Tonight's Dale Lowe Signs Summer Series at Emu Creek really was a race of two halves. The front half did well but the back half did even better.

The 4 1/2 minute bunch caught the 7s at Eppalock School on the way out but were themselves collared by the strong second scratch group before the school on the way back. The 8s joined the crew shortly after, making a working bunch of over a dozen riders for scratch to chase, whose task was made more difficult by the loss of a rider due to a mechanical. They closed to within about a minute on the run home as the leaders overtook the 15 minute bunch then hit the front of the race when limit was caught a few kilometres from home. With second scratch and a select few from third driving hard, the leaders hit the home straight clear of scratch. After a long break, Noel Patrick Michael Hughes (3 min) wasted no time in returning to form with a strong sprint and a convincing win in front of Ian Stringer (4 1/2 min) and Shaun White (3 min). Darren Lapthorne and Brent Gibson launched Martin Banfield at the leading bunch with less then a kilometre to go but the 700 metre sprint proved a bit too far, Marty running a gallant fourth just behind the leaders. He was followed by Brad Steigenberger (7 min) and Murray Rankin (4 1/2 min). Another great evening of racing with over 30 starters in perfect conditions and very fast times!