Macdonald wins Dirt Dash!
Less than eight months after finishing second in the 24/25 Dirt Dash, Shane Macdonald has this weekend gone one better and emulated brother Nathan’s efforts, winning the Modified Sedans Dirt Dash at McCosker Gladstone Speedway on Saturday night.
With a huge prize pool, drivers were keen to put on a show and in a non-stop thirty lap feature that saw plenty of battles through the field, Shane Macdonald would come home as the ultimate winner, defeating an impressive Darren Lester and defending champion Shane Macdonald.
Lester would start from pole position for the main event alongside Shane Macdonald while behind them was Max Clarke and Australian Champion Nathan Macdonald.
Lester got the initial jump from the inside, but Shane Macdonald would run high and just get the nose in front as the first lap was completed.
Clarke would be third at this point with Nathan Macdonald and Aidan Raymont right behind them, however with four complete the duo would make contact allowing Raymont to not only close the gap but get by Nathan for fourth.
Shortly after, Raymont found issues and slowed out of contention, while back up front Shane Macdonald was still leading Lester, Clarke, Nathan Macdonald and Wayne Gilroy.
The top five positions wouldn’t change through the middle stanza of the race as they pulled away from the rest of the field, though it was an intense battle with each driver doing all they could to make an extra position.
Shane Macdonald had some breathing room by the halfway point while Clarke was doing all he could to get by Lester, Nathan Macdonald still applying the pressure and Gilroy also waiting to pounce.
Lapped traffic came into play with around ten laps to go and Clarke was the biggest loser, Macdonald also getting involved as they both got momentarily caught up, Gilroy able to dive by both to take over third place ahead of Nathan Macdonald and Clarke.
With seven to go Nathan Macdonald was able to get by Gilroy for third and set out after Lester, with Gilroy and Clarke still loitering behind.
With one to go Shane Macdonald still enjoyed a solid lead and was never headed in the run to the chequers, and despite closing fast on the final lap, Lester had to settle for second with Macdonald third while Gilroy and Clarke would round out the top five.
Feature, 30 laps: 1. CR27 Shane Macdonald, 2. B19 Darren Lester, 3. CR32 Nathan Macdonald, 4. MK19 Wayne Gilroy, 5. N15 Max Clarke, 6. MK5 Kent Menzies, 7. RK26 Mason Cameron, 8. MK75 Myles Gilroy, 9. T53 Brett Hardy, 10. RK78 Bailey Barnicoat, 11. SC89 Dakota Laverty, 12. BB92 Tim Gaffel, 13. M18 Bryce Bayfield, 14. CR17 Nathan Lowe, 15. B47 Steve Quirk (29), 16. C17 Allen Schultz (29), 17. SC21 Christoper Blackburn (29), 18. BB72 Kalen Hodgson (27). DNF: G8 Braydon Steffens (12), CR28 Aidan Raymont (6), GFT81 Quinton Clarke (2), RK21 Suny Platen (1). Total Time: 8.50.342. Winning Margin: 0.686. Fastest lap: 17.130 CR32 Nathan Macdonald.
Gladstone Speedway