At his home racetrack of Alexandra Speedway Woori Yallock man Matt Nelson climbed to the top of the Modified Sedan class by claiming victory in the ‘SJS Glazing’ SSV Modified Sedan Victorian title in front of a huge crowd. Whilst on the same show, Damien Miller a Pakenham man won the Sports Sedan feature event whilst Warrick Howie from Chiltern won the Standard Saloon class feature.
Nelson who the week prior dominated most of another state title for the Street Stock class before mechanical failure, finally won his first Modified Sedan state title after a battle for the ages with former Alexandra developed youngster Dylan Barrow and another Alexandra raised racer Brody Chrystie hot on his tails.
Nelson won the opening heat race of the night with Bendigo man Brad Wicks smashing an eleven-year-old ten lap record in the second heat race of the event. Wicks scorched around the circuit in 3:27.440 for ten laps of the 570-metre-long dirt circuit. Wicks also beat the one lap record at the same time with a 19.625 around .100 quicker than the previous standing record. Former state champion Daniel Simpson picked up a heat race victory in the first round also. Andrew Dike, Wicks a second time and Chrystie won heats in round two.
Barrow, Nelson for his second and Shane Roycroft from Kialla won in round three.
In the thirty-five lap, final Barrow and Nelson out front were running a metre of the concrete wall through turns three and four with the right rear wheel up on the cushion setting a scorching pace. Wicks was the first of the fancied favourites to drop out of the race due to mechanical issues with race leader Barrow just five laps from the finish on lap thirty dropped out also as flat tyres started to affect some of the competitors.
Nelson assumed control of the race with Chrystie in second on lap thirty-one and Simpson, Darcy Wilson who started on the sixth row, and Kye Walters the defending state champion were chasing. On lap thirty-three both Chrystie and Simpson both exited the race and Wilson was catapulted into second spot and the chequered flag dropped on a Nelson victory with Wilson, Walters, Wade McCarthy, and Andrew Dike rounding out the top five result.
Over thirty Sports Sedans competed in the finale of their 22/23 season ‘Dirt X Industries’ Sports Sedan Power Series supported on Saturday by ‘Beach Earthmoving’ with overall spots for second, third, fourth and fifth the most crucial and up for grabs whilst some such as the eventual race winner, were only focussed on winning at Alexandra, the home of Sports Sedan racing.
Daniel Knight, Jacob Blencowe, Damien Miller, Josh Service the state champion of the class, David Donegan, Lee Beach, Service a second time, Dale Smith, Beach a second time, Donegan a second time, Tommy McDonald, and Jamie Thomsen all won heats. Nine of the twelve race victories going to Alexandra members, seven wins by cars with a Chevrolet LS engine, two others won by a 308ci Holden powered Ford Cortina.
A terrific battle in the feature event had Donegan out in front for the first seven of twenty-five laps before Miller moved to the front spot. Donegan kept the pressure on right through the next eighteen laps and continually poking his nose in up the left-hand side of the Miller VS Commodore before Miller won by .247 of a second. Donegan finished ahead of Knight, Service and Smith whilst in the overall series Zac Swanson from Ballarat won ahead of Service Caleb Lincoln, Felicity Roycroft and Smith.
Standard Saloons competed in a ‘Belkblast Protective Coatings’ supported feature event put on to entice racers in the class back to Alexandra. Former state champion Warrick Howie began with a win in the first heat race with Brodie Ardley, Wayne Sheerman, Andrew Miles, Howie a second time, Chris Miles, Mark Miles, Darwyn Lee, and Bradley Hill all winning heat races in the lead up to the final. Howie then won the feature event with Wayne Sheerman right behind him when they reached the chequered flag. Hill finished in third, then came Mark Miles and Ardley.
Alexandra Speedway puts on a show again in May on the 13th for the first of the three end of season dogleg circuit events. Crash and Bash are on as the feature class whilst Ladies Standard Saloons have a feature event, and all club classes will get a run.
Alexandra and District Speedway club thank and acknowledge the following valuable supporters;
Alexandra & Yea Pre-Mix
Alexandra Panels & Towing
Beach Earthmoving
Bendigo Bank
Donnaz Underground
Eastern Suburbs Locksmiths
Elite Racking Installs
Endeavor Petroleum
Exhaust Fix Lilydale
Fallon’s Bus Services
Fineblade
Foodworks
Highline Racewear
Ismail’s Building & Construction
LS Quarry
Matthew & Sons Drilling Services
Metro Tow
Outer Eastern Steel
Raslarr Engineering
Revegetation Victoria
S&N Builders
Smooth Suspension
Town & Country Tennis Courts
Tyrepower Alexandra
Valley Onsite
Victory Lane Racegear
Waverley Exhaust & Brake Centre
Yenckens Hardware Alexandra
Ends Release.
Written by Speedcafe contributor DMT Sports Media – Dean Thompson
