Chase Randall (Frank Smith photo)

While touring Americans Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Carson Macedo and others were fulfilling their contractual commitments on the West and East Coast speedways during the holiday season, many of the Australian sprint car stars were running the lucrative Southern Speedweek in South Australia and Victoria — the mecca of Australian sprint car racing.

The exception was 18-year-old Texan Chase Randall, who joined the series and secured outstanding results among the cream of the Australian crop.

The $150,000 four-race Clay-Per-View series kicked off at the Murray Machinery and Sheds Murray Bridge Speedway on Boxing Day night. Located an hour’s drive east of Adelaide, the South Australian capital city, on Australia’s biggest river, the Murray, the first night of the series attracted a record crowd on a scorching summer night.

Also scorching was the reigning Victorian champion Jamie Veal who led from the start of the 35-lap final. Driving the SWI Earthworks Maxim No. 5, Veal was reined in by 21-year-old Tasmanian Jock Goodyer in the Platinum Prints No 22 during the closing stages of the event. 

With two laps remaining, the pair clashed when overtaking a lapped car. Veal spun and rejoined the race, crossing the line behind Goodyer. Officials, however, relegated the Tasmanian one place for causing the crash, giving…