Images by Carpe Diem Media
Manjimup’s Drew Ogle has won a thrilling A Main in the 2020/2021 Cranecorp Australia, RPM Race Products SSA Production Sedan State Title at the Moora Speedway on Sunday Evening.
The Mick’s Auto Works Holden Commodore of Ogle crossed the line 0.054 of a second ahead of Kyle Sayer who finished runner up in the state title for third time in six years with Barry Rose storming through the field in the little Mitsubishi Sigma to finish third after starting out of position nineteen.
Fifty two cars started the final night of the 24th running of the WA State Title for SSA Production Sedans as once again warm sunny conditions greeted competitors at the Central Midlands venue.
One of the biggest crowds seen at the Moora Speedway for many years was on hand to witness a thrilling final night of competition.
Six qualifying heats remained on night two with 2010 National Production Sedan Champion Rod Musarra kicking things off by winning heat nineteen by over five seconds from Ricky Williams and Kane McDiarmid.
Disaster struck overnight points leader Hayden Norman in the TLC Contracting Holden Commodore as a steering failure sent him into the concrete wall at the end of the main straight.
Victorian Champion Beau Riley held off Drew Ogle and Josh Fraser in heat twenty as the Collie Tyre and Exhaust Holden Commodore scored maximum points.
Moora local Dale Cockman celebrated his 37th birthday in fine fashion to hold on to win heat twenty one, with the major incident in the race occurring when Jayden McCuish, who was sixth overnight in the point score, destroying the powerplant in the Rumbold Nissan backed entry.
Michael Clark led an eventful heat twenty two from start to finish in the Auto One Albany Ford Falcon as fellow Albany resident Aydan Trewern prevailed over Matt Noakes and Wayne Leviston in heat twenty three.
Busselton’s Kyle Sayer won the final heat of the State Title earning him enough points to start the main event from pole position with Jake Blight a gallant runner up in the Blight’s Auto Electrics Holden Commodore.
The Two B Mains were action packed affairs as five time state champion Ron Belfield spun early in B Main 1 forcing him to try and work his way back through the field.
Michael Clark led the entire twenty laps to qualify for the main event as Geraldton’s Benny Curtin advanced from position sixteen to finish second ahead of Josh Stewart who qualified for his first A Main in a State Title.
Karratha’s Jack McAuley bounced back to form in B Main 2 working his way into the lead to advance to main event after withstanding the advances of Barry Rose with 2020 National Junior Sedan Champion Mitchell Baker qualifying for the A Main at his first senior State Title at just seventeen years of age.
The Cranecorp Australia Holden Commodore of Rick Musarra withdrew from the A Main with mechanical issues after qualifying eighth with Jayden McCuish acquiring the Leon Wood Holden Commodore to contest the A Main.
Twenty two cars faced the green flag as Kyle Sayer and Drew Ogle occupied the front row ahead of Kane McDiarmid and Beau Riley.
Sayer would get the initial start over Ogle as a gaggle of cars came together further back in the field to bring the yellow lights on before a lap was completed.
Rod Musarra brought the yellow lights on once more on lap three after spinning in pits corner while in fifth place.
The two Holden Commodores of Sayer and Ogle raced side by side in the early laps once the green flag came down once again with Beau Riley very quickly moving into third place.
Kane McDiarmid and Hayden Norman came together while battling for the fourth place on lap eight with Norman being sent to the rear of the field for the restart.
That would be the last stoppage of the race as Sayer led Ogle and Riley again as the race for the lead began to really hot up.
Ogle continued to work the outside of Sayer’s Commodore with the two opening a gap on the rest of the field.
2007 WA Modified Sedan Champion Shane Brittain moved his Jim’s Test & Tag backed entry into the third place from his thirteen starting position after going around the outside of Beau Riley on lap fifteen.
The race lead changed on lap sixteen as Ogle hit the lead and began to put a gap between himself and Sayer.
Barry Rose by lap eighteen was in fifth place and began a great battle with both Beau Riley and the Ford Falcon of Josh Fraser at the back end of the top five.
A fire erupted in the engine room of the Mitsubishi Sigma of Shane Brittain while in third place, seeing him retiring to the infield as the race stayed under green conditions.
Josh Fraser succumbed to the pressure of Barry Rose to hand third place to the 2018 WA State Champion as Riley fell back to fifth.
Things began to tighten at the front of the field as the laps wound down and the leaders started to work their way through the back markers.
Sayer ranged up on the back bumper of Ogle’s machine when the white flag was displayed to the leaders.
As the leaders headed down the back straight for the last time Sayer and Ogle were side by side with the crowd on their feet as the pair raced to the line.
Drew Ogle crossed the line by 0.054 of a second ahead of Kyle Sayer in what is the closest finish in the history of Speedway Sedans Western Australia State Titles.
Barry Rose drove a remarkable race to finish third after advancing from the B Main with Josh Fraser fourth from Victorian Champion Beau Riley who rounded out the top five.
The remarkable State Title of Jamie Higgs concluded with a sixth place finish with Rod Musarra finishing seventh by race end ahead of Ashley Baker, Kane McDiarmid with Jack McAuley finishing in tenth place.
Ogle celebrated in spectacular fashion after the race with the chequer flag in hand as the crowd showed their appreciation to the young man who grew up in Manjimup after winning his second State Title in SSA Production Sedans.
Kyle Sayer was unfortunately disqualified from the official placings after his car failed post race scrutineering checks which were done in the days after the event by officials from Speedway Sedans Western Australia.
The Official Result of the 2020/2021 Cranecorp Australia, RPM Race Products SSA Production Sedan WA State Title
1. WA13 Drew Ogle, 2. W181 Barry Rose, 3. WX5 Josh Fraser, 4. W40 Beau Riley, 5. W84 Jamie Higgs, 6. W12 Rod Musarra, 7. W11 Ashley Baker, 8. WA31 Kane McDiarmid, 9. W96 Jack McAuley, 10. WA6 Hayden Norman, 11. W78 Jacky Moroney, 12. W20 Matt Noakes, 13. WA28 Michael Clark (39), 14. W58 Jayden McCuish (38). DNF: W99 Benny Curtin (29), W88 Shane Brittain (26), W71 Aydan Trewern (25), W9 Mitchell Baker (23), WA19 Josh Stewart (8), W2 Nuno Mendes (8), WA61 Jake Blight (1), DISQ W95 Kyle Sayer. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 8.796, Fastest Lap: 19.901 W88 Shane Brittain.
