Official Release 31st March 2024.
Tonight at the Cranes Combined Carrick Speedway Jarod Waters proved his win in Albany last year was no fluke, racing away to his second consecutive victory in the Water North SSA National Modified Sedan Title.
Waters was strong throughout the weekend, a heat win and three second places being enough to put him on the front row of the feature race alongside Queenslander Joel Berkley and from the time the race went green he was never headed, surviving multiple restarts and leading all forty laps to retain the A1 for another year.
The forty-lap race began with Waters immediately into the lead as local Jakobe Jetson raced into second, former champion Max Clarke into third and Berkley was swamped, dropping into fourth and leading the rest of a snarling pack.
Waters began to stretch the legs early, Jetson just holding off Clarke in what was quickly becoming an intense battle before the first yellow light stoppage of the race for Brad Herbert who found himself up against the turn three wall, with Harry Auton retiring infield during the stoppage.
At the restart Waters charged away, with Clarke going high on Jetson, pulling alongside him to complete lap four and clearly in second on lap five.
Shortly after, Matt Nelson found himself buried in the turn four wall for the second time in as many nights, bringing out the yellows and his race over.
Waters again got away quickly but this time Clarke went with him, Jetson holding on for third and Berkley now under pressure for fourth from Kye Walters.
Berkley took this as the threat he needed and accelerated away, passing Jetson for third, Waters following him through on lap eight.
Over the next few laps Berkley would close the gap on Clarke, Walters sticking right to his bumper and the battle for third now between three cars.
Behind them Dylan Barrow was charging through the field after dropping as far as eighth having started third, back into fifth on lap eleven, biking in turn two and losing the position momentarily to Brody Chrystie before recovering and retaking over fifth place.
Back up front and Berkley was right alongside Clarke on lap fifteen, then took the position a lap later, Walters also passing him before Clarke suddenly slowed and headed infield.
At the halfway point Waters would be into the first of the lapped traffic and just over a second ahead of Berkley, with Walters in third ahead of Chrystie who had passed Barrow back for fourth.
With fifteen laps remaining Waters had maintained his lead, Berkley unable to close any, with Walters coming under increasing pressure from Chrystie.
Brodie Boss at this point had also passed Barrow for fifth and he too was looking to close the gap on Chrystie and Walters who were now side by side.
Chrystie got by Walters for third on lap twenty-eight, Boss still just behind them. Shortly after, the yellows would come on as David Jacobi found himself nose first into the turn one wall, leaving him infield and fourteen cars remaining for the final twelve laps.
Waters would lead away Berkley, Chrystie, Walters and Boss on the restart, Waters again blasting away as Chrystie applied the blowtorch to Berkley.
Suddenly there was six-car battle for second between Berkley, Chrystie, Barrow, Walters, Boss and Jetson, crossing the line in a massive pack all at once, but Berkley then came to a stop in turn two with a flat tyre, meaning a shuffle in the front cars in the restart order: Waters to lead away Chrystie, Barrow, Walters and Boss.
Walters got on the inside of Barrow on the restart but couldn’t stick the move, Waters still strong ahead of Chrystie and Barrow who were fighting hard for second as Brodie Boss grabbed fourth behind them to complete lap thirty.
Brett Barron then cannoned into the turn one wall and got some massive height, bringing out the yellows once again, seeing him becoming the tenth retiree of the race and leaving twelve cars for the remaining eight laps.
Waters, Christie, Barrow, Boss and Walters would now be the top five, Boss moving under Barrow for third on the restart but unable to make the move stick.
Waters quickly opened up a gap once again as Chrystie was a nose in front of Barrow and Boss who were now side by side, Jetson getting past Walters and entering the fray with five laps to go.
Walters got by Barrow for fourth, the order now Waters, Chrystie, Boss, Jetson and Walters with three laps to go.
Waters was simply in another class over the final laps, racing away to claim his second National crown while Boss and Chrystie went into turn three the finsl time side by side, the two just making contact and Boss able to edge in front through the final turn to claim second with Chrystie settling for third.
Jakobe Jetson would come home fourth while Kyle Walters rounded out the top five; Dylan Barrow, Nathan Macdonald (seventh from the B Main), Luke Wilson, Darcy Wilson, Andy Russell and Bella Rizzoli rounding out the eleven finishers in what was an epic weekend of racing.
A Main, 40 laps: 1. Q9 Joel Berkley, 2. A1 Jarod Waters, 3. V17 Dylan Barrow, 4. T7 Jakobe Jetson, 5. Q2 Brodie Boss, 6. N15 Max Clarke, 7. V6 Wade McCarthy, 8. V46 Kye Walters, 9. V5 Darcy Wilson, 10. V32 Brody Chrystie, 11. T8 Wade Cleary, 12. Q148 Brett Barron, 13. T5 Brad Herbert, 14. T27 Joshua Marston, 15. N36 David Jacobi, 16. V61 Matt Nelson, 17. Q32 Nathan Macdonald, 18. T51 Luke Wilson, 19. T26 Andy Russell, 20. T29 Harry Auton, 21. V18 Bella Rizzoli, 22. T2 Marco Taurian.
RESULT
1. A1 Jarod Waters, 2. Q2 Brodie Boss, 3. V32 Brody Chrystie, 4. T7 Jakobe Jetson, 5. V46 Kye Walters, 6. V17 Dylan Barrow, 7. Q32 Nathan Macdonald, 8. T51 Luke Wilson, 9. V5 Darcy Wilson, 10. T26 Andy Russell, 11. V18 Bella Rizzoli (39). DNF: T27 Joshua Marston (32), Q148 Brett Barron (32), Q9 Joel Berkley (30), N36 David Jacobi (28), T8 Wade Cleary (21), N15 Max Clarke (15), V6 Wade McCarthy (12), T2 Marco Taurian (6), V61 Matt Nelson (4), T29 Harry Auton (3), T5 Brad Herbert (2). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 1.295. Fastest Lap: 16.023 A1 Jarod Waters.
