On Saturday night (May 6th) race fans from across the Mallee and further down, headed out to the Sea Lake Road motorsport park to watch racing from Sonic Speedway featuring the visiting Wingless Sprints, Goulburn Ovens Sedans and four Junior Sedan categories supported by local classes on ‘Hammonds Paint’s Swan Hill’ Super Saturday. Fans were not left disappointed with the on-track action which included many thrills and spills with drivers involved in a rollover and a few concrete wall hard hits, and some terrific battles for position during the racing. All drivers involved in crashes, were able to walk away from the scene.
The open wheel V6 powered Wingless Sprints included local man Michael Conlan. Brayden McKay won the first heat race with Conlan in fifth. Chris Ansell won the second race by just .049 of a second in front of Chris Halesworth as the two drivers traded positions late in the race. Ansell then won a second heat race with Conlan finishing in a distant third place whilst Chris Temby won the final qualifier. In the feature event with twenty-one cars on track John Rotheram from Melbourne was a casualty when his car rolled over on around lap five. Temby had shot to the lead from the drop of the green flag and led all the way, whilst Ansell and Halesworth battled for second six seconds behind Temby. At race conclusion Temby had defeated Halesworth, Ansell, Mark Walsh, and Swan Hill’s Conlan finished in fifth spot.
Honouring late local man Jordy Davis, the Junior Open Sedans were competing in the Jordy Davis Memorial with Connor Claridge from Lockwood, Lachlan Bull from Swan Hill and Claridge a second time, sharing the heat race victories. In an exciting final and after stating back in fifth place Bull clawed his way forward and on the final lap of the race, bull snatched the lead and took the big home time competitor victory ahead of Claridge, Jacob Tinworth, Marcus Maclean and Riley Balins.
Junior 1200cc Sedan competition for all important series points also took place and Arthur Hutchinson from the Western Suburbs of Melbourne won all three of the qualifiers prior to the final and then went on to win in a great race with Riley Taylor who kept the pressure on all the way. Hutchinson won from Taylor, Brad Marshall, Holly Hutchinson and Dayne Murdoch.
Bree Simpson from the local Swan Hill family that includes her Grand Parents Gary and Judy Simpson long time Swan Hill speedway people, took a win in the first heat race in the Speedway Sedan Australia Top Star Juniors and South Australian visitor Henry Brumfield won the second before River Paterson closed out the qualifying with a victory of his own.
In the feature event after a battle with his brother River, Linken Paterson took the lead whilst River Paterson slammed the concrete wall exiting turn four not long after. Bree Simpson moved into second and at the finish line Linken Paterson won his final ever Junior Sedan Promotional Association race and his final race in a 1500cc car from Simpson, Jayden Lock, Lachie Bull again whom competed in two classes on race night and Jake Bradley.
In the Speedway Sedan Australia New Star Juniors Cruz Carlin took victory in heat one of three. Steane Cosson then won his first ever heat race in a terrific race long stoush with Ryan Burns before Carlin won the third and final qualifier. In the feature race Carlin led until lap two before Cosson took the control at the front of the race. Cosson then went to twelve lap distance ahead of the challengers to win the feature from James Peacock, Carlin, Evan McAllister from South Australia, and Burns.
Bradin Claridge dominated the heat racing in Sports Sedans with a win in all three qualifying races before securing victory in the final in front of Zoey Salau, Albert Fell and Darren Hodge.
In Formula 500 racing Malcolm Gammon who is also an executive committee member at the club took a win in the first heat race of the day. Tom Nietvelt and Terry Knowles then secured the other two whilst Jordan Caddy was involved in a huge crash after hitting a bump in the track that flung him straight at the concrete wall. The front end of the car sustained considerable damage, whilst Jordan walked away from the crash scene. Unfortunately, the class of seven for the night was only left with two cars for their feature run with engine issues and other mechanical concerns plaguing the field. Knowles went on to defeat Nietvelt in the final.
Kiel Tripcony made it a great start for locals in the Standard Saloon class by winning the first heat race in front of Ballarat driver Austin Chivers. Trevor Evans from Yarrawonga then wound up his Station Wagon and won the second heat with Chivers again second before Chivers won heat three. The final was a ripper, some say it was the race of the night with the top three drivers at the finish separated by less than .7 of a second. Evans took victory from Josh Campbell and Austin Chivers with Lachie Chivers and Hayden Glare rounding out the top five.
The Goulburn Ovens Sedan Association also held a points event on race night with drivers from Leeton in New South Wales, Corowa also in New South Wales, and Northeast Victoria joining Scott Bull and Toby Carmichael, two Swan Hill locals. Six feature race qualifiers were held with Billy O’Donoghue, Justin Ewart, Marty Bassett, Mitch Watts, Justin Brockley and Ewart a second time claiming heat race honours. In the feature race event Chris Brockley secured the race lead from Bassett on lap four and went on to a terrific victory over Bassett, Tom Schmetzer, Ben Schmetzer and Ross MacLean.
Racing at Swan Hill will occur again on Kings Birthday weekend with the Modified Sedans in town for a series round, the Super Rods, and a host of other racing on across the weekend.
Swan Hill Motor Sports Club wish to thank
Pelican Water Tourist Park
Autobarn Swan Hill
Dowell Towing & Transport
Hammonds Paints Swan Hill
L.H.M Building
Swan Hill Ag – Spares
Swan Hill Kawasaki and Small Engines
Pickering Transport Group
Home Hardware Swan Hill
Mallee Lubricants
Stihl Shop Swan Hill
Swan Hill Hire
Murray Valley Highway Big 4 Holiday Park
Goodyear Swan Hill
Cordina’s Mechanical & 4×4
Betta Electricals Swan Hill
Your Regional Butcher
Swan Hill Forklifts & Mobile Mechanics
