Daniel Scott disappointed after crash ends his first Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic early

The Kilmore-based driver had his tyre clipped by rival and fellow Victorian Blake Walsh early in night two's heat six before connecting with the fence, which he rode with all four wheels, before flipping three times.

"We were just starting to find a bit of speed with the car," Scott, 43, told The Standard from the pits on Sunday. "I just made a little error. The track was really heavy, probably just needed to be a little bit more cautious with each other and unfortunately I was just in the wrong spot at the wrong time."

Scott, who understandably was feeling "pretty sore" after the crash, is a relative newcomer to the world of sprintcar driver after a long career in various other classes, including dirt modifiers. He has strung races together since 2017-18 but none-more-so than the 2022-23 season, which has seen him line up at 21 race meetings culminating in his first Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic.

"It's the first time we've run against this calibre of car," Scott said of this year's classic. "I love the sport and I've got the determination to keep going and I know we're going to get to the top."

Scott has slowly progressed in his racing career after starting as a 13-year-old and following in the footsteps of his father Greg, who passed away last year from cancer.

"I've always been around it," Scott said of the sport. "And just slowly through my own business (a construction company), we've generated enough income to race (sprintcars). This is purely a family-run team... and it's a sport that once you get involved, that's it, you're hooked.

Scott said he was sure his dad had been watching him race from above.

"He never actually got to have a skid in my sprintcar," he said. "He would have loved to have been here (at the classic) and with us. But he's got the best seat in the house."

Scott is looking ahead to a stint racing in the United States from July as he aims to improve and get more laps under his belt.

"We've just got to get better and faster," Scott said. "To run against this calibre of driver you've got to be on your game. You've just got to keep racing, just race, race, race."

At the time of going to print, the original Sunday night schedule was about to begin. For the first time, heat races were scrapped in favour of a series of mains and dashes to determine the starting grid for the golden anniversary of the 40-lap classic.

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