Nyora Raceway’s annual Christmas race meeting once again thrilled hundreds of families who made the trek into South Gippsland for some last-minute festive-season sporting action.
Main event results include Caleb Mills winning the state title prelude for Compact Speedcars and James Peacock and Officer’s Luke Morrison winning Junior Sedan series feature events.
Lee Beach from Lysterfield won the Sports Sedan Christmas Cup.
Other winners include Nathan Miles in Junior Standard Saloons and Bree Walker in Ladies Standard Saloons; the evening support classes.
With the Victorian title for Compact Speedcars at Nyora Raceway this season, 14 cars lined up with each driver competing in three of the four heats to determine the feature-race line-up.
Jesse Nicholas claimed a runaway victory in the first heat, leading from the front row to win.
Mordialloc-based Michael Conway then won a green-to-chequered second heat before Matt Papa held off Conway by just .219 to claim victory in heat three.
Conway then came through the field on the second last lap before holding out Papa for the final heat win.
Electrical gremlins caused drama for Conway prior to the final, seeing him unable to start.
Caleb Mills led the feature race with Papa and then David Hutchinson behind.
Justin Paull, the New South Wales champion, made a push forward and moved to third after four laps.
Paull reached second by lap 16 however Mills maintained his distance and led to the finish with Paull, Papa, Bowen Donkers and Tania Hallett rounding out the top five.
Kooweerup racer Chris Aarts claimed a win in heat one of the Sports Sedan Christmas Cup with visiting Benalla racer Ken Mankey claiming heat two.
Lee Beach, no stranger to Nyora, then won heat three by a massive 16 seconds – almost lapping the field – before Robert Garlick won a shortened final qualifier.
Beach then dominated the final to take victory ahead of Jordan Haley, Garlick, Michael Knight and Hannah Smith.
The National Junior Sedan stars in their four-cylinder cars – classed as Top Stars and New Stars – also competed in their latest event.
James Peacock started the night with a win in heat one before Blake Beach and Peacock rounded out the qualifying wins.
Steane Cosson began fast in the final before a flat tyre gifted the lead to Peacock, who controlled the race to win ahead of Cruz Carlin, Tyler Smith from Tasmania, Brad Marshall and Tyson Heaphy.
Luke Morrison continued his domination of the New Stars Juniors and his run of results at Nyora. Morrison won all three heat races, with between five and 10-second margins.
Morrison then went on to win the feature race by three quarters of lap ahead of Darcy Dannatt, Noah Basten, Jackson Heaphy and Jai Hallett.
Catani racer Nathan Miles won two of the three Junior Standard Saloon heats with Ella Sheedy winning the other. Miles then won the final from Sheedy and John Hooten.
Trafalgar driver Bree Walker then won two of three heats in Ladies Standard Saloons with Caroline Allen winning the other.
A terrific final between Walker and Allen saw both racers share the lead before Walker shot clear to win by three seconds ahead of Allen, Stacey Sheedy, and Maddy Capon.
Nyora Raceway returns on January 18 with the Monster Truck Madness show.
Last season the event entertained a packed crowd, with Monster Trucks and other novelty cars performing and a fireworks display once again a part of the show.
Sports Sedans, Formula 500s and Unlimited Sedans will be the racing action at this show.
-Dean Thompson –
