Scott Duthie last night claimed the first ever feature race victory of his career, winning the Alice Street Automotive Cannonball Run at Maryborough Speedway.
Just a week ahead of the SSA Street Stock Queensland Title to be held at the same venue, Duthie was best of the fifteen car field, surviving a forty lap battle to cross the line ahead of Shane Roycroft and beau Pieters.
The race was split into two twenty lap feature races, each going the opposite way, and after the first twenty laps Beau Pieters would be the leader, ahead of Duthie and Shane Roycroft, Pieters having claimed the lead from Duthie on the very last lap by 0.049 seconds.
As the second half of the race got underway Duthie was able to get back into the lead, Pieters chasing hard, while Shane Roycroft and Graham Maloney were fighting hard right behind them.
With ten to go Roycroft was able to close on the leaders and using the highline he took over second place from Pieters.
The top three were now well clear of the remaining pack, Duthie holding off Roycroft and Pieters. Duthie stayed low as Roycroft ran high and eventually Roycroft was able to drive around the outside of Duthie to take the lead.
Duthie stayed low and continue to race alongside Roycroft, but every lap Roycroft was able to hold the lead across the line ad Pieters sat right in behind Roycroft hoping the momentum would carry him further forward.
With two to go the Duthie machine began to emit plenty of smoke as the power steering went, but still he applied the pressure and just as the two cars entered the final turns Roycroft pulled up high as his rear axle cause chaos, and this was the opportunity Duthie needed, racing back underneath to take the lead as they went across the line by just 0.741 seconds. Roycroft was second while Pieters held on for third.
Also on the program was the SSA Junior Sedans, with Millie Butcher winning the New Stars feature from Montoya Simpson and Payton Roberts, while Linkoln Willis claimed victory in the Top Stars ahead of Baxter Attard and Riley Humphries.
Pic Courtesy 44 Photography.
Feature, 40 laps: 1. M28 Scott Duthie, 2. V82 Shane Roycroft, 3. BB47 Beau Pieters, 4. SC56 Graham Maloney, 5. M92 Peter Kluytenberg, 6. BB81 Mitch Wogandt, 7. BB87 Jessica Pieters, 8. BB33 Michael Francis, 9. BB94 Brandon Hough, 10. C15 Chloe Wakelin (18). DNF: C34 Brandon Stoward (34), M2 Riley Hutchison (17). DNS: M7 Travis Hutchison, BB27 Dan McColm, BB54 Nicholas Jewell. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.741. Fastest Lap: 16.516 M28 Scott Duthie.
