Author : Jason Crowe – SSA Media
Braith Hogan and Ardie Jonic are the over-night leaders of the Speedway Sedans Australia, One Realty, National Junior Sedan Title, at the Fraser Shores Maryborough Speedway, after the opening night of competition.
The racing was fast and furious and also spectacular, which was one way to describe several monumental roll-overs which occurred in the second round of racing.
Hogan and Jonic not only lead the point-standings, both went through the night undefeated.
Hogan got off to the best possible start, by winning the opening heat, defeating Jye Irving who started from position nine and Kurtis Peall who started from positions six.
Jaiden Santin and Jeremy Gorski would trade the lead several times in heat two, with Brandyn Thomas joining the pair late in the race, for a great last lap, with Santin just defeating Gorski and Thomas, with the trio separated by just 0.636.
Heat three saw Bodhi Russ take the win after a great battle with Ryan Harris, Hayden Brims and Michael Larsen. In an excellent four way battle, Harris would be sent to the rear of the field on lap four, while trying to pass Russ. On the resultant restart, Brims suffered exactly the same fate. It set up an exciting finish, with Russ holding off Larsen and Chelsea Gwynne as the three crossed the line together.
Tristan Lowther and Todd Moule would crash on the back straight on the opening lap of heat four. Casey OConnell, who started on the front row would endure a classic battle with Mason Cameron throughout the eight laps, with Cameron valiantly trying to pass without success. Moule would finish third.
Ardie Jonic took just two laps to hit the lead in heat five after starting from position seven. The National Champion drove away from the opposition for an easy win, downing Ellie Peacock and Kipp Barron.
Heat six saw Olivia Muscat bring on the yellows twice and was subsequently disqualified. Mitch Glynn would go on to win the heat from fellow Victorian Ben Micallef and Dakota Laverty.
The track had become challenging, but all of the drivers in the first round of heats did a tremendous job, including Darcy Micallef who won heat seven. Micaellef was one of three leaders in the race, including Erik Wallace, who suffered a flat tyre while leading. Micallef accounted for Blake Webb and Kasey Garlick.
No-one could have predicted what happened next, with round two of competition on a freshly graded track, seeing no less than four roll overs.
The first spectacular rollover occurred in heat eight when Ryan Schultz rolled over in turn two, landing on the bonnet of South Australian Drew Flatman. After a lengthy delay Bryce Bayfield would go on to win the heat from Flatman who was able to continue, with Darcy Micallef finishing third.
Erik Wallace went some way to making up for the flat tyre in the opening round when he won heat nine. Kasey Garlick and Mason Cameron would fill the minor placings. Wallace would break the one lap track record in the process.
Something went drastically wrong for Ryan Harris in heat ten. The car simply would not accelerate when the lights went green, and he was forced to go infield. Jye Irving would have a convincing win over Josh Ciesiolka and Mitchell Wogandt.
Heat eleven went without any real incident with Michael Larsen taking the win after starting from position five. This was only after both Harrison Bates and Josh Rigby had their turn in front, with Larsen taking the lead on lap three, eventually accounting for Todd Moule and Harrison Bates.
Kurtis Peall would drive around the outside of the entire field, to hit the front of the opening lap, setting up his big win in heat twelve. Peall would eventually account for Brandyn Thomas and Kaitlyn Field.
Heat thirteen would see Charlotte Christensen roll gently in turn two. This would be followed by numerous minor crashes, early in the race, which all preceded a spectacular rollover when Mitch Glynn rolled after driving over the wheel of Casey OConnell, who lost it moments later. Glynn rolled in reverse, before nose diving into the track, before landing upside down. Braith Hogan who started out of position nine, missed all of the carnage, going on to win the heat from Dakota Laverty and Jayden Triffet.
Not to be outdone, Jackson Thomas rolled by himself in turn two in the very next heat. Ardie Jonic would eventually account for Blake Webb and Paige Allison.
Ben Micallef had just enough in reserve to account for the fast finishing Erik Wallace in heat fifteen. Bre Larsen would finish third.
Michael Larsen may have led all the way in heat sixteen, but he had it far from easy, winning narrowly over Zac Brims and Kayden Swindells. The three were separated by just 0.844.
