Alexandra Speedway held their annual pre-Christmas race meeting on Saturday night with the Junior Sedans and visiting Compact Speedcar and Super Sedan classes the major events on the program supported by terrific club class racing giving fans a healthy dose of octane before the long break to February before Alexandra fires up engines once again.
Victories on the night went to Jamie Collins in Super Sedans, Harry Cecil in Standard Saloons, Braiden Webster in Sports Sedans, Justin Paull in Compact Speedcars, Blake Beach in Junior 1200cc Sedans, Jaiden Santin in Junior Top Star Sedans, and Cruz Carlin in Junior New Star Sedans.
Fresh off a Victorian title victory the week prior in Swan Hill, Healesville’s River Paterson was a local favourite for potential victory in the Top Star Juniors and started the night well winning the first heat race of the evening. Club mate Will Fallon then won the second heat race in a tight finish with Paterson at the line. Paterson and Cruz Farrell had a close battle, with the Stewards deeming it a little two close with a penalty issued to Paterson for unsettling Farrell’s race car. Visiting New South Wales racer Jaiden Santin secured a win in the third and fourth heat races to close out the qualifying. Pary Das sustained heavy damage in the final heat race after hitting the concrete wall.
In the fifteen-lap feature race Santin from pole position led Fallon early before Paterson moved into second on lap ten. Santin greeted the chequered flag first in front of Paterson by a huge five second plus margin with Fallon from Alexandra in third followed by Bree Simpson and Miller Throckmorton.
In New Star Junior competition for developing racers, Jaylen Knight won the first of three heat races before Cruz Carlin won the second and third to close out the qualifying. Leading every lap in the ten-lap final Carlin went on to win ahead of Darcy Dannatt, Luke Morrison, and Cruz Paterson.
Rounding out the Junior Sedan results was the 1200cc category. Lysterfield’s Brad Marshall won all three qualifying races before not finishing the feature event. Crossing the line first was Dayne Murdoch, however due to an applied penalty by the Stewards, Blake Beach of Lysterfield was declared the feature race winner from Chase Doherty, Maddy Beach, Jai Alexander and Murdoch.
The big powerful Super Sedan’s attended with a small field and began with one of the strongest Victorian competitors Mick Nicola Jnr winning heat one. Lionel West and Jamie Collins then won a heat race each before Jamie Collins the state champion won the feature event in a dominant display with daylight back to Nicola Jnr, West, Travis Ramsdale and Dave Mackenzie.
After many years away from Alexandra, the Compact Speedcars returned to the big 570-metre-long racetrack with New South Wales champion Justin Paull from Montrose in the line-up. Winning the first heat race in front of Paull was Mitch Allison after he led every lap after he used the highline to pass the field. Positions switched around in the second heat race, whilst Paull rounded out the qualifying in the third and final heat race.
A fifteen-lap feature event began with ten starters. Paull and Allison at the head of the field led the rest until a lap nine crash by Allison coming together with the concrete wall after riding a wheel of a competitor that sent him flying out of control ending his race. Paull then continued to lead from Terry Brown and Paull’s sister Tania Hallett. As the chequered flag unfurled the top three remained the same with Chris Curren in fourth place and Aaron Stubbs in fifth.
A talented line up competed in the Standard Saloons all trying to get in valuable laps prior to the state title after Christmas. Former Victorian champion Warrick Howie secured a win in the first heat race which began with thirteen starters. Local state title hope Wayne Sheerman then won the second heat by just 0.053 of a second in front of another former state champion Shane Stewart in heat two. Winning the third heat and having a consistent season this year Kacey Ingram took the win in the third and final heat race.
In the feature event Sheerman and Ingram began at the front of the field with Howie right behind them. Ingram got to the lead on lap one with Sheerman hitting the front on lap four. Harry Cecil from Poowong moved to second by lap eight and into the lead on lap ten as Shane Stewart made his way forward through the field. As the chequered flag flew Harry Cecil secured victory in front of Sheerman, Stewart, Ingram, and Howie.
Rounding out all the results, Ian Thomsen, Braiden Webster, and David Donegan all took wins in Sports Sedan heat races before Webster from Wonthaggi won the feature in front of Lilydale’s Jack Van Bremen, Donegan and Justin Thomsen. It was Webster’s first senior category victory having stepped up into senior racing this season.
Racing at Alexandra returns on February the 17th with details available on social media platforms.
Alexandra and District Speedway club thank and acknowledge the following valuable supporters;
Alexandra & Yea Pre-Mix
Alexandra Panels & Towing
AusBuilt Rural
Beach Earthmoving
Bendigo Bank
Belkblast Protective Coatings
Donnaz Underground
Eastern Suburbs Locksmiths
Elite Racking Installs
Endeavor Petroleum
Exhaust Fix Lilydale
Fallon’s Bus Services
Fineblade
Foodworks
Highline Racewear
Ismail’s Building & Construction
LS Quarry
Matthew & Sons Drilling Services
Metro Tow
Outer Eastern Steel
Pakenham Towing
Precision Race Parts
Raslarr Engineering
Revegetation Victoria
S&N Builders
Smooth Suspension
Town & Country Tennis Courts
Tyrepower Alexandra
Valley Onsite
Victory Lane Racegear
Wandin Heavy Haulage
Waverley Exhaust & Brake Centre
Yenckens Hardware Alexandra
Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media
For Alexandra and District Speedway Club