QSCA News & Press Releases

05/01/09…NASR/SSA Media Release

In front of a bumper crowd last night (Saturday, January 3) at Dubbo’s Morris Park Speedway, Dave Gartner stormed to victory in round four of the 2008/2009 Carline Mufflers National Super Sedan Series.  Having qualified his Speedway Autos Pontiac on the outside front row alongside Tasmania’s Brad Smith, Gartner shot to the lead at the second attempt to start the race and was never headed, despite plenty of pressure from several challengers at various stages of the race.

Completing a South Australian quinella, Shane Best advanced from position five on the grid to clinch second spot, moving into the runner-up position on lap 16 and hounding Gartner through the closing stages of the race following a final restart with 10 laps remaining.

Defending champion Michael Doblo consolidated his bid for a second title, advancing from position 10 to finish third ahead of Matt Pascoe, who stormed into the lead from the second row at the first attempt to get the race underway, only to have his efforts negated when a Jack Childs spin in turn two forced a restart.  Pascoe ultimately annexed a fourth-place finish ahead of Jarrod Harper, in another of his typical late charges. After running in second spot throughout the early stages of the race, Brad Smith was banished to the rear of the field following a clash with a lapped car, ultimately salvaging sixth overall in his Little Transport Pontiac GTO.

Michael Hickey picked up the Shock Doctor Lucky Sevens Award, while Tony Barklimore was very impressive in bringing his Parkes Toyota Camry home eighth despite completing 34 laps with a flat left front tyre.  Lismore’s Tania Smith and local ace Darrell McKeown rounded out the top ten, with Colin Hockley the only other driver to go the distance.

New South Wales champion Wayne Brims retired with engine failure just eight laps from home whilst running in fifth spot and Michael Nicola was another who looked set to continue his strong run of results before misfortune intervened.  After starting his National Warranty Company Pontiac on the second row, Nicola made an early exit when he slammed the back straight wall on lap two.

Series leader Darren Kane was an early casualty, an engine breakage forcing him out during the second round of heats, although he still maintains a narrow points advantage over Brims and Best, who sit equal second in the championship standings.

Lachlan Onley also failed to take his place in the feature race field after an impressive heat win earlier in the night, while Ron Pyne experienced a painful end to his evening, being transported to hospital with a serious leg injury after a piece of debris punctured the floor of his Auto One Pontiac.

On a lightning fast multi-lane race track that produced some Super Sedan racing of the highest quality – none better than the superb scrap for the lead between Best and Wayne Brims in the final preliminary – the first ever NSSS visit to Dubbo proved an overwhelming success.         

Heat winners: Dave Gartner x 2, Brad Smith x 2, Matt Pascoe, Shane Best, Michael Nicola, Lachlan Onley, Jarrod Harper

Feature Race: 1. Dave Gartner, 2. Shane Best, 3. Michael Doblo, 4. Matt Pascoe, 5. Jarrod Harper, 6. Brad Smith, 7. Michael Hickey, 8. Tony Barklimore, 9. Tania Smith, 10. Darrell McKeown, 11. Colin Hockley, DNF – Wayne Brims, Frank Armstrong, Chris Bussey, Ron Bergmeier, Michael Nicola, Jack Childs, Bill Miller

Contingency Winners

Shock Doctor Lucky Sevens
Michael Hickey

Oval Express Best Presented Car and Crew
Chris Bussey

Championship standings (top ten) after four of ten rounds: Darren Kane 1790, Wayne Brims 1688, Shane Best 1688, Michael Doblo 1629, Michael Nicola 1541, Jarrod Harper 1497, Matt Pascoe 1459, Dave Gartner 1353, Michael Hickey 1037, Bill Miller 1010

The 2008/2009 Carline Mufflers National Super Sedan Series is proudly supported by the following sponsors:
Carline Mufflers, Bergmeier Engineering, American Racer Tyres, Shock Doctor, Oval Express Magazine, Art by Mickey, APCO Warrnambool, Comfort Inn and Suites Robertson Gardens, Rocky Resort Motor Inn, Comfort Inn on Raglan, National Association of Speedway Racing (NASR), Speedway Sedans Australia (ASCF

01/01/09…SSA Inc Media Release…information obtained via emailed Memo to QSCA Inc
 
Important information for all owners and drivers of cars in the JUNIOR SEDAN DIVISION and all scrutineers.

