The Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria finished off their racing season at Redline Raceway last night with the Grand Final of the C&H Trucking pro Sprintcar Series that produced some of the best Pro Sprintcar Racing seen this season. Chris Solomon was the in inform driver that put on a good show all night long to take the C&H Trucking A Main event. But it was Dennis Jones that clinched the 2023-20224 SRA C&H Trucking Pro Sprintcar Series Title and also snatched second place in A Main on the final lap of the race.
On cool day at Redline Raceway the weather played into the competitors’ hands to provide a great racetrack right from the start of the night thru to the end producing very close competitive racing and no tyre wear!
Four heat races were contest that would Chris Solomon top the points table to take pole position for the A Main.
Nineteen drivers lined up for the C&H Trucking Pro Sprintcar Series Grand Final but unfortunately both James Wren and Michael Cunningham pulled to infield with mechanical problems as the field formed up.
There was more drama before the first lap was completed that would see Travis Millar eliminated after two cars came together in front of him to end his night.
With the race finally underway Chris Solomon scorched away to a take a good lead from Matthew Symons who stated from P2 while Dennis Jones made a good start to be into third place from position six by the end of the first lap.
While Solomon was in control of the race both Symons and Jones would hammer it out all race long for second place. A little further back Zac Farrer was holding down fourth place from Justin Drew, Luke Cole, Andy Hibbert, Sam Wren, Josh Buckingham and rookie driver James Oliver in tenth place.
Lap ten and the red lights were on when the unlucky Hibbert was the innocent party when two cars came together in front of him that would see Hibbert roll and out of the race.
On the restart there was no stopping Solomon, as Chris weaved his way thru the field putting lapped cars between himself and the duelling pair of Symons and Jones these three drivers left the rest of the field in their wake.
Just over half race distance and Wren looked to be in trouble and was slowing due a throttle problem that was also leaving him in the possible position of losing second place of the Series Champion if he failed to finish.
At the end of a twenty five lap journey Chris Solomon took a very convincing win over the dulling rivals of Symons and Jones. Jones was not content to play the points race to make sure he would wrap up the C&H Trucking Pro Sprintcar Series and raced Symons hard all the way to the cheque flag to snatch second place going into turn three and four for the last lap.
Josh Buckingham took forth place ahead of Zac Farrer in fifth and Luke Cole home in sixth, rounding out the finishers in order were Justin Drew, Steven Loader, Jeremy Kupsch, Jack Van Bremen, Jamie Heyen, Sam Wren and Matt Grist.
The non finishers were James Oliver, Andy Hibbert, Anthony Foster and Travis Millar.
While Chris Solomon took out the final race of the C&H Trucking Pro Sprintcar Series it was Dennis Jones to take out the Series Championship from Sam Wren who managed to keep his car going to the end of the race to secure second place in the Series from Matthew Symons taking thirds place overall.
Heat race wins on the night went to, V23 Josh Buckingham, V11 Chris Solomon, D21 Zac Farrer, VA7 Justin Drew.
C& H Trucking Pro Sprintcar Series awards:
End of Series awards:
SS Auto Wholesales: Most heat wins during the Series. ($500)
(In the event of a tie the driver with the most Series points wins)
Overall leader- V17 Dennis Jones and VA70 Matthew Symons (4 wins)
Eliminator Race Wings – (Two awards) A new front win for each award. 1st award -The driver that transfers from the B Main to the A Main the most.
VA82 Luke Cole, (Four times)
2nd award – V23 Josh Buckingham.
NIGHTLY AWARDS:
SS Auto Wholesales: -The driver that finishes in sixth place in the A Main at each round of the Series ($100). Not Run.
Eureka Garages & Sheds: The top points scorer at each round of the Series. ($100) V11 Chris Solomon.
C&H Trucking Series Top ten
1st V17 Dennis Jones 2920
2nd V19 Sam Wren 2716
3rd VA70 Matthew Symons 2668
4th V10 Steven Loader 2375
5th VA82 Luke Cole 2353
6th V23 Josh Buckingham 2153
7th VA14 Harry Ross 2021
8th VA43 Daniel Storer 1792
9th V2 Andy Hibbert 1695
10th VA49 Shaun Lyness 1687
11th to 20th in the Points Strandings
11th V86 Justin Barton 1581
12th V72 Jacob Smith 1502
13th V29 Michael Tancredi 1475
14th VA16 Jack Van Bremen 1382
15th VA8 Steven Horton 1349
16th V20 Thomas McDonald 1242
17th VA19 James Wren 1205
18th VA98 Shane Steenholdt 1190
19th VA32 Travis Millar 1189
20th VA68 Kim Loong Godling 1135
The Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria thank the following C&H Trucking
Pro Sprintcar Series sponsors:
C&H TRUCKING, SS AUTO WHOLSALES, LUMBARS TRANSPORT,
A PLUS POWDER COATING, EUREKA GARAGES & SHEDS,
ELIMINATOR RACE WINGS.
C&H Trucking Series 2023-2024 Top three - Sam Wren 2nd - Dennis Jones 1st - Matthew Symons 3rd - Photo By Cartlidge Media
The V17 Team - Dennis Jones and his trusty Team - Photo By Cartlidge Media
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