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Newcastle driver Nathan Smee claimed first place in the feature event of the Australian Speedcar Super Series in Gunnedah on Saturday night.
Smee emerged unscathed in the 30-lap final race to claim top podium position, ahead of Troy Jenkins in second and Bob Jackson, third.
It was an eventual night for others including Queenslander, Michael Harders, whose car caught fire in heat two.
Harders, who earned the highest points and second place in the series’ round three last year, was seen bailing out the driver’s seat mid-race and rolling on the ground to smother the flames.
He thanked the Gunnedah Speedway staff and fire crews for their quick response which meant his only injury was a small red mark on his neck.
Undeterred from failing to finish his first two heats, the first due to a broken spark plug, Harders started from 21st position in the feature and made big ground on the field to finish eighth.
“A great result for the team considering the issues during the night,” Harders posted on his race blog.
Also experiencing problems was Nowra-based driver, Aidan Corish.
A team spokesman said they left their home base at 4am to be race-ready, only to arrive in Gunnedah and be plagued by a indiscernible mechanical problem during the heats.
“All we’re getting is a stop-start, stop-start,” the spokesman said.
“It’s an intermittent problem but we don’t know what it is.”
Unfortunately Corish failed to start in the speedcar feature on Saturday.
Racing heads to Archerfield Speedway in Queensland for the second of the six-round series.
Also relishing the weekend racing in Gunnedah was local driver Lindsay Keynes from Boggabri who won the inaugural Anthony Rees Fender Bender 500.
He was by far the quickest of the bender field on Saturday night in the race named in memory of Gunnedah club driver, Anthony, who was killed in a car crash earlier this year.
Anthony “AJ” Caban from Willow Tree ran second and Rees best mate, Glen McArthur, who raced a tribute car featuring Rees number 13, placed third.
Rees brother David, who has been involved with the car since the beginning, said the reception received on the parade lap, was brilliant.
“For people to stand up and applaud... it shows how much he (Anthony) meant to the club,” David said.
The car experienced a few gearbox issues on Saturday which meant it was slow off the start, Dave added.
“But we were still on the podium,” he said.
“It was great to see the car finish every race it started too... that’s a bonus.”
The team is now preparing to take the tribute car to the NSW titles in Gilgandra on November 15.
In other classes, Bernie Roberts edged out fellow Novacastrian Mark Towers (third) to take out first place in the Super Sedans feature. Second home was Dion Bennett from Narrabri.
It was all Newcastle in the Street Stockers headed by car 22 David Fuller in first place, Andrew Fuller second and Mark Towers, third.
Wayne Mathews was the sole entry in the four-cylinders and so raced alongside the Fender Benders.
Three junior division drivers were also part of the race action and featured Jeremy Keynes (Boggabri), Brock Wiggins (Narrabri) and Curtis Montgomery (Newcastle).
