Official Release- Sunday 16th April 2023.
Western Australian Kyle Sayer has become the new Speedway Sedans Australia National Production Sedan Title after taking victory this afternoon at the Allwest Plant Hire Ellenbrook Speedway in Perth
In what was the twentieth anniversary of the event presented by Jolly Good In Car Audio and Entertainment, Sayer held off 2018 Western Australian Champion Barry Rose in what was a classic final at the daytime venue.
Queensland’s Joel Berkley moved from position sixteen to finish third with Nuno Mendes and Peter Katona Jnr rounding out the top five.
A delayed start for the final day of racing greeted the seventy remaining competitors in the event as heavy rain fell venue on overnight making the racing surface difficult to race on early in proceedings.
Despite the early inclement weather a great crowd were on hand to witness a fantastic afternoon of action.
When proceedings did get underway the final eight heat races of the National Title presented by Jolly Good In Car Audio and Entertainment saw Hayden Norman, Rod Musarra, Benny Curtin, Aydan Trewern, Jacky Moroney, Kye Blight, Luke Halliday and Peter Katona all taking the thirty six points on offer.
A small field of seven cars contested the C Main as Geraldton’s Dave Herbert and Victorian Dehne Sparrow each advanced into the one of the B Mains.
Moora’s Michael Moltoni experienced a dramatic moment in the first of the two B Mains as he rolled his Holden Commodore on the main straight after contact with another car.
Mitchell Killeen, Luke Halliday and Anthony Page all qualified for the main event after finishing in the top three at the end of the twenty laps around the Allwest Plant Hire Ellenbrook Speedway.
2020 National Junior Sedan Champion Mitchell Baker hit the lead early in the second B Main as took the victory from two-time Victorian Champion Beau Riley, with Benny Curtin getting the better of his battle with Kane McDiarmid to snatch the final transfer spot.
The twenty two finalists would parade four wide prior to the forty lap finale to decide the new National Champion for Production Sedans.
Western Australian Champion Kye Blight and Barry Rose shared the front row for the main event as the race got underway as the sun set in the west.
Blight would take the lead into the first corner as further back Beau Riley brought the yellow lights on after spinning his Holden Commodore in turn one.
After the second attempt to start the race Blight would lead down the back straight from Rose and Kyle Sayer who advanced from position six to be third at the end of the opening lap.
The National Title campaign for Kye Blight would be over on lap three as the Blight’s Auto Electrics Holden Commodore slowed on the top side of the racetrack with a broken shock mount preventing him from continuing in the race.
Rose would take over the front running from Sayer, Peter Katona Jnr, Aydan Trewern and Richard Cook the top five at the end of ten laps.
The two former state champions Rose and Sayer cleared out from the field as the battle for the minors continued to build.
Sayer’s turn at the front began on lap fifteen as the Coastal Cleans Southwest Holden Commodore hit the lead after working the bottom side of the racetrack on the exit of turn four.
The gap between the two leaders was never more than a car length as Rose tried everything to find a way back past Sayer.
It wasn’t until lap twenty three that the first stoppage occurred of the main event as Mitch Killeen came to a stop in turn four in his RPM Race Products Holden Commodore.
Sayer continued to lead from Rose with Katona Jnr and Trewern coming together as they battled for third place on lap twenty six as Katona Jnr fell back to seventh.
Collie’s Jamie Graham brought his Holden Commodore to a stop with thirteen laps remaining as Queensland’s Joel Berkley had worked his way into the top five by that point of the race.
During the stoppage Aydan Trewern would be relegated two positions with the Muffler Rebel Holden Commodore restarting in position five.
The final laps of the A Main were a classic display of Speedway Sedan racing as Sayer and Rose continued the scrap for the National Title as Berkley began to work the top shelf of the racetrack as he tried in vain to run down the top two.
Sayer would hold Barry Rose as bay over the final laps to become the 2023 SSA National Production Sedan Title claiming victory by just 0.347 of a second from Rose and Berkley.
Nuno Mendes would come from the position seven to finish fourth as Peter Katona Jnr crossed the line in fifth place.
The new National Champion celebrated with a truly emotional victory lap before an appreciative crowd at the venue located on the northern outskirts of Perth.
Speedway Sedans Australia thanks the Racing Drivers Association-Ellenbrook Speedway for providing a great venue for the 2023 National Production Sedan Title.
The 2024 SSA National Production Sedan Title will be held at the Timmis Speedway in Mildura Victoria in late April.
OFFICIAL RESULT
A Main, 40 Laps- 1. WA95 Kyle Sayer, 2. W181 Barry Rose, 3. Q2 Joel Berkley, 4. WC11 Nuno Mendes, 5. W16 Peter Katona Jnr, 6. W12 Aydan Trewern, 7. W13 Drew Ogle, 8. W21 Rod Musarra, 9. W5 Josh Fraser, 10. W78 Jacky Moroney, 11. W40 Beau Riley, 12. WB11 Ashley Baker, 13. W99 Benny Curtin, 14. WB22 Luke Halliday, 15. W9 Mitchell Baker, 16. W96 Jack McAuley, 17. W14 Anthony Page. DNF: Q15 Richard Cook (37), V30 Stephen Laidlaw (30), W22 Jamie Graham (25), W4 Mitchell Killeen (22), W41 Kye Blight (4). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.347. Fastest Lap: 22.252 WA95 Kyle Sayer.
