Author : SSA
Barry Rose has today not only won the Far Western Championships at Shark Bay Speedway, but in the process become the equal all time winner of the event, with a total of four wins alongside fellow Production Sedan competitor Greg Robinson.
Rose would start off the front row in the all-important twenty lap feature alongside Graeme Rafferty, getting the jump to quickly lead Rafferty and Mike Kinnear. Behind them were cars everywhere, jostling for position, but Rose would comfortably lead the opening lap.
Kinnear would then go low in turn two and move under Rafferty for second on the second lap with Rafferty going high and allowing Mick Hamon and Lance Root through also. Kinnear would then suddenly slow and Hamon would also caught up.
Ahead of them Rose would break away from the rest of the field and set about building up a gap while Kinnear would retire, followed by Hamon who suffered a flat tyre, his third for the day.
Root would shortly after move into second place, but he would still be behind Rose by well over six seconds by lap four.
All of a sudden Root would be challenged by Benny Curtin from position eight, but the yellows would then come on for Daniel Flavel who was facing the wrong way after contact with third placed Greg Robinson.
On the restart Root would retire infield as he too suffered a flat tyre, while Daniel Flavel was sent rear in a controversial decision.
The restart would see Rose race away once again, while Curtin, who was in second after Root�s demise, would go wide and allow Robinson underneath. Just as Robinson went by, Curtin over cooked it and spun, seeing the rest of the field split and Rafferty also spin, with the greens staying on as both were able to continue. Rafferty however would only circulate slowly until he headed infield. Robinson would hold second while Warren Flavel, starting from position nine, moved into third.
Halfway home Rose led by over 4.5 seconds again, with Robinson in second and Warren Flavel and Curtin battling for third. Curtin would then duck back under Flavel for third lap on twelve, while Rose would move into lapped traffic lap later.
With a handful of laps remaining Curtin and Flavel would close on Robinson, Curtin then moving through on lap seventeen for second, but up front it made no difference as Barry Rose dominated the day with four wins from four starts to claim the feature from Curtin and Robinson.
The race meeting also doubled as the opening four of the Speedway Sedan Digest Four Crowns Series, with Rose now the early leader. The second round of the series will be held at Pithara Speedway on the 15th of July for the Kevan Joyce Memorial.
Production Sedan Feature – 20 laps: 1. W181 Barry Rose, 2. W99 Benny Curtin, 3. W77 Greg Robinson, 4. W112 Warren Flavel, 5. W114 Daniel Flavel, 6. W333 Shane Dubberlin (18). DNF: W54 Graeme Rafferty (6), W23 Lance Root (5), W27 Mike Kinnear (3), W7 Mick Hamon (3). DNS: W53 Leon Wood. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 11.042. Fastest Lap: 18.830 W181 Barry Rose.