By Trevor Jackson
WINGLESS Sprints held the State of Origin meeting as a support to the Kings Challenge Sprintcars meeting, with Mount Gambier driver Kirby Hillyer second behind the fast Luke Storer.
It was a bittersweet moment for Hillyer, who led for 19 of the 20 laps but a small mistake allowed Storer to slip up the inside and claim the lead on the final lap and the win.
Hillyer said it was a tough pill to swallow but he was still pleased with the result in front of the home crowd.
“I was about half a car wide going coming out of turn four going into the last lap,” he said.
“I saw him there and thought the only way I could stay in front was if we drag raced down the straight and I could get in front and cut him off, but he had better drive and got past.
“You live and you learn … the more racing I do, there more I will learn about things like that.”
While half a car width seems like nothing, hardly a mistake, Hillyer accepted responsibility.
“I am pretty hard on myself,” he said.
“I look at it as my own mistake.
“If I had tightened the car up a bit more he couldn’t have got under me – that was all he needed.”
To lose such a close race after such a strong run in front would have been hard to stomach.
The change of lead came after a recent stoppage, which still looked to favour Hillyer.
But as is often the case in speedway racing, it takes one moment to change fortunes.
The first stoppage came early in the race which did not affect Hillyer too much.
However, with just five laps to run another stoppage came and again the field closed up.
“They said over the one-way communication the car line up for the restart,” Hillyer said.
“They said Luke was behind me and he was someone I didn’t want behind me.
“What I thought was a bit of grip out of turn four didn’t turn out that way.
“It wasn’t where everyone else was running.
“I think I lost my line a bit and ran wide and the rest is history.”
Hillyer’s concerns about Storer behind him were well founded, with the Victorian always on the pace.
“Luke Storer is pretty quick and has almost won everything,” he said.
“It is a bit bittersweet knowing he is probably the best in Australia right now and knowing we have the pace.
“I have watched the footage and he drove pretty average for four laps before he passed me, then the one lap I drove pretty average he nailed it and got by.
“It was good close racing.”
Hillyer said it was also tough leading for 19 laps and not knowing where everyone was running.
But he puts it down to another learning curve in his career.
“I’m still learning a lot about running at the pointy end,” he said.
“I just think its a big learning curve and hopefully I won’t make that mistake again.
“I’m pretty happy we led 19 laps in front of the home crowd.
“We didn’t get the job done as well as it could have been but still pretty happy.”
Hillyer will now a weekend off before heading to Horsham’s Blue Ribbon Speedway for the Victorian title on February 5 where he faces a 55-car field.
