James McFadden took his second career Grand Annual Classic in Warrnambool Saturday (Justin McCullagh-Beasy Photo) (Video Highlights from Racing News)
by Tim Hodges
James McFadden has won the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at Premier Speedway for the second time.
The Warrnambool local led home his good friend Jamie Veal to add the 2020 Classic title to his 2017 crown.
The only sour note for the Monte Motorsport driver was engine damage which prevented him from doing the traditional Classic winning doughnuts before the sold-out crowd.
“I dropped a cylinder on the final lap and I’m dead set shattered I can’t do the donuts for the crowd,” McFadden said before apologising to the audience of more than 12,000.
“Unfortunately, that engine is rooted!”
The 40-lap Classic final’s defining moment came on Lap 6, when McFadden made a move on pole-sitter and early race leader Robbie Farr.
Farr, the defending Classic champion, rode the wheel of a lapped car in the move and suffered a brutal accident, ending his race.
From that moment on McFadden was never headed, dominating the final despite a number of stoppages.
On Australia Day, he led home an all Australian podium with Veal second and veteran Kerry Madsen third, while American Cory Eliason was fourth.
Marcus Dumesny continued his impressive weekend, finishing fifth to back up his feature win on night two of the event.
The victory follows a year in which McFadden’s stocks rose in the United States after replacing Kasey Kahne in his World of Outlaws team, and winning the Knoxville Nationals 360 title.
“It’s been a crazy year and a crazy weekend,” said McFadden, who will again race for Kahne’s team in 2020.
“This event just gets bigger and bigger so to win it for a second time is so satisfying.
“Everyone here should be so proud of the Classic, it’s one of the best races in the world.”
NASCAR star Kyle Larson had a weekend he’d like to forget in Warrnambool.
After a miserable qualifying night on Friday, Larson again suffered a heavy accident in his final heat race, prematurely ending his second tilt at the Classic.
48th Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic
Premier Speedway
Warrnambool, VIC
Sunday January 26, 2020
Heat Race #1:
1. S4 – Lisa Walker
2. S63 – Ryan Jones
3. V73 – Charles Hunter
4. S19 – Tim Shaffer
5. NS4 – Ian Madsen
6. N47 – Marcus Dumesny
7. S27 – Daniel Pestka
8. V72 – Jacob Smith
9. S45 – Jake Tranter
10. V77 – Brayden Parr
11. N36 – Eddie Lumbar
Heat Race #2:
1. T7 – Tim Hutchins
2. V7 – Paul Solomon
3. V70 – John Vogels
4. V55 – Brooke Tatnell
5. Q83 – Steve Lines
6. W2 – Kerry Madsen
7. Q23 – Lachlan McHugh
8. NQ21 – Jorydan Brazier
9. NQ5 – Danny Reidy
10. V2 – Domain Ramsay
11. VA75 – David Donegan
12. NT24 – Jamie O’Neill
Heat Race #3:
1. W26 – Cory Eliason
2. S2 – Craig Vanderstelt
3. VA81 – Rhys Baxter
4. N92 – Sam Walsh
5. V17 – Dennis Jones
6. N99 – Carson Macedo
7. Q88 – Ryan McNamara
8. VA29 – Terry Rankin
9. S78 – Keke Falland
10. V48 – Adam King
11. T2 – Scott Bissett
12. USA4 – Kalib Henry
Heat Race #4:
1. V37 – Grant Anderson
2. V88 – David Murcott
3. V35 – Jamie Veal
4. N53 – Jessie Attard
5. VA12 – Mark Carlin
6. V81 – Robbie Paton
7. VA4 – Carly Walsh
8. V56 – James Aranyosi
9. V45 – Mike Van Bremen
10. N40 – Chris Mcinerney
11. V90 – Corey McCullagh
Heat Race #5:
1. A1 – Andrew Scheuerle
2. V98 – Peter Doukas
3. Q59 – Kevin Titman
4. W17 – James McFadden
5. S13 – Brock Hallett
6. Q54 – Randy Morgan
7. V68 – Brett Milburn
