Ian Madsen wins 2017 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic night two A-Main

The New South Wales-raised American-based driver – the younger brother of three-time classic winner Kerry – held off a fast-finishing Jamie Veal to take top honours on Saturday night.

Madsen, 32, led from start-to-finish in the 30-lap A-Main which ran uninterrupted bar one yellow flag eight laps in when teenager Marcus Dumesny came to grief on the back straight of the Premier Speedway track.

American Shane Stewart finished third.

“I wasn’t really confident. Our tyres went away a little bit in the end,” Madsen said trackside.

“We probably abused them a little bit too much at the start, so I was a little concerned.

“I knew someone would be there (behind me); I didn’t know it was Jamie but I just tried to protect my line.”

Madsen said he was humbled to win his maiden feature at Premier Speedway, particularly during the highly-rated classic showcase.

“Every year the classic gets tougher and quicker and it gets harder and harder each year,” he said.

“I was just lucky enough to get the win this year (on night two).”

James McFadden, who finished fourth in the feature after starting in second, was a standout in the heat races, winning both of his 10-lap qualifiers.

The Warrnambool driver highlighted his credentials in the final heat of night two, weaving his way through traffic to climb from 12^th to take the chequered flag.

Another Warrnambool competitor, the experienced Darren Mollenoyux, came from eighth to snare heat five on the line from Victorian Brad Warren and American Cory Eliason.

Dominic Scezli, another American visitor in the star-studded field, clawed his way from ninth to finish second to South Australian Luke Dillon in heat three.

Other heat victors were US ace Terry McCarl, who defeated fastest-time winner Madsen, in the first race, reigning champion Veal, West Australian youngster Mitch Wormall and South Australian contender Brad Keller.

Crashes claimed a host of drivers, namely South Australian visitor Daniel Pestka who walked away after flipping on turn four in heat four and returned to race in the C-Main.