Scott Bogucki won the opening night of the Grand Annual Classic at Premier Speedway Friday (Sean Hardeman Photo)
by Sean Hardeman and Justine McCullah-Beasy
SURPRISE packet Scott Bogucki won the South West Conveyancing Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic opening night A-Main, surviving a carnage-filled 30 laps on Friday night.
Warrnambool's James McFadden and American Tim Kaeding, both past winners of the esteemed event, filled the podium with reigning champion Robbie Farr fourth.
Ben Ellement and Troy Little were next in line.
Bogucki said he was rapt to beat a class field.
"We started OK tonight and worked on the car, worked on the car and worked on the car and got it better and better," he said.
"It's a dream come true. "I haven't been here since 2014 and we were horrible. I hit a fence in the heat race and got a flat tyre and to come back tonight for the first time in all those years and get the prelim win is a pretty big deal."
Bogucki said he had known McFadden for a long time.
"I was only nervous because I want to get the win, I wasn't worried about James at all," he said.
"I have raced with him since I was a kid and he slid me early and gave me plenty of room and when I overtook him I gave him plenty of room.
"That's what happens when someone races a car 100 times a year, they are real good at it. It was a good time racing with him."
There was damage on lap one with three drivers - Jordyn Charge, Jock Goodyer and Aidan Hall - forced out. Mailors Flat's Peter Doukas was also caught up in the stack up on turn four but re-started.
The re-start was just as dramatic with Portland's Brock Hallett and Brisbane's Mitchell Gee, who shared the front row, bundled out.
Justine McCullagh-Beasy✔@JustineMB_29
Carnage followed two laps later with Ben Atkinson and Brenten Farrer coming to blows on turn two and also forced to the infield causing a stop to the racing with repairs needed for a damaged catch fence.
American Shane Stewart joined the omissions with 12 laps to run and the yellow flag was out again when US teen Buddy Kofoid was forced out.
NASCAR driver Kyle Larson had a dramatic night and didn't finish the B-Main.
C Main
1. Luke Stirton N10
2. Jye Okeeffe V42
3. Taylor Milling W25
4. Leigh Mugavin VA22
5. Andrew Hughes V28
6. Andrew Corbet Q78
7. Matthew Oshannassy VA82
8. Brendan Guerin S96
9. Ross Jarred V27
10. Tony Moule NT26
11. Tim Van Ginneken V44
12. Stephen Spark V32
13. David Aldersley V64
14. Troy Hose V57
B Main
1. Ben Ellement W53
2. Aidan Hall S15
3. Jason Kendrick W11
4. Brett Milburn V68
5. Shaun Dobson VA21
6. Kevin Titman Q59
7. Andrew Scheuerle A1
8. Jye Okeeffe V42
9. Luke Stirton N10
10. Cody Maroske Q5
11. Jackson Delamont N48
12. Braydan Willmington N89
13. Bobby Daly V8
14. Leigh Mugavin VA22
15. Taylor Milling W25
16. Darren Clarke V50
A Main (started):
1. W27 – Scott Bogucki (3)
2. W17 – James McFadden (4)
3. VA6 – Tim Kaeding (8)
4. NQ7 – Robbie Farr (6)
5. W53 – Ben Ellement (21)
6. N20 – Troy Little (19)
7. W11 – Jason Kendrick (23)
8. V40 – Rusty Hickman (11)
9. V25 – Jack Lee (18)
10. N57 – Matthew Dumesny (10)
11. V98 – Peter Doukas (20)
12. Q17 – Luke Oldfield (13)
13. V68 – Brett Milburn (24)
14. Q54 – Randy Morgan (14)
15. S97 – Buddy Kofoid (16)
16. V3 – Shane Stewart (12)
17. D2 – Ben Atkinson (7)
18. V34 – Brenten Farrer (5)
19. S81 – Luke Dillon (9)
20. S13 – Brock Hallett (2)
21. T22 – Jock Goodyer (17)
22. V60 – Jordyn Charge (15)
23. V65 – Mitchell Gee (1)
24. S15 – Aidan Hall (22)