Motorsport fans headed into Wahgunyah Speedway for the last race event of the season on Sunday, June 11 to see some of the Northeast and Riverina’s finest up against visiting drivers from interstate and around Victoria do battle to take out the final victories of the season and for the Standard Saloons, AMCA Nationals and Production Sedans, wins in important blue-ribbon events.
A healthy crowd was on hand to see Warrick Howie, Rodney Bassett. Scott Hawkins, Riley Balins, Corey McDonald, and Nathan Shortis were the days eventual winners.
Competing in the Lachie Howie Memorial event honouring a former club racer were the Standard Saloon class with Warrick Howie, a brother of Lachie in the line-up.
Four qualifying races determined the memorial event line-up for the final and Howie began with the first win of the day. Micheal Fleming-Robertson took victory in the second with Howie winning the third and the fourth heat races.
Howie from Chiltern then went on to win the memorial event with a two second margin of victory in front of Fleming-Robertson, Jaimi Barber the state Ladies Standard Saloon champion, Andrew Marshall, and Daniel Joosten.
Production Sedan drivers competed in the Production Sedan 1000 and from the Moruya Club in New South Wales Johnny Ralph made the travel worthwhile picking up a win in the first qualifier by the barest of margins of just 0.004 of a second in front of Corowa legend Trevor Mills.
Leeton’s Scott Hawkins then won the second and third qualifiers proving to be the fastest car on track by .300 of a second lap to lap.
Hawkins led the start of the race from his buddy Jacob Mills from Howlong. With winning at Wahgunyah in Production Sedans considered such a big deal, Mills was determined in his chase and on lap three everything went wrong when Mills car rolled in between turns one and two ending his race. Hawkins went on to win from Stephen Laidlaw, Trevor Mills, Ralph, and James Hodak.
Australian Motor Contest Association competitors were competing in the Interstate Challenge with a couple of Tasmanian visitors joining the local Victorian based racers.
Stephen Hopkins from Bendigo won the first of the three qualifiers with Frank Thierry from Mildura winning the second and Hopkins again a winner in the third.
Thierry led from the drop of the green flag to start the final with Bassett and Hopkins trading second spot early before Richardson moved up into second on lap four.
Bassett from Tasmania set about a late race charge and moved into second on lap eleven and then into the lead on lap twelve going on to greet the chequered flag first ahead of Thierry and Richardson. A
penalty imposed by the stewards moved Darren McCarthy into third then Neale Peachey and Richardson back to fifth place.
Junior Sedan drivers competed in the final points round of the Daytime Track Championship with local Corowa members Marcus Maclean, Jordyn Tewkesbury and Mackenzie Bunt trying to secure top three spots in the third and final round.
Riley Balins had plans to win the day though after chasing the state series through the season and missing previous rounds. Balins won the first heat race along with the second and the fourth, whilst Maclean won the third heat race.
Balins then won the final ahead of Bendigo’s Anthony Hanson, Jacob Tinworth, Bunt and Tewkesbury. Maclean won the overall Daytime Championship in front of Bunt who overtook Tewkesbury to finish in second with the latter in third.
Sports Sedan and Unlimited Sedan competitors combined for Open Sedan racing across six heat races and the final. Tristan McGraw, Rhys Meakins, McGraw a second time, Ash Booker, Meakins a second time and McGraw a third time, won the six qualifiers.
After race incidents shorted the final much more than anticipated Corey McDonald crossed the finish line first in the final with Meakins, Joe Otimi, Marc Hanson, and Wayne Eames the top five across the line.
Meakins, Otimi, Hanson, Daryl Joosten and Paul Lamb were the first five Sports Sedans and McDonald, Wayne Eames, and Brendon Eames the top three Unlimited Sedans.
Goulburn Ovens Sedan Association members were competing for their association points and also held six heats of racing to determine qualification. Robbie Miller, Billy O’Donoghue, Nathan Shortis, Chris Brockley, O’Donoghue a second time, and Shortis a second time were the winners during qualification.
Shortis then led all eleven laps of the feature event moving out to a four second margin in defeating Justin Brockley the Victorian champion, O’Donoghue, Chris Brockley, and Marty Bassett.
Corowa – Rutherglen Speedway Club President Brendon Eames wishes to convey a message to supporters and members of the club.
“It has been a rather difficult season for all involved with the club, especially after the damage to our club and equipment and facilities due to the horrific floods late in 2022,” he said.
“However, the finish to the season with some race meetings under our belts despite the weathers best attempts to cancel us is very satisfying.
“The support we have received from sponsors keen to assist, drivers and spectators keen to turn up and put money in our bank accounts, and support especially from the Victorian Speedway council and Wangaratta Speedway Club in particular has been truly magnificent.
“The committee are humbled by this support, and we are already in advanced stages of preparation for next season.
“We are so very excited that we have secured our funding to install LED lights right around the racetrack and we are all systems go to return to night racing for our fans in 23/24 season.”