Pascoe Powers to NSSS Round 7 Premier Win
12/01/09…NASR/SSA Media Release
Super Sedan racing made a triumphant return to Warrnambool last night (Sunday, January 11) with a masterful performance from Matt Pascoe in taking out round seven of the 2008/2009 Carline Mufflers National Super Sedan Series at Premier Speedway. For the second night in a row, spectators were treated to a terrific race-long scrap for the lead as Pascoe battled Darren Kane for the duration of the 35-lap Bergmeier Engineering-sponsored event.
Kane started on pole position alongside Pascoe and the opening laps saw the duo running two-wide, with Kane maintaining a narrow advantage. However, Pascoe’s perseverance with the high line soon paid dividends and he edged ahead. From this point, the two remained locked in combat as Kane launched a counter-attack that never abated, even as they manoeuvred through lapped traffic. On more than one occasion, Kane looked likely to regain the lead, but Pascoe answered every challenge and drove faultlessly to snare his maiden NSSS feature win.
When a late-race misfortune befell a luckless Jarrod Harper, Michael Nicola pounce to secure third spot, taking over the series lead and winning the APCO Warrnambool Tri-City Challenge along the way. Nicola has been strong at every series round so far this season and his ability to master all track conditions has propelled him into the championship lead with three rounds remaining.
Shane Best finished in fourth spot ahead of Lachlan Onley, who clinched his second top-five result in as many events. South Australia’s Trevor Ware proved a revelation on the Premier high banks, qualifying on the second row and clocking the fastest lap of the race before ultimately securing a very respectable sixth-place finish as the highest placed non-contracted driver.
Previous round winner Wayne Randall advanced from position 15 to finish seventh, with Ron Bergmeier, Brad Smith and Tony Barklimore rounding out the top ten. Dave Gartner was next in line, followed by David Nichols, Wayne Brims, Bill Miller, Steve Vaughan, Michael Doblo, Jack Childs and Dan Miller.
Having started ninth, Harper had stormed into third spot and was looming ominously behind the leaders before contact with the lapped car of Childs resulted in a flat tyre and a heartbreaking end to his race. Fellow Tasmanian Sam Hughes suffered a similar fate when a tangle also involving Best and Steve Vaughan ended his challenge whilst occupying fourth spot.
Kane was unstoppable in the preliminaries, winning three heats to secure pole position for the final. Pascoe snared a pair of heat wins, while Nicola, Onley, Ware and Hughes grabbed one apiece.
The event was an awesome spectacle and a fitting finale for the reborn Tri-City Challenge that will hopefully see Super Sedans become a regular fixture on the Premier Speedway schedule.
Heat winners: Darren Kane x 3, Matt Pascoe x 2, Michael Nicola, Lachlan Onley, Trevor Ware, Sam Hughes
Feature Race: 1. Matt Pascoe, 2. Darren Kane, 3. Michael Nicola, 4. Shane Best, 5. Lachlan Onley, 6. Trevor Ware, 7. Wayne Randall, 8. Ron Bergmeier, 9. Brad Smith, 10. Tony Barklimore, 11. Dave Gartner, 12. David Nichols, 13. Wayne Brims, 14. Bill Miller, 15. Steve Vaughan, 16. Michael Doblo, 17. Jack Childs, 18. Dan Miller, DNF – Jarrod Harper, Sam Hughes, Lionel West, Bruno Jetson
Series standings (top ten) after seven of ten rounds: Michael Nicola 2994, Darren Kane 2901, Wayne Brims 2838, Matt Pascoe 2817, Shane Best 2759, Michael Doblo 2434, Jarrod Harper 2242, Dave Gartner 2208, Lachlan Onley 1976, Bill Miller 1725
APCO Warrnambool Tri-City Challenge final pointscore (top ten): Michael Nicola 1453, Matt Pascoe 1358, David Nichols 1221, Wayne Randall 1168, Wayne Brims 1150, Darren Kane 1111, Shane Best 1071, Lachlan Onley 1008, Brad Smith 888, Dave Gartner 855
Contingency Winners
Shock Doctor Lucky Sevens
Wayne Randall
Oval Express Best Presented Car and Crew
Matt Pascoe
The 2008/2009 Carline Mufflers National Super Sedan Series is proudly supported by the following sponsors:
Carline Mufflers, Bergmeier Engineering, American Racer Tyres, JD Couriers, 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), J & C Carrell Speedway Photography