GOODYER: 2023 AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR CHAMP!

Feature photo: Jock Goodyer heads to victory in the 2023 Australian Sprintcar Championship at Perth Motorplex.

Media release by: Sprintcars Australia.

All Photos are courtesy of Peter Roebuck.

Tasmanian Jock Goodyer is the new Australian Sprintcar Champion after leading all 35 laps in the championship finale of the 60th Australian Sprintcar Championship at Perth Motorplex on Saturday night, February 11.

After topping the score sheets, Goodyer qualified for the pole but he elected to start on the outside of the front row alongside Lachlan McHugh and once he jumped ahead of the field in the opening turn, he was never headed as he claimed the biggest Sprintcar main event win of his career.

A photo that says it all – Tasmanian Jock Goodyer is the 2023 Australian Sprintcar Champion. 

“I’m really pumped to get it done, I’m just over the moon and I don’t really know what to say, its just awesome,” an elated Goodyer explained.

“I think I made the right choice to start on the outside, there was more traction but, look, I think I had the best race car here around this joint. We made a few changes and I thought ‘wow I’m really comfortable and its going be hard to get beaten here.’

“I just thought to myself hit my marks, be consistent and smart, after all it was 35 laps and in the end, we got it done and now we have number 1 on the side.”

Second across the line was McHugh, who settled into third position in the early stages behind Ian Madsen, who made an impressive start to the race after coming from position six, but his race came to end on lap 15 when his engine let go. His demise elevated McHugh into the runner-up position, a spot he was never really threatened for the remainder of the race.

The 2023 Australian Sprintcar Championship top three, from left to right: runner-up Lachlan McHugh, winner Jock Goodyer (centre) and third-placed Callum Williamson.

Completing the podium was local Western Australian Callum Williamson, who after a big wreck on Wednesday night at the ‘Prelude to the Championship’, was prepared to sit out the event due to his physical condition and the damage sustained to the race car. But the hard work and his determination paid off as he stormed to third after starting from position eight.

Fourth place went to Jamie Veal, who went into the night as the top qualifier but after an engine failure in his final heat forced an engine change and after starting from position seven, he simply found it too hard to run down the leaders. Kerry Madsen completed the top five ahead of 2022 Champion Marcus Dumesny, who started from position 24 after having to use his champions provisional option, while Kris Coyle, Jason Kendrick, Luke Dillon and Ryan Newton completed the top 10. The only other finisher in the 24-car field was Shaun Bradford.

In a title that was filled with cautions, by the end of the race the infield was littered with damaged race cars. The first major incident occurred on lap six as Brad Maiolo crashed hard in turn three with the accident also involving Robbie Farr, Rusty Hickman and Tate Frost.

Ian Madsen was the next to bring on the caution as his engine expired before Brock Hallett crashed in turn two and he was collected by Jason Pryde, who had nowhere to go. The final caution of the race came with 14 laps to go as Taylor Milling and Jy Corbet spun in turn two with the incident also taking out South Australian Matt Egel.

Prior to the A-Main, a final round of heat races were conducted with 42 of the original 47 drivers fronting for action. With a six car invert of the top qualifiers from night one, they were sent to the third row with Shaun Bradford winning heat nine ahead of Williamson and Kendrick. It was this heat that saw Veal suffer his engine failure.

Robbie Farr won heat 10 while Brock Hallett found some extra speed that was lacking on the first night as he secured heat 11. The final heat of the weekend went to Brad Maiolo, who was the only driver to win two heat races for the weekend.

With Marcus Dumesny taking his championship provisional option, only three drivers transferred via the B-main with Jy Corbet, Darren Mollenoyux and Ryan Newton qualifying for the Australian Championship main event.