Stumpy Ellis storms the AMCA action at Rolling Thunder Raceway.

Scott “Stumpy” Ellis continued his solid season form and lead from go to whoa to win the Action Series feature event at Rolling Thunder Raceway last night (November 15th). Ellis was quick all night as was Campbell Hughes who eventually scored the runner up position ahead of Mick Jackson and Paul Forrest.

Shea Bradley made her return to racing after time off for baby business and was running well despite the amount of time out of the cockpit. Front row starter Peter Hickford stopped on lap 1 and then Sandie Hickman started to make good progress despite a trail of oil smoke starting to emanate from the pristine #19. Hickman (Deep Creek Marina Hotel) was flying but as the smoke increased she was black flagged from the event as Jackson took the opener from Adam Timberlake (Bassett #33), Frank Thierry, Rod Duncan and Bradley.

The track early on was a little wet in the middle and this led to a fantastic second heat race between the two men who would ultimately fight out the feature, Ellis (Cool Core Radiators #42) and Hughes (Voodoo Ride #21). Hughes went to the bottom at the start and Ellis went to the top. Superior speed and momentum would carry Ellis into the lead out of the corners but Hughes would retake it as he took the shorter way around the bottom. For lap after lap the led changed until the final lap when Hughes was able to build a small gap and take the win ahead of Ellis, Kevin Peachey and Forrest.

A number of great positional battles occurred during heat three with Sullivan leading Hickman. Hickman then swept around the outside of Sullivan to take the lead as the smoke began to reappear. While the field was slowed under caution, Hickman again retired to the infield – her night was over. Sullivan didn’t need a second chance and took the win from Tim Reidy (Reidy the wreckers #3), Hickford (Lubrimaxx #96), Bradley and Jackson.

The final heat saw more spins and black flags after Stan Marco Jnr (Fancy Feathers #68) spun and then stopped at the flag stand, for which he was black flagged from the event. After numerous spins Ellis took the win from Forrest, Dave Best, Hughes and David Dobbie. Hughes had been running well in second until the last lap when the car slowed due to some burnt spark plugs.

Ellis, Hughes, Forrest (Ballarat Radiators #22), Jackson, Reidy, Best (Auto Premier Truck Centre #59), Sullivan and Thierry would line up ahead of the sole surviving woman racer – Bradley, with Duncan (T C Oakley Automotive #57), Hickford, Dave May (Emjay Signs #98), Dobbie (Staldd racing #25), Hans Lovski (Highport Cylinder Heads #88), Darran O’Reilly (Justin O’Reilly Race Engines #99), Alan Howe (Victoria Gearboxes #64) and Robert Taylor (Braybrook Wreckers #14) next.

When the green flag waved Ellis launched into the lead with Hughes close behind however on lap two Hughes went into turn two a bit quick and spun into the wall doing minor panel damage. However, this also triggered a spin by May who was hit by Lovski.
Following the restart Forrest hit the wall a solid glance and continued but Best and Thierry both spun. Forrest was able to restart in third behind Ellis and Jackson.
The next spin was Howe and by now Hughes was already back up to fifth.
Best was the cause of the next stoppage and the top four cars of Ellis, Jackson, Forrest and Hughes had started a fierce battle.
When Howe spun again and was black flagged after 17 laps the order was Ellis, Hughes, Jackson, Forrest (who’d been up to second place briefly) and Duncan.
Then when Duncan and Best spun after battling out fifth position the race was declared two laps short with Ellis scoring the win ahead of Hughes, Jackson, Forrest, Thierry, Best, Hickford, Bradley, O’Reilly and Duncan.

The Action Series continues with round three next week at Avalon on November 22 followed by two rounds of the country competition at Hamilton on November 29th and Portland on December 6th.