After a fifteen-month dry spell at the Perth Motorplex, Tom Payet has tonight broken back through for the feature win, sending the message to all in attendance that he will be one to contend with come the Australian Championship in just a few weeks’ time!

Although he didn’t win a heat race, two second place finishes were enough to qualify himself onto the front row for the twenty-lap feature alongside Kaiden Manders, who went through his heats undefeated.

Behind him was Manders’ teammate Daniel Harding, who in his second night back in Speedcars was good enough to start third (after a heat win), while Lee Austen was the surprise packet, a second and a fourth in his heats seeing him join Harding on the second row.

As the race went green it was Payet who led away Manders and Harding, while Cody Nash quickly moved into fourth.

A lap later Nash was good enough to get past Harding for third, then setting out after Manders in what was shaping up to be an enthralling battle between the three drivers.

Up front Payet was pulling away, while behind them Glen Mears and Lee Austen were having their own battle for fifth, closely followed by Nicholas Rowe.

Payet recorded the fastest lap of the race on lap three, while a lap later Nash would continue his strong run and pass Manders to take over the second place running.

With five complete it was Payet well ahead of Nash, with Manders, Harding and Mears rounding out the top five, Manders able to move back past Nash to grab second a lap later.

This would be the status quo for the next stanza of the race, even lapped traffic that Payet encountered on lap eleven doing nothing to slow his momentum.

With thirteen laps completed the yellow lights came on for a spun Patrick Watson, bunching the field up for a restart and this would see a number of changes in the order as the race resumed.

Harding, who had managed to get by Nash the lap prior to the restart, was passed back by Nash for third, then Nash and Manders picked up their battle and swapped positions on track for second each lap for the next five laps in what was an incredible battle.

Back up front though, it was all Payet, going on to record his nineteenth win in a Speedcar at the venue (his twenty seventh overall at the venue), while Manders made the decisive move on Nash on lap nineteen to race on for second place, Nash was forced to settle for third.

Harding held on for fourth while Nick Rowe made his way into fifth ahead of Glen Mears in what was a great battle. Lee Austen, Alfonso Guadagnino, Patrick Watson, Aron Sharp and Jake Robinson rounded out the finishers.

The Speedcars have a huge month of racing coming up, with the Magic Man, the WA Title and of course the Australian Championship all on the calendar, and if tonight was anything to go by, you won't want to miss a minute of the action!

Release by DTN Media.

Pics Courtesy Cochrane Photography.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Heat One, 8 laps: 1. Kaiden Manders, 2. Tom Payet, 3. Nicholas Rowe, 4. Daniel Harding, 5. Glen Mears, 6. Cody Nash, 7. Tyson Bryden, 8. Jake Robinson, 9. Aron Sharp. DNF: Keenan Fleming (5). Total Time: 2.15.678. Winning Margin: 1.438. Fastest Lap: 16.572 Daniel Harding.

Heat Two, 8 laps: 1. Kaiden Manders, 2. Tom Payet, 3. Cody Nash, 4. Lee Austen, 5. Glen Mears, 6. Alfonso Guadagnino, 7. Patrick Watson, 8. William Douglas, 9. Stuart Yates. DNF: Joel Watson (2). DNS: Nicholas Rowe, Keenan Fleming. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.940. Fastest Lap: 16.418 Kaiden Manders.

Heat Three, 8 laps: 1. Daniel Harding, 2. Lee Austen, 3. Jake Robinson, 4. Alfonso Guadagnino, 5. Patrick Watson, 6. William Douglas, 7. Aron Sharp, 8. Stuart Yates. DNS: Tyson Bryden, Joel Watson. Total Time: 2.13.764. Winning Margin: 8.195. Fastest Lap: 16.386 Daniel Harding.

Feature, 20 laps: 1. Tom Payet, 2. Kaiden Manders. 3. Cody Nash, 4. Daniel Harding, 5. Nicholas Rowe, 6. Glen Mears, 7. Lee Austen, 8. Alfonso Guadagnino, 9. Patrick Watson, 10. Aron Sharp (19), 11. Jake Robinson (19). DNF: William Douglas (17), Tyson Bryden (6). DNS: Keenan Fleming, Stuart Yates, Joel Watson. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 4.773. Fastest Lap: 16.492 Tom Payet.