BEARE SUCCESFULLY DEFENDS VICTORIAN TITLE

by | Apr 4, 2021 | SSA Street Stocks, VIC

Press Release & Images by Speedway Sedans Victoria

Another beautiful day greeted us in Alexandra for the second and final night of racing. There were two withdrawals from night one of racing in Bradley Hill and Ben Cartwright, which left us with 35 of cars.

The first heat of the night, Shane Roycroft had a real solid start on the second restart starting from position eight and was up to position two coming into the first corner. Things got a bit messy with everyone trying to get through which resulted in Mick Dann infield with broken steering.

Albert Fell also had to retire infield during the race with the unfortunate incident of the window net falling down. Dale Morrison who started on pole held on for the heat win from Shane Roycroft and Jason Degoldi.

Heat 10 had Anthony Beare off pole and once he was in the lead was hard to catch.

The battle however was definitely on for the remaining podium positions with a great battle throughout the race between Steven Watts, Jayden Edwards and Ricky Cornwall who finished in that order.

Adam Barkby was a dns out on the track with a clutch issue before the green dropped in heat 11 of the weekend.

During the race coming into turn 4 Anthony Sgroi got into a spin causing Felicity Roycroft to have nowhere to go but his front wheel, which left him with no steering and a bit of fence loving before he retired to the infield.

Stuey Robinson’s car got hot and he looped it in front of the field on his own water not long after, before also retiring infield. The battle at the front was on in this race and resulted in the closest finish of the weekend when Matt Nelson holding off Morris Ahearn by 0.071.

The final heat of the round, Adrian Lawrence got a bit loose into turn 1 causing the field to get a bit out of shape, a yellow and a complete restart.

Dylan Campton had a fly wheel come loose which resulted in a dnf. Adrian Lawrence took the win in this heat race. Leigh Gooding and Tyler Barton came together in the last few turns.

The steward deemed it a racing incident, resulting in them both getting put back into the positions they were which were second and third. The first heat of the final round commenced with Scott Secombe on pole.

Scott had a nice pirouette on the infield during the heat before rejoining the race. David Barrie got his first heat win of the weekend from Mick Dann and Wade Fell.Some big names were in heat 14 with Anthony Beare starting his last heat of the night from the rear.

There were some great battles with Matt Nelson, Jayden Edwards, Jason Duell and Beare. Jason Duell managed to lead most of the race until the last lap as Beare managed to make his way past.

Beare took his fourth heat win of the weekend from Duell and Nelson.Heat 15 Adam Barkby decided turn 1 was the place to tip it in a bit too hard and loop it. The field missed him and a complete restart was had.

A yellow flag was pulled half way through the race with debris on the track. A lap into the restart Anthony Sgroi got a bit loose and had some trouble getting it straight again bringing on another restart.

Another yellow just as the white flag was about to come out with more debris on track, which lead to a green white chequer finish.

It was a FG 1-2 with Shane Roycroft and Jacob Mills and Tyler Barton home in third.The final heat of the weekend had Dylan Campton jump in Peter Newlan’s car starting from the rear. Unfortunately for Campton, the car died on back straight bringing on the yellow during the race. Greg Parks had a miss in his car and retired infield.

Ricky Cornwall lead until last lap but ended up in the wall and finishing third. Jason Degoldi got his first heat win of the weekend holding off Morris Ahearn.17 drivers started the B main. The race took a while to get going and get into a rhythm, with drivers leaving nothing on the table to get into the coveted A main. With all the restarts early on, the race was reduced down to 10 laps from 15.

Steven Hardie and Anthony Sgroi both sustaining significant damage early on and Stuey Robinson who had a weekend he would rather forget had heavy contact with the wall not long after.

The race to the finish line was fast and fierce with Leigh Gooding managing to hold off the field and take home the win. Greg Parks and Felicity Roycroft were less than a second behind making the top 3 and in the fourth and final transfer spot was Scott Secombe.

Drivers for the A main were lined up out on track and introduced before the start of the 35 lap final. Brad McClure was given the honour of the four wide signal and also waving the green and chequered flag for the title.

The first lap showed that all drivers were leaving nothing on the line and resulted in Jacob Mills hard into the fence.

A red light was pulled whilst the car was removed from the track and a complete restart was had. 5 laps in Mick Dann brought on the yellows when he spun and was out for the night with a flat.

Anthony Beare by this stage had broken the lap record at Alexandra with a 21.269 on lap 2, a record that was previously held by Brad McClure. The battles were on with Adrian Lawrence getting a bit loose allowing some others to gain on him whilst Ricky Cornwall gave the wall some loving whilst running fourth.

With 23 to go the top three cars in Beare, Ahearn and Degoldi had checked out from the rest of the back who were battling it out for the minor podiums. The yellows came on when Ricky Cornwall who was running in the top five spun and was put rear.

Again on the restart Beare pulled away whilst Ahearn and Degoldi had their own battle and Degoldi got past Ahearn into second place. The top 3 again checked out from the main pack with 17 laps to go.

The battle going on behind them however was intense and was a great spectacle. With 13 laps to go Chris Marino from NSW who started position 16 was trying to get past Lawrence for fourth. Steven Watts was out with eleven laps to go, whilst at the same time Beare started lapping his first cars.

With nine laps to go the lead three of Beare, Degoldi and Ahearn were all spaced out with Degoldi and Ahearn trying to gain ground on the leader.

Jason Duell was putting some pressure on Lawrence in the last few laps for the final podium position but in the end the top five were all fairly spaced out in their positions as they crossed the finish line.

Anthony Beare went on to claim victory and another title, at the same track he last won the Victorian title in 2017 that he was defending. Jason Degoldi home in second, Morris Ahearn third, Chris Marino fourth and rounding out the podium Adrian Lawrence in fifth.

All drivers passed post race technical checks.

Best presented car of the weekend went to NSW89 Darren Henderson.

OFFICIAL RESULT

A MAIN, 35 Laps- 1. S46 Anthony Beare, 2. RDL27 Jason Degoldi, 3. MDA14 Morris Ahearn, 4. N81 Chris Marino, 5. AX55 Adrian Lawrence, 6. S19 Jason Duell, 7. AX94 Tyler Barton, 8. C83 David Barrie, 9. DS13 Dale Morrison (34), 10. S87 Jayden Edwards (34), 11. W82 Shane Roycroft (34), 12. AX61 Matt Nelson (34), 13. AX36 Greg Parks (34), 14. RDL11 Leigh Gooding (34), 15. RDL18 Scott Secombe (34), 16. W65 Felicity Roycroft (33), DNF AX15 Ricky Cornwall (27), W5 Steven Watts (23), S51 Mick Dann (5), W111 Jacob Mills (0)

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