Compact Speedcars made their return to National Capital Speedway Canberra on Sunday with the elder statesman of speedway, Cyril Robinson giving the young-un’s a lesson in race craft at the wheel of one of the oldest cars doing the rounds of a speedway track.

A very competitive group of racers was on hand to provide some excellent side by side racing for the local ACT crowd.

The local speedway club has been working extremely hard making improvements to their venue since the last time the Compacts raced at the Fairbairn Park complex. The track was in excellent shape allowing the Compacts to put on a great show.

Starting off the front row for the first heat, local ACT racer Gavin Gay set a blinding pace in the Foster/Suzuki GSXR to lead from go to whoa in the non stop 10 lap race. Gavin won by almost the length of the front straight from Cyril Robinson in his Yamaha R1 holding off Andrew Stevens in the FOZ/Suzuki for second.

The second heat was another uninterrupted 10 laps with Carl Yenne getting the better of Ian Wilson mid race after an early battle with Wilson and Graham Hook. Hook retired after an oil fitting was knocked off the engine. Glen Shaw was another to pull infield with a bad batch of fuel the culprit for his recent run of DNF’s. Alan Day backed up from the previous night at PCR to follow Yenne and Wilson home for third.

Leading for the first six laps Andrew Stevens was under all sorts of pressure from Carl Yenne before Yenne took advantage of a gap left by Stevens to take over the lead. Shortly after Stevens brought out the yellows after a spin in turn one. Yenne held on for the remaining few laps to take win number two. Renai Willoughby and Andrew Stevens crossed the line side by side in a photo finish with Willoughby given the nod.

Darren Hawksworth surprised everyone with an all the way win in heat four. The track was a little challenging for everyone in this race after the water truck gave the track a light sprinkle to help settle the drying surface. The yellows were shown twice, the first for Ian Wilson who all but lost a back wheel the second for a spinning Matt Hinton. When the checkers where waved Hawksworth had Robinson all over the back of him. Gavin Gay motored home for third.

Heat five was an all in affair with Glen Shaw, now on top of his fuel issues, coming from mid pack to win in fine style from Darren Hawksworth and Carl Yenne.

The fifteen lap feature turned into a driving lesson for all that sat behind the winner Cyril Robinson who had reverted back to his old and trusty McEvoy/Kawasaki after a major oil leak from the diff of his Yamaha forced him to park the number eight machine.

After starting from near the back nobody could put up a serious challenge to the veteran as he showed all a clean pair of heels in a drive that oozed experience. Glen Shaw stayed within striking distance for most of the race before being forced infield with an electrical problem. Carl Yenne spun while trying to move his way forward.

Paul Raynes was a non starter as was Ian Wilson, Graham Hook and Matt Hinton.

Erin Rowlands was minding her own business when a king pin failure left her parked on the edge of the circuit with only two laps remaining. Andrew Stevens pulled infield with a lack of oil pressure.

A green, white, checker run to the finish was all that was left for Robinson to dish out his final lesson in race craft. Darren Hawksworth drove brilliantly in the Datsun to place second with the other Datsun of Alan Day coming in third.

The Compacts were well received by the host club who were all a pleasure to deal with where nothing was too much trouble.

The Compacts will return to the Nations Capital in December for the Christmas Cup meeting.