An action-packed day and night of qualifying and racing action for the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship lies ahead at the Perth Motorplex today (Saturday, November 23) for day two of the Burson Auto Parts 50th annual Goldenstates.

The stage for today’s ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship action was well and truly set last night (Friday 21 November), with the opening rounds of qualifying seeing the following racers leading their respective fields into today’s action: Chris Allen (Lectron Australia Competition Bike), Doina Day (Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws), Vlado Turic (Top Sportsman Competitors Top Sportsman), Michelle Morrison (Modified), Tony Miskelly (Super Sedan Competitors Super Sedan), Ashton Kilvington (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Craig Caton (Goodyear Racing Super Street), Tyler Jarvis (Langtree’s Machinery Services Junior Dragster), Rob Gaikhorst (Jackie Watt Consultancy / Fardella and Watt Racing Super Stock), and Jett Martin (Competition Eliminator). Non-championship sportsman bracket Junior Drag Bike was also on-track, with Tyler James leading the way so far.

The final battles to see who will claim the Top Qualifier Medallions presented by New Gen Business Park will be held this morning from 10.00am ahead of racing from 2.20 pm, with the finals scheduled to hit the track from 9.40pm local time.

For Craig Caton in Goodyear Racing Super Street, a strong start to the Goldenstates was particularly welcome after a difficult last event for the Darlington (WA) racer.

Craig Caton (High Octane Photos)

“Friday was really good – at the last meeting I had all these dramas and couldn’t get the car to work properly, it had an ignition problem with the wiring. Between then and now I have separated wiring that has been next to each other for up to ten years without issue, that was all of a sudden causing the car to carry on, and I headed here not really knowing if I had solved the problem, so I was very happy with Friday’s running,” Caton said.

“It feels really good (to be leading so far) and I am feeling good heading into Saturday about holding on to the Top Qualifier spot, and if we can do well in the racing it would really mean a lot.

“This is a very important race to me, I have got a couple of trees, and I would really like another one! And the Goldenstates is just a different meeting, it would mean a lot to me to do well, and of course we want to enjoy ourselves too, that is what it all comes down to.

“I want to say thank you to my crew, Dave and Craig, who have been with me forever and are always there – it is important to me to do a good job, as they give up their time to come and help me, so the least I can do is cut some good lights! And also thank you to Chris Dimoff, for all his help with the transmission.”

In Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike, Kilvington – of Willagee in WA – is working to a plan to try and make sure he can hold onto the Top Qualifier Medallion presented by New Gen Business Park on his Kawasaki, and advance in what is expected to be a highly competitive day and night of Modified Bike racing tomorrow.

Ashton Kilvington (High Octane Photos)

“The bike is going all right, it has been a little bit off the pace from what we would have liked, but we will try a few different things for the first qualifier tomorrow to see if we can pick it up a bit,” Kilvington said.

“I am feeling a little bit confident and a little bit nervous (of keeping the top qualifier Saturday) but hopefully I can hold the spot.

“I have been focusing on cutting down my reaction times to try and get them trimmed down for tomorrow as well, so I am feeling pretty confident about them, and the bike is running pretty solid as well, so that is a bonus.

“To make it to the final tomorrow, I would be so happy with that regardless of the outcome. Even to go to the semis would be great and would give me a real boost in the local championship points also and help me get myself out there a little bit more.

“I want to give a shout out to my parents; Ross Townsend for tuning the bike and teaching me everything about it; Tony and Mel from WA Bolts; Brendan from Hype Visual; and also Chris Allen from Mareeba Motorsports, for all of their help.”

The Goldenstates event is also hosting racing for Top Doorslammer and Top Fuel Motorcycle as part of the National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC) and also local championship chases, with Russell Taylor and Ian Ashelford claiming the top qualifying honours respectively last night for these brackets ahead of their racing today.

For the full qualifying results from day one of the 50th annual Goldenstates, please visit www.andra.com.au/series/results/

Saturday’s Burson Auto Parts 50th Annual Goldenstates racing program commences at 10.00am local time. For more information, visit www.motorplex.com.au

For more from ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au

 

2024/2025 ANDRA REGIONAL SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP DATES

  • Round one – August 24-25 – Alice Springs Inland Dragway – Desert Nationals
  • Round two – September 21-22* – Mildura’s Sunset Strip – Sunset Nationals
  • Round three – November 22-23 – Perth Motorplex – Goldenstates
  • Round four – December 7-8* – Portland’s South Coast Raceway – South Coast Nationals
  • Round five – February 8-9^ – Dragway at The Bend
  • Round six – February 14-15 – Mildura’s Sunset Strip – Twilight Nationals
  • Round seven – March 15-16 – Whyalla’s Steel City Raceway – event name TBC
  • Round eight – TBC – Dragway at The Bend – ANDRA Grand Final

*track will host an optional test day on the Friday
^event will double as a track championship round