It has been a long time between appearances, but Super Sedans are back in a big way at Archerfield Speedway this Saturday night (April 10) with 25 competitors from across Queensland and interstate nominated for round eleven of the McCosker Contracting Series, presented by Shock Doctor. With three national championship winners in the field, including current titleholder Darren Kane, the field is stacked with talent in what is shaping as their most competitive round or racing so far this season. Also on the program are the always exciting Dirt Modifieds, along with AMCA Nationals, Compact Speedcars, Open Sedans, RSA Sedans, Junior Sedans and Ford vs Holden vs Sigma sedans.
At their last appearance way back in November, it was Victorian veteran Michael Nicola who prevailed in the Super Sedan feature race, but since then the championship has developed into one of the most competitive on record with numerous drivers having secured feature race wins and podium appearances at venues across Queensland. The best of these by far have been Sean Black and Sam Roza, with a run of strong results having placed them first and second respectively in the championship standings. Of the ten completed rounds, Black has finished inside the top five in every feature race and has accumulated four wins along the way to sit more than 350 points clear of Roza who, along with four other top-five finishes, scored his maiden feature race success in round seven at Gympie. Nicola currently sits third overall, but his absence this weekend could see him fall as far as sixth overall with a trio of national championship winners poised to pounce.
Even with his own car out of action, Queensland champ Matt Pascoe has utilised the generosity of others to keep his championship chase alive, securing two feature race wins to be sitting fourth in the championship, just 28 points behind Nicola. Australian champion Darren Kane and former national titleholder Steve Jordan are also within reach of third place in the standings and, with all three particularly strong on the big stage at Archerfield, the scene is set for an epic showdown. Jordan has finished inside the top five on six occasions with four podium appearances, three of which have been runner-up results, including the previous two rounds. Kane has experienced a somewhat disjointed campaign but returns from injury this weekend in pursuit of his second win for the season, while others who have featured on the podium throughout the series include Justin Smithwick, Nicholas O’Keefe, Townsville’s Trent Wilson and teenager Zac Pascoe, all of whom are amongst the entries this weekend. Others in the field include a quartet of NSW-based contenders in Tania Smith, Dion Bennett, Tyson Moon and another teenager in Hayden Brims, along with the rotary-powered Mazda RX7 of local legend Wayne Randall and a debut outing for category newcomer Scott Taylor.
Although Dirt Modified numbers are a little down, they proved at their last outing that a smaller field doesn’t mean a lack of action and, with Australian champion Kevin Britten back in the fold this weekend fresh from his success in the New South Wales Championship, the excitement level ramps up another level. With two feature race wins at Archerfield already this season, former national champ David Clark looms as Britten’s biggest threat, however Terry Leerentveld, Geoff Phillips and Mitchell Randall are most certainly expected to feature in the fight. Andrew Firth and Josh Rose also bring some form into the weekend, having both secured top-five results in the NSW Title. In a promising sign for the category, newcomers such as Luke Dunn and John Lodge Jnr are amongst the entries, while one-time category regular Ray Klarich returns for a cameo appearance.
Such has been the dominance of Steve Potts and Bruce Marshall in AMCA National competition at Archerfield so far this season, Australian champ Matt Hardy has thus far been relegated to a supporting role, unable to keep pace with the dynamic duo. After six rounds of racing in the Shock Absorber Therapy Track Championship, Potts and Marshall have five feature race wins between them. Potts has proved the most consistent of the pair, finishing inside the top five on five occasions and securing three wins while Hardy, meanwhile, has snared a solitary success. The previous round of racing was abandoned after the opening round of heats and even then it was Potts and Marshall who shared the spoils with a win apiece. Bad luck, rather than any lack of pace, has prevented Steve Price from featuring more prominently in the results and he should certainly be in the thick of the action, which is always in plentiful supply when the AMCA Nationals hit the track.
