The Warrnambool driver’s second consecutive $10,000 Jackpot Invitational win was his fourth feature race victory of the early season.

It would be easy to label the 12-lap time trial as “easy money”, but a random draw put Veal up against the wall in early qualifying rounds.

Avalon Raceway manager Jeff Drew said Veal had a tough run to the final, but blitzed his competition in the time trial.

“Jamie had a couple of challenges and had to work very hard to get into the main,” he said.

“He didn’t have the best of runs. It’s a random draw for the first 25 lap qualifiers and they drew fairly bad and struggled. 

“The track was very heavy and didn’t allow for a lot of passing.

“He had to come through the non-qualifiers to get into semi-main. From there it was the top 12 in time trials and Jamie did a blistering lap of 11.4 seconds, which put him at the pole.”

The final results placed Warrnambool’s James McFadden at seventh, while Tim Van Ginneken and Darren Mollenoyux took ninth and tenth.

The Geelong event is one of Australia’s most unique sprintcar races, with invitations mostly limited to eligible drivers from last season who have won a heat or main event.

The field is then split into two 25-lap qualifying events, finals and a time trial between 12 racers.

Drew said Veal’s consistent effort throughout the event showed his remarkable talent.

“I spoke to Glen Beaton, his crew chief, and they realised they were behind the eight-ball and just had to fight their way out,” he said.

“He was in control in the final race. It’s a testament to where he stands in Australian speedway now. I think he’s in the top five in the country.

“He’ll continue to win races here and in Sydney and he’d really love to win the Classic. I think that’s the main goal but he will take a few with him along the way.”

Drew said young Warrnambool drivers Jye O’Keeffe and Peter Doukas also deserved recognition for their performances.

“Jye O’Keeffe did a remarkable job all night,” he said.

“He won his first 25 lap qualifying race, he won the semi-main and just got pipped in time trials to miss out going into the finals.” 

Veal’s next event at Warrnambool will be November 28 when Premier Speedway hosts the SRA Sprintcar Series and Formula 500 Jack Willsher Cup.