2000 Results Main & Series Wrap
By Rod Morris
American track star Jame Carney continued his love affair with the Basslink Tasmanian Carnival Series with immediate success on the opening day. Carney (33) produced an explosive burst of speed when it counted most to edge out Tasmanian scratchman Darren "Dasher" Young in a nervously close finish of the A. J. Clarke & Sons 2000 m Handicap Wheelrace.
This prestigious wheel has been kind to scratchmen in recent years with Carney becoming the third "backie" in a row to win, following on from Young in 1999 and Sydney gold medal Olympian Brett Aitken last year. "I have made the final of the AJ Clarke every year I have raced in Tasmania and am aware of the importance riders place on this race," Carney said.
Carney is the reigning Burnie Wheelrace champion and would now dearly love to add the Latrobe Wheel to his list of credits. However, Carney will have to come the second round of heats as Young turned the tables on the American in yesterdays (Dec. 26) opening round heats.
"Not qualifying through round one might be a blessing, because I need all the hard racing I can get," Carney said. "I caught pneumonia after a Six-Day race in Zurich and I am now only just recovering."
In the sprint to the line in the AJ Clarke, Carney pipped Young by the barest possible margin with exciting young Launceston rider Abram Manion snatching third place.
Winners of the opening round heats of the Latrobe Wheel included Clarke, sentimental home town hero Nathan Clarke, three in-form Tasmanian youngsters, Ben Elliott, Jarrod Burr and Jason Johnson and a "smokey" from New South Wales, Warren Doyle, who is making his first trip to the Tasmanian Carnivals since 1995.
The 16 km A Grade Scratch threw up the first real surprise of the Carnivals, with former Burnie Wheel winner Robert Wilson upsetting the favourites to win from big American Mike Tillman and topline Italian Adriano Baffi - who had only stepped off a plane from his home country the night before.
This photo kindly supplied by Lynne Ryan
Holymans Latrobe Wheelrace heat winners Nathan Clarke (scr) Darren Young (scr) Warren Doyle (135 m) Jason Johnson (290 m) Jarrod Burr (240 m) Ben Elliott (225 m) A. J. Clarke & Sons Handicap 1 Jame Carney (scr) 2 Darren Young (scr) 3 Abram Manion (80) Other finalists Nathan Clarke (scr) Danny Day (20) Robert Wilson (40) Sean Sullivan (90) Michael Skeggs (110) Keiichi Maruyama (120) Bill Robertson (130) Makoto Tanabe (130) Nathan Seage (140) Jason Johnson (150) Masashi Aoki (160) Jarrod Burr (160) Ryan Sullivan (170) Andrew Loft (170) Ron Crawford (180) Heat winners Darren Young Jarrod Burr Robert Wilson Ryan Sullivan Jason Johnson Sean Sullivan Basslink International Invitational Keirin Series Heat 1 1 Ryan Bayley 2 Mark French 3 Kouji Yoshii 4 Brent Dawson Heat 2 1 Shane Kelly 2 Jeff Hopkins 3 Ashley Hutchinson 4 Danny Day A Grade 16,000 m Scratch 1 Robert Wilson 19.57.25 2 Mike Tillman 3 Adriano Baffi D Grade Scratch 1 Jarrod Burr 6.08.33 2 Andrew Rix 3 Ron Crawford E Grade Scratch 1 Tim Chiverton 6.25.94 2 Adrian Morrisby 3 Jason Johnson F Grade Scratch 1 Michael Wood 6.55.28 2 Katrina Purcell 3 Trent Deacon Women's Scratch Race 1 Belinda Goss 4.02.47 2 Kristine Bayley 3 Tanya Lindenmuth Junior 3 1000 m Handicap 1 Kaidan Murfett (110) 1.22.15 2 Carrie Price (80) 3 Matthew Laskey (130) Junior 2 1000 m Handicap 1 Sean Oliver (100) 1.17.03 2 Aaron Jones (130) 3 Natasha Mapley (90) Junior 1 1000 m Handicap 1 Cameron Flint (70) 1.15.22 2 Kirby Piscioneri (90) 3 Ron Tregurtha (80) Junior 3 Scratch 1 Alex Holden 2.12.84 2 Thomas Robinson 3 Carrie Price Junior 2 Scratch 1 Ben Fielding 4.23.14 2 John Rayner 3 Jarrod Harman Junior 1 Scratch 1 Matthew Goss 7.22.24 2 Ty Winduss 3 Wesley Sulzberger
2000 Grant Young