SAYER GOES BACK TO BACK!
SAYER GOES BACK TO BACK!
Official Release Saturday 27th April 2024.
For the first time in six years, and the third time in history, a driver has gone back-to-back as the winner of the SSA Production Sedan National Champion, Kyle Sayer putting in an epic performance across the weekend to maintain the A1 crown.
Sayer had an epic weekend, blitzing the field in practice, winning two heats and finishing second in the other two to start on the front row for the feature race, then leading thirty-two laps of the forty-lap stoppage-filled feature race. Amazingly, Sayer was sick as anything on the Friday night, throwing up between heats and even considering withdrawing from the title!
High points man Joel Berkeley elected to start on the outside for the main event and it worked as the race went green, Berkley leading Sayer and overnight points leader Jaiden Healey who raced into third.
The top three would quickly break away from the rest of the field as Nathan Thorne began to come under pressure from a pile of cars, young West Aussie Hayden Thomas moving into fourth on lap four after an epic weekend.
Berkley and Sayer would move into their own battle, Sayer right on Berkley’s bumper while Healey began to run a lonely race, no one close in front or behind him. Thomas would hold fourth, with Raymond Ussher moving from eighth into fifth and looking for a way through, eventually making the pass on lap eight.
Sayer would make his move on lap nine, getting past Berkley to take the lead, the two still staying in close quarters.
Lapped traffic would come into play on lap twelve, but it would do little to slow Sayer, stretching his legs and building the gap to over one and a half seconds. Unfortunately, the yellows would come on with thirteen complete as Ussher came to a stop.
Sayer led away the field, Berkley unable to keep pace with him as Healey held third and Aidan Rigby made the moves on Thomas to grab fourth.
Just one lap would be completed when the yellow lights came out, this time for Wesly Barnes who spun in turn three.
Again, Sayer got away cleanly, Berkley also getting a break on Healey who found himself under pressure from Rigby, Rigby able to get by for third place on lap fifteen. Healey fought back but couldn’t reclaim the position, the yellows on shortly after as Steven Aldridge climbed the turn four wall, somehow avoiding rolling over, but his race would be finished.
As Sayer set the pace once again Rigby would work to get past Berkley, but again the battle would last for only two laps as Stephen Laidlaw and Dale Corbett came together in turn four, their races both over.
Sayer, Berkley, Rigby and Healey would maintain position as Jack Murphy moved into fifth on the restart, only to spin in turn three, spread-eagling the field with nineteen laps complete.
This elevated Thomas back into the top five, then under the yellow lights Jayden Healey was forced infield with a flat right front tyre, seeing Nathan Thorne suddenly back into the top five.
The top four held sway on the restart with Bryan Galley moving into fifth, only to have a moment as he went to pass Thomas, taking both high and allowing a pile of cars to make their way into the battle.
By now Sayer had again extended his lead to nearly two and a half seconds, Berkely still second with Rigby cruising around on his tail, another significant gap back to the rest of the pack which was now led by Neil Keldoulis in fourth.
With twenty-five laps complete the yellows came out again, this time with Scott Hawkins spinning in turn one and on the restart Neil Keldoulis would also head infield, seeing Nathan Thorne back into the top four once again.
There was plenty of fight throughout the pack on the restart but still Sayer would hold strong over Berkley, who was also able to continue holding off Rigby while Thorne and Bryan Galley held positions in the top five.
Galley got by Thorne on lap twenty-eight, while Sayer up front only continued to get faster, an amazing 16.824 second lap on lap twenty-nine the fastest lap of the weekend to that point. Unfortunately, shortly after, just as Sayer was completing lap thirty, the yellow lights came out yet again, this time for Johnny Ralph who speared into the front straight wall.
Unfortunately for Berkley on the restart something broke in the front end, seeing him screech to a stop at the top of turn two, his race over.
Sayer would now lead away Rigby, Galley, Thorne, Dylan Barrow and Chris Blyton but again the lights would come on without a lap being completed, this time as Wesly Barnes spun to a stop in turn two.
The restart would see even more drama, second-placed Rigby slowing and heading infield, leaving Sayer well in front with Galley now second ahead of Thorne, Blyton and Matt Vicary.
Again Sayer would continue to relish the clear air, recording an amazing 16.808-second lap on the thirty-second circulation, and over four seconds ahead with just five laps to go. Galley was running his own race in second while Blyton got past Thorne to take third after coming from the B Main.
From here the top three order would remain unchanged, Sayer recording a dominant win to cross the line 7.765 seconds ahead of Galley, with Clyton third followed by Vicary and Thorne rounding out the top five.
Congratulations to Sayer and all the place getters, and a big thankyou to all those who worked so hard behind the scenes to make this, the final SSA National Title for season 2023/24, possible.
A Main, 40 laps: 1. Q2 Joel Berkley, 2. A1 Kyle Sayer, 3. S52 Nathan Thorne, 4. N19 Jaiden Healey, 5. Q19 Aidan Rigby, 6. W43 Hayden Thomas, 7. V30 Stephen Laidlaw, 8. V98 Raymond Ussher, 9. N55 Jack Murphy, 10. Q99 Dylan Barrow, 11. N28 Wesly Barnes, 12. N0 Bryan Galley, 13. Q17 Neil Keldoulis, 14. Q18 Brett Barron, 15. N49 Johnny Ralph, 16. VA5 Steven Watts, 17. N5 Scott Hawkins, 18. N75 Matt Vicary, 19. N91 Chris Blyton, 20. Q15 Richard Cook, 21. V35 Steven Aldridge, 22. N98 Dale Corbett.
OFFICIAL RESULT
1. A1 Kyle Sayer, 2. N0 Bryan Galley, 3. N91 Chris Blyton, 4. N75 Matt Vickery, 5. S52 Nathan Thorne, 6. Q15 Richard Cook, 7. W43 Hayden Thomas, 8. N5 Scott Hawkins, 9. N28 Wesley Barnes, 10. N55 Jack Murphy, 11. VA5 Steven Watts, 12. Q18 Brett Barron. DNF: Q99 Dylan Barrow (37), Q19 Aidan Rigby (29), Q2 Joel Berkley (29), N49 Johnny Ralph (29), Q17 Neil Keldoulis (25), N29 Jaiden Healey (19), N98 Dale Corbett (18), V30 Stephen Laidlaw (18), V35 Steven Aldridge (15), V98 Raymond Ussher (13). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 7.765. Fastest Lap: 16.808 A1 Kyle Sayer.
