Batchelor’s late exit in State title final

Albany driver Jason Batchelor has been unable to round a strong weekend of racing by finishing the WA Street Stock Title final at Manjimup Speedway on Sunday night, forced to retire with five laps to run.

Batchelor was the only Great Southern competitor to make the 40-lap A-main after a terrific run in the qualifying heats, having recently moved into the division from production sedans.

In a big field of 64 drivers, Batchelor sat 12th in the points standings after night one on Saturday on the back of a heat win to go with a second placing. He could have been even further up the points standings if not for his blemish in heat 14, failing to complete a lap.

In his fourth and final qualifying heat on Sunday, Batchelor finished sixth to secure a place in the A-main, directly progressing to the final in 15th position. Batchelor was running strongly but contact with Paul Joss brought about his undoing, popping a rear tyre and damaging his differential.

The damage forced him to retire on lap 35, as Jamie Oldfield produced a stunning victory to come from the B-main to win the State title for a third time.

Oldfield beat home Manjimup driver Jack Favero, NT’s Justin Brumfield and defending champion Jack Barnewall. Only nine of the 22 starters finished the dramatic final.

Albany’s Paul Bowman was unable to finish B-main 2, starting 10th on the grid in the 20-lap event but retired after 13 laps. Another Great Southern driver, Lincoln Coleman, was forced to the infield after nine laps with his title coming to an end while Albany’s Peter Herbert did not race after night one.