Image Courtesy of Speedway Sedans NSW
National Production Sedan Champion Joel Berkley has survived a tough and bruising event to win the SSA Production Sedans NSW State Title for the second successive time aboard his Ford Falcon at the Hession’s Auto Parts Grafton Speedway on Saturday Night.
Changing weather conditions which played havoc throughout the night proved a tough obstacle for many of the competitors with just five cars greeting the chequered flag.
Just two rounds of heat racing were conducted before officials elected to run the thirty lap a main as rain surrounded the venue.
Just fifteen cars elected to the start the finale to the NSW State Title as Lismore’s Stuart Fawcett lead the early laps from Berkley and Mark Quirk.
Rain fell throughout the race as Queensland Champion Chris Pagel retired with broken suspension after briefly holding down third place.
Cars continued to retire from the race as the laps wound down as Fawcett’s Holden Commodore began showing signs that it would fail to go the distance.
Mark Quirk and Gympie’s Daniel Henshaw were soon challenging Berkley for second as Fawcett still found himself in the lead.
Fawcett’s race came to end on lap twenty three with a flat right rear tyre as Quirk began to throw everything at Berkley.
The yellows came on once again on lap twenty three for the stricken Ashley Graham Holden Commodore as Berkley, Quirk and Henshaw pulled away from the remaining cars when the race resumed.
Quirk’s strong run in the state title was over on lap thirty as he headed infield with the National Champion cruising to victory from that point on from Henshaw and a distant Josh Boyd from Lismore.
Credit must go to the Grafton City Speedway Club and Speedway Sedans Australia officials for making the event happen under very trying conditions.
Official Result
A Main, 35 Laps- 1. A1 Joel Berkley, 2. G10 Daniel Henshaw, 3. L11 Josh Boyd, 4. L59 Aaron Hall (34), 5. Ian Bell (32), DNF L71 Mark Quirk (30), L65 Stuart Fawcett (23), L53 Ashley Graham (23), 48 Chris Corbett (15), G2 Chris Pagel (9), SC23 Stephen Freeman (8), G15 Richard Cook (8), SC23 Adrian Stott (8), L56 Justin Hawkins (0)
