MCGRAW IS VICTORIAN CHAMPION!
Just one week after the epic National Title event at Mildura, the SSA Modified Sedans headed down to Rushworth Speedway to decide the Victorian Championship and in the end it was Tristan Mcgraw who stood tall as the new champion.
The thirty five lap feature would see Shaun Thompson and Dylan Barrow line up on the front row, with defending champion Brad Wicks unable to make the call after issues in his third heat.
Barrow led the opening lap but drifted wide coming out of turn four and Thompson, having stayed right with him, was able to get by to take over the point.
Through the middle of the race Thompson would maintain his lead, Barrow in behind and Brad Warren held strong in third, while behind them there was plenty of positional changes.
With fifteen to go Thompson was still leading Barrow and Warren, while David Head was fourth and Tristan Mcgraw had raced from twelfth to fifth.
A restart shortly after allowed Warren to get by Barrow for second, while Head was able to get through for third a lap later. Warren then got to the outside of Thompson in his quest for the lead but ended up washing off speed and dropping back into the clutches of Head and Barrow.
This set off a flurry of activity: Barrow passing Head for third, Head fighting back and retaking the position the next lap, Mcgraw moving into fourth then a few laps later getting underneath Head for third.
All the while, Thompson was able to maintain his lead over Warren, but with just a handful of laps to go that would all end as Thompson suddenly slowed and limped to the infield, Warren now in front of Mcgraw and Head.
A lap later the unthinkable happened, Warren losing speed and dropping out of the race in the same place Thompson did, Mcgraw now leading Head and Barrow.
Mcgraw would race away to take the win in what was an epic charge to the front while in the dying stages Head would suffer front end issues, allowing Barrow to get by for second.
Head limped across the line and just held on for third, Wade McCarthy coming up just 0.004 seconds short on the line in fourth while Rachel Pratt would round out the top five finishers.
Victorian Title Feature Result, 35 laps: 1. V38 Tristan McGraw, 2. V17 Dylan Barrow, 3. Q24 David Head, 4. V6 Wade McCarthy, 5. V94 Rachel Pratt, 6. V15 Will Shore, 7. V11 Lachlan Fitzpatrick, 8. V82 Matthew Brooks, 9. V18 Chris Rieck, 10. V62 Brad Warren (34). DNF: V45 Shaun Thompson (32), V33 Daniel Simpson (26), V99 Jaryd Hooper (20), V55 Nathan Shortis (19), V96 Jack Houlahan (17), V5 Darcy Wilson (13), V15 Dale Hallett (11), V19 Daniel Wilson (9), Q5 Kent Menzies (7). DNS: V9 Caleb Lincoln. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 1.650. Fastest Lap: 18.582 V45 Shaun Thompson.
