Official Release Sunday 3rd March 2024.
Darren Kane has become the first ever five time National Super Sedan Champion after capturing victory tonight at the Attwell Park Speedway in Albany Western Australia.
After a dramatic forty laps, Kane took the chequered flag five seconds clear of Western Australian champion Dustin Higgs after the two endured a enthralling and at times tense main event.
Twenty seven Super Sedans were present for the final night of the 2024 SSA National Super Sedan Title presented by The City of Albany as fine sunny conditions chequered everyone at Attwell Park.
South Australia’s Dave Gartner lead all the way in the opening heat of night two (heat ten) as he defeated Zac Pascoe by over four seconds with Matt Pascoe officially third with Gartner’s win earning him a front row start.
The race of the weekend occurred in heat eleven as Gary Higgs lead early before being challenged by both Darren Kane and Dustin Higgs.
Gary Higgs would hold them off to take the thirty six points as Kane and Dustin Higgs raced wheel to wheel for second place with Kane prevailing.
Dual state champion Brad Pascoe held off Phil Barton to claim the final heat race of the National Title as the Super Sedans thundered around Attwell Park.
An entertaining fifteen lap B Main unfolded as Keith Higgs, Kemble Aylett, Kyle Larson, Matthew McMahon, Ryan Huxtable and Queensland’s Michael Hally all transferred into the main event.
The wonderful crowd on hand showed the twenty two finalists a lot of appreciation before the forty lap main event got underway.
Darren Kane and Dave Gartner occupied the front row with Dustin Higgs and Matt Pascoe sharing row two.
Kane would lead the opening three laps before a multiple car pile up further back in the field lead to a significant stoppage as they removed Kyle Larson, Tristan Green and Matthew McMahon’s damaged cars from the race track.
New South Wales champion Matt Pascoe would retire to the infield during the red light stoppage with fluid leaking from the power plant of the proline backed entry.
As the race got back underway Kane would lead the field away from Higgs who was quickly into second place and then began about challenging Kane.
Gary Higgs would bring the yellow lights on after spinning in turn four which brought Bryce Fisher undone.
Higgs would be sent to the rear of the field for the resumption with thirty three laps remaining.
The race at the front of the field was worth the price of admission as Dustin Higgs threw everything at Darren Kane.
Higgs hit the lead on lap thirteen as the two cleared away from the rest of the field.
Lap traffic came into play as Higgs and Kane zigged and zagged through the slower cars.
Dustin Higgs was the leader of the main event for nearly twenty laps as the leaders lapped nearly the entire field.
Higgs would be seriously inconvienced by lap traffic handing the lead back to Darren Kane with ten laps remaining.
As the laps wound down Higgs tried in vein to run down the leader as Higgs made the move for the win four laps remaining.
After heavy contact with the wall Higgs momentarily came to a stop on the back straight before getting back underway as Kane’s car showed signs of distress.
Higgs lost nearly five seconds to the leader as Kane tried to negotiated the last few circulations.
The leader would spin on the second last lap after contact with a lapped car forcing a trip across the infield.
Darren Kane crossed the line by over five seconds to create history to become the first five time winner of the SSA National Super Sedan Title.
Remarkably Dustin Higgs suffered an exploded flat right rear tyre as he crossed the line second with Dave Gartner holding off Brad Pascoe for fourth with only the top four finishing on the lead lap.
Gary Higgs wrestled fifth away from Mount Barker youngster Bryce Fisher who finished a remarkable sixth place in his first attempt at the event.
Outgoing National Champion Trent Wilson was officially tenth.
An emotional Darren Kane was delighted to win a fifth National Title in Super Sedans as the crowd showed their appreciation.
Kane also indicated during the presentations that his engine was labouring through most of the race.
The 2025 SSA National Super Sedan Title will be conducted at the Murray Bridge Speedway in South Australia in late March.
OFFICIAL RESULT
A Main, 40 Laps- 1. Q36 Darren Kane, 2. W1 Dustin Higgs, 3. S18 Dave Gartner, 4. Q1 Brad Pascoe, 5. W81 Gary Higgs (39), 6. W80 Bryce Fisher (39), 7. W68 Rob Knox (39), 8. V16 Ash Bergmeier (39), 9. W9 Kemble Aylett (38), 10. A1 Trent Wilson (38), 11. Q98 Michael Hally (38), 12. W23 Ryan Huxtable (37), 13. W42 Glynn McBeath (36). DNF: W25 Nathan Thiele (33), Q6 Brad Pascoe (32), W36 Phil Barton (25), V3 Mick Nicola (19), WA85 Keith Higgs (4), N1 Matty Pascoe (3), W6 Tristan Green (3), W10 Kyle Larson (3), W85 Mathew McMahon (3). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 5.356. Fastest Lap: 16.264 W1 Dustin Higgs.
