For the third time in as many years, SSA Street Stock National Champion Nathan Thorne has added the Victorian Title to his trophy cabinet, this time at Horsham’s Blue Ribbon Raceway!
Thorne, who claimed his other two wins at Warrnambool and Wangaratta, bided his time in the thirty-five lap race, eventually taking the lead from early pacesetter Morris Ahearn on lap twelve, and maintaining that position until the chequered flag fell.
Ahearn would line up on the front row for the main event alongside Nathan Fawns, with Thorne and Drew Flatman on row two, followed by Dale Morrison and Heath Thorne.
Fawns got the best of the dispatch, but Ahearn was quickly underneath him to take the lead as Nathan Thorne followed him through with Fawns shuffled back to third.
Flatman also got by Fawns to take third, but up front Thorne was applying all sorts of pressure to Ahearn, sitting right on his tail and waiting for his chance.
Lap six saw Thorne pull alongside Ahearn, the duo side by side until Ahearn got free again, while Flatman was able to momentarily get underneath Thorne. Shortly after the yellow lights came on for Dale Morrison, who slowed while running in fifth position.
Ahearn held strong on the restart, holding off Thorne and Flatman, with Heath Thorne moving into fourth.
Going through turns three and four to complete lap twelve Ahearn ran wide and this gave Thorne the opportunity he needed, driving right on by on the inside to take the lead. As Thorne began to pull away, Ahearn found himself under pressure from Flatman with twenty laps to go.
Ahearn was able to close the gap again and as the lead trio made their way through lapped traffic, he had a couple of serious looks underneath Thorne but was unable to make any moves stick.
Flatman then found himself in contact with a lapped car that resulted in a flat tyre, Heath Thorne taking advantage to race into third place while Brad Warren moved into fourth.
Up front the National Champion continued to hit his marks lap after lap, surviving a restart with fourteen to go and holding on to the lead despite constant pressure behind him to take his third SSA Street Stock Victorian Title in as many years.
Ahearn came home second for his fourth podium in the Victorian Title, and second time in as many years that he finished second behind Thorne, while third place went to Heath Thorne.
Pic Courtesy Clay-Per-View.
Feature, 35 laps: 1. S52 Nathan Thorne, 2. S4 Morris Ahearn, 3. S44 Heath Thorne, 4. DS55 Brad Warren, 5. AX61 Matt Nelson, 6. B48 Mick Clark, 7. S87 Nathan Fawns, 8. WANG85 Rhys Meakins, 9. C4 Dean Jenkins, 10. AX25 Nick Chrystie, 11. G23 Mitch Viney, 12. C88 Jensen Wilson, 13. NY9 Damon Ingram, 14. B23 Shaun Henry, 15. T4 Steven Harvey (34) 16. S42 Thomas Garner (34), 17. W42 Chris Hay (33). DNS: S34 Mark Merrett (31), S112 Drew Flatman (21), S48 Ben Warren (20), AX13 Dale Morrison (7), WANG22 Ricky Ahearn (1). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.388. Fastest Lap: 19.044 S4 Morris Ahearn.