Alloy tube is not to be used in rollcages or even as rearward brace bars.  They must be mild steel.

Also, the bumpers and fuel tank protector bars must be mild steel.  It was never intended that this barwork be allowed to be alloy.  Alloy tears rather than bending if used in these situations.

01/01/09…NASR/SSA Media Release

Queensland champion Darren Kane replicated his performance from two nights earlier with a dominant victory in round three of the 2008/2009 Carline Mufflers National Super Sedan Series at Toowoomba’s Charlton Raceway last night (Wednesday, December 31).

Having again qualified his Ian Boettcher Race Parts Mazda RX8 on pole position, Kane led every circulation in the 35-lap feature race, extending his advantage to as much as half a lap at one stage.  In a faultless display, Kane handled lapped traffic with aplomb and encountered little resistance to expand his lead in the championship points.

Victoria’s Michael Nicola secured his best ever NSSS result, backing up his third-place finish in Rockhampton with a runner-up result on this occasion ahead of Shane Best and opening round winner Wayne Brims.

On a challenging, but racy track surface, the scrap for the minor placings provided most interest with Best and Brims joined in a five-way tussle by Jarrod Harper, Tony Barklimore and Gavin Northfield, who was again the best of the non-contracted drivers and collected the Shock Doctor Lucky Sevens Award for his efforts.

Defending champ Michael Doblo finished in eighth spot ahead of Brad Smith, who put on a terrific display as he surged through the field after qualifying through the B Main. Chris Bussey also secured a top-ten result after transferring from the B Main, with Bill Miller and Lachlan Onley next in line. Jack Childs, Tania Smith and Ron Bergmeier completed the finishers in another highly entertaining event.

Dan Miller’s luckless run continued, rolling his Enzed Pontiac for the second meeting in succession.

Heat winners: Darren Kane x 2, Shane Best, Michael Nicola, Dale Christensen, Dave Gartner, Gavin Northfield, Tony Barklimore, Jarrod Harper

B Main: 1.Brett Hignett, 2. Steve Pearce, 3. Michael Hickey, 4. Brad Smith, 5. Chris Bussey, 6. Jack Childs, DNF – Tania Smith, Colin Hockley, Shayne Lau

Feature Race: 1. Darren Kane, 2. Michael Nicola, 3. Shane Best, 4. Wayne Brims, 5. Jarrod Harper, 6. Tony Barklimore, 7. Gavin Northfield, 8. Michael Doblo, 9. Brad Smith, 10. Chris Bussey, 11. Bill Miller, 12. Lachlan Onley, 13. Jack Childs, 14. Tania Smith, 15. Ron Bergmeier, DNF – Matt Pascoe, Colin Hockley, Dave Gartner, Dale Christensen, Michael Hickey, Brett Hignett, Steve Pearce

Contingency Winners

Shock Doctor Lucky Sevens
Gavin Northfield

Oval Express Best Presented Car and Crew
Jarrod Harper   

Championship standings (top ten) after three of ten rounds: Darren Kane 1677, Wayne Brims 1421, Mick Nicola 1285, Shane Best 1153, Michael Doblo 1152, Jarrod Harper 1102, Matt Pascoe 1013, Gavin Northfield 885, Lachlan Onley 831, Bill Miller 802

The 2008/2009 Carline Mufflers National Super Sedan Series is proudly supported by the following sponsors:
Carline Mufflers, Bergmeier Engineering, American Racer Tyres, Shock Doctor, Oval Express Magazine, Art by Mickey, APCO Warrnambool, Comfort Inn and Suites Robertson Gardens, Rocky Resort Motor Inn, Comfort Inn on Raglan, National Association of Speedway Racing (NASR), Speedway Sedans Australia (ASCF)

31/12/08…NASR/SSA Media Release

Queensland champ Darren Kane scored an emphatic win in round two of the 2008/2009 Carline Mufflers National Super Series at Rockhampton Speedway on Monday night (December 29), leading every lap of the 35-lap feature event to emerge as the new championship points leader.

