For a long, long, time, Queenslander Nathan Macdonald has dreamt of winning the SSA Modified Sedan National Title and tonight at the Mildura Speedway that dream became a reality.
Nathan went through the heat races nearly undefeated, three from three on night one, then second place in tonight’s one and only preliminary, earning himself the honour of starting on the front row.
For the first time in a long time twenty-three drivers would take the green with defending champion Jardo Waters using his provisional start at the rear, while the front row saw the Macdonald brothers rewriting the history books as they started alongside each other, Shane having gone through the heat races undefeated to start on pole.
The hard luck story was Brody Chrystie who qualified into the main event through B Main 1 only to withdraw prior to cars entering the track, allowing fourth place in that event, Shane Brittain, to take his place.
There were plenty of games on the first start throughout the field, and it gave Max Clarke the chance to dart to the front and fight alongside the Macdonald’s through the opening lap.
Further back both Trystan Mcgraw and Lachlan Fitzpatrick slowed to a stop on the back straight as the rest of the field completed the opening lap before the yellows came on.
It was at this point that Joel Berkley would also retire infield.
The restart would be single file with one completed, seeing Shane Macdonald leading Nathan Macdonald, Dylan Barrow, Max Clarke, and Aidan Raymont.
Shane got away cleanly from Nathan while Clarke took the opportunity to dart by Barrow for third, the top five fighting it out in close quarters.
Nathan drew alongside Shane and coming out of turn four on lap five, he would pull ahead on the lowline. They stayed side by side, and Shane stuck up high to retake the lead coming out of four on lap six.
As the Macdonald brothers battled, they actually managed to pull away from third placed Clark who was now leading a pack of six other cars all looking for a way through; Raymont, Barrow, and Kye Walters going three wide right behind him.
Clarke had a moment coming out of four on lap twelve and this allowed Walters to dive by him, with Raymont and then Barrow able to do the same as they completed the next lap.
Still the Macdonald boys continued to pull away, Shane maintaining the lead over Nathan, while Walters was now holding off Raymont, Barrow, and four other cars in a huge pack of racers that kept swapping positions.
Clarke retired on lap seventeen, while the Macdonald’s approached the first of the lapped traffic, Nathan able to show the nose a number of times down low but each time Shane managed to get back in front on the high line.
Walters now led Barrow, Ramont, Darcy Wilson, and Jakobe Jetson in the battle for third, the group seeing three wide action a number of times.
With eighteen remaining the Macdonald’s were in heavy lapped traffic and Nathan took advantage, darting by Shane and a number of cars to claim the lead.
Two laps later Barrow was able to get by Walters for third.
With fifteen remaining Nathan now had a one-second, and two lapped cars to his advantage, but shortly after the yellows were on as defending champion Waters found himself spinning in turn two.
Dylan Barrow made the move on the restart, drawing alongside Shane and taking second by 0.035 seconds across the line.
A lap later Shane fought back and raced his way back into second as behind him Kye Walters was now holding off a charging Darcy Wilson in fourth and fifth respectively.
Ten laps remaining and Nathan Macdonald’s bonnet began to peel up on the front right corner, but still he held off Shane and Barrow, the top three pulling clear.
All of a sudden, the yellows were on again with nine laps remaining as Darcy Wilson collected the turn four wall heavily, giving Nathan the chance to get some tape on the bonnet under caution.
Nathan would lead away Shane, Barrow, Walters, and Raymont on the restart, but it all came undone for Shane on the restart, hitting the two turn wall and dropping a number of positions, Nathan now leading Barrow, Raymont, Walters, and Shane.
Shane fought back and got back by Walters, but now Nathan was well ahead as he and Barrow fought it out with just five laps remaining.
Barrow stuck the nose under Nathan but didn’t gain the position, the duo all of a sudden forced to get on the anchors as Shaun Thompsons’s machine temporarily came to a stop at the top of turn four as they came around.
This set up a four-lap run to the chequers, Nathan able to hold the lead from Barrow as Raymont went sideways through turn four and allowed Shane to get back by, with Walters and Wade McCarthy also getting by.
With two to go Nathan and Barrow were still side by side, and the crowd was on its feet watching the battle before the yellows came out just before the chequer was due, a pile of cars coming together down the back straight, Kye Walters hitting the wall and Luke Fraser climbing over the side of the car as the unlucky ones to finish on the infield, while Raymont was also forced to join them with a flat tyre.
This meant a green, white, chequer in what was now a forty-one lap race, with Nathan set to lead away Barrow, McCarthy and Jetson; Shane having been relegated two positions on the restart for contact with another car in the previous green light stanza.
Nathan was quickly away this time and Barrow couldn’t initially keep pace, with McCarthy looking for a way under Barrow, but no one able to make a move.
Macdonald went on to claim the win, nearly completely undefeated across the weekend in what was a convincing championship winning performance.
He was followed by Barrow, while the podium was rounded out by McCarthy who came from the B Main and started in position twenty. Defending champion Waters, who after starting from the rear twice throughout the race was able to get by Jakobe Jetson for fourth in the final corner to round out the top five finishers.
It was an epic long weekend of racing, and a huge congratulations to all who took part, while eyes now turn to next weekend for the final SSA National Title of the season, with Kyle Saer putting his Production Sedan crown on the line at Toowoomba!
A Main, 41 laps: 1. Q27 Shane Macdonald, 2. Q32 Nathan Macdonald, 3. QA9 Joel Berkley, 4. V17 Dylan Barrow, 5. N15 Max Clarke, 6. Q28 Aidan Raymont, 7. VA19 Daniel Wilson, 8. V46 Kye Walters, 9. V5 Darcy Wilson, 10. V33 Daniel Simpson, 11. V36 Stuey Robinson, 12. T7 Jakobe Jetson, 13. V45 Shaun Thompson, 14. V11 Lachlan Fitzpatrick, 15. S32 Brett Williams, 16. W15 Luke Fraser, 17. V19 David Smith, 18. V38 Tristan Mcgraw, 19. Q26 Mason Cameron, 20. VA6 Wade McCarthy, 21. W88 Shane Brittain, 22. Q9 Chris Pagel, 23. A1 Jarod Waters.
OFFICIAL RESULT
1. Q32 Nathan Macdonald, 2. V17 Dylan Barrow, 3. VA6 Wade McCarthy, 4. A1 Jarod Waters, 5. T7 Jakobe Jetson, 6. Q27 Shane Macdonald, 7. VA19 Daniel Wilson, 8. V19 David Smith, 9. V11 Lachlan Fitzpatrick, 10. V36 Stuey Robinson, 11. V33 Daniel Simpson, 12. Q9 Chris Pagel, 13. W88 Shane Brittain (40), 14. Q26 Mason Cameron (40), 15. V45 Shaun Thompson (40). DNF: V46 Kye Walters (39), Q28 Aidan Raymont (39), W15 Luke Fraser (39), S32 Brett Williams (30), V5 Darcy Wilson (31), N15 Max Clarke (16), QA9 Joel Berkley (1), V38 Tristan Mcgraw (0). DNS: V32 Brody Chrystie. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.285. Fastest Lap: 16.667 N15 Max Clarke.
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