Australian Street Stock Title Field Released

Speedway Sedans Australia have today released the field for the Repco/Penrite Australian Super Sedan Title, to be held at the Rockhampton Speedway on Saturday, 26 March 2016 and Sunday, 27 March 2016.

Forty four drivers have entered for the title including current and two times Australian Champion, Matt Pascoe.  Pascoe who won in 2013 and last year, will be looking to become the first driver to go back to back since Kevin Purton of Tasmania did that in 2005 and 2006.

The field also includes three other Australian Champions, with three times winner Mick Nicola of Victoria, two times winner Darren Kane and 2011 winner Steve Jordan all in the field.  State Champions Peter Nicola (Victoria), Callum Harper (Tasmania), Lachlan Onley (New South Wales), David Gartner (South Australia) and Pascoe (Queensland) will all be represented in the event, with Western Australian not represented in the title for the first time in a very long time.

Drivers who have placed on the podium in the last nine National Titles are also in the field, making this event one of the strongest in many years.  Darren Kane and Lachlan Onley have both placed on the podium three times a piece in the last five National Titles without being successful, with Onley scoring three successive second place finishes (2012-2014), while Kane has placed third three times (2011, 2014, 2015).

Callum Harper has completely dominated the Super Sedan ranks in Tasmania this season, taking eight Feature Race victories, and has won three State Titles since sneaking in to the National Final at the Archerfield, won by his Father Jarrod.  Harper and 2010 Tasmanian Champion Steve Latham, will be the two representatives from the Apple Isle.

Three times South Australian and former West Australian Champion, Dave Gartner, is the only driver from South Australia, with Gartner still looking for his first National crown which has alluded him in recent years despite being in winning positions.  The 2010 runner-up, will be looking to become the first South Australian to win the National Title since Brad Scotcher in 1992.  Gartner this season has won seven Feature Race events, and would dearly love his eighth to be the Australian Title.

Victoria will have experience and a debutant heading to this years event, with three times Australian Champion and eight times State Champion Mick Nicola, two times and current Victorian Champion Peter Nicola both in the field while Michael Wicks will make his debut.  Meanwhile Brad Wicks only last week won the Victorian Goldrush event, defeating both Nicola's and Dave Gartner, last competing in a National Title in 2008, where he was the youngest driver in the field finishing tenth.

Wayne Brims, and Lachlan Onley will represent New South Wales, with the National Title being one of the few big events which has evaded Onley.  Three successive runner-up positions, no doubt haunts Onley, and he will be looking to become the first driver since the turn of the century, from New South Wales to win this event which was first conducted in 1972.

Queensland drivers naturally dominate the bulk of the field, with numerous drivers tasting success this season.  Apart from Pascoe and Kane, Sean Black, Matt Williams, Wayne Brims, Jason Campbell and Craig Torr should also figure prominently.

OFFICIAL NOMINATIONS

* GL Gladstone, MK Mackay, M Maryborough, TV Townsville, C Caboolture
* Remainder State Prefixes

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SSA History

Speedway Sedans Australia has a rich history, as the peak body of Sedan Car racing in Australia.  Formerly known as the Australian Saloon Car Federation (ASCF), the peak body was formed in 1968.  From its humble beginnings it now has six National Categories, being Junior Sedans, Street Stock, Production Sedans, Modified Productions, Super Sedans, and as of 1 July 2011, 4 Cylinder Sedans.

The first National SedanTitle was held three years after the ASCF was formed, in Canberra 3 October 1971, won by Kevin Dalton of Victoria.  Canberra, interestingly enough, have only hosted two National titles with the second being 23 years after the first in 1995.

Three years after the first Sedan Title, a second Sedan National Title would be held in 1975 for Standard Saloons.  Ian Coatsworth of Victoria was successful at Warrnambool.

Sedan numbers in the 1970s were incredibly strong, witnessed by capacity crowds on Friday and Saturday nights across the Nation, with many drivers being household names.

The ASCF moved with the times, identifying it needed to keep pace changing the name of the Open Sedans, which were also known as Division 1, to Super Sedans, while Standard Saloons became better known as Modified Productions in 1984.  During the mid 1980s Grand National Sedans commenced, and as an ASCF category they lasted for five to six years.  Towards the end of their existance, many Super Sedan competitors dabbled in the category, as Australian drivers contemplated the left hand drive option.  In the end, Super Sedans would be the drivers choice.

Other categories commenced soon after with the Technical committee of the day, forming Street Stock in 1985, with their first National Title held in 1990 at Warrnambool.  The popularity of this category was instantaneous, the first National category to race in both directions. Neil Hoffman of South Australia won the first of his two National Titles at this event, winning again in 1993.