Having qualified his Ian Boettcher Race Parts Mazda RX8 on pole position, Kane set a cracking pace throughout the event, clocking a fastest lap time that was more than a second quicker than anybody else.  Despite heavy lapped traffic in the closing stages, Kane was untroubled in his charge to chequer.

Defending series champion Michael Doblo enjoyed a strong home track result, bringing his Ocean Tyres Pontiac home in second spot ahead of three-time national champ Michael Nicola, who surged into the top three in the closing stages of the event after starting his National Warranty Company Pontiac on the outside of row four.

On a fast, two-lane racetrack, there was action aplenty in the various scraps for the minor placings which saw both Shane Best and opening round winner Wayne Brims occupying podium positions at various stages before ultimately finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

In a terrific drive that belies his lack of experience at this level, Brisbane’s Gavin Northfield was the best of the non-contracted drivers, advancing to sixth after starting tenth.  Lachlan Onley finished in seventh spot ahead of Bill Miller, with Michael Hickey and Dave Gartner rounding out the top ten after transferring from the B Main.

Jarrod Harper started alongside Kane on the front row and led momentarily on the opening lap before Kane surged to the front and skipped clear.  Harper looked to have a runner-up finish secured before a flat tyre intervened and sent him plummeting through the field for an eventual 12th-place finish behind Des Korn.

Meanwhile, South Australia’s Dan Miller made a spectacular exit on lap 12, climbing the turn two wall and rolling his Enzed Pontiac in what was the only major incident throughout the night.  

Heat winners: Darren Kane x 2, Michael Doblo, Leigh Williams, Jarrod Harper, Wayne Brims, Craig Torr, Jamie McHugh, Michael Nicola

B Main: 1. Leigh Williams, 2. Michael Hickey, 3. Ron Pyne, 4. Jack Childs, 5. Dave Gartner, 6. Graeme Elliot, 7. Ron Bergmeier, 8. Chris Bussey

Feature Race: 1. Darren Kane, 2. Michael Doblo, 3. Michael Nicola, 4. Shane Best, 5. Wayne Brims, 6. Gavin Northfield, 7. Lachlan Onley, 8. Bill Miller, 9. Michael Hickey, 10. Dave Gartner, 11. Des Korn, 12. Jarrod Harper, 13. Jack Childs, DNF – Craig Torr, Graeme Elliot, Jamie McHugh, Danny Miller, Matt Pascoe, Ron Pyne, Leigh Williams

The teams now make the trek to Toowoomba’s Charlton Raceway for round three on Wednesday night (December 31), before heading to Dubbo for the first time ever on Saturday, December 3. 

Series standings (top 12) after 2 of 10 rounds: Darren Kane 1080, Wayne Brims 984, Michael Doblo 854, Mat Pascoe 764, Michael Nicola 750, Jarrod Harper 705, Shane Best 672, Jamie McHugh 602, Lachlan Onley 575, Gavin Northfield 551, Bill Miller 536, Dave Gartner 524

Contingency Winners

Oval Express Best Presented Car and Crew
Daniel Miller

Shock Doctor Lucky Sevens
Lachlan Onley

The 2008/2009 Carline Mufflers National Super Sedan Series is proudly supported by the following sponsors:
Carline Mufflers, Bergmeier Engineering, American Racer Tyres, Shock Doctor, Oval Express Magazine, Art by Mickey, APCO Warrnambool, Comfort Inn and Suites Robertson Gardens, Rocky Resort Motor Inn, Comfort Inn on Raglan, National Association of Speedway Racing (NASR, Speedway Sedans Australia (ASCF)