Press Release by Speedway Sedans Western Australia.
Nominations for the 2023/23 SSA Super Sedan WA Title have now officially closed (though late nominations will still be accepted) and it is the biggest field in a number of years set to do battle at the Bunbury Speedway on the 25th of March!
Twenty two entries have been received for the event, the biggest since 22 started the event at Albany in 2018, with this seasons field spear headed by current and three time WA Champion Gary Higgs.
After many years finishing on the podium (five second places and four third places starting in the 1994/95 season), Higgs finally broke through for the win at Albany in the 2019/20 season and since then has gone on to claim the next two events, at Bunbury and Collie Speedways, rewriting the record books in the process as the first to win the Title three years in a row.
Now returning back to Bunbury to defend his Title once again, Gary is one of thirty one drivers who have been successful in the event, but one of only eleven drivers who have claimed the event more than once.
If he is able to claim his fourth crown he will tie himself for wins with names like Ben Ludlow, Bert Vosbergen, Marc Giancola and Peter Brook, while he will be one win behind Tony Giancola who has five events in the event.
Warren Minshull is a two time champion and despite concentrating his efforts in the Late Model in recent years, he has renewed his focus on the Super Sedan for this Title event and will be keen to grab a third title win after his previous wins in 2015/16 (at Esperance) and 2018/19 (at Albany).
The only other former Champion in the field is Keith Higgs, who claimed the event back in 2002/03 and is hopeful of making his return in the Title event if all the cards fall his way.
There are of course a number of drivers in the field who have previously finished on the podium in years gone by: Tristan Green was second last year and Kevin Bell was third in the same event, the fourth time he has finished third since 1991 (in addition to a second place in 2020/21), and the second time in as many years he has been on the podium.
Kyle Larson, Rob Knox, Dustin Higgs and Kemble Aylett have also all finished third once each over the years and with an incredible amount of years and experience between the quartet, all four would be well positioned for another podium finish come title time.
Lee Aylett was leading strongly last time the Title was held at Bunbury before being forced infield with a flat tyre so he certainly has some unfinished business as he attempts to emulate the efforts of his famous family, while Brent Vosbergen will be doing much the same, hoping to become the third generation after father Craig and grandfather Bert to claim the win in the WA Super Sedan Title.
Steve Larson was fourth in last years Title at Collie, followed across the line by Nathan Thiele and Ryan Huxtable as the only six finishers in that event and with all three in the field once again, they will be keen to better those results again, while names like Steve Schofield and Terry Green were unable to complete the distance, Schofield having the unfortunate statistic of being a DNF in the last three titles while Green has recorded DNF or DNS’s for the last five years in a row and both will be looking for better luck this time around.
Dean Shore has been away from Super Sedans for a while now, with only sporadic appearances in recent years, but having previously finished in fourth (2019) and fifth (2018 and 2017) certainly knows what it takes to run at the front, while at the opposite end of the scale Andrew Kennedy has contested only a few WA Super Sedan Title previously, the most recent of which where he came home ninth at Collie, and names like Ajay Hammer, Lukas Lampert and Bryce Fisher will be starting in their first WA Super Sedan Title events and hoping for some solid results on debut.
The final car in this year’s title is that of ‘Filthy’ Phil Barton, who will once again make the trek down from Broome to compete.
Unable to start the feature races in the last two years, and a DNF in 2017 mean Title events haven’t always been kind to Phil, but he has always shown plenty of speed (and been spectacular – think of his efforts in Esperance with a spectacular fire that again saw him miss the feature race!) and this year could be the one he finally breaks through!
There are plenty of stories right through the field for the WA Super Sedan Title… what chapter will be written this time?
WA Super Sedan Title Official Nominations – 22
WA1 Gary Higgs
W4 Lee Aylett
4B Brent Vosbergen
W5 Kevin Bell
W6 Tristan Green
W7 Warren Minshull
W9 Kemble Aylett
W10 Kyle Larson
W13 Andrew Kennedy
W17 Lukas Lampert
W18 Dustin Higgs
W22 Steve Schofield
W23 Ryan Huxtable
W25 Nathan Thiele
W34 Dean Shore
W36 Phil Barton
W46 Ajay Hammer
W68 Rob Knox
W76 Terry Green
W80 Bryce Fisher
W85 Keith Higgs
W96 Stephen Larson
