On January 17th on ‘Wyatt Automotive’ race night five winners bagged all important series points in their race classes with wins at Wahgunyah Speedway including David Donegan in the Extreme Sports Sedan Series, Keith Simmonds in the Lucky 7s Unlimited Sedan Series, Nathan Shortis in the Goulburn Ovens Sedan State Series and Zach Erickson and Jai Hallett in the Junior Sedan Promotional Association Series.
Fans at the track helped raise over two thousand dollars for the Alexandra and District Speedway Club down in the Murrindindi Shire through a silent auction where people would make donation bids with the persons handing over the largest donation being the main prize winner. The Alexandra Speedway was caught up in the fires last week that are tearing through Victoria and lost equipment and had infrastructure damaged that is critical to holding race meetings. The money raised will go towards funds currently being raised to go towards repairing and replacing the equipment.
The ‘JP Asphalting’ Extreme Sports Sedans Series arrived in town with more than thirty racers, and only one of them from Corowa-Rutherglen Speedway Club Danny Cox, and Cox did himself and the club proud with a terrific night behind the wheel. However, it would be racers like new track record breaker Steve Kershaw from Healesville and fellow Healesvill’ian and race winner David Donegan who would stand out.
Nine qualifying races were run and won with Jason Berger picking up a win in heat one after Donegan passed him and then exited with mechanical malfunction. Berger held off Damien Miller by half a second in a race that ran the distance without stoppage. Shane O’Brien won the next leading all the way in another race that avoided caution stops. He to beat a Miller, this time a charging fast finisher in Brendan Miller by .347 of a second. During the race Robert Garlick limped infield with a hole in the engine block, his night was done
Next up it was Cox’s turn to win leading every lap to win heat three ahead of one of Wahgunyah’s sponsor’s Tommy McDonald. Jay Nicolaisen was the first winner in round two and was followed by Damien Miller passing his brother Brendan on lap six in heat five to go on and win. After failing to finish his first heat race, Donegan came out and led every lap in the sixth to pick up a win.
Donegan immediately followed that victory up with taking the lead from the back of the field on lap one in the seventh heat before going on to the win. Nathan O’Brien then won heat number eight in an exciting finish with Cox just behind in second. Wrapping up the qualifying racing Damien Miller then picked up a second heat race victory of his own.
A pole shuffle was then held and after qualifying in sixth, Donegan went about winning six straight one on one two lap sprints to snare pole position for the feature event with Damien Miller to start second, Cox in third and Shane O’Brien in fourth. Looking to secure a drive in the final Josh Service was lent the Shane Simpson car to compete in the feature with the differential damaged in his own car.
In the feature event early casualties included Brendan Miller, a flat tyre, Harry Cecil smoke pouring out from the front of the car, and Nathan O’Brien whose car had a fire that needed to be contained. Damien Miller snaffled the race lead on lap one and was hounded by Donegan for fifteen laps before losing that lead to Donegan. On lap sixteen Donegan led, Miller, Nicolaisen, Shane O’Brien and Michael Mannix. Cox made a late race charge to slot into the top five and as the chequer flags declared the race over, Donegan bear Miller with almost ten seconds back to Nicolaisen, Mannix and Cox completing the top five.
In Junior Sedan Promotional Association series racing Steane Cosson started well in the first heat race with an eight and one lap track record to his name as he was the first Top Star racer to finish, Chase Davey finished overall in third and was the first New Star to finish. Zach Erickson then won the next two heats for the Top Star Class with Davey and Jai Hallett sharing New Star wins, before Hallett collected the final win in heat four for the New Star category.
After Kade Brockley clouted the concrete wall and pout of the race, a restart seen Erickson then led every lap in the final to come out the overall race winner and the Top Star winner in front of Steane Cosson who was second across the line. Jai Hallett led every lap in the final for the New Star competitors to finish third overall and winner of the New Stars. Oscar Conder was second in New Stars with Chase Davey, Ollie Roycroft in his debut Sedan race meeting and Jayden Curtis rounding out the top five.
