick Watson (7), Brodie Minchin (5), DNS: Gary Mann. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 1.039. Fastest Lap: 16.831 Kaiden Manders.
Podium Placegetters (left to right): 2nd Tom Payet, 1st Kaiden Manders, 3rd Alex Bright (USA)
