Ryan Alexander from South Australia has left Rushworth $5000 richer when he claimed a huge win over some of the best competition available at Rushworth Speedway on Labour Day weekend winning the ‘Bendigo Specialist Brake & Clutch’ Super Sedan Gold Rush event in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Super Sedan’s were the main event across the two days with three qualifying heats on day one and another two on the second day whilst the visiting Mini Sprints on Saturday and Sprintcars on Sunday also provided great action along with the club classes that fans come to see each and every show.

Queenslander Matty Pascoe was the most dominant driver in qualifying events for the Super Sedan Gold Rush setting the fastest one lap time and the fastest race time for the weekend in his first two events on night one. His opening heat race time of 2 minutes 55.023 seconds would stand as the quickest for the weekend on his way to victory in his first event before a one lap time of 17.149 in his second would be the Super Sedan’s fastest lap time over the two days.

Pascoe, North Queenslander Trent Wilson, Pascoe again, Bendigo lad Brad Wicks, Alexander and Peter Nicola from Traralgon would win the six qualifiers on the Saturday night before two preliminary feature races finished the night with Pascoe and Alexander winning one apiece.

Opening up night two Pascoe again put another win down in the books before Neil Witnish from Melbourne had a win, Wicks a second victory over the weekend an then Pascoe again for his fourth to set the line up for the feature race.

The finish of the big Gold Rush event was tight, very tight indeed with just 2.5 seconds separating the top four finishers after a gruelling race. Alexander had come up trumps with the win over Pascoe, Wicks, Mick Nicola and Witnish who was fourteen seconds behind in fifth spot.

Mini Sprintcars made a visit to Rushworth Speedway on the Saturday night with some local interest in the class thanks to the Moore family whom have been involved as members of the local club. The 1000cc powered Mini Sprintcars proved to be the fastest category of the weekend with visiting Sydney racer Danny Stone recording a one lap time of 16.624 on Saturday night.

Owen Schnoor, Stone and Andrew Burleigh all won heat races in the lead up to their final where Burleigh put his machine across the finish line ahead of Stone, Darren Schnoor, Jason Lynn and Owen Schnoor.

On Sunday the Sprintcars came into town after racing the night before in Ballarat. Shane Steenholdt, Adam Greenwood and Dillon Siely shared the through heat wins whilst Mark Laity who had won the last two feature events for the class having never won a Sprintcar feature prior to those two, backed it up for a third feature win in succession when he defeated Alistair Bastian, Siely, Mick Fallon and Dave Dennison to the finish.

In Goulburn Valley Open Saloons Paul Lamb continued to dominate at the front of the field winning all three of the night one qualifying races. There had been some challenge from Jay Nicolaisen and finally for Nicolaisen there was some payoff when he went out on track in heat one on day two and claimed a win before things turned back to normal for Lamb with a win in the final heat race.

The final finished in the closest result for the weekend for the class with Lamb winning by just .746 of a second from Nicolaisen who gave it everything he could to win, Thomas Conboy was third with Jacquie Fitzpatrick and Steve Hopkins rounding out the top five.

The Ladies Goulburn Valley Saloons began with a terrific first heat race where just 1.5 seconds covered the top five positions at the finish line and a winning margin of just .267 of a second. Chelsea Hodge was victorious ahead of the girls she had been chasing all season.

Chloe Lamb then resumed her dominance on the class winning the next two heats on night one and then the final two on the second night before winning the feature race where she was at her fastest with a single lap fast time of 20.260. Second was Kelly Lamb, Hodge, Belinda Chalcraft and Felicity Roycroft.

Shane Hutchins was in the zone as far as Goulburn Valley Production Sedan action was concerned and he too won most of the qualifying races. Hutchins won the first three on Saturday night and then again the fourth on Sunday evening before Leigh Jeffery final took a win away from Hutchins in the fifth and final qualifier. Hutchins then went on to defeat Jeffery in the final with Reece Johnson a new name onto the podium for this season in third then Scott Smith and Chris Woeltjes rounding out the top five.

Rounding out the club class action was the Goulburn Valley Junior Sedans and Lachie Fitzpatrick was in terrific form and like both Paul and Chloe Lamb and Hutchins in the other club classes Fitzpatrick took out four qualifying race wins of the five he competed in, Tristan McGraw won the fifth before Fitzpatrick won the feature race from McGraw, Josh Cecil, Luke Cecil and Daniel Smith.

 

Racing returns on April the 7th for the SDAV Hot Rod Victorian title, the visiting Compact Speedcars and a Provac supported Junior Sedan feature event.

 

The Goulburn Valley Auto Club would like to thank the following supporters:
Super Balance Automotive, Shepparton – WG Panels, Rochester – Provac Poultry Services, Bendigo – Bourke Fencing, Bendigo – Kyabram Motor Wrecker, Kyabram – The Rushworth Hotel, Rushworth – Kyabram Bearings, Kyabram – Autobarn Shepparton – Marty Turpin Mechanical, Tatura – Ipta Fibreglass, Geelong – Ross Adams Cartage Contractor, Rochester – Rushworth Bakery, Rushworth – Maxam Printing, Shepparton – Pearce Concrete, Golden Square – Michel Signs, Shepparton – Sonaray Lighting, Melbourne – The McIvor, Bendigo – Superior Concrete & Construction, Bendigo A1 Water Supplies, Tatura

 

Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media

For Goulburn Valley Auto Club