Braith Hogan made it three wins from three starts when he would heat seventeen. Again, he never had it easy, just beating home Darcy Micallef, while behind the pair, three drivers ran wheel to when through the duration of the event. Jayden Triffett, Bailey Barnicoat and Dakota Laverty literally crossed the line together, with just 0.203 separating them.
Kasey Garlick took the lead on the opening lap of heat eighteen and was never headed. Hayden Brims and Ashleigh Moller filled the minor placings.
Casey OConnell made amends in heat nineteen, winning in just a seven car field. OConnell accounted for Kurtis Peall and Courtney Meakins.
Ardie Jonic drove the back of the field to win heat twenty, with the National Title holder hitting the front on lap four, before driving away from the opposition. Todd Moule and Jye Irving filled the minor placings.
Blake Webb from Western Australia, came from position eight to hit the front on lap two, before driving away from the opposition in the final heat on the first night of competition. Webb accounted for Damon Musch and Rhys Meakins.
OFFICIAL POINTS
1. A1 Ardie Jonic, 108
2. Q72 Braith Hogan 108
3. Q98 Michael Larsen 100
4. W108 Blake Webb 92
5. V62 Kasey Garlick 87
6. Q11 Kurtis Peall 87
7. V46 Jye Irving 87
8. V76 Darcy Micallef 87
9. V94 Todd Moule 79
10. Q148 Casey O’Connell 76
11. Q22 Mason Cameron 68
12. Q43 Erik Wallace 67
13. V5 Ben Micallef 67
14. Q55 Brandon Thomas 64
15. Q83 Dakota Laverty 64
16, V54 Jeremy Gorski 62
17. S112 Drew Flatman 58
18. Q4 Kipp Barron 57
19. T38 Jayden Triffett 54
20. Q12 Damon Musch 54
21. Q18 Bryce Bayfield 54
22. V84 Courtney Meakins 53
23. Q10 Bodhi Russ 53
24. Jaiden Santin 52
25. S34 Chelsea Gwynne 50
26. Rhys Meakins 50
27, N71 Zac Brims 49
28. Q39 Kayden Swindells 48
29. Q66 Bre Larsen 48
30. N77 Hayden Brims 48
31. Q19 JJ Hamilton 44
32. Q16 Harrison Bates 44
33. Q7 Jayden Hancock 44
34, Q97 Bailey Barnicoat 43
35. Q79 Mitch Simmons 43
36. V86 Mitch Glynn 41
37. Q44 Ashleigh Moller 39
38. T47 Paige Allison 38
39. Q33 Joshua Ciesiolka 37
40. Q81 Mitch Wogandt 37
41. Q73 Kaitlyn Field 37
42. Q74 Ellie Peacock 36
43. Q14 Jaiden Torrisi 33
44. Q27 Joshua Rigby 33
45. W26 Jasmine Arnold 31
46. Q51 Harry Doyle 30
47. NT89 Shane Greening 29
48. NT28 Lachlan Spilsbury 27
49. Q92 Brodie Hollyman 26
50. Q64 Braydon Storer 26
51, Q32 Kaine Richters 24
52. Q99 Jackson Thomas 22
53. NT114 Michael Jones 21
54. S56 Corey Richter 21
55. N48 Ryan Harris 20
56. Q53 Jordann Hardy 20
57. T67 Brodie Kelly 19
58. N88 Lachlan Harris 18
59. Q68 Olivia Muscat 18
60. Q8 James Ryan 18
61. S82 Max Richter 17
62. Q69 Linkin Huth 17
63. V58 Darcy Wilson 16
64. Q17 Cooper Reid 16
65. Q24 Shay Barron 16
66. Q75 Teah Daley 15
67. Q9 Tristan Lowther 15
68. Q36 Sophie Montgomery 15
69. Q42 Ryan Schultz 14
70. Q2 Charlotte Christensen 13
71. Q3 Chloe Lebeter 12
72. Q25 Allira Deen 11
72. Q2 Charlotte Christensen 8
73. Q91 Riley Coutts 8
74. S45 Thomas Richter 6
75. Q29 Billy MacDonald 4
Photo of Braith Hogan courtesy of Mr Click