WAHGUNYAH SPEEDWAY: DONEGAN, SHORTIS, ERICKSON, HALLETT AND SIMMONDS WIN SERIES ROUNDS
Feature photo by: Vern Parker Photography…Sports Sedans winner David Donnegan
Media release by: Dean Thompson Speedway Media for Corowa-Rutherglen Speedway Club.
This past Saturday,January 17, featuring ‘Wyatt Automotive’ race night at Wahgunyah Speedway five winners bagged all important series points in their race classes with wins.
The victors were: David Donegan in the Extreme Sports Sedan Series, Keith Simmonds (Lucky 7s Unlimited Sedan Series), Nathan Shortis (Goulburn Ovens Sedan State Series) and Zach Erickson and Jai Hallett (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 bush fires last week that roared through Victoria. The track lost equipment and had infrastructure damaged that is critical to holding race meetings. The money raised will go towards funds 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 was racers like new track record breaker Steve Kershaw from Healesville and race winner David Donegan who stood out.
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.
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.
Unlimited Sedans Josh Barber #73 courtesy: Vern Parker Photography
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 at this meeting 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
IMG 8796: Danny Cox (#62) in Sports Sedans with Steve Kershaw on the outside in car 52 photo courtesy of : Vern Parker Photography.
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
