NATIONAL HOT RODS: WORLD SERIES BOLD MCDONALD BEATS THE CHAOS FOR HEDNESFORD VICTORY DOUBLE
Hednesford
lost out to the fast-moving Lee Pepper, who appeared to have all the grip the rest didn’t.
Pepper took Lowe at the East Bend and Grayson with a carbon copy move at the other end of the track. From that point on, Pepper just got further up the road, eventually running out winner by half a lap.
The battle for the places was quite another matter though, with Grayson fighting off a massive challenge in the dying laps. Dick Hillard just made it past in a blanket finish, which also involved visiting World Final winner Adam Maxwell and Gavin Murray.
Grayson was again the fast starter in the third encounter, but Andy Lee was right with him and very soon, so was Shane Bland. And it was Bland who was charging here, having missed his first race with fuel pump problem.
Passes of Lee and Grayson into the East Bend on successive laps carried him to the front, after which he simply pulled further clear with every tour.
Mcdonald always looked a good bet for the final honours after he gained a second row start for the main event, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
Heat two victor Pepper was off the outside front row and went straight into the lead, Mcdonald settling onto his tail where he applied plenty of pressure without being able to find an opening. He was finally saved from having to make the pass when three cars got together at the West Bend, the leader unfortunately managing to clip one of them on his way past.
With the yellows out and Pepper eliminated with broken steering, Mcdonald was left to defend his lead against Jason Kew and Murray.
But before they could do any serious racing, they had to endure a further three caution periods in the space of the next five laps, an almost farcical sequence of crashes undoubtedly brought on by each stoppage taking their tyres ever nearer the almost freezing track temperature.
With the race finally underway a little more permanently, Mcdonald settled into a lead he looked unlikely to lose.
The places were far from settled, with Kew, Murray and Bland trading positions until Kew smacked the wall, bringing on the fifth caution.
After that Mcdonald, Bland and Murray put over half a lap on the rest, where Bradley Dynes was busy defending fourth against allcomers. His success in this endeavour eventually enabled him to claim third too, when Bland picked up a penalty for contact earlier in the race.