Press Release Courtesy of Speedway Sedans Victoria.
Bendigo’s Brad Wicks has stood tall and been crowned the 2024 Ramsdale Wreckers SSA Victorian Modified Sedan Title following the highly anticipated 35 lap feature race.
One final round of qualifying heats would be rounded out on day two of the Victorian State Title. This would set up 16 cars directly qualifying through to the A Main with the final six positions to be sorted via twin B Main’s allowing 3 to transfer from each. Calvin Watts and Kye Walters were the two winners of each B, whilst Tristan Mcgraw, Lachlan Fitzpatrick, Wade Mccarthy and Daniel Simpson all picked up transfer spots.
35 Laps of Sungold Stadium Premier Speedway Warrnambool would ensure the champion to be decided would not have it come easily.
Pole sitter Brock Atkins was stout early getting into battle with QLD’s Joel Berkley for the top spot across the first 8 laps. One of those laps sadly would see the end for Kye Walters who battled to win a B Main earlier in the night despite making ground through the field quickly.
On lap 8 things would mark a major moment when Joel Berkley grabbed a piece of the Warrnambool concrete on entry to turn 3, delaminating a tyre in the corner leaving Atkins with nowhere to run coming through in second taking out both cars from the top two spots.
National Champion Jarod Waters and the experienced QLD competitor Mick Shelford would both be infield by this time as well with injuries to both cars putting an end to their further progression.
Dylan Barrow and Aidan Raymont would both suffer a similar fate with both of them showing car speed to run at the front, despite a taxing race take a toll on their cars early.
Rolling onto lap 12 and both Wade Mccarthy and defending Victorian Champion Matt Nelson would join an extensive list of high calibre cars parked up infield at Premier Speedway Warrnambool.
Chris Reick came unstuck in the Avalon 18 machine on lap 14 before Daniel Simpson would have nowhere to go arriving at the incident and eventually snaring the Horsham 33 of Simpson out of the race as well a couple laps later sustaining damage.
Finally with some laps starting to get rolling, Tasmanian Jakobe Jetson would load up a run on race leader Brody Chrystie who had started on row two alongside eachother. Jetson would make the high groove work and settle into a comfortable lead on a fast developing race track.
Chrystie stayed tucked in tight, with Nathan Macdonald and Brad Wicks starting to knock at the door from his 12th place starting position.
Michael Wicks who had been moving forward with plenty of steam up, would go up and over on lap 28 with a monumental roll over bringing on one of the very few red light stoppages. Thankfully Michael would climb out of the car under his own power and br able to then watch his brother Brad get down to work in the Bendigo #17.
7 laps from home and it was anyone’s guess between Jetson, Chrystie, Wicks and Macdonald. Brad Wicks ultimately found a lane down low that had previously gone off while Jetson was taking the long route around the top. Wicks would slide to the lead five from home before Nathan Macdonald would have to retire and bow out of the contest.
Wicks would light up the Victorian Modified Sedan fraternity with a storied run home and lead on the all important lap 35 to become the 2024 Victorian Modified Sedan champion from Brody Chrystie and Jakobe Jetson.
Lachlan Fitzpatrick who had travelled from the 21st place starting spot and final transfer of the B Main charged home to fourth with Darcy Wilson also moving forward inside the top ten to pick up a strong top five finish and a spot on the podium.
Final finishers from there included West Aussie Allan Mortimer with the most miles travelled and Tristan Mcgraw battling a number of incidents to stick it at the seventh position. Adam Jorgenson would be the final car to complete the full distance bringing to an end the thrilling feature race event presented by Ramsdale Wreckers at the hallowed Premier Speedway Warrnambool.
Official Result
A Main, 35 Laps- 1. V17 Brad Wicks, 2. AX32 Brody Chrystie, 3. T& Jakobe Jetson, 4. BGO11 Lachlan Fitzpatrick, 5. B5 Darcy Wilson, 6. W74 Allan Mortimer, 7. CR38 Tristan McGraw, 8. T25 Adam Jorgensen, DNF N1 Nathan Macdonald (33), RDL21 Calvin Watts (29), HO33 Daniel Simpson (16), AV18 Chris Rieck (14), MDA6 Wade McCarthy (12), V1 Matt Nelson (12), CR9 Joel Berkley (8), L6 Brock Atkins (8), G28 Aidan Raymont (8), B17 Dylan Barrow (8), MDA92 Jarod Waters (4), CR54 Mick Shelford (4), RDL46 Kye Walters (2).