Whilst sedan fans have plenty to be excited about, Compact Speedcars will add some open wheel action to the program, with the confidence and fearlessness of teenage tearaways Bodie Smith and Harry Stewart pitched against a field that includes the vastly experience Steve Swingler and Dave Collins.
In a combined field of RSA Sedans, Daniel Taylor heads a small contingent of Outlaw Sedans into battle, with Matthew Hannigan and Aaron Buchanan again expected to set the pace within the Limited Sedan ranks.
Open Sedan action will likely see Brad Trussell, Keith Craft and Dave Sansby leading the charge in the A Grade ranks, while the Ford Falcon-mounted trio of Haiden Grantz, Ricky Price and Mark Anderson are likely to be amongst the pacesetters in the B Grade battle.
Gates open at 2.00pm for competitors and online ticket holders only, with general admission ticket sales and entry from 3.30pm. Early racing will hit the track from 5.00pm and the main program, which will also feature the future stars of Junior Sedans and the unheralded heroes of Ford vs Holden vs Sigma sedans, will get underway from 6.00pm. There is no reserved seating for this event, however all patrons must maintain 1.5m social distancing.
McCosker Contracting Super Sedan Series round eleven nominations: Bob McCosker, Brad Pascoe, Colin Kaine, Craig Hammond, Darren Kane, David Musch, Dion Bennett, Gavin Northfield, Hayden Brims, Josh McLaren, Justin Randall, Justin Smithwick, Leigh Williams, Mark O’Brien, Matt Pascoe, Nicholas O’Keefe, Sam Roza, Scott Taylor, Sean Black, Steve Jordan, Tania Smith, Trent Wilson, Tyson Moon, Wayne Randall, Zac Pascoe
Dirt Modified nominations: Andrew Firth, Daryl Armfield, David Clark, Geoff Phillips, Jack Pezzutti, Jay Davey, John Lodge, Josh Rose, Kevin Britten, Luke Dunn, Marley Weller, Mitchell Randall, Phil Roberts, Ray Klarich, Taylah Firth, Terry Leerentveld
Shock Absorber Therapy AMCA Nationals Track Championship round eight nominations: Aaron Knox, Brett Robotham, Bruce Marshall, Graeme Holland, Jay Allen, Jim Knight, Matt Hardy, Matt Ingrey, Nathan Tomkins, Paul Reeves, Robert Turner, Russ Hardy, Stephen Ward, Steve Potts, Steve Price, Tim Gamble
Compact Speedcar nominations: Andrew Parkes, Andrew Rooke, Bodie Smith, Chris Serle-Thrussell, Clay Seaborne, Dave Collins, Dave Swan, Dion Wilson, Harry Stewart, Martin Hattersley, Mick Hunter, Mitchell Rooke, Richard Rooke, Richard Treanor, Steve Swingler
Open Sedan nominations: Brad Hill, Brad Trussell, Colin Morris, Dave Sansby, Elgan Dalton, Gary Kivela, Greg Akers, Haiden Grantz, John Woolf, Keith Craft, Mark Anderson, Merv Price, Peter Gilson, Ricky Price, Robert Gorman, Robin Bains, Tim Swart, Trevor Polzin, Will Roeser
RSA Sedan nominations: Brad White, Daniel Taylor, Glen Lesslie, Jamie Olsen, Wayne Kirkman, Aaron Buchanan, Aaron Stone, Brock Armstrong, Chris Van Der Ryken, Greg Dickinson, Greg Trezise, Hans Van Der Ryken, Luke Frisina, Matthew Hannigan, Michael Laver, Warwick Smith
Junior Sedan nominations: Codie Strain, Connor Reeves, Daisy Smith, Deagan Howard, Harley Graham, Hayden Fleming, Jack Betts, Jackson Goldie, Jeremy Wade, Josh Weir, Ryley Smith, Tyler Burnham
Ford vs Holden vs Sigma nominations: Jake Besgrove, Josh Thompson, Kim Dack, Linkon Allen, Maverick Dack, Will Kelly
For further information and event updates, please stay tuned to Facebook or the track website.
