Tim King wins thrilling limited sprintcar final in Albany after pair dicing for lead crash out in late stages

Tim King has won a thrilling limited sprintcars feature race at Albany’s Attwell Park on Saturday night. King was involved in an epic three-way battle for the lead with Chad Pittard and Michael Keen in the concluding stages. The trio swapped places in a pulsating charge to the chequered flag but ultimately it was King who tamed the Albany clay. Remarkably both Keen and Pittard crashed heavily into the concrete wall in turn two, Pittard catching the fence with the white flag out and the race was subsequently declared. King was a deserving winner, having thwarted numerous attacks and relinquished the lead on more than one occasion. The track widened up as the night went on and produced some outstanding two and three wide racing in the final. King officially defeated Matthew Peaker and Craig Bottrell while Glenn Dickinson and Jamie Landrigan rounded out the top five. Keen crashed out with three laps to go while on the opening lap and Anthony Gaudio rolled his machine in the pits bend with Brad Warwick and Aaron Chircop both involved. The crash forced all three to retire from the event. King won the gold shootout earlier in the night to claim pole position with Pittard also starting the 25-lap feature race on the front row. Michael Hanlon and Peaker began from the second row while Keen started well back in the field and quickly stormed to the front. King was on the pace from the outset, winning two heat races while the other preliminaries went to Landrigan, Pittard, Hanlon and Dickinson. Earlier in the night, Daniel Kennedy powered to a comprehensive win in the V8 dirt modified feature race. He was far too strong for Jamie Terkildsen and Kristen Falconbridge in the 20-lap final. In the final heat race driver Mathew Kennedy had a lucky escape after his car caught fire. Mathew Kennedy spun on the back straight and his fuel tank exploded, causing a huge fireball. He jumped from the burning car and rolled on the track as firefighters quickly arrived to put out the blaze. In the support divisions, Paul Bowman won the production sedans and Cody Colmer was too strong in the junior sedans.