Picture: ROBERT LAKE PHOTOGRAPHY
MOUNT Gambier wingless sprint driver Mitchell Broome continued on his winning way on Saturday, with another feature race victory in a solid start to the speedway season.
It was and impressive performance from two Mount Gambier wingless sprint drivers at Bordertown’s Tolmer Speedway on Saturday night.
In another solid outing Mitchell Broome claimed a win in the feature race, while his good mate Kirby Hillyer followed him home in second place.
Round two of the South Australian state series saw a strong field, but Broome was up to the task from the outset, with solid heat results for a pole position.
From there he led the feature race from start to finish, despite plenty of caution periods which closed the field up.
He also faced stiff opposition from Hillyer.
Hillyer was impressive after he worked his way up from fourth on the grid to second place and held that position until the chequered flag.
For Broome it was another top performance in what is fast becoming a stellar season.
“I’m rapt,” he said.
“The car is just real good at the moment.
“We have not had any issues with it yet and it is rolling around real good.
“We have the set up perfect and the car is really easy to drive.”
Broome set the quickest time in the early heats to claim pole position, alongside the fast Keke Falland.
That came from a win in the first heat, which he led from start to finish, then a move up from eighth place to fourth in the second heat.
“We led the first heat start to finish and were the fastest car over that round of heats,” Broome said.
“In my second heat I got held up trying to pass someone, but once I got past I caught the people in front of me within three laps.
“I was tied for top points with Keke Falland who races a sprint car, but I had a faster lap time in the heats so I started on pole.”
With several caution periods throughout the feature race, Broome was forced to fight off Hillyer on several occasions, with no real chance to make a clear break.
In the end he held on for a well-deserved victory and was pleased to see his mate fill the second step on the podium.
For Hillyer it was his first podium for the season and one he enjoyed.
“It was a good run,” he said.
“It was pretty cool to get on the podium, let alone follow Mitch.
“I have always wanted to get a one-two with him – but the other way around.”
Hillyer also worked hard through the heats, where he moved from eighth to fourth in his opening run on what he described as a one-lane track.
In the next run he finished second to secure fourth place on the grid for the feature.
Hillyer moved up to third off the start, then second through lapped traffic.
He then held that position until the chequered flag, but it was not all plain sailing.
An early incident saw Hillyer hit the wall and crack a rim.
While the pace was up the tyre remain inflated, but cautions began to hamper his efforts.
In the end he was able to run hard to the finish and claim the podium position.
Hillyer said he receives some help with his car from the Broome team, but the competition between the two mates helped drive him.
“With Mitch being my mate, it pushes me a bit harder because I want to beat him,” he said.
“We are still working out a few things with the car and we learn a few things each time we go away.”
The two drivers tasted success last season, with Broome finishing third from 88 cars in the Victorian series, while Hillyer came home in fourth.
With the cross-team cooperation and the friendly rivalry between the two, they are sure to taste more success this current season.
