Pakenham and Ferntree Gully racers Dale Morrison and Lee Beach combined as aa team to win this years 3 Hour Endurance motorsport race at Alexandra Speedway with their combination of good ole’ XF Ford Falcon’s out lasting a long list of fancied teams in a frenetic finish to the event where leaders dropped out of the way and the strategy of Morrison and Beach played it’s part in seeing them, in the front spot at the right time with a lap up their sleeve. 
Morrison and Beach both come from a history of racing against each other and are also both members at Alexandra Speedway Club. They formed a combination just to go out and have some fun, however as the race went on they found themselves in the hunt and with fifteen minutes to go, they knew for sure they could secure a top five finish, fifteen minutes later though they were collecting $2500- for winning the whole show!
Early in the race Lennie Bonnici, Matt Nelson, Darren Forrest, Frank Ramsdale, Damien Miller and Warrick Taylor set a blistering pace at the front of the field. Bonnici would get some distance ahead and Nelson would catch him in traffic.
Several incidents causing caution and red-light stoppages affected strategies, drivers got caught out in the wrong place in the queue affecting their run and others just had to pit during long green light stretches which put them down in the running order laps behind.
Robert Garlick becoming a welcome yet unlikely race leader and he kept going on and on and on before eventually handing over to teammate Matt Callanan. Their run unravelled as did the runs of others who pitted just when you thought they might go on to win.
Darren Forrest was a certainty to win the race with four laps left however his machine let go on him and he had to dash back to the pit enclosure to put his team mate back in the race.
After 180 minutes, Lee Beach brought he and his team mate Morrison to the finish line almost a full lap ahead of second placed Bonnici and Shane O’Brien next was father and son combination Jeff and Jake Blencowe with brothers Damien and Brendan Miller in fourth and Forrest and Ben Moon rounding out the top five.
In celebration of the victory Morrison and Beach embraced a top of Beach’s race car, there was a kiss or two planted on the noggin of each other as the emotions poured out after a win that will be remembered for years to come.
Both drivers paid tribute to each other after the event with a similar message shared “As a race driver you hope to do well, however you look at the quality entry list and lot has to go right for you to win. I figured we could finish top ten, then as the race went on, we figured top five, top three and then here we are, we are winners. I thank Dale for his efforts and his mate ship, everybody for supporting us and helping us and Alexandra Speedway Club and its volunteers for providing us the opportunity to do what we all love.” Shared Beach.
Top Ten
1 – Dale Morrison & Lee Beach
2 – Lennie Bonnici & Shane O’Brien
3 – Jeff & Jake Blencowe
4 – Damien & Brendan Miller
5 – Darren Forrest & Ben Moon
6 – Gareth Wilson & Dave Barrie
7 – Matt & Darren Nelson
8 – Matt Sgroi & Steve Mitchell
9 – Warrick Taylor & Peter Cox
10 – Rob Bushell Snr & Jnr
Supporting the Enduro racing was Junior Sedan racing and Lilydale racer Kasey Garlick won her final ever Junior Sedan final when she won the Top Star Juniors final in front of Chloe Sheerman and Jayden Bryant who was competing in his first event at top star level. In New Star Junior Sedans Dylan Barrow won the final in front of Seth Sloane and Rye Orme.
Alexandra Speedway Club now is on hiatus until the third week of October before the new season kicks off.
Alexandra Speedway Club is very thankful for the support provided by all these businesses in the 19/20 season:
Alexandra Quality Meats
Alexandra & Yea Pre-Mix
Auscon Projects
Beach Earthmoving
Bendigo Bank Ringwood East
Blackburn Trailers
Campton’s Graphics
Capital Waste
Donnaz Underground
Eastern Suburbs Locksmiths
Endeavour Petroleum
Exhaust Fix Lilydale
Fallon’s Bus Services
Footwork’s Alexandra
Good Guys Performance
GYB Civil
Healesville Directional Drilling
Highline Racewear
Lincoln’s Earthmoving
Linley Estate
LS Quarry
Metro Tow
Onsite Medical Response
Outer Eastern Steel
Quality Fire Protection
Raslaar Engineering
Revegetation Victoria
Smooth Suspension
S & N Builders
Town & Country Tennis Courts
Tyrepower Alexandra
Vern and Jackie Parker DVD’s and Photos
Waverley Exhaust & Brake Centre
