Official Release- Saturday 8th April 2023
Western Australian Luke Fraser is leading the point score after night one of the 2023 SSA Inc National Modified Sedan Title presented by the City of Albany which is being held at the Attwell Park Speedway in Western Australia.
Fraser was the only driver to go through the night undefeated in his Civil Hirings Ford Falcon as Aidan Raymont and Brad Wicks enjoyed consistent nights in their Ford Falcons.
Persistent rain threatened to dampen the opening night of racing in Albany as Forty Seven Modified Sedans representing four different states contested the three rounds of heat racing before a great Easter School Holidays crowd.
The rain cleared in time for the grand parade before the racing got underway, with Lindsay McAuley in the ODH Mechanical Holden Commodore awarded the Best Presented Car Award for the 2023 SSA National Modified Sedan Title.
2013 National Modified Sedan Champion Aidan Raymont lead all the way in the opening heat race of the event winning by over three seconds from Western Australian’s Jamie Higgs, Matt Noakes and Branden Fraser who came from the fifth row to finish fourth.
Luke Fraser hit the lead early in heat two as he claimed the victory by over four seconds from the Holden Commodores of Queensland Champion Nathan Macdonald and Brendan Selleck.
Newly crowned Western Australian Champion Joel Berkley led all the way in heat three as father and son duo Sam & Lindsay McAuley finished second and third respectively.
Reigning National Champion Brock Atkins moved from fifth place to take victory in heat four after a great battle with Brody Chrystie, as Gary Pagel, Graham West and Daniel Simpson duelled for third throughout the event.
Heat Five witnessed the battle of the opening round as Broome’s Ray Clifton and Bendigo’s Brad Wicks put on a great show for the paying public as the two cleared out from the rest of the field.
Clifton held off Wicks by 0.2 of a second at the end of the ten laps as Kingaroy’s Brett Barron finished a distant third.
The second round of competition kicked off with the race of the night as the Modified Sedans continued to thrill the crowd.
1999 National Champion Gary Pagel and Paul Stevens raced side by side for the entire ten laps around Attwell Park as Dylan Barrow, Jason Batchelor, Nathan Macdonald and Calon Ball battled hard for third place.
Stevens took the win by the barest of margins from Pagel and sixteen year old Dylan Barrow officially third.
National Champion Brock Atkins dominated a depleted field in heat seven as drama unfolded when Joel Berkley retired with engines problems aboard his Cush Clothing Ford Falcon.
Kalgoorlie’s Brendan Selleck took third behind the always consistent Sam McAuley.Heat Eight was the domain of Brad Wicks as he won by three seconds from Aidan Raymont and Albany’s Laurie Dowsett.
Brotherly love was put to one side in heat nine as Luke Fraser and Branden Fraser cleared away from the field in heat nine as the two Civil Hirings Ford Falcon’s battled for the thirty six points on offer.
Luke would hold Branden Fraser by just 0.479 of a second. Victorian Champion Kye Walters motored on the outside of the racetrack to steal heat ten on the final circulation from the Enzed Mercedes of Jarod Waters as the Modified Sedan continued to put on awesome display of racing.
Luke Fraser would claim his third victory of the opening night of the National Title to kick off the round three as he moved from the fifth row to take the win from Albany locals Laurie Dowsett and Calon Ball.
Misfortune struck Sam McAuley as he found the concrete wall in heat eleven damaging the Holden Commodore.2016 Western Australian Champion Matt Noakes held off Branden Fraser and Matt Nelson to take heat twelve.
Brendan Selleck led all the way in heat thirteen as the driver of the Eyerite Signs Holden Commodore took the win from Anthony King who stole second from Brad Wicks on the final lap.
Heat Fourteen had the Albany crowd enthralled as four drivers battled for the entire ten laps as Shane Brittain, Aidan Raymont, Lindsay McAuley and Mark Carlin all took turns at the front of the field.
Three Time National Champion Mark Carlin would take the win narrowly from Aidan Raymont, Shane Brittain and Lindsay McAuley.
Victorian Champion Kye Walters took a comfortable victory to round out night one as Joel Berkley wheeled the Matt Nelson owned car to second with Jamie Higgs officially third before going up in smoke after the race
.Just more round of heat racing is to be completed on night two ahead of the two B Mains and forty A Main.
Watch it all live on Clay Per View.
Points After Night One
1. W15 Luke Fraser 108
2. Q28 Aidan Raymont 92
3. V17 Brad Wicks 87
4. A1 Brock Atkins 85
5. W21 Matt Noakes 82
6. V46 Kye Walters 82
7. W3 Brendan Selleck 82
8. W2 Branden Fraser 73
9. QA9 Joel Berkley 70
10. W14 Laurie Dowsett 68
11. W6 Paul Stevens 63
12. W84 Jamie Higgs 61
13. W36 Sam McAuley 60
14. Q9 Gary Pagel 59
15. W29 Lindsay McAuley 57
16. V61 Matt Nelson 56
17. V32 Brody Chrystie 55
18. W8 Calon Ball 53
19. W91 Ray Clifton 51
20. Q148 Brett Barron 50
21. V92 Jarod Waters 49
22. W46 Jason Batchelor 49
23. Q32 Nathan Macdonald 48
24. V33 Daniel Simpson 43
25. Q27 Shane Macdonald 43
26. V2 Mark Carlin 42
27. W51 Anthony King 42
28. W12 Aydan Trewern 38
29. V56 Graham West 38
30. VA17 Dylan Barrow 35
31. W88 Shane Brittain 33
32. W16 Peter Katona 31
33. W31 Kevin Ellement 28
34. Q24 David Head 27
35. W74 Allan Mortimer 26
36. W616 Jamie Goodwin 26
37. S94 Robert Uren 24
38. W18 Adam Houston 24
39. W19 Josh Stewart 23
40. Q15 Richard Cook 23
41. W17 Merv Penn 21
42. WA84 Brent Crookes 18
43. WA14 Wade Rigney 16
44. W48 Brenden Higgs 13
45. V18 Brooke Ferguson 10
46. W23 Jayke Malcolm 6
47. W333 Shane Dubberlin 0
