Lismore Speedway Promoter David Lander said the return of the Queensland Speedway Spares World Series Sprintcars to Castrol Edge Lismore Speedway attracted “the best crowd I've had in ten years.”

In a superb race, QSS World Series Sprintcars leader James McFadden came from position eight, the fourth row of the grid, to take the lead and win emphatically from American Cory Eliason and Kerry Madsen.

On a track that offered passing on both the high and low lines, McFadden was a class act. McFadden and series combatant Kerry Madsen both produced miracle comebacks, with Madsen starting his night by strangely crashing in turn one directly after receiving the chequered flag in Revolution Racegear time-trials. After qualifying 12th, Madsen drove the Krikke Motorsport #W2 to a win and a third-place in the heats to provisionally qualify 8th in the Bronze Shootout, and then progressed through to the silver shootout to also be quickest in the Gold to claim pole position for the 35 lap main event.

McFadden had timed in 6th, and maintained his position into the bronze shootout, only to be the slowest in the three-lap time trial and be sensationally relegated to 8th position on the grid.

“That was a lot of fun. I was watching the big screen and Kerry sitting right on my right rear so I had to hit the rubber on the exits and it was enough to shoot up front.” McFadden said from the podium. “I’m proud of my guys. We struggled all night but it’s super cool to get the win here in front of all the crew at Daniel Trucking at their home track.”

McFadden described the track layout as “technical” and said for the early part of the race “I was just following everyone around on the bottom.”

But then he found the fast line and really started motoring as he advanced his position in the field and the race produced a flurry of lead changes and countless battles for the podium.

Eliason also made his way through the field for his solid second placing. He felt he may have been able to possibly snare the lead away from McFadden in the latter stages, but said a lapped car slowed his progress at a crucial time.

“The lapped car baulked my line and he had nothing for me. I thought we were going to get James there maybe right at the finish.”

Madsen, who had to replace the fuel tank and many suspension components as a result of hitting the wall hard, made the most of his opportunities for the remainder of the night.

He was on the pace at the start and blasted to the lead followed by another outstanding performer in such class company, Rusty Hickman, while Luke Oldfield also was in contention in the early laps.

Jock Goodyer held down a solid fourth, followed by Brooke Tatnell, Eliason, David Murcott and Sam Walsh as the race unfolded.

The positions continually changed – none more significant than at the head of the field as Hickman made his bid for victory.

But McFadden was on a charge. Using both the high and low lines he moved into second, while Eliason was up to fourth and looked certain to improve his position. It set the scene for a thrilling finish.

McFadden later commanded the lead as the laps ran out, while Elison settled for second. Meanwhile Madsen, after dropping to fourth at one stage, managed to sneak into the top three with a late pass on Hickman and claimed third. The other American in the field, Lucas Wolfe, finished eleventh.

Heat wins went to Madsen, Goodyer, Hickman and Oldfield. Earlier in the night, Murcott was fastest in time trials when he stopped the clocks at 11.809 seconds.

The fantastic race ran virtually incident free, except for a yellow light midway through the event.

Main events for the support categories on the programme were taken out by Ryley Smith (Junior Sedans), Jordan Biviano (Production Sedans) and Trent Martin (Wingless Sprintcars).

ARTICLE BY DENNIS NEWLYN