Current Australian Champion Jock Goodyer got his Clay-Per-View Sprintcar Speedweek title defence off to a perfect start with victory in the opening round at the Murray Machining and Sheds Murray Bridge Speedway. It was Goodyer’s third successive victory at the venue dating back to March. Second across the line was Lachlan McHugh, who conceded that Murray Bridge is becoming a boggy track as he claimed yet another runner-up result. For the second year in a row on Luke Dillon rounded out the Boxing Day podium, and appeared to be pleased with the result knowing that he was only beaten by the two inform drivers in the country. 

“Yeah, we have had some really good car speed here lately and it is a great way to kick Speedweek off with such a high. I feel for Chase, I think they will have a long night putting another car together, it was a case of wrong place, wrong time, I think he got caught up with Keke (Falland), but we had a great battle and it’s pretty cool to have Locky (McHugh) on the podium too” added Jock following the A-Main. 

On a night when the weather and track conditions were more akin to a night at the Easter Trail rather than Boxing Day, the track proved to be very fast and a little narrow due to the rain that had fallen in Murray Bridge throughout the previous 24 hours. But that did not stop the final producing so extremely entertaining racing with the top five putting a real show, especially as they negotiated the lapped traffic. 

Following his win in the Dash Texan Chase Randall elected to start the 35-lap finale on the outside of the front row handing fellow Texan Aaron Reutzel the pole position.  

As the green flag fell Randall quickly jumped into the lead and would pace the field for the opening 15 laps until a flat right front tyre sent the Daniel Mayson owned #9 hard into the turn 1 wall. As a result, the car rolled hard destroying the chassis. 

After running third in the early stages Goodyer snuck by Reutzel in traffic just prior to Randall’s exit therefore he inherited the lead ahead of McHugh, Dillon, Marcus Dumesny, who was campaigning a 2004 Max Dumesny tribute scheme, and Reutzel. From this point the only other change up front occurred when Brock Hallett got by Reutzel for fifth. 

Following Reutzel the top ten were Jessie Attard, who picked up the Max Dumesny Motorsport / Hoosier Lucky 7 Award, Jordyn Charge, Joel Heinrich, and Daniel Pestka. 

Chad Ely and Matt Egel ended their nights upside down in the A-main, with both cars crashing out in turn two. 

Earlier in the night four heat races were conducted with the top 8 drivers from qualifying being inverted. Heat 1 was taken out by Tasmanian Tim Hutchins ahead of Randall and Alex Attard while heat 2 went the way of Jessie Attard, while Jackson Delamont and Keke Falland completed the top three. The remaining two heats went to local racers with Ben Morris and Ricky Maiolo each taking a win. 

The final six drivers in the A-Main line up came from the two B-Mains with Matt Egel, Tim Hutchins and Steven Caruso transferring via B-Main 1 while Ben Morris, Glen Sutherland and Jessie Attard making the cut from B-Main 2. The biggest surprise came in B-Main 2 when local Ryan Jones failed to make the A-Main as he finished fourth. B-main 2 saw the first roll over of the night when Craig Vanderstelt inverted his machine in turn two on the opening lap. 

Luke Dillon continued his outstanding qualifying form by setting the overall Quick Time in qualifying. He was joined by Marcus Dumesny, Aaron Reutzel and Joel Heinrich, who were the quickest drivers in their heat groups. 

The 2023/24 Clay-per-view Sprintcar Speedweek continues at the Murray Machining and Sheds Murray Bridge Speedway (SA) on December 27 with night before Night 3 on December 28, 2023 at the  Borderline Speedway, Mount Gambier (SA), night 4 at the Avalon Raceway on December 30, before the final at the Premier Speedway, Warrnambool on January 1, 2024. 

Release by Sprintcar Speedweek Media 

Ends Release…