By KATH GANNAWAY
HEALESVILLE speedway driver Ben Moon has taken out the 2015 Victorian Sports Sedan title.
In a win that surprised even him, Moon held off the field of around 30 competitors at Alexandra Speedway on Saturday, 14 March, to claim the title for the second time.
A late starter to speedway, he started in his late twenties and has been on the track for eight or nine years.
His first Victorian title came in 2012 and while he is more than pleased with his second title, he says it was totally unexpected.
Coming back after a 10-month break, Moon qualified with a two-race meeting at Rosedale just the weekend before.
He had given the engine of his VS Commodore a freshen up to run the title event and wasn’t disappointed with the performance.
“It did really well,” he said.
“I was hoping to do well and going out to have some fun.
“I had a lot of luck in my favour on the night, and the other favourites were quite unlucky as it eventuated.
Taking the front line position for around the last eight of the 30 laps, he held off the rest of the field, coming in ahead of Luke Fallon and Brendan Miller to become the new state champion.
DMT sports media writer Dean Thompson was on track for the race in which Damien Miller topped the qualifying results with the defending champion Matt Nelson alongside him then Brendan Miller, Rahmon Rivero, and Moon and Fallon making up the top six.
Concurring with Moon’s comments about the vagaries of luck on the night, Thompson said the race didn’t go according to plan for a number of drivers.
“A spin to Damien Miller while leading on lap eight saw his car being re-directed to the rear of the field to restart, not before Rivero through the dust unable to see spat up by drivers driving under the pole line slammed into Miller putting himself out of the race,” he said.
“Daniel Unternahrer then hit concrete on lap 11 to be eliminated while Nelson thought he might have done a gearbox and pulled out of the race while leading soon after.
“Fallon held the lead briefly, Moon assumed the lead from him and Damien Miller came forward from last on lap eight to be in the top five again.
“Moon went on to record his second Victorian Sports Sedan title victory from Fallon, Brendan Miller, Damien Miller and Andrew Jordan who took over fifth place from Tim McPherson on a last gasp run on lap 30,” he said.
Other finishers included Aaron Marshall, Sam Williams, Matt Chiminello, Dale Smith and James Powell, all on the lead lap.
Moon, who works in the family business, Yarra Coffee in Lilydale, is among hundreds of Yarra Valley enthusiasts who race, and who have raced, on the sand and granite track at Alex over the years.
“It’s definitely a popular track with the locals,” he said, adding a recommendation for anyone thinking of taking up a high-octane sport.
“It’s the cheapest motorsport you can do, and as a sport, it’s great for getting kids off the streets.”
Alexandra Speedway returns on Saturday, 28 March, for the Victorian Ladies Standard Saloon title and all club divisions.