8. Q78 – Andrew Corbert
9. N10 – Luke Stiron
10. V50 – Darren Clarke
11. W11 – Jason Kendrick
Heat Race #6:
1. Q5 – Cody Maroske
2. S97 – Buddy Kofoid
3. V60 – Jordyn Charge
4. W25 – Taylor Milling
5. T62 – Tate Frost
6. N65 – Mitchell Gee
7. N20 – Troy Little
8. VA27 – Scott Bogucki
9. V40 – Rusty Hickman
10. S20 – Glen Sutherland
11. S96 – Brendan Guerin
12. VA82 – Matthew Oshannassy
Heat Race #7:
1. N48 – Jackson Delamont
2. V3 – Shane Stewart
3. NQ7 – Robbie Farr
4. V25 – Jack Lee
5. N89 – Braydan Willmington
6. V34 – Brenten Farrer
7. V44 – Tim Van Ginneken
8. Q17 – Luke Oldfield
9. V42 – Jye Okeeffe
10. V27 – Ross Jarrad
11. VA22 – Leigh Mugavin
12. S15 – Aidan Hall
Heat Race #8:
1. S81 – Luke Dillon
2. T22 – Jock Goodyer
3. VA21 – Shaun Dobson
4. D2 – Ben Atkinson
5. VA6 – Tim Kaeding
6. V32 – Stephen Spark
7. N57 – Matthew Dumesny
8. NT26 – Tony Moule
9. V8 – Bobby Daly
10. V28 – Andrew Hughes
11. W53 – Ben Ellement
12. USA99 – Kyle Larson
D-Main:
1. VA75 – David Donegan
2. Q78 – Andrew Corbert
3. S96 – Brendan Guerin
4. V27 – Ross Jarrad
5. NT24 – Jamie O’Neill
6. NT26 – Tony Moule
7. VA82 – Matthew Oshannassy
8. T2 – Scott Bissett
9. VA22 – Leigh Mugavin
10. VA12 – Mark Carlin
C-Main #1:
1. V68 – Brett Milburn
2. VA21 – Shaun Dobson
3. Q59 – Kevin Titman
4. W11 – Jason Kendrick
5. V42 – Jye Okeeffe
6. T62 – Tate Frost
7. V8 – Bobby Daly
8. W25 – Taylor Milling
9. S20 – Glen Sutherland
10. S96 – Brendan Guerin
11. N10 – Luke Stiron
12. V28 – Andrew Hughes
13. V50 – Darren Clarke
14. V32 – Stephen Spark
15. VA75 – David Donegan
16. N89 – Braydan Willmington
17. V44 – Tim Van Ginneken
C-Main #2:
1. NQ5 – Danny Reidy
2. V90 – Corey McCullagh
3. USA4 – Kalib Henry
4. NQ21 – Jorydan Brazier
5. Q88 – Ryan McNamara
6. VA29 – Terry Rankin
7. S45 – Jake Tranter
8. VA81 – Rhys Baxter
9. V2 – Domain Ramsay
10. V56 – James Aranyosi
11. VA4 – Carly Walsh
12. S27 – Daniel Pestka
13. V48 – Adam King
14. Q78 – Andrew Corbert
15. V45 – Mike Van Bremen
16. S78 – Keke Falland
17. V27 – Ross Jarrad
B-Main #1:
1. S81 – Luke Dillon
2. V25 – Jack Lee
3. V34 – Brenten Farrer
4. N65 – Mitchell Gee
5. V60 – Jordyn Charge
6. V40 – Rusty Hickman
7. D2 – Ben Atkinson
8. T22 – Jock Goodyer
9. VA21 – Shaun Dobson
10. N48 – Jackson Delamont
11. V68 – Brett Milburn
12. Q54 – Randy Morgan
13. Q59 – Kevin Titman
14. Q17 – Luke Oldfield
15. Q5 – Cody Maroske
16. N20 – Troy Little
17. W11 – Jason Kendrick
18. W53 – Ben Ellement
19. N57 – Matthew Dumesny
20. A1 – Andrew Scheuerle
B-Main #2:
1. N92 – Sam Walsh
2. V55 – Brooke Tatnell
3. V37 – Grant Anderson
4. N99 – Carson Macedo
5. V90 – Corey McCullagh
6. V70 – John Vogels
7. V73 – Charles Hunter
8. Q23 – Lachlan McHugh
9. S2 – Craig Vanderstelt
10. USA4 – Kalib Henry
11. NS4 – Ian Madsen
12. NQ21 – Jorydan Brazier
13. NQ5 – Danny Reidy
14. V7 – Paul Solomon
15. V72 – Jacob Smith
16. S4 – Lisa Walker
17. V17 – Dennis Jones
18. N53 – Jessie Attard
19. T7 – Tim Hutchins
20. V81 – Robbie Paton
A-Main:
1. W17 – James McFadden
2. V35 – Jamie Veal
3. W2 – Kerry Madsen
4. W26 – Cory Eliason
5. N47 – Marcus Dumesny
6. S19 – Tim Shaffer
7. S97 – Buddy Kofoid
8. S81 – Luke Dillon
9. V55 – Brooke Tatnell
10. Q83 – Steven Lines
11. V98 – Peter Doukas
12. S13 – Brock Hallett
13. V3 – Shane Stewart
14. N65 – Mitchell Gee
15. V25 – Jack Lee
16. S63 – Ryan Jones
17. VA27 – Scott Bogucki
18. V88 – David Murcott
19. VA6 – Tim Kaeding
20. V34 – Brenten Farrer
21. N92 – Sam Walsh
22. V37 – Grant Anderson
23. NQ7 – Robbie Farrer
24. N99 – Carson Macedo