Joel Ettridge won the 2nd running of the Davis Family Derby at Bunbury Speedway to notch his first feature race win of the season, finishing ahead of Chad Pittard and Jarrin Bielby on the podium.
Heat race action saw four different winners in Jarrin Bielby, Dominic Rifici, Tim Boujos and Michael Keen. It also saw the end of the night for Jye McKenzie hurting the motor in Todd Davis’ #5 and Craig Bottrell who slammed into the main straight wall after steering failure coming off turn 4 before being collected by Gavin Davis.
The Davis Family Derby feature race was to be contested over 20 laps and after the top 6 re-draw, the field was set, with Ettridge going from P6 to P1, Pittard P3 to P2, Rifici P5 to P3, Keen P1 to P4, Bielby P2 to P5 and Boujos P4 to P6.
The 21 car field lined up in position before breaking for the 4 wide salute with Tim and Gavin Davis leading the field. Once all cars fell back into two wide we were ready to get underway.
The lights went green and Ettridge lead the field into turn 1. The field made it through cleanly until turn 2 where Mike Hanlon’s McDonalds #75 come together Brendon Dickinson’s GJ Freight #44 with both cars rolling over and Greg Clarke having nowhere to go but into the carnage. All drivers emerged ok and Clarke was able to restart from the rear of the pack.
A complete restart was ordered and this time as the lights went green Brad Warwick spun in turn 4.
Third time lucky and the race was underway with Ettridge leading from Rifici, Pittard, Keen, Bielby, Boujos, Kent Roberts, Clayton Dickinson, Matthew Peaker, Aaron Chircop, Daniel Keen, Tim Davis, Bailey Nash, Gavin Davis, Warwick, Clarke and Stephanie Hanlon.
Pittard took back second position from Rifici at the start of the second lap and it didn’t take long for Keen to pounce on Rifici as well, sliding under the #49 in turn 1 on lap 3. Rifici would lose another position to Bielby coming off turn 4 as the early pace of the race was hot.
Ettridge had opened a gap out front in fresh air. On lap 6 Keen went under Pittard heading into turn 3 to take over second place. Keen immediately closed in on the back of Ettridge as they raced through lapped traffic.
Keen grabbed the lead on lap 8 passing Ettridge entering turn 3. Keen looked to be on borrowed time though as smoke was puffing from the Boyanup Cellars #95.
On lap 11 Keen slowed in pits bend and headed infield as Ettridge regained the lead of the race. Kent Roberts started to drop back through the field as he battled the side board leaving his top wing.
After 13 laps, the race would come under caution once more as Gavin Davis ran out of noise in turn 4. Warwick would retire from the race now as well.
With 7 laps remaining Ettridge would lead the field away, Pittard second, then Bielby, Rifici, Boujos, Clayton Dickinson, Peaker, Daniel Keen, Nash, Chircop, Clarke, Tim Davis, Stephanie Hanlon and Roberts.
On the restart Boujos would momentarily take fourth from Rifici in turn 1 before Rifici ran around the outside of Boujos down the back straight. Ettridge immediately opened a margin over Pittard as he chased redemption for leading at Bunbury in December before blowing a right rear tyre with a lap to go.
The top half dozen cars were all running two-thirds track high through the turns. With 2 laps remaining Matthew Peaker ran around the outside of Clayton Dickinson in turns 1 and 2 to grab 6th place.
It was all Ettridge though, this time finishing the job he started in December, taking the win in the Davis Family Derby from Pittard, Bielby, Rifici, Boujos, Peaker, Dickinson, Keen, Chircop, Nash, Clarke, Hanlon and Roberts.
