Official Release, Saturday 12th March 2022
Brett Barron hailing from Kingaroy in Queensland is at the top of the point standings after night one of the 2022 Bendigo Metal Fabrications Speedway Sedans Australia National Modified Sedan Title that is being held at the Heartland Raceway in Moama this weekend.
2011 National Champion Max Clarke and the Enzed Mercedes of Jarod Waters from Mildura round out the top three in the standings in what was an incident plagued opening night to the National Title.
Sixty Eight SSA Modified Sedans filled the pit area of the venue which resides on the Victorian/New South Wales border for the first national title held for the class in nearly three years.
Racing began in bright sunshine with three time National Champion Mark Carlin’s night over on the opening lap of the first heat race as he took the Q2 Nissan 300ZX to the infield with smoke pouring out of the exhaust.
Veteran Graham West took the early lead in his Holden LJ Torana before Matthew Reddecliffe spun in front of the field leaving Aidan Raymont with nowhere to go making heavy front on contact with Reddecliffe.
The damage to the Cooroy Auto Wreckers Ford Falcon of Aidan Raymont would be severe enough to put the 2013 National Champion out for the rest of the weekend.
West took maximum points in heat one holding off Damien Miller and defending National Champion Kye Walters.
Queensland’s Rodney Pammenter drove a smart race to claim heat two with a great battle for the minor placings occurring between the Ford Falcons of 2012 National Champion David Smith, Wade McCarthy & Tristan McGraw.
Toowoomba’s Nathan Macdonald went around the outside of Chris Evans early in heat three before going on to record a comfortable victory with Evans and Raymond Ussher the top three.
South Australian Champion Jake Drewett defeated Townsville’s Hayden Stephensen and Bendigo’s Brad Wicks in heat four as the Ford Falcons continued to make their presence felt.
Max Clarke from the Grafton City Speedway Club in Northern New South Wales got the best of the start in heat five with Brett Barron trying in vein to find a way past Clarke for the entire ten laps.
The Enzed Mildura Mercedes of Jarod Waters negotiated heat six perfectly to put thirty six points in the bank in a race which saw numerous stoppages.
Brock Atkins worked his way into second by the end of the ten laps with just seven cars completing the distance.
The second round began with a very excited winner as Ty Galley held off Alex Sweeney as Wade McCarthy, Daniel Simpson & Lachlan Fitzpatrick enjoyed a great battle for the minor placings.
The Ford Falcons of Rachel Pratt & Brock Atkins had a great battle in the opening laps of heat eight before Atkins pulled away aboard his Club 36 Innovations backed entry to take the win from Pratt with Jarod Waters moving from position ten to be third.
Brody Chrystie got the jump over Kye Walters in heat nine as Brisbane’s Darran Lester & Jake Drewett made it a four car battle for the lead.
Chrystie proved too good for some of the country’s quickest Modified Sedan pilots to take the win.Brett Barron put his name next to a heat race victory after getting the better of young Victorian Darcy Wilson in heat ten.
Wilson who is making his debut in a National Modified Sedan title aboard the True Design Homes V5 drove a great race to finish second.
A multi car pile up was the way heat eleven began as Queensland’s Chris Evans & Nathan Macdonald both retired from the race after the opening lap with damage to their entries.
An emotional Zac Swanson claimed the win from Jamie Paull and the ever consistent Max Clarke.
The very popular Ford Cortina of Townsville’s Adam Jorgensen lead all the way in heat twelve as Michael Wicks and Matt Gerlach filled the minor placings.
Lachlan Fitzpatrick logged his first heat win of the National Title to begin the final round of racing on night one with Matt Nelson second from Jarod Waters who rounded out a solid opening night by finishing third.
Third generation competitor Nick Cockerill tasted victory in heat fourteen holding off Max Clarke and the Toyota Lexcen of Ty Galley.
