Official Release-Saturday 16th April 2022.
Four drivers share the overnight point score lead at the 2022 SSA National Production Sedan Title that is being held at the Kingaroy Speedway in Queensland this weekend.
Ninety four SSA Production Sedans contested the opening night of competition at the Showgrounds venue.
Proceedings began with Queensland Champion Daniel Henshaw being awarded the best presented car award for the National Title.
The opening heat race of the weekend was a dramatic affair with the greasy track conditions early in the evening catching out the majority of the field.
Jamie Beasmore, Sam Grundy & Brian Grundy would be all caught up in incidents in the early lap suffering damage to their Holden Commodores.
Andrew Roberts survived the many stoppages to defeat Stephen Freeman and Maryborough’s Kent Shelford.
Heat Two was a bruising affair as Jack Kay held off former Queensland Champion Chris Pagel in the concluding stages with the Embrey Racing Ford Falcon of Gary Harris Jnr third.
Maddi McGee made the early moves in heat three going from position eight to challenging Simon Walker for the lead in the concluding stages.
It would all come unstuck for the McGee in turn one after she climbed over the side of the lapped car of Brandon Jarius rolling heavily up into the catch fence.
McGee was unhurt in the incident as she climbed from the Toowoomba Steering & Suspension Holden Commodore disappointed in suffering such terrible luck on the national stage.
A determined Max Clarke found a way past Simon Walker to take the win as Liam Heaton got the better of Victorian Brendan Harper in the battle for third.
The Chrysler Centura of Matt Smith hit the race lead early in heat four to defeat Kingaroy’s Josh Harm and Matthew Layton from Northern New South Wales who came from position ten to finish inside the top three by race end.
Jeff Peacock’s weekend was over early in heat five as he made heavy concrete with the concrete wall in turn three as Moz Woodrow would also be out of the race at that point.
Bundaberg’s Brad Scherer claimed a solid win from Levi O’Brien and former Australia 2 Wayne Bourke from Leeton in New South Wales.
The second major rollover of the night occurred in heat six when Thomas Fuller rolled heavily in turn three.
Ray Ussher, Danny Harrison & Cameron Vicary were all out on the opening lap as well with just seven cars to contest the remaining ten laps.
Two Time National Champion Stephen Laidlaw defeated Richard Cook with National Champion Joel Berkley going from the sixth row to finish third.
Queenslander Adrian Stott held off Hayden Turner in tight contest in heat seven with Charlotte Christensen officially third.
Two veterans of Speedway Sedan racing Trevor Mills and Brett Barron had a elbows out contest in heat eight with the two time National Champion in SSA Production Sedans crossing the line first.
Barron was awarded the thirty six points after Mills was relegated two positions after the race.
Brisbane’s Darran Lester made the most of starting on the outside of the front in heat nine to defeat Rory Evans and Ash Graham in the Holden Commodore from Northern New South Wales.
Victorian Ray Ussher would lead the early laps of heat ten before Matt Nelson unfortunately became the third driver of the National Title to go upside.
Stephen Laidlaw went on to record his second heat win of the opening night as Ray Ussher slowed in the concluding stages.
Heat Eleven saw a great battle between Rory Evans and Josh Harm as the driver of the Q63 Holden Commodore held on for the maximum points.
Disaster struck Darran Lester early in heat twelve when the right suspension collapsed on his Ford Falcon.
A huge rollover for Brandon Jarius in turn four lead to a lengthy delay with Jarius unhurt in the incident.
Lismore’s Matthew Layton continued his strong start to the National Title as he took victory.
The Chrysler Centura of Matt Smith lead all the way in heat thirteen with Gary Harris Jnr doing likewise in heat fourteen.
Heat fourteen wasn’t without incident as Selina Jennings ended upside down in the Holden Commodore from Gympie after suffering suspension.
A delighted Aaron Sander took victory in heat fifteen as Brad Scherer moved from position ten to be second by the end of the ten laps.
National Champion Joel Berkley moved from seventh to the lead within six laps in heat sixteen after with the driver of the Cush Clothing Ford Falcon getting the better of Cameron Vicary & Richard Cook.
Kingaroy local Nathan Barbeler crossed the line first in heat seventeen but would be disqualified post race due to a technical infringement handing the thirty six points to Victorian Brendan Harper with Brett Barron officially second.
The final heat race of the second round saw Max Clarke become the third driver to record two heat victories as he capitalised on the misfortune of DJ Lennon & Ash Graham.
To begin the third and final round on night one the Kingaroy Speedway began to offer multiple lines of racing.
National Champion Joel Berkley suffered damage in the early laps which sent him infield as Gary Harris Jnr took his second win of the night from the consistent Brad Scherer.
Former Queensland Street Stock champion Robert Trapp found form in heat twenty as Darran Lester got the better of Rory Evans for second.
Rockhampton duo Michael Johnson & DJ Lennon finished filled the first two positions in heat twenty one with Stephen Laidlaw enjoying a great opening night to be third.
