BIG RESULT FOR TOOWOOMBA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Although exact numbers will not be known until later in the week, over three thousand spectators turned out for the Dondex Ultimate Pink Night at Hi-Tec-Oils Toowoomba Speedway, Saturday February 22, with proceeds going to Toowoomba Hospital Foundation. 

BreastScreen Queensland Toowoomba Service, through the generous support of so many people the Toowoomba venue has easily raised in excess of $35,000 ensuring the track has exceeded its four year goal of $100,000. Sincere thanks to those wonderful people in the Speedway community who made this possible.

When the Queensland Speedway Spares Sprintcar A Main rolled onto the track,  Lachlan McHugh elected to start on the outside, leaving Michael Stewart with pole position. Callum Walker and Ryan Newton formed the second row. 

Stewart got the better start and quickly took control of the race lead.  McHugh had a big look down the inside as they came through turn two, the pair traded the lead back and forth over the next couple of laps as Newton closed in quickly behind as those two had their own race going on.  Stewart took to the high line and raced around McHugh moments before Newton slipped through on the bottom of McHugh and relegated him back to third. 

While all this was happening, at the front Harry Stewart had made his way to fourth and began closing the gap. While out in front Michael Stewart and Ryan Newton put on a show for the huge crowd as they approached lapped traffic.  
Nine laps in and Newton got underneath Michael Stewart in lapped traffic, taking control of the race but for the luckless Newton who along with Stewart clipped Dylan Menz’s upturned car in turn four ending their night.  Newton, who earlier in the night stopped the clock at a quick 11.902 seconds  and was the only driver to get into the 11-second bracket.  Harry Stewart also was unable to avoid the crash, tripping over the rear push bar of Newtons, flipping the car over and out of contention.

Leaving us all guessing as to what could have been.  From the restart Luke Oldfield and Nick Whell had a brilliant battle, the pair racing side by side for a number of laps.  Charlie Bowen from the B-Main, made impressive progress forward  towards the front of the field he would finish 5th at race end, after a perfect drive through traffic. While Tarhlea Apelt also happy with her night of racing going Quicktime in her group stopping the clock 12.431 seconds and starting the Feature from position 15 and advancing to finish in 9th after a gruelling 30 laps.

Lachlan McHugh led the restart from Randy Morgan and Callum Walker, with Michael Saller and Kevin Titman in the mix.   Saller and Walker began arguing the point over the final podium positions as the laps counted down, McHugh went on to take a commanding win with Randy Morgan having a good drive to come home second ahead of Sydney’s Michael Saller.

Darren Kane claimed the feature win in the Toowoomba Couriers and Transport Ultimate Super Sedan Championship Grand Final. In doing so, he has won the Championship points standings.  Second across the line was Todd Atkins who earlier in the night finished second in the points after the two rounds of heats. He went on to win the Roll the Dice six lap dash.  After rolling the dice it landed on 6 which saw him invert the top 12 cars and put himself out of position 12 for the A main.

But the best was yet to come in a thrilling race which saw numerous race leaders change and swap positions. Atkins came through the field showing plenty of speed to finish second. Third across the line was Toowoomba’s Sean Black.   Sean was 9th highest point scorer after the heats and with the top 12 inversion decided this would see him start out of 4 on the 2nd row of the A Main.

Black started the A Main well and moved forward into the lead around mid race and finished the race on the podium in 3rd place continuing his good form over the last few weeks which saw him finish second in the Super Sedan Grand National at Hobart.   When the cars rolled out for the thirty lap feature fans knew they were in for a treat in Super Sedan Style, especially with Atkins coming from position 12 and  Trent Wilson beside him.  Up the front of the freight train was Jason Boss and Zac Brims on the front row, Sean Black from position 4  with Rob Hamilton alongside him then Darren Kane and Zac Pascoe.

The scene was set for an entertaining race.  After an initial restart Sean Black and Jason Boss were racing side by side for the race lead with 25 laps left to run while Darren Kane was searching for a way around the outside as JJ Hamilton goes with him and challenges Kane winding up the high line.  Just as this was going on behind him Sean Black nicely drove his way past Boss to take the race lead  while at the halfway mark saw Zac Pascoe under pressure from JJ Hamilton as the front runners entered lapped traffic. 

Black now momentarily slowed by a lapped car as Darren Kane took the opportunity and drives around the outside and into the race lead as Atkins moves into third and has a big look around the outside of Black. With 6 laps to run the two raced side by side for the next two laps in a thrilling contest that had the crowd on their feet.

 Atkins simply ran out of laps with just point 339 of a second separating himself and Darren Kane at the end of a very hectic and entertaining 30 laps. That’s the way it was for the grand final and Darren Kane winning the Ultimate Super Sedan Championship. Trent Wilson second and Sam Hughes finishing third in the 2024/25 Championship held over 6 rounds with only 4 actually contested due to wet weather. 

When the modlites took to the track for Everyday Finance Solutions feature race  Josh Leerentveld led them into turn one for their 20 lap event. Further back they were running three wide as Terry Leerentveld moved through the middle and into second.  By this point in the race Ryan Silcock had moved into third and then to second as Leerentveld grabbed  the back straight wall, slowing his momentum. Meanwhile, Josh Leerentveld holds a comfortable lead setting the quickest time of the race at that point. 

Deep in lapped traffic Silcock is all over the back of Leerentveld and searching for a way through with three laps to run Silcock was throwing everything he had at Leerentveld.  At the checkered flag though it was Josh Leerentveld from a hard charging Ryan Silcock and Jayden Hancock.

Leerentveld celebrated his first feature win of his career and no better way to do it than on his home track on Ultimate Pink night. He drove a superb race hitting his marks every lap on a fast and open track.  Earlier in the night Ryan Newton won the Dondex Allstar Modlites Exhibition from Ryan Silcock and Lachlan McHugh.