TOOWOOMBA SPEEDWAY: PRODUCTION SEDAN TITLE TO JOSH HARM

By David Budden

Photos courtesy Matthew Paul Photography and 44 Photography

A capacity crowd of avid speedway fans arrived at Hi-Tec-Oils Toowoomba Speedway over the ANZAC Day long weekend. 

There was ample proof that the passion for sedan racing is still alive and well in Toowoomba while enjoying the freedoms the ANZACs fought for 110 years ago.

IT was wonderful to watch the Speedway Sedans Australia  Production Sedans National Title and the Super Sedans Graham Pascoe Memorial Race (GP53).  

Hi-Tec-Oils Speedway is one of the better venues to watch Speedway.  Over 120 cars were whittled down over 44 hard fought heats over two nights of racing, sometimes racing three and four wide. Two C and B mains to  decide the last of the 22 cars to contest the 40 lap National Title feature race. They came from far and wide and all states of Australia. When the chequered flag dropped it was the current Queensland Champion Josh Harm from Kingaroy who won the National Title. Hollywood could not have scripted it any better for Harm driving around the outside of defending National Champion Kyle Sayer to take the win by 0.332 of a second.

Chris Pagel and Kaine Richters earned their right to start on the front row, while defending National Champion Kyle Sayer started from position three alongside Darran Lester.  Richters led the early laps from Sayer and  Lester as Sayer searched for a way past. Ten laps down, the persistence paid off as he drove by Richters and into the race lead.  Richters was then caught up in a race of his own, as Lester, Josh Harm, and Joel Berkley fought it out for third; it would take another eight laps though for Berkley to grab 3rd position.

At the halfway point Sayer had a handy lead from Richters, with Harm able to reclaim third from Berkley a lap later. While all this was going on Nuno Mendes, moved into fifth, and after coming from  midfield in the B Main, he eventually finished fourth in the National Title in a remarkable drive.

With six to go Harm had a look on the inside of Richters and one lap later he was in second with lapped traffic approaching.  This allowed Harm to close the gap as lapped traffic was spread across the track.  Harm, seeing the opportunity, moved to the outside with one lap to go. As they rounded turn four for the last time he continued his way around the outside of Sayer, heavy traffic slowing his progress.  For Harm, who drove a brilliant race that had the huge crowd on their feet in the closing laps, it was enough for him to take the win right on the line. Sayer would have to settle for second while Richters rounded out the podium. Nuno Mendes and Joel Berkley would complete the top five. In what was one of the most exciting finishes seen at Hi-Tec-Oils Speedway in recent years.

When the Super Sedans rolled out onto the  track for the GP53 we knew we were going to see something special.

Michael Hally got away nicely and led for the first two laps from Hayden Brims and Ash Bergmeier.

Meanwhile, Joel Berkley was working the outside and making a lane for himself moving into third while deep in the race Todd Atkins was starting to move through the field quickly. By this time Berkley had slipped underneath Hally to take the lead racing three wide with Bergmeier.  Rob Hamilton still in the mix rounding out the top four. Not really knowing where to look, Todd Atkins sweeps around the outside and into second and sets out after Berkley with 40 laps to go. Matt Pascoe moved into third and the race was on as Pascoe dropped to the bottom and passed Atkins momentarily.  Atkins, wanting no part of that, accelerated away. He dropped to the bottom and had a big look under Berkley. He couldn’t make it work this time around but that didn’t stop him trying. Pascoe returned the favour under Atkins and moved back into second.

As this was happening Atkins tried again with a slider again coming up short as Berkley now knows he is there and accelerates away. Seven laps later Atkins tried again after taking an opportunity this time making it work as Berkley and ran a little  high in turn four. Atkins drove superbly through traffic hitting his marks every lap with Berkley and Pascoe having their own race running high and low to try and gain positions in brilliant racing, It was Super Sedan action at its best. Atkins came from position 10 to win the  Graham Pascoe Memorial for 2025  a hard charging Joel Berkley finishing second from Matt Pascoe in third. 

QUICK RESULTS:

Production Sedans (IBRP NATIONAL TITLE)

1. Josh Harm

2. Kyle Sayer

3. Kaine Richters

4. Nuno Mendes

5. Joel Berkley

Super Sedans (GP53)

1. Todd Atkins

2. Joel Berkley

3. Matt Pascoe

NSW won the State of Origin Demo Derby; it was a crash and bash affair with big hits and plenty of action. NSW

had the last car running, levelling the series one-all.