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Speedway Sedans Australia competitors and officials were formally recognised at the 2021 Speedway Australia Awards Ceremony held at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on Saturday 19th June 2021.
Four Time National SSA Modified Sedan Champion the late Arthur Wieden was also inducted into the Australian Speedway Hall of Fame along with multiple WA Super Sedan Champion the late Bert Vosbergen who was an icon of Western Australian Sedan racing.
Speedway Sedans Australia WA State Registrar Scott Beattie was also recognised for his outstanding contribution to the sport in the West and was awarded the 2021 Official/Volunteer of the Year.
Greg Lynd the CEO of Speedway Sedans Australia accepted the 2021 Speedway Innovation of the Year Award on behalf of the organisation for Esports initiative that was conducted during the COVID-19 Lockdown period in 2020.
Below is Courtesy of Speedway Australia on each of the Winners from the Gold Coast.
2021 Australian Speedway Hall of Fame Inductee Arthur Wieden
The dominant force in early 1980s Modified Sedan racing, Toowoomba’s Arthur Wieden was the first driver to win four national Australian Saloon Car Federation titles, and since that time only two other drivers have managed this feat – Hall of Famer Grenville Anderson and future Hall of Famer Anthony Beare.
After more than a decade of competition, Arthur’s hot streak of Australian titles began at Rosedale in Victoria in 1979/80 and he defended his crown at Whyalla in South Australia in 1981. Two years later he returned to the winners circle with further back-to-back titles at Maryborough in Queensland and New South Wales’ Broken Hill in 1984 and 1985. Arthur also won two Queensland state titles, in 1969 and 1981
Now passed away, Arthur was one of the superstars who made Modified Sedans a feature of Queensland speedway racing, and as of 2021 they are still the most popular class of competition in the state.
2021 Australian Speedway Hall of Fame Inductee Bert Vosbergen
“Big Bad Bert” Vosbergen was a highly decorated and polarising figure who set the bar for professionalism in Western Australian Sedan Racing from the 1960’s through to his passing in 2019. With eight state titles to his credit in a range of Sedan classes, he would often be competing in two categories on the same night at Claremont Speedway, where he won 36 feature races. His career spanned various eras from Super Sedans through to Grand Nationals and Late Models, placing second at the national title in the latter category in 2010 at the age of 62. His best season came in 2002 when we won the West Australian and South Australian championships and placed fourth in the national title.
Unfortunately ill health struck down the racing career of one of Western Australia’s most decorated Sedan pilots not long after turning 70, but his legacy lives on with his son and three grandchildren all competing successfully in Late Models and Super Sedans.
2021 Australian Speedway Innovation of the Year– Speedway Sedans Australia Esports
The esports concept initiated by Speedway Sedans Australia will go down in history as an innovation that will be talked about for decades to come. When COVID-19 struck last year the organisation went on the front foot and organised the biggest iRacing events ever staged, with hundreds of nominations and thousands of spectators on their social media platforms.
Not only did it bring the sport together in a time of need, it gave everyone an outlet to enjoy their sport and interact with like minded people during a time when strict lockdowns were occurring right across the country.
2021 Australian Speedway Official/Volunteer of the Year- Scott Beattie
Not much happens in Western Australia without the presence of Scott Beattie, a valued volunteer for the past decades across a multitude of divisions and for almost all WA tracks. The “go to” guy for lapscoring services, he also puts in hundreds of hours each year for Speedway Sedans Australia, Late Models, Formula 500’s and Speedcars.
Scott is also one of the driving forces behind Dirt Track Nutters, a free social medial platform for all things news and resultsworthy in the World of Speedway. His statistical analysis and attention to detail is second to none, and his friendly face and calming presence is valued wherever he is scheduled to assist.
2021 Australian Speedway Junior Competitor of the Year– Jaxon Vella
Hailing from a small township near Ballarat in Victoria, 17 year old Jaxson Vella has impressed the speedway community in his three seasons in SSA Junior Sedans. A member of the Redline Raceway club, he shows great sportsmanship to his fellow drivers and has thrived in speedway racing despite emerging from a non-racing background.
Career highlight was claiming the South Australian Junior Sedan title at Mount Gambier in April of this year, in his final season in the class.
2021 Australian Speedway Sportsperson of the Year– Jamie Oldfield
A driver of many talents, versatile West Australian Jamie Oldfield has achieved success throughout his career in a wide variety of classes. This season alone he won the WA Street Stock title for the fourth time, placed second in the WA Late Model title, and 19th in the Maddington Toyota Sprintcar Series, while also organising and winning the inaugural WA Street Stock Month of Madness series.
Off the track he is also the President of Speedway Sedans WA and a Vice President of Ellenbrook Speedway and is part of the successful Oldfield family dynasty that is a mainstay of West Australian and national speedway.
2021 Australian Speedway Sedan Competitor of the Year– Darren Kane
Current Australian Super Sedan champion Darren Kane recently announced his retirement after a lengthy and glittering career that has seen him win a multitude of titles all around the country.
With four national Super Sedan and two Late Model championships, five national pointscores and 21 state title victories, the 52 year old is one of the all-time greats, and the last 15 years with the Ian Boettcher Race Parts Team has forged one of the most productive partnerships in the history of the sport.
