VIDEO: PIGDON POWERS TO ROUND ONE 360 SPRINT POWER SERIES WIN AT NARROGIN

Story by DTN Media  | Video by Aidan Skraha
Narrogin, Wetsren Australia | Oct. 26, 2013 - Last night saw Narrogin Speedway play host to a snarling pack of twenty five 360 sprintcars as they fought it out to take honours in the opening round of the MMS Civil 360 Sprintcar Power Series. After an incredibly long night of racing it was Trent Pigdon who stamped his authority to take the win in the feature race ahead of regular 360 competitor Chris Ackland and come back racer Sean Zemunik.

The night saw the drivers split into three heats per round, with a total of nine heats held. The opener saw Jason Pryde grab his first win in the division as he crossed the line ahead of Sean Zemunik and defending series champion Cory Gilpin. Heat two saw the race called back for a complete restart after Trevor Jolly lost his Jolly’s Auto Electrics #12 in turn one. The race then came under yellows once more after Ryan Schlam found himself going backwards into the safety fence, resulting in a decent hit. Jolly spun to avoid him and ended up with a flat left rear tyre and both were out of the race. Dean Terry led away the restart and never looked back as he finished ahead of Phil Waters and Jake Beard-Miller. The final heat of the round saw a near scare as Trent Pigdon rode the right rear of Jason Boland, somehow Pigdon saving his Pigdon Portables #19 while Boland was forced infield with a flat tyre. In the end though it was veteran Terry Cutts who steered his Puma Energy #9 to the front ahead of Chris Ackland and Owen Ahchee.

The second round of heats saw Aldo De Paioli spin his #96 machine but keep going, before Jason Boland made hard contact with the turn two wall, getting some decent air and spinning, but somehow avoiding going upside down. In the end it was Pigdon who claimed his first win of the evening ahead of Trevor Jolly and Phil Waters. Heat five began with an incident that took out Sean Zemunik in the first corner, but the race went on and Allan Nash took the spoils ahead of Corey Hunter and Steven Ford. The final heat of the second round saw firstly Spark and Gilpin come together and then Ben Crowley and Terry Cutts come together, with all four cars being forced infield. This allowed Chris Ackland to go on and defeat Steve Adley and Owen Ahchee.

Round three kicked off with youngster Jake Beard-Miller taking the win from Daniel Hawkins and Sean Zemunik, while the eighth heat saw Aldo De Paioli become the eighth different winner of the night as he defeated Trevor Jolly and Dean Terry. The ninth and final heat of the night saw Terry Cutts become the only dual winner as he raced away to take the win from Cory Gilpin and Ben Crowley.
The B Main was up next, with seven cars competing for the four transfer spots. In the end it was Sean Zemunik who claimed the win and the seventeenth starting position ahead of Aldo De Paioli and Daniel Hawkins, while Ben Crowley claimed the final transfer sport and the twentieth starting position for the all important feature.

Come feature time and it was Owen Ahchee and Trent Pigdon who shared the front row ahead of Allan Nash and Chris Ackland. Pigdon jumped out to the lead and was building a decent sized gap when the yellows came on after Nash and Ahchee made contact, seeing Ahchee go heavily into the wall. The race restarted, with Pigdon again racing away. With just three laps to go Nash got involved with a lapped car and saw the first red light of the night as he tipped onto his side. The race restarted for the final time with Pigdon launching ahead of second placed Chris Ackland, but all eyes were on Sean Zemunik as he had raced his way from the seventeenth position to be sitting in third position. However it was too late for him to advance any further as Pigdon crossed the line ahead of Ackland and Zemunik.

The 360 division now has just under three weeks to prepare themselves for round two of the MMS Civil 360 Sprintcar power Series, to be held at Pithara Speedway in conjunction with annual Bonza Bradford Memorial Race. With a few extra big names expected to join the 360 brigade for this big race, the racing action is certainly going to step it up another notch!