Todd Atkins would lead the opening laps of heat fifteen with Chris Hayden & Brody Chrystie getting locked together after battling for second place.
Atkins drove a smart ten laps to defeat Barron & Queensland Champion Mick Shelford in his Pro1 Race Parts Holden Commodore.
Matt Gerlach from the Avalon Speedway Club hit the lead at the mid race point of heat sixteen with 2000 National Champion Ash Parkinson and Brad Warren following Gerlach home when the chequered flag fell.
Former National Production Sedan Champion Tim Atkin defeated Victorians David Smith & Daniel Simpson in heat seventeen before Brad Wicks took victory in heat eighteen to end night one.
Wicks victory in the final heat race of the evening wasn’t without drama as a heavy crash in the opening corner saw Chris Evans suffer heavy damage to the Q66 Nissan.
Nathan Macdonald & Western Australian Allan Mortimer would also be out of the race on the opening lap.
Competitors will contest one more round of heat races before the main events on night two of the 2022 SSA National Modified Sedan Title at the Heartland Raceway in Moama.
Live and free coverage will be available once again courtesy of the team from Speedway Sedans Live powered by Pro1 Race Parts.
The Point Score After Night One of the 2022 SSA National Modified Sedan Title
1. Q148 Brett Barron 92
2. N15 Max Clarke 87
3. V92 Jarod Waters 82
4. N0 Ty Galley 76
5. V17 Brad Wicks 72
6. V0 Brock Atkins 72
7. Q23 Tim Atkin 70
8. V34 Jay Nicolaisen 68
9. A1 Kye Walters 68
10. V14 Matt Gerlach 63
11. Q25 Adam Jorgensen 63
12. V33 Daniel Simpson 63
13. V19 David Smith 62
14. VA11 Nick Cockerill 61
15. V18 Jake Drewett 58
16. V36 Todd Atkins 58
17. V5 Darcy Wilson 58
18. V61 Matt Nelson 58
19. V32 Brody Chrystie 56
20. V6 Wade McCarthy 56
21. V56 Graham West 56
22. VA14 Michael Wicks 55
23. Q108 Alex Sweeney 54
24. VA15 Zac Swanson 54
25. V11 Lachlan Fitzpatrick 53
26. Q8 Rodney Pammenter 52
27. VA72 Scott Angus 48
28. Q28 Hayden Stephensen 46
29. Q32 Nathan Macdonald 45
30. V84 Brad Warren 44
31. V25 Jamie Paull 43
32. V8 Lennie Clark 43
33. V94 Rachel Pratt 42
34. Q54 Mick Shelford 41
35. Q59 Darran Lester 39
36. V88 Ash Parkinson 38
37. W32 Mick Johnson 35
38. Q66 Chris Evans 34
39. V37 Trish Dike 33
40. VA18 Chris Reick 31
41. V38 Tristan McGraw 30
42. VA6 Damien Miller 30
43. V98 Raymond Ussher 29
44. Q24 David Head 29
45. V9 Lucas Conder 28
46. V28 Matthew Reddecliffe 27
47. V45 Shaun Thompson 26
48. V62 Kasey Garlick 25
49. V52 Mick Boyle 24
50. Q71 Kev Young 24
51. W74 Allan Mortimer 20
52. V15 Dale Hallett 19
53. VA33 Taleah Dolic 19
54. S94 Robert Uren 18
55. V71 Peter Angus 16
56. VB18 Chris Hayden 15
57. V82 Shane Roycroft 15
58. N97 Liam Murphy 15
59. V72 Martin Hawson 15
60. V87 Corey Knox 13
61. V87 Aaron Bunton 12
62. V74 Steve Ellis 12
63. V29 Marcus Reddecliffe 11
64. V55 Nathan Shortis 8
65. QA28 Aidan Raymont 5
66. VA5 Andrew Dike 3
67. Q2 Mark Carlin 3
68. VB11 Karen Ferguson 0
