October 14 - Marshall McDiarmid has kicked off the Rogue Race Products 2011 / 12 Wingless Sprints W.A season with a win at the first Fast Friday of the season at the Perth Motorplex. McDiarmid steered the Motorworld Wangara #22 to a fine feature win ahead of Scott Elst in the Esco Electrical #95, after the pair started on the front row together. Elst went into the feature looking red hot after two runaway heat wins eariler in the night, but McDiarmid used all his experience to take the advantage at the start, and survive the sustained pressure Elst put him under for the 15 lap duration. 

Elst ran the #95 using a slightly lower line than the yellow McDiarmid machine and several times through the race, not the least of which was the final corner, had a good look under McDiarmid for the lead. With a handful of laps to go, the front two approached two lapped cars, and after initially both having some trouble finding a way through, cleared the pair with McDiarmid still holding a lead. 

Behind the lead pair, Dylan Buswell was relatively comfortable in 3rd in the Monte Motorsports #69, while Ben Migro had a great start to the season holding down 4th throughout the feature in the immaculate AJ Cochrane & Sons #7. Northern Territory Champion Daniel Keen grabbed 5th in the Keens Truck Driver Training #9 after a tough first heat saw him start the feature further back than he would have liked. Glen Francis  took 6th in the Transit Clothing #50, while Adrian LaMacchia was another to make up ground in the feature eventually finishing 7th.

The feature finishing order was rounded out by the impressive Ash Hounsfield in 8th, followed by Lowther, Moylan, Taylor, Spalding, Southwell, Tomlinson and Bergin with Ryan Starling and Daren Currell the only non finishers.    

Earlier in the night Scott Elst took the first points of the season with a big win in the opening heat. Elst came from the 3rd row, but by the 3rd lap had snatched the lead and drove away from the field with a couple of very quick laps early on. Phil Moylan guided the Creative Golf Management #44 to 2nd after a good duel with Ash Hounsfield in the FMC Allwest Transport #61, with Merv Lowther also showing good speed early.

The second of the heat races saw the first bit of 'speedway luck' handed out for the year, with David Dickman solid leading in the A-Lign Panel & Paint #66 only to run out of noise mid race and pull to the infield. After such a great start, it was cruel to see the #66 stranded on 0 points at the end of the night. McDiarmid was the beneficiary, taking the lead and then spending the remainder of the distance holding off Buswell. Meanwhile Migro appeared to be very quick and gained on the lead pair to take a solid 3rd. Further back the #26 entry of Lee Redmond was having difficulties which saw him finish well down the order several laps back.

Buswell took full toll with his front row start in the 3rd heat of the night, clearing out to a good lead early. The #33 entry of Troy Tomlinson caused a few hearts to beat quicker with a half lose in Turn 3, which McDiarmid in particular did well to avoid, while Redmond pulled to the infield. Buswell raced away from the field, while LaMacchia, Spalding, Keen and McDiarmid waged an entertaining battle over 2nd. With 3 to go, both McDiarmid and Keen found a way past Spalding, while the following lap, the pair also carried their 2 man battle past LaMacchia to grab 2nd and 3rd. As Keen kept his nose ahead of McDiarmid, the Buswell car appeared to be slowing late, and on the final lap he could no longer resist the advancing pair of Keen and McDiarmid as Keen grabbed the win with McDiarmid following him through. The ailing #69 did enough to earn Buswell 3rd, ahead of LaMacchia.

The 3rd heat was a wonderful example of wingless sprint racing, with battles within battles all over the track, and several evenly matched racers going at it hard but fair. If the division continues to dish up racing like this on a regular basis, it is going to be one hell of a season.

Elst continued his fine form in the 4th heat, with a victory best described as comfortable. Fromt he front row, the #95 was soon in front and just kept increasing his lead as the race wore on. Again there were several entertaining battles all over the track, not the least of which was the side by side stoush between Migro and Francis over 2nd early in the heat. For a number of laps Francis worked Migro over having lost that position on the opening lap, again the two warring without contact. The front 4, with Lowther holding down 4th, had opened a big gap over the rest of the field, with Moylan similarly clear in 5th. Lowther ultimately slipped away from 2nd and 3rd after slowing behind a lapped car, but this heat was mostly about the sheer speed of Elst who was looking ominous ahead of the 15 lap final.

McDiarmid went on to take the final, in a car that from all reports was in pieces at the Motorworld shed as late as Friday afternoon. With a focused McDiarmid in a car that appears settled and fast, Elst showing great early speed, Migro looking as fast and comfortable as he ever has in the #7 and Buswell always quick, the signs were there last night that we are in for a very competitive and entertaining season in the west, with the 17 round Rogue Race Products Club Championship off to a brilliant start. With more cars registered for the season that didn't appear last night, the quality of racing giving an early indication of where the driver's heads are, and an absence of some of the needless incidents that reduced numbers last season at times, bring on Round 2 at the Perth Motorplex on November 4, with a club non points round in between at Bunbury Speedway on October 29.

Wingless Sprints WA would like to thank all their sponsors for season 2011 / 12, with the support from season sponsor Rogue Race Products, and Gold Sponsors Steel Blue Workwear, Transit Clothing, Jim Kidd Sports and Keen Driver Training assisting in getting the club on the road to a successful season.