By Dean Thompson and Callum Ludwig
A number of Yarra Valley racers tore up the track during the start of the race season at the Alexandra Speedway on Saturday 16 September.
Dean Thompson of DMT Speedway Media covered the action and the Star Mail spoke to a few of the local winners from the day.
Alexandra Speedway started its new race season with the local member racers picking up several feature race wins on a night that included series rounds for Sports Sedans, Junior Sedans, Street Stocks and Late Models. An enthusiastic crowd was on hand to see River Paterson from Yarra Junction, Luke Morrison from Officer, Dylan Barrow from Wandin, David Donegan from Healesville and Matthew Nelson from Woori Yallock who were all winners.
The biggest field belonged to the Sports Sedans with competitors who came from Northeast Victoria, Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne, Southeastern Suburbs of Melbourne and the Murrindindi surrounds. Qualifying race wins were shared by Rhys Collins, Damien Miller, Tommy McDonald, Ian Thomsen, Damien Miller again, Dale Smith, McDonald a second time, Lee Beach, and Dale Smith a second time. There was crash damage and mechanical issues along the way putting drivers out of the event before the final, some of them being favourites for a potential victory. Donegan, McDonald, Russell Smith, his son Dale, Thomsen, and Beach started in the first six spots in the twenty-five-lap final with Donegan securing the lead spot initially before McDonald past him on lap three. Dale Smith moved to the lead on lap six whilst Donegan dropped back into third spot before he passed McDonald for second on lap ten.
It took until lap fifteen before Donegan passed Smith and assumed the lead spot once again and McDonald also moved passed Smith on lap nineteen into second. For much of the race the top three where right around each other before Donegan cleared off later in the race eventually to a four second margin. Donegan would claim the victory ahead of McDonald, Dale Smith, Beach, and Josh Service in the Sports Sedan Extreme Series round.
Donegan, who has been racing since he was 14 and is a member at the Alexandra Speedway, said he probably struggled a bit earlier in the race.
“It was just about getting comfortable with the track conditions and then I had some really good battles with some other guys there that were being racing over the last few years,” he said.
“We were just lucky enough to have the right set-up at the end and a reliable car to get us over the line in the first spot,”
“We always try and set up our race car to be fast in the last 10 laps in a 25-lap race and we really struggled in the first 10 to 15 laps just purely because we had our car set up for the last 10 laps, I think we were back in third at the time and then were able to come through the pack, get back up the front and take the win.”
Junior Sedan Promotional Association competitors in both grades of Top Star and New Stars were on hand for series action. In the Top Star competition, drivers raced in three of the four heat races held to set their qualifying spot. Cruz Carlin won a first heat race where the first four competitors were separated by less than a second in the closest heat race. Brad Marshall then Victorian state champion River Paterson twice in succession won heat races also. Paterson, Will Fallon, James Peacock, Carlin, Axel Robinson and Jake Bradley were the top six starters. Paterson put himself out in front on lap one with Tamika Simpson moving inside the top six until lap four. Peacock and Carlin swapped spots more than once in third and fourth during the race before Paterson greeted the chequered flag leading all fifteen laps to beat Fallon, Carlin, Peacock and Robinson with the margin just .240 at the end between the lead two in an exciting finish.
River’s father Rob Paterson said River started racing at 10 years old after following in the footsteps of his older brother and that it was a pretty straightforward night.
“He’s just won the state series, which is called the JSPA series, and four state titles, so last year he won the Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales state title so he’s a pretty successful little fella,” he said.
“He ended up doing good enough in the heats to come off pole [position], and his friend Will [Fallon] was the other and they broke away from the pack and had a really good battle, they only finished two-tenths apart when they went over the line, they were bumper to bumper for the entire race, all 15 laps so it was very, very tight,”
“His dream is to win the Australian title in January, that’s certainly what we’re working very hard to do, because he’s won all the state titles and we’re off to the Queensland title in December and then we’ve got the Australian title first week of January.”
In Late Model competition Dylan Barrow and Chevy Edwards shared wins in the two qualifying races before Barrow led all ten laps in the final to defeat the Edwards brothers Chevy and Brock, then came Tasmanian Ellis Dickenson and Shane Belk.
Barrow said he has raced at that track for a few years and can put laps together pretty well there.
“It was pretty good to come away with a win because I’ve had some bad luck there for a bit so it was good to shake that off,” he said.
“It was good to see Matt Nelson as well get a win as well, he’s really good mate of mine so it was good to see some mates of mine and local cars win and have a good night overall.”
Three heats were slated for Street Stock competition for a round of their Speedway Sedans Victoria series. Matt Nelson raced away for a huge victory in the first heat race and in contrast the second heat race that he also won had a margin of less than a second. Linken Paterson then picked up a strong win in the final heat race. Twenty-five laps was then the distance to compete over in the final. Nelson began with Paterson from the front with Jack Jordan Ricky Cornwall, Matt Brooks and Matt Bishop holding starting spots in the top six. Nelson led from the drop of the green with Paterson the first to exit the race and Cornwall moving to second. Tim Hutchinson who recently won an event at Wangaratta moved into third on lap five. Nelson held a comfortable lead and the top three held their spots for the next twenty laps with Nelson greeting the flagman four seconds ahead of Cornwall, Hutchinson, Jordan and Bishop.
Alexandra Speedway will next hold competition on 7 December with a state Production Sedan series round, a Goulburn Ovens Sedan Association series round, Sports Sedans, National Junior Sedans, Standard Saloons, and a Ladies Standard Saloon series round.
