Wahgunyah Speedway held a terrific Maverick Marine race night on the weekend (March 14th) with the final round of the annual Colin Young Memorial the latest event promoted by the Goulburn Ovens Sedans Association for their competitors, taking top billing. A cracking nights racing from the competitors seen Nathan Shortis, Brandan Lovell and Marty Bassett thrilling fans.
They were not the only competitors putting on a show, with Bryce Leek and Micheal Fleming-Robertson in Standard Saloons outstanding in their final and Kade Brockley won all four Junior Sedan races to sweep the evening for his class. Samantha Lord was the top Ladies Sports Sedan racer whilst Jake Cottier won the Sports Sedan final.
Whilst the pits did not have a lot of cars as the world situation around fuel and diesel add to the already high cost of living, those that did come entertained an enthusiastic crowd who enjoyed the evening.
Across six qualifying heats in the Colin Young Memorial, Brandan Lovell, Luke Collis, Bassett, Shortis then both Bassett and Shortis for a second time, were the heat race winners. An exciting pole shuffle then added extra entertainment with Shortis holding a slim margin of 0.759 of a second over Bassett to claim a pole position.
To finish the evening, a twenty-lap feature event with the remaining eleven competitors began with Bassett at the front of the field from lap one. Lovell settled in front of Shortis taking the second spot until lap seven when Lovell surged to the front. Bassett wasn’t done yet though and he hit the front for lap eight before Lovell again took the lead the very next lap bringing Shortis past Bassett also. Collis exited the race after finding himself staring at the turn two concrete.
Two-time Victorian champion Danny McCarten had fourth spot in the bag as those ahead of him Lovell, Bassett and Shortis went at it lap after lap trying to settle the podium spots. Thomas Bowers and Ryan Chant were others to exit the race and in a thrilling ending, Lovell led from lap nine, to turn four, lap twenty before he ran slightly offline and Shortis ducked down underneath him to come right up alongside and then the barest of margins in front when they reached the finish line loop. Shortis the winner by 0.046 from Lovell, Bassett, McCarten and Justin Granger. Shortis won the overall Colin Young Memorial for the second year back-to-back, the second driver to do so.
In Sports Sedans, the Ladies Sports Sedans, and the Sports Sedans combined to compete together with separate trophies up for grabs. Samantha Lord proved too strong for Chloe Creek in the Ladies and Jake Cottier to strong in the overall after his father Craig was unable to finish due to mechanical breakdown. Cottier finished half a second ahead of Lord at the line.
Kade Brockley won all three heat races getting the better of his fellow competitors MacKenzie Dixon, Lucas Magor, and Lucas Williams. Brockley then went on to win the final by almost a complete lap with Magor second in his very first race meeting and Dixon in third.
Production Sedans had a run as some of the competitors gave their cars a shakedown in preparation of a busy April which will include the Australian title and Victorian title at Wangaratta. Scott Hawkins from Leeton proved to strong winning all three heat races before getting the better of Jack Bear in the final with other competitors unable to cross the finish line.
Micheal Fleming-Robertson continued his wins in the Standard Saloon class. He won heat one and two before lending some wheels and tyres to fellow competitor Bryce Leek in order to give Leek a hand with track grip and Fleming-Robertson a fresh challenge. Leek then led heat three until a tyre popped on lap seven of eight laps giving Fleming-Robertson the win.
A twelve-lap final then had the two bumper to bumper and left front against right rear quarter panel for much of the race with Fleming-Robertson unable to get past Leek who in his first visit to Wahgunyah took the win. It was a terrific race, even better sportsmanship, Brendan Eames the Corowa-Rutherglen Speedway Club President finished in third with Adam Brezovnik the last to finish.
Wahgunyah Speedway at this stage will be back on May 23rd. the Lachie Howie Memorial for Standard Saloons, Speedway Drivers Association of Victoria Hot Rods, Division 2 Hot Rods, another feature for the Goulburn Ovens Sedan Association, this time the GOSA 1000, Juniors and Humpy Holdens are scheduled.
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 Media
For Corowa-Rutherglen Speedway Club