Modified Productions continued to be very strong, but budget racers could not compete at the highest level, or remain competitive.  The Technical Committee then created Production Sedans, which instantly became a hit in1996 particularly in Western Australia, who have to this day, held the bulk of the competitors.  Five years after they were formed, John Higgins was successful in Mildura in the first National Production Sedan Title.

In 2000, the controlling Body had its first female President, with Denise Garratt at the helm.

The technical body, was embarking on its greatest achievement by creating Junior Sedans in the late 1990s.  It took several years to formalise the specificatons which would be suitable to children between the age of 10-17.  The minimum age would be standardised only in 2006.  Western Australia, who have records of Junior Sedan Titles dating back to 1978, would host the first Title at the Collie Speedway in 2003.  Todd Waddell of Western Australia would be successful, and would go on to win the 2004 and 2005 Titles as well.

In 2004, the Australian Saloon Car Federation, decided to change its Structure, with the President becoming the CEO, while State delegates would become Board Members with Portfolios.

The ASCF, formed in 1968 with the aim to standardise the rules for all speedway sedan divisions
throughout Australia, had now become the largest Speedway association in Australia with over 6000 members, but didn't have a vision statement.  At the end of a strategic planning meeting, the Statement of "The ASCF is the leading governing organisation in speedway sedan racing; fostering, promoting and uniting the sport throughout Australia" was adopted.

The ASCF would be recognised as providing unified management of Accreditation, Racing rules, Safety standards, Specifications and Training, for speedway sedan racing in Australia.

In 2006, the ASCF as part of the restructure, would become Speedway Sedans Australia, after two years of debate.  National Titles at the same meeting of 2006, would also change, moving from a 5 Heat Format and one Final, to a 4 Heat Format, with three Finals, to give drivers who may have had an issue in the heats, still an opportunity to make the final.  This would be never so true, than the National Street Stock Title of 2010, which saw Jamie Oldfield of Western Australia, win all three finals to win the Australian Title.   One year later Max Clarke almost replicated Oldfield, by coming from the C Main and B Main to win the A Main.

2006 would be a big year, with the www.salooncar.com website turned off, and www.speedwaysedans.comcreated to provide more information for both competitors and the public.  The website unfortunately didn't keep pace with the rest of the world, until Jason Crowe of Western Australia put up his hand in 2008 to update the site, with a position created in 2009.

In 2009 a friend of Jason's was not able to get to the Australian Super Sedan Title in Lismore, and wanted to know if it could be broadcast on the internet.  With no cables or gadgetry to do the job, a trip to a local computer store, would change the way Speedway could be heard into the future.  From its humble beginnings of a maximum of 50 people listening to the first broadcast, live Internet Broadcasts are now expected every weekend, with the popularity showing no signs of abating, with more than 900 IP addresses logged in to the 2011 Australian Street Stock Title.

In 2011 a sixth category was added to the Speedway Sedans Australia family.  4 Cylinder Sedans, who were already existing on the East Coast, predominantly in Queensland and Northern New South Wales, were adopted by the SSA as the availability of this car on the Australian roads, would be readily available for potential competitors, and easily recognisible to the public.

After eight years as CEO Neil Sayer was defeated in a ballot by Paul Gannon at the AGM held in September 2011.

In 2012, Jarrod Harper wins arguably the best ever Super Sedan Australian Title Final which after an initial stoppage on the opening lap, went the full 40 laps without a stoppage, with all 19 cars that started the restart finishing the race, with only two cars lapped in the entire race.  Harper defeated Lachlan Onley, Matt Pascoe and Wayne Randall who were all fighting for the lead in the last 10 laps.

In 2013, the Super Sedan Australian Title Final went one better, with not one stoppage in the 40 lap main event, with all twenty cars finishing.

The year would also see Street Stock driver, Anthony Beare of South Australia create plenty of history.  Beare, based in Mt Gambier, won the Tasmanian Street Stock Title and in doing so became the first driver in Speedway Sedans Australia's history to win a State Title in every State.  A week later he would win the South Australian title, and by winning that, he became the current holder of every State Title.  He would finish runner-up in the National Title, and would follow that up by winning the Victorian Title for the third year in a row, which has never been achieved before. 

In May 2013, Speedway Sedans Australia accepts major sponsorship deal with Lucas Oil Products to support Junior Sedan racing.

In September 2013, Tasmanian President Greg Lynd was elected as the CEO of Speedway Sedans Australia, deposing Paul Gannon, who served a two year term in a secret ballot.

On 15 November 2013, Live Online Nominations were accepted for the first time for National Titles.

Top photo from 1960s through to Darren Kane winning the 2009 Australian Super Sedan Title at Lismore.