Image by Butcher Photography
Current Queensland Modified Sedan Champion Mick Shelford is now the New South Wales Champion after taking victory at the Hession’s Auto Parts Grafton Speedway on Saturday Night.
Heavy rain in the days leading up to the event along with a significant shower of rain during the course of the evening led to a demanding race track for the competitors.
Just ten cars would face the starter in the thirty lap main event with Brisbane’s Darran Lester & Toowoomba’s Shane Macdonald sharing the front row.
Lester lead early as Macdonald and Grafton City Speedway Club member Max Clarke battled for second place.
Victorian Champion Kye Walters & the Ford Cortina of Shannon Blackburn got together on lap five bringing about the first stoppage.
Walters restarted from the tail as Clarke momentarily moved into second before suspension damage ending the race of the 2011 National Champion.
A great battle for third place began to unfold as Nathan Macdonald tried everything to find a way past Blackbrun.
Nathan Macdonald would unfortunately invert the Q32 Linmac Automotive Holden Commodore on lap thirteen.
Just five cars remained as Nathan Macdonald climbed from his car unhurt.
Seventeen laps were still to be ran with Lester & Shane Macdonald pulling away from the field.
Lady luck wouldn’t be on Lester’s side as the driver of the Q59 Ford Falcon slowed and headed infield.
It looked to be Shane Macdonald’s race as he drove the wheels of the Q27 Holden Commodore.
With ten laps remaining Macdonald would make a huge error hitting the concrete wall in turn one which saw him begin to slow and hand the lead to Mick Shelford.
Toowoomba’s Shane Langton brought about the final stoppage as just three cars remained.
Shelford cleared out from Blackburn & Macdonald as the three Queenslanders negotiated the final laps of a tough night of racing.
After having finished on the podium previously in the event, Mick Shelford became the 2022 SSA Modified Sedan New South Wales State Champion crossing the line over sixteen seconds ahead of Shannon Blackburn and a ailing Shane Macdonald.
Official Result of the 2022 SSA Modified Sedan New South Wales State Title
A Main. 30 Laps- 1. Q1 Mick Shelford, 2. Q22 Shannon Blackburn, 3. Q27 Shane Macdonald, DNF Q72 Shane Langton (21), Q59 Darran Lester (15), Q32 Nathan Macdonald (12), Q97 Allen Schultz (12), V1 Kye Walters (12), N15 Max Clarke (5), Q68 Stevie Love (1).
