After two torrid nights of competition, reigning Australian V8 Dirt Modified Champion Peter Britten emerged victorious in the 2010 Jobrow Enterprises Modified Masters at the Lismore Speedway on January 24.
Britten banked an impressive $3,000 for his win, leading home Mark Robinson and Jai Stephenson in an exciting 30-lap Feature race.
Starting from the third row (5th), Britten worked his way into second behind pole-sitter Jai Stephenson by lap two, before finally taking the race lead with eight laps completed. Despite two restarts, Britten was able to maintain a his advantage throughout the race, although a fast-finishing Robinson gained considerable ground over the closing laps.
” I was very happy to starting on the inside.” revealed Britten post-race. ” You are normally alot safer from a carnage perspective starting on the inside because guys cant slide up into you. The race opened up pretty quickly, I think I got into second on the second lap and just bided my time behind Jai for a few laps and worked out where I wanted to get past him and it worked. The first shot I had at him I got around him and I just pushed on from there”
Mark Robinson’s second place finish was extraordinary considering he came into the second night’s racing without a single point to his name. He secured the final transfer spot into the Feature race on the very last lap of the B-Main and in the main event worked his way from 20th to 10th inside the opening 10 laps. Working both the high and low lines, he slowly edged forward, disposing of an impressive Kevin Britten and Stephenson in the closing laps to secure a well deserved runner-up finish.
Stephenson meanwhile continues to impress in just his second outing aboard his new Troyer mount. Top qualifier after the preliminary heat races, he went on to take out the ‘A scramble’ and secured his first ever pole position. After losing the race lead to Britten early on, Stephenson held on to second for much of the race, holding out challenges from Cannon, Mick Sauer and Kevin Britten before ultimately surrendering second to Mark Robinson with just a handful of laps remaining.
Kevin Britten, who started in 12th position, snared fourth, with last season’s Masters winner Darren Latimer rounding out the top five.
A multi-car accident with 19 laps still to run claimed the cars to Tony Sneddon, Steve Milthorpe & Rian Collier, with Sneddon spinning on the exit of turn two and leaving the latter pair with nowhere to go. It was a particularly disappointing exit for Sneddon, who was running strongly in sixth at the time.
Tyre wear put an end to Scott Cannon’s hopes, with the front-row starter slipping back to 9th by races end, while AMCA graduate Mick Sauer was forced to retire late in the race with overheating issues.
Oppressively hot conditions across the weekend saw competitors faced with a slick racetrack, and although slowing the pace down a fraction, two and sometimes three-wide racing was the norm in the Feature race, with very little damage sustained across the weekend.
B-Main winner Ray Eggins made amends for a disappointing qualifying effort by working his way up to 7th in the Feature race, while at the other end of the spectrum Luke Oldfield was reduced to the rank of spectator early in the night after terminal mechanical problems sidelined the popular Gold Coast racer.
Earlier in the night, Scott Cannon joined Stephenson as a winner of one of the two ‘scrambles’, while Rian Collier, Britten & Stephenson took out the final three heat races. Ray Eggins was the winner of the B-Main, with Allan Jarvis, Brett Whitney & Mark Robinson joining Eggins in securing the final starting positions in the main event.
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