Many local racers and Corowa-Rutherglen club members competed in the Goulburn Ovens Sedan Association ‘Blue Shed Storage Corowa’ Series round with Nathan Shortis from Mulwala coming out on top once again. Thomas Bowers who has returned to racing this season made a great start to his day winning heat one in a close battle with Brandan Lovell before Mitch Watts led all the way to win the second heat race, both races having no stoppages. Lovell found himself again just a little short of the victory when he was beaten by Ben Schmetzer in the third heat race, whilst Alex Gouveia started at the back of the field in the fourth heat and collected a win just ahead of Ryan Chant.
Bowers doubled up with a win in the third and final round just holding out Watts by less than half a second at the finish. Closing out the qualifying Shortis claimed victory heading into the feature event. Five laps into the feature Shortis led Bowers, Watts, Lovell and Ben Schmetzer whilst Justin Granger losing a wheel off the car and Thomas Bull whose tyre fell to pieces were already out of the race. By lap seven Watts was in second place, looking like this season he has his mojo back challenging for wins. At the ten-lap mark Shortis still held the lead from Watts, Bowers, Schmetzer and Lovell.
With five laps to go, Shortis had a significant margin between he and Watts and crossed the finish line soon after with a four second margin to Watts from Leeton, Bowers, Schmetzer and Lovell.
Rounding out all the classes competing was the Unlimited Sedans also holding a state series round of their own. Keith Simmonds who became an addition to the class this season had a massive win in the first heat race of the day almost finishing ten seconds ahead of the dominate driver in the series Corey McDonald. Simmonds led every lap before McDonald secured the lead from Lennie Bonnici in the second heat to go on and win.
Rounding out the heat racing, after Tim Williams led lap one until his car was sucked into the concrete wall putting him out of the race with damage, it was to be McDonald to go on and win once again. In the feature event Simmonds got the upper hand early and led McDonald from the first lap, Josh Barber lost is boot flying clean off the car.
Gradually Simmonds extended his lead as the race progressed and at the finish Simmonds had won by almost ten seconds once more. McDonald had late race issues and Bonnici finished second with Anthony McKean just as his engine seemed to hold on for survival, followed by McDonald and Paul Williams in the top five.
Racing returns to Wahgunyah on March 14th with the Colin Young Memorial round for the Goulburn Ovens Sedan Association and track championship rounds for Juniors, Ladies Sports Sedans, Sports Sedans, and Standard Saloons with the Classic Sprintcars and Super Modifieds and Humpy Holden’s adding some nostalgia to the show.
Records set this weekend were
SSA Junior Sedans
1 Lap – Steane Cosson – Alexandra – 25.766 – 17/1/26
8 Laps – Steane Cosson – Alexandra – 3:30.417– 17/1/26
VSC Sports Sedans
1 Lap – Steve Kershaw – Alexandra– 22.670 – 17/1/26
VSC Unlimited Sedans
8 Laps – Corey McDonald – Mount Beauty – 2:57.746 – 17/1/26
Corowa-Rutherglen Speedway Club would like to thank the following for their support of this Speedway season.
Max Maclean Hardware
Club Corowa
Maverick Marine
Q.A Kitchens
Quantum Printing
Crowie’s Paints
Blue Shed Self Storage
Cellarbrations Wahgunyah
Hi Tec Oils Albury
McRae’s Wodonga
Abacus Energy
Upton Engineering
Federation Steel
Edge FM
Sonaray Lighting
DMT Speedway Media
Meat on the Murray
Jackie & Vern Parker Photography
Rod Stones Automotive Rutherglen
Ducks Race Shop
East to West Data
Brocks Welding
Stevo’s Painting
Corowa Furnishing & Floors
Aricks Corowa
MForce Security
Hume Bank Albury
Sunday Tyres Wodonga
Rapid Hydraulics and Performance Wodonga
Written by
Dean Thompson
Dean Thompson Speedway Media
For Corowa-Rutherglen Speedway Club
