Official Release Sunday 17th March 2024.
Callum Harper has claimed his second South Australian Title in a row and also his first Graham Cowland 42 victory last night at Murray Bridge Speedway.
Victorian Ash Bergmeier opened the evening with a big win in heat one. Bergmeier led the way from NSW and Victorian Champion Matty Pascoe in second, and young gun Todd Atkins in third.
Queensland and Tasmanian Champion Brad Pascoe was looking to add a South Australian Title to his impressive list of accomplishments and kicked his night off with a heat win in heat two.
Freshly minted WA Champion Dave Gartner crossed the line second, from three time National Champion Mick Nicola in third. Harper got his title defence off to the perfect start with a win in heat three.
Harper got the better of a pair of Victorians with Jamie Collins in second, and Mick Nicola Jnr in third. Matty Pascoe continued his strong start to the night with a win in heat four, this time taking the win from Bergmeier in second, and Harper in third. Nicola Jnr was too good in heat number five, leading the way from Queenslands Zac Pascoe in second, and Victorian Travis Ramsdale in third.
New South Welshman Tyson Moon led the way in heat six taking the win from Victoria’s Lucas Roberts in second and Queenslands Michael Hally in third position.
Harper picked up his second win of the night in heat number seven, leading the way from Brock Atkins in second, and Matty Pascoe in third.
Gartner was too strong for the field in the penultimate heat of the night, getting the better of Tyson Moon in second, and Brad Pascoe in third. Victorian veteran Lionel West led the way in the ninth and final heat of the night, leading home fellow Victorians Lucas Roberts in second, and Dave Mackenzie in third.
Harper would qualify in pole position for his title defence and was joined on the front row by Matty Pascoe. Gartner qualified into third position and was joined on the second row by Brad Pascoe.
Harper and Pascoe ran the entirety of the first of forty two circulations side by side before Pascoe powered around the outside and clear into the lead through turns one and two on lap two.
Harper ran in second, from Gartner in third, Brad Pascoe in fourth and Bergmeier in fifth.
The first move came from Brad Pascoe who threw a perfect slide job on Gartner in turns three and four to take third position on lap four.
Moon was the next to get the better of Gartner as the battle was frenetic at the back end of the top five. Moon took fourth, Bergmeier, Nicola Jnr and Nicola Snr also relegated Gartner in consecutive laps to leave Gartner in eighth after fourteen laps.
Nicola Jnr took fifth from Bergmeier as the caution came out for the first time for a stricken Michael Hally after fifteen laps.
Matty Pascoe led away at the resumption with Harper, Brad Pascoe, Nicola Jnr and Bergmeier in hot pursuit.
Matty Pascoe’s car looked to be a handful as the lead pair headed into lap traffic as they passed the halfway mark of the forty two lap journey.
Pascoe managed to put a gap of just over a second on Harper as the traffic at got heavier, Harper reeled Pascoe back in and was on the bumper with fourteen laps remaining.
Pascoe was baulked by traffic and it was the only opportunity Harper needed as he executed a perfect slider in turn three to take the lead twelve laps from home.
Harper streaked away and went through the final twelve circulations unchallenged en route to his second South Australian Title and the tenth title of his career. Matty Pascoe battled away to cross the line in second ahead of his son Brad Pascoe in third.
Moon was next across the line in fourth ahead of Nicola Jnr who rounded out the top five. Bergmeier crossed the line sixth, ahead of Zac Pascoe in seventh.
Gartner was next across the line in eighth, from Jamie Collins in ninth, and Todd Atkins who rounded out the top ten. The National Super Sedan Title will return to Murray Bridge Speedway in March of 2025.
South Australian Title & Graham Cowland 42
A Main – 42 laps 1. T22 Callum Harper, 2. N1 Matty Pascoe, 3. Q1 Brad Pascoe, 4. N47 Tyson Moon, 5. V23 Mick Nicola Jnr, 6. V16 Ash Bergmeier, 7. Q6 Zac Pascoe, 8. S18 Dave Gartner, 9. V34 Jamie Collins (41), 10. V36 Todd Atkins (41), 11. V71 Lionel West (41), 12. V24 Dave Mackenzie (41), 13. S22 Paul Blenkiron (39), 14. S52 Bailey Heinrich (39), 15. S34 Kym Leyson (38), DNF V3 Mick Nicola (37), V0 Lucas Roberts (33), S58 Neville Nitschke (33), N57 Brock Atkins (20), Q98 Michael Hally (15).
