Fletcher Wins 2nd Qld Modified Sedan Title in 3 Years
Pam Franz…15/06/16…courtesy of Jason Crowe SSA Media
Gavin Fletcher has sealed his second Queensland Modified Sedan Title in three years at the Carina Speedway, Bundaberg, courtesy of two brilliant outside passing moves, which set up his victory after he started from position thirteen, in the forty lap decider.
Aidan Raymont and highest qualifier Todd Doyle would start on the front row, with Doyle electing to start from the outside.
It would be Aidan Raymont who would get the best of the opening laps, but a stoppage on lap four bunched the field for the first of several early stoppages. Michael Learoyd and Gavin Lorensen were already out of the race as the race resumed, but in turn two, contact between Doyle and Raymont on the resultant restart, saw Raymont out of the race, and Doyle sent to the rear of the field.
New South Wales Champion, Rodney Pammenter assumed control of the race, leading Josh Crang, Hayden Stephensen and Adam Jorgensen, with Fletcher moving to fifth place on lap eleven, as his charge towards the lead continued. Todd Doyle retired from the race with mechanical woes at this point, joining Peter Gray as another who would not complete the race.
Fletcher passed Stephensen on lap sixteen to move to fourth before the race totally changed complexion on lap seventeen. Josh Crang would take the lead away from Pammenter who dropped to third behind Crang and Jorgensen, while a lap later Jorgensen retired and Fletcher made the first of two great outside moves, firstly on Pammenter to move to second, and then on lap twenty three, after hounding Josh Crang for several laps, replicated the move made earlier on Pammenter, this time on Crang to hit the lead.
Fletcher slowly but surely opened a lead over the opposition, with placings remaining unchanged throughout the final fifteen laps. In a convincing victory, Fletcher defeated Josh Crang, Rodney Pammenter and Hayden Stephensen, while Australian Champion Brett Baxter finished fifth after starting from position twenty. Defending Champion, Brodie Boss did not automatically qualify for the main event and drove a great race to finish sixth.
For Fletcher though, it would be his second State Title victory in three years, and his fifth Feature race win of the season.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
C Main – 10 Laps: 1. CR178 Jason Gray, 2. GL15 Richard Cook, 3. CN8 Scott Vella, 4. CN39 Jason Barnard, 5. L81 Quintin Clarke (7 laps), 6. CN69 Graham Kleinhans (4). Time: No Time, Winning Margin: 5.097, Fastest Lap: 21.760 CR178 Jason Gray
B Main – 20 Laps: 1. CN21 Johnno Collins, 2. CR27 Shane Macdonald, 3. A1 Brett Baxter, 4. SB6 Corey Stein, 5. G26 Jamie O’Meara, 6. CR32 Nathan Macdonald, 7. MK5 Kent Menzies, 8. CR178 Jason Gray, 9. RK43 Brenton Scott, 10. SC22 Shannon Blackburn (12 laps), 11. GL15 Richard Cook (11), 12. M5 Wayne Moller (9), 13. W24 David Head (5), 14. C89 TJ Horne (4), 15. L3 Greg Worling (4), 16. MK68 Gary Pagel (1). DNS: L15 Max Clarke. Time: No Time, Winning Margin: 0.932, Fastest Lap: 19.259 G26 Jamie O’Meara
A Main – 40 Laps: 1. SB42 Gavin Fletcher, 2. SB2 Josh Crang, 3. CR8 Rodney Pammenter, 4. T28 Hayden Stephensen, 5. A1 Brett Baxter, 6. Q1 Brodie Boss, 7. CR27 Shane Macdonald, 8. CN21 Johnno Collins, 9. SB3 Tim Smith, 10. G4 Glenn Pagel, 11. G27 Mark Raymont, 12. GL11 Tony Coomber (29), 13. V7 Justin Drew (27), 14. T25 Adam Jorgensen (17), 15. BB81 Dennis Shallcross (17), 16. SB6 Corey Stein (13), 17. BB7 Todd Doyle (11), 18. CR78 Peter Gray (8), 19. G28 Aidan Raymont (4), 20. G11 Gavin Lorensen (4), 21. G9 Michael Learoyd (3). Time: No Time, Winning Margin: 2.092, Fastest Lap: 18.576 BB81 Dennis Shallcross