Josh Harm had the Kingaroy crowd cheering in heat twenty two as he held off Jarrod Peacock & Max Clarke.
A great battle for supremacy unfolded in heat twenty three as Adrian Stott lead home Brendan Cowley and the Ford Cortina of Ashley McKellar.
Queensland champion Daniel Henshaw disappointing night continued in heat twenty four when a component failure set his Holden Commodore into the wall.
Matthew Layton took the points with fellow Lismore Automobile Club driver Stuart Fawcett doing the same in heat twenty five.
The Ford Mustang of Travis Hutchison found a way past Craig McAlister in heat twenty six as Chris Pagel finished third.
David Barbeler gave the locals another reason to smile in the final heat of the night to claim victory from Victorian champion Benny Barker.
One more round of heats awaits competitors ahead of the main events to decide the 2022 SSA National Production Sedan.
Racing begins from 4pm with every lap to be streamed live and free courtesy of Speedway Sedans Live powered by Pro1 Race Parts.
OVERNIGHT POINT SCORE IN THE 2022 SSA NATIONAL PRODUCTION SEDAN TITLE
1. N81 Matthew Layton 95
2. N15 Max Clarke 95
3. Q26 Gary Harris Jr 95
4. V30 Stephen Laidlaw 95
5. Q14 Josh Harm 92
6. Q30 Brad Scherer 92
7. Q63 Rory Evans 87
8. QB36 Matt Smith 80
9. Q16 Aaron Sander 77
10. Q23 Adrian Stott 77
11. Q88 David Barbeler 76
12. QB18 Brett Barron 72
13. QA71 Travis Hutchison 69
14. Q59 Darran Lester 68
15. Q61 Brendan Cowley 68
16. Q48 Hayden Turner 68
17. V13 Benny Barker 68
18. QB2 Michael Johnson 66
19. A1 Joel Berkley 63
20. Q19 Robert Trapp 61
21. Q2 Chris Pagel 61
22. N65 Stuart Fawcett 61
23. Q22 Charlotte Christensen 59
24. V58 Brendan Harper 58
25. Q99 Jack Kay 58
26. Q5 Dakota Laverty 57
27. ACT89 Liam Heaton 57
28. Q18 DJ Lennon 56
29. Q58 David Clarkson 56
30. Q15 Richard Cook 55
31. N53 Ash Graham 54
32. N91 Chris Blyton 53
33. Q9 Ashley McKellar 53
34. Q28 Stephen Freeman 51
35. QC18 Andrew Roberts 50
36. N75 Matt Vicary 49
37. Q8 Tony Owen 48
38. Q84 Jarrod Peacock 47
39. QA2 Simon Walker 47
40. Q33 Tyson Jennings 46
41. Q3 Josh Jarius 44
42. N32 Craig McAlister 44
43. N25 Lindsay Clapham 44
44. N10 Trevor Mills 43
45. Q71 Steven Spence 43
46. QA99 Levi O’Brien 43
47. N27 Wayne Bourke 42
48. Q36 Sarah Franz 40
49. Q72 Dean Ruthenberg 36
50. N59 Aaron Hall 35
51. QA21 Lachlan Seawright 35
52. QA17 Darryn Reid 34
53. QA46 Michael Mason 31
54. Q46 Kory Jennings 31
55. Q7 Kane Heidke 31
56. Q68 Norm Townsend 31
57. N29 Jaiden Healey 30
58. QB26 James Elliott 30
59 N7 Steve Jordan 29
60. N11 Josh Boyd 29
61. QA63 Beau Smithwick 29
62. Q4 Trent Gosley 29
63. Q11 Chris Annison 28
64. QB21 Kent Shelford 28
65. Q10 Daniel Henshaw 27
66. Q83 Brendon Kelly 27
67. Q39 Moz Woodrow 27
68. Q17 Neil Keldoulis 27
69. V26 Gemma Laidlaw 27
70. QA18 Bryce Bayfield 26
71. Q48 Sheree Barron 26
72. N17 Ian Bell 25
73. QA26 Nic Bleys 25
74. ACT23 Damien McAlister 24
75. Q248 Tom Moulden 23
76. Q57 Thomas Fuller 22
77. Q25 Selina Jennings 21
78. V19 Jack Bear 19
79. QA88 Nathan Barbeler 17
80. N24 Danny Harrison 16
81. V98 Ray Ussher 16
82. QA15 Jamie Beasmore 15
83. QA16 Sam Grundy 15
84. N85 Cameron Vicary 12
85. V61 Matt Nelson 11
86. Q84 Jeff Peacock 11
87. QA36 Brian Grundy 10
88. Q64 Dennis Kay 10
89. Q32 Maddi McGee 8
90. Q13 Rachael Jenkins 8
91. V0 John Baker Jnr 7
92. QA33 Brandon Jarius 4
93. Q21 Brendon Bayfield 4
94. QB46 Ethan Carroll 0
