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LMRA
PERTH, Western Australia (February 5) - Once again the thundering Late Models of the LMRA out of Western Australia showed just how good they can be with a blistering display of racing at last Saturdays R2C Competition Filters Pro Dirt Series round at the Perth Motorplex.
And in the end Brad Ludlow proved to be the one to catch in his DiCandilo Steel City/Lucas Oil Products #92 GRT. When asked afterwards how it felt to be back on the podium he replied laughing "…two weeks too late!!" referring to the early exit with damage from the recent Australian Championship.
The action started from the opening heat as Ben Ludlow (DiCandilo Steel City/Lucas Oil Products #9 GRT) led them away, but Brad Ludlow wasn't going to make it easy on his illustrious father. The younger version closed in as the laps ran out, running nose to tail and side by side with his father for a number of laps, before he made the move to take the lead and won the race by half a car length. Brad Blake would lead the rest of the field home in his Blake Auto Centre #0 Rocket in third place.
Jay Cardy (BBT Steel/TL Dozing #52 Cardy Chassis) and Michael Holmes (OzMine Drill Consumables/Holmes & Associates #91 Rocket) had a battle royale in the opening laps of heat two, but as these two battled it out, no one was paying much attention as the 'Black Knight' Ryan Halliday closed on in. He was superb as he reeled in the early leaders to make a brilliant run around the top of the Kwinana high banks to take the win in his Colonial Freightlines/Stirling Low Loaders #99 GRT over Cardy and Holmes.
Heat three and Brad Ludlow bolted away early as Blake used all his experience to start to close in on the opening heat winner. With four to go Blake came within striking distance, only for the new Australian champ to develop a push that troubled him for the rest of the heat. The remainder of the field you could have thrown a blanket over as they battled for third position, which went to Ryan Ludlow as he escaped the clutches of the group in the final laps in the third of the DiCandilo Steel City/Lucas Oil Products #29 GRT.
Craig Vosbergen showed why he was the point's leader in the R2C Pro Dirt Series leading from start to finish in his WCM/Ductworks/Valvoline. Meanwhile the battle behind him was a cracker as Jeremy Hale (Western Process Controls/Trailstar Caravans #77 GRT), Lee Watt (Katachana Beef/RST Fab #10 Rayburn) and Holmes had a titanic battle for second and third until the final couple of laps when Watt dropped backwards with car troubles. Holmes held on to take second over Hale in the end.
With a pair of Brads, Ludlow and Blake, sharing the front row the final was always going to be run at a frantic pace, with Ludlow getting the jump over the 'O Show', and it proved to be a handy one, with Vosbergen leading Holmes, Ryan Ludlow and the rest of the pack in the early laps. As the raced settled down Matt Goodlad (Diversified Contracting/JRH Signs #18 Rocket) and Cardy started to find some speed, but Brad Ludlow continued to show his skill, especially in traffic.
Goodlad then went up in a cloud of smoke about mid race distance, with the youngest Ludlow, Ryan, pulling in a handful of laps later with the fire coming from his black and red GRT. The top three of Ludlow (Brad), Blake and Vosbergen were the class of the field though, and as the race started to wind down they eventually lapped the fourth place car of Holmes.
Ludlow sliced and diced his way through to take the win by over two seconds, showing Blake and the rest just how it's done. Vosbergen was a clear third and the only other vehicle on the lead lap, with Holmes holding on to fourth over Bunbury racer Jason Moyle (Moyle Engines/Valvoline #6 Rayburn), Watt, Cardy, Ben Ludlow, Clint Noakes (Diverse Directional Drilling/Caltex Energy Narrogin #23 Rocket) and Hale rounding out what was left of the field in tenth.
"I didn't expect to win one race tonight" the winner said after the show. "We got a good balance in the car for the feature, put the right tyres on which we hurt ourselves with at the Sedan Muster and Jeep beat us there. To come back here tonight (after the damage at Mildura) and finish first was good."
The way he handled traffic was the thing that impressed many of the fans during the final. "A few of the lapped cars baulked me a bit and I was concerned that someone would pass me, so I had to attack them a bit to make sure I got past them as I knew one of the other guys would slide job me if they were close enough. Sometimes you have to be that little bit more aggressive and do what you gotta do to get the win" he said.
These results will certainly tighten up the point's battle at the top on the R2C Competition Filters Pro Dirt Series. This season long battle isn't over yet and will be played out once again in a two weeks time when the LMRA head to Albany for the King Of The Ring fifty lap event on January 19, 2011.
The LMRA would like to thank our corporate partners:
R2C Competition Series Filters Hoosier Tyres
RACIN Tyres & Accessories Galleria Toyota
Express Link International Holmes & Associates
Able Finance Solutions Cars WA OzMine Drill Consumables
MTI Group Snap-on Tools Tilco Engineering
Western Pacific Financial Group Empire Graphics
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