New South Wales Champion Jordan Biviano has tonight upgraded his car number in the best possible manner, claiming the win in a grueling final to become the new Lincolns Earthmoving SSA Production Sedan National Champion at the Speedway Wangaratta.
Biviano would have an epic weekend, setting the fastest lap in practice, becoming the overnight points leader and the starting second in the main event to lead every one of the forty laps and survive in a race of attrition to take the win from Thomas Fuller and Travis Hutchison.
High points man Dale Corbett and Biviano would start on the front row together, with Biviano just edging in front coming out of turn two ahead of Corbett while Rhys Collins raced into third.
West Australians Clint Noakes and Kyle Sayer were next in the order, and they went side by side as they put a heap of pressure on Collins.
With four laps complete Biviano was over a second and a half ahead, but the yellows came on shortly after as Matt Vicary and Nathan Shortis found themselves stuck together in turn one. Both would be unable to resume.
Biviano got away cleanly on the restart, but it would only last half a lap after Richard Cook rode the wall and launched a wheel off his machine.
Again, Biviano got away from Corbett, but this time Sayer was able to scoot by Collins for third, with Noakes following him through shortly after.
With ten complete Biviano was one and a half seconds ahead of Corbett again, with Sayer, Noakes and defending champion Josh Harm locking out the top five positions.
Harm would get by Noakes for fourth on lap twelve, and just as the race really seemed to be settling into a rhythm, the yellows came on for Andy Russell whose machine expired in a cloud of steam.
Corbett and Sayer stayed right with Biviano as the race went back under green flag conditions, but it would only last a lap before Harm arrived back on the scene and got by Sayer and locked onto the bumper of Corbett.
Nineteen laps were complete when the next stoppage occurred, Marcus Maclean coming to a stop at the entrance to turn three.
The field resumed and were about to complete half race distance when the Harm machine cannoned into the front straight wall. Sayer got hit on the way through as did Noakes, with the rest of the field left with nowhere to go, Rhys Collins and Dehne Sparrow in particular making heavy contact leaving all three cars wrecked.
Nathan Barbeler would also retire infield as the field restarted, and this would leave Biviano to lead away Corbett, Sayer, Noakes and Thomas Fuller, with only ten cars to resume.
Sayer dove under Corbett but couldn’t make the move stick, while Noakes, despite heavy damage to his right rear, was able to stick right with Sayer and even get past him for third on lap twenty-one.
Lap twenty-three saw Noakes dive under Corbett to take second, and two laps later it was Sayer’s turn in the exact same corner to wrestle away third.
This time though Corbett fought back and retook the position, while up front Biviano was now three seconds clear with thirteen to run.
As the laps wound down Biviano continued to build his lead over Noakes, but on lap twenty-eight the yellows came on as Sayer and Corbett came together coming down the back straight in their battle for third, making heavy contact and ending their race.
Eight cars would resume, Biviano leading away Noakes, Fuller, Travis Hutchison, Cooper Croker, Marty Bassett, Brendan Miller and Rodney Anderson with twelve laps remaining.
Fuller went high as the race resumed and Hutchison was able to race through into third, but up front Biviano and Noakes were already pulling away.
A lap later Fuller fought back and was able to regain third, but by now the lead duo were three seconds ahead and waging their own battle.
With five to go Noakes had slightly closed the gap on Biviano, as Fuller continued to hold off Hutchison and Croker. Unfortunately, with four to go Noakes suddenly slowed and headed infield, leaving Biviano half a lap clear of second placed Fuller and from here the order was unchanged, Biviano crossing the line nine and a half seconds ahead of Fuller with Hutchison in third. Croker, Bassett, Miller and Anderson would round out the finishers. Unfortunately Croker was removed from the results post race due to technical non compliance, seeing Biviano officially the winner over Fuller, Hutchison, Bassett, Miller and Anderson.
A huge congratulations to all drivers on a great weekend, and a huge thankyou to the whole team at Wangaratta Speedway for putting on an epic show!
@wideopenphotogrphy
A Main, 40 laps: 1. N47 Dale Corbett, 2. N18 Jordan Biviano, 3. W23 Clint Noakes, 4. V27 Rhys Collins, 5. N9 Jaiden Healey, 6. W95 Kyle Sayer, 7. A1 Josh Harm, 8. Q2 Travis Hutchison, 9. Q8 Nathan Barbeler, 10. N15 Jacob Croker, 11. Q57 Thomas Fuller, 12. V84 Nathan Shortis, 13. T26 Andy Russell, 14. Q15 Richard Cook, 15. N17 Rodney Anderson, 16. N75 Matt Vicary, 17. V91 Dehne Sparrow, 18. NSW56 Cooper Croker, 19. N6 Marty Bassett, 20. V11 Nathan O’Brien, 21. VA7 Marcus Maclean, 22. VA18 Brendan Miller.
RESULT
1. N18 Jordan Biviano, 2. Q57 Thomas Fuller, 3. Q2 Travis Hutchison, 4. N6 Marty Bassett, 5. VA18 Brendan Miller, 6. N17 Rodney Anderson. DNF: W23 Clint Noakes (36), W95 Kyle Sayer (28), N47 Dale Corbett (28), Q8 Nathan Barbeler (19), V27 Rhys Collins (19), V91 Dehne Sparrow (19), A1 Josh Harm (19), VA7 Marcus Maclean (18), N15 Jacob Croker (15), T26 Andy Russell (15), N9 Jaiden Healey (
, Q15 Richard Cook (4), V11 Nathan O’Brien (4), N75 Matt Vicary (4), V84 Nathan Shortis (3). DQ: NSW56 Cooper Croker. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 9.481. Fastest Lap: 18.057 N18 Jordan Biviano.