Speedway Sedans Australia News
Author : Jason Crowe – SSA Media
Anthony King has claimed the Speedway Sedans WA Modified Sedan State Title held at the Makit Hardware Narrogin Speedway on Sunday night.
King narrowly defeated Kane McDiarmid in the thirty five lap a main, with the race to be remembered for some time due to the dramatic start where six cars were out on lap one of the event.
Eighteen cars fronted for the second night of the title with Sandy MacPherson and Aydan Trewern sidelined with engine issues in their Holden Commodores.
Defending Western Australian Modified Sedan Champion Clint Noakes lead heat seven from start to finish defeating Miranda Ball who held off Branden Fraser and Matt Noakes for the entire ten laps.
The final heat race of the title saw Ray Clifton get a great jump from the outside of the front row with the Broome based driver going on to win the race by over three seconds from Mick Johnson. Anthony King and Kane McDiarmid had a great battle for third for the entire race with King narrowly getting home ahead of McDiarmid.
Anthony King and Mick Johnson would share the front row for the A Main with the defending champion Clint Noakes coming from the position four.
King got the initial jump when the lights went green with Clifton moving to the inside of Johnson as they raced down the back straight for the first time. Johnson, Theyer and the two Noakes would all make contact in turn three on the opening lap. The two Noakes Ford Falcons were out of the race due to the contact with both cars sustaining damage to their right front wheels with Theyer also out with steering damage.
Take two at a start again saw King get the jump on Johnson with Clifton again moving to the inside on Johnson on lap one. Johnson and Clifton made wheel to wheel contact with Cliftons car coming to a stop with the field bearing down on him. Clifton, Blake Jackson, Kane McDiarmid and Calon Ball all sustained damage to their cars with McDiarmid the only car able to restart.
This left just twelve cars to contest the thirty five laps that still remained with Mick Johnson facing the restart with a flat left front tyre.
Johnson fell back through the field after the restart with the thirty five laps an epic battle between King and Kane McDiarmid who quickly moved into second and applied the blowtorch to the back of the leaders car.
Further back Allan Mortimer moved into third place with Rick Musarra, Branden Fraser, Miranda Ball and Adam Houston all battling for fourth.
Musarra found a way past Mortimer on lap eight with Fraser moving past Mortimer into fourth shortly after.
Meanwhile the two leaders put a big gap between themselves and the rest of the field with two having a great contest for the lead of the state final.
Adam Houston retired from sixth place with a flat tyre on lap fifteen with Johnson and Tom ODriscoll joining Houston on the infield shortly after.
With seventeen laps remaining McDiarmid showed the nose to the leader with McDiarmid momentarily hitting the lead on the back straight.
With eleven laps to go Branden Fraser retired from fourth place with suspension damage with Mortimer inheriting fourth with Miranda Ball moving into fifth.
The crowd were on their feet as the laps wound down as McDiarmid and King staged an epic contest for the lead as McDiarmid continued to try and find a way past.
Anthony King would hold on to win his first state title in Modified Sedans by just 0.374 of a second from McDiarmid with Rick Musarra finishing a distance third place.
Miranda Ball found a way past Mortimer in the final laps to finish fourth with local Paul Stevens finishing sixth.
Shark Bays Mick Reynolds came home in seventh with Shane Dubberlin the last car running in eighth place.
Quiet incredibly the thirty five laps went green to chequer without a stoppage.
King was elated to win the title with his Ford Falcon never faultless throughout the weekend. The winner thanked his family for all their support and also the Trewern family for fixing his car after sustaining lots of damage to his Falcon at the recent GWN7 WA Modified Sedan Series round.
Outgoing champion Clint Noakes presented King with the WA1 roof plate which was a great show of sportsmanship.
Speedway Sedans Western Australia would like to thank the Narrogin Speedway Club for hosting a fantastic state title with next years title to be held at the Broome Speedway in early June 2019.
A big thanks to the major sponsors Glenbrae Hay Trans, Narrogin Freightlines and Hi-Tech AG Solutions.
The Final Point Score in the 2018 SSWA Modified Sedan State Title
1. W51 Anthony King 99
2. W32 Mick Johnson 94
3. W73 Ray Clifton 93
4. W1 Clint Noakes 89
5. W20 Matt Noakes 81
6. W11 Sean Theyer 73
7. W41 Blake Jackson 70
8. W21 Rick Musarra 68
9. W31 Kane McDiarmid 65
10. W8 Calon Ball 65
11. W74 Allan Mortimer 60
12. W4 Miranda Ball 58
13. W2 Branden Fraser 51
14. W6 Paul Stevens 50
15. W18 Adam Houston 48
16. W13 Mick Reynolds 45
17. W56 Sandy MacPherson 26
18. W47 Shane Dubberlin 25
19. W79 Tom ODriscoll 19
20. W12 Aydan Trewern 4
2018 SSWA Modified Sedan State Title A Main
GRID
1. W51 Anthony King, 2. W32 Mick Johnson, 3. W73 Ray Clifton, 4. W1 Clint Noakes, 5. W20 Matt Noakes, 6. W11 Sean Theyer, 7. W41 Blake Jackson, 8. W21 Rick Musarra, 9. W31 Kane McDiarmid, 10. W8 Calon Ball, 11. W74 Allan Mortimer, 12. W4 Miranda Ball, 13. W2 Branden Fraser, 14. W6 Paul Stevens, 15. W18 Adam Houston, 16. W13 Mick Reynolds, 17. W47 Shane Dubberlin, 18. W79 Tom ODriscoll
RESULT
A Main, 35 Laps 1. W51 Anthony King, 2. W31 Kane McDiarmid, 3. W21 Rick Musarra, 4. W4 Miranda Ball, 5. W74 Allan Mortimer, 6. W6 Paul Stevens, 7. W13 Mick Reynolds, 8. W47 Shane Dubberlin (33 Laps), 9. W79 Tom ODriscoll (25), 10. W2 Branden Fraser (24), 11. W32 Mick Johnson (17), 12. W18 Adam Houston (15), 13. W73 Ray Clifton (0), 14. W41 Blake Jackson (0), 15. W8 Calon Ball (0), 16. W11 Sean Theyer (0), 17. W20 Matt Noakes (0), 18. W1 Clint Noakes (0). Time: No Time, Winning Margin: 0.374, Fastest Lap: 19.015 W51 Anthony King
Details courtesy of Allan Smallwood Jnr