Chadwick Becomes New Wingless SA 1

Chadwick Becomes New Wingless SA 1

By Phil Michell

Joel Chadwick won this fourth successive Wingless Sprint A-Main victory at Adelaide’s Speedway City last night but this one was a little more special as he claimed the 2016 Murray Bridge Glass South Australian Championship (subject to results of post race engine inspections). In the lead up to the event it appeared that the show wouldn’t even go ahead due to heavy rain in the area and as a result the track was extremely heavy and hooky but Chadwick mastered the conditions to perfection as he defeated Victorian Travis Millar and outgoing Champion Jarman Dalitz.

After starting on the pole Millar led the opening nine laps of the 25 lap finale but a superb move in turn one allowed Chadwick to take command and he was never headed from that point. Millar, who had secured two heat victories and a third during the heat races, was extremely impressive in his Speedway debut, but when it came to the end of the race he simply didn’t have the speed of the race winner.

On the podium the third placed Jarman Dalitz confirmed it was his final race as he was moving into Circuit Racing and that his entire race team is now for sale.

Fourth place went to current Victorian Champion James Wren with Matthew Kennedy rounding out the top five. Jake Ashworth got the better of Spencer Taylor in a great duel with Wayne Logue, Michael Spoljaric, who only completed one heat race, and Aaron Doe completing the top 10.

Earlier eight heat races were conducted with Millar (2), Doe, Luke Storer, Chadwick, Wayne Logue, Kennedy and Wren all winning heat races while Anthony Tapley won the B-Main.

Unfortunately the night will be remembered for a number of major roll overs with the first occurring in heat two as Robert Heard rode out a massive crash in turn one after riding the wheel of Jason Gantz. In fact Millar also rolled in the same incident but still went on to finish third in that heat.

Brett Ireland also ended his night with a roll in turn one after Aaron Doe spun in front of him while Jay Brown rolled heavily in turn three during the B-main. The A-main also saw Anthony Tapley, Daniel Obst and Anthony McMillan all enter the upside down club in the A-Main.