Pictures: RAY RITTER/KNJ PHOTOGRAPHY
MOUNT Gambier’s Anthony Beare created history on the weekend when he claimed his fifth Australian Street Stock title.
Held at Timmis Speedway, Mildura, Beare faced a big field of 130+ drivers, in his quest to defend his 2017-18 title.
After starting out of position one in the feature race Sunday night, which was run under caution several times, Beare remained composed, despite dropping the lead early.
He regained control after the first few laps and never really looked threatened from there.
The chaos continued behind, with fellow Limestone Coast driver Mark Jennings out after a spirited battle for a podium position.
But it was Beare who set the timing sheets alight, even when the lights went out in one section of the track.
Beare recorded a fastest lap at 18.543 seconds on his way to the chequered flag, with a comfortable seven-second margin to Victorians Mick Dann and Darren Giacometti to claim back-to-back titles.
Throughout the weekend Beare had set the pace, with wins in his heats on Saturday to enter the overnight break as the driver to beat.
Heat six saw a win from third on the grid, with another victory in heat 16 starting out of seventh.
A fifth-place start in heat 23 saw a win, which included the fastest lap at 18.542 seconds.
In his final heat on Sunday Beare started out of 11th place and set another fastest lap, this time at 18.912 seconds, on his way to a second place, less than one second behind winner Jaidyn Dredge.
While Mount Gambier’s Jason Duell did not make the podium in the feature, it was an inspired drive as he came through the B Main, where he started in fifth and worked his way up to third to start from 19th in the A Main.
From there he managed a seventh place and was also awarded the best presented car for the event.
But the weekend was all about Beare, with his consistent pace blitzing the field as he took his VF Commodore to an emphatic victory.
Beare said he was pleased with the result, with the track suiting his car set up.
“We just went to the top and drove around the holes,” he said.
“I set the car up for that and lucky the track went the right way.
“We took a gamble on the set up and got it right.
“We had a bit more pace because of it.”
While Saturday saw Beare win all three heats, he suggested one was gifted, with the leader going out.
That left Sunday’s heat, with a second place all that was required to start on the front row of the grid.
From there Beare simply stuck to his plan.
“I ran hard against the wall for the whole race, so left plenty of room for people to show the nose and dive me,” he said.
“You never know where anyone is when you are racing, but I decided from the start I was going to the top and committed to it.
“I expected someone to show the nose and put a slider on me, so I just made sure I got a good line and committed to the exit.”
Beare said just to win a title was tough, but to defend one was even harder to accomplish.
But the key to his success was a good start in the feature race, which he took care of across the weekend.
“We took the risk when we had to, to make sure we came off the front, but conserved the car when we had to,” Beare said.
With five titles now in the bag, it would be easy to suggest the sport may become a bit mundane, but that is anything but the case.
“One of the boys asked if I was sick of winning,” Beare said.
“I am already thinking of Tasmania – that is where the title is next year.
“I am already trying to work out what we can do to make this (car) good.”
