Tasmanian Jock Goodyer has claimed the $20,000 winner’s check as victor in the 25th National Sprint Car Open at Brisbane’s Archerfield Speedway on Jan. 14.
Driving the Platinum Prints No. 22, Goodyer was the beneficiary of a clash between local hero Lachlan McHugh (Leigh Smith Yachts/Western Trucking Group) and visiting Californian Carson Macedo (Dyson Motorsports) when they were dueling for the lead with two laps remaining in the 50-lap feature.
McHugh recovered to give chase, finishing an agonizing .187 seconds behind the winner.
Cole Macedo (Mozzie Motorsport/Reston Enterprises) ensured family representation on the podium, coming from ninth on the grid to finish third, ahead of Matt Dumesny (Valvoline) and Young Texan Chase Randall ( EZ Print/Ultra Shields), who at one stage had been as high as fourth position.
Carson Macedo had continued to amass the leading points-score throughout the two nights, but a pole shootout determined that McHugh and Goodyer started from the front row, ahead of himself and Oldfield (Advanced Mobility/BK Trading).
McHugh led Goodyer from the flag in the final until Macedo initially passed the Tasmanian and then the Queenslander with eight circuits remaining. Randall was moving through the field, as was Cole Macedo in a messy final few laps.
Three laps from the finish, McHugh reclaimed the lead. On turn one of lap 49, Macedo attempted an inside pass but drifted up the track, tipping McHugh into the wall. Macedo was relegated to the rear in the restart, and McHugh just missed catching Goodyer in the final frantic dash to the finish.
The Australian Sprintcar Open was the second event in the New South Wales – Queensland series following the cancellation of the early rounds scheduled for Sydney’s Eastern Creek Speedway due to rain.
Reigning national champion, Marcus Dumesny, driving the familiar Valvoline Australia no. 1 car survived an incident-prone feature to claim the $5,000 winner’s cheque in the lead-up event on Jan. 11. It was at Archerfield that Dumesny won the Australian title in 2022.
Dumesny led home Brock Hallett (GW Racing) ahead of the first American to finish Justin Sanders (Motorguard Motorsports). The only other drivers to finish the untidy feature were Ryan Newton, Brooke Tatnell, Steven Lines, Luke McHugh, Matthew Dumesny, Carson Macedo and Michael Saller.
Polesitter Jamie Veal and the fastest qualifier Jock Goodyer were among the many casualties, with Carson Macedo sent to the rear-of-field for sending Veal into the wall.
Macedo Tops Preliminary Night
The American returned to the Brisbane oval two nights later on Jan. 13 for a dazzling display of open-wheel driving on the preliminary night of the National Sprint Car Open meeting.
Unlike the complicated and frustrating qualifying system used in the opening meet two nights earlier, the traditional format with an inverted heat race grid produced a night of competitive and willing racing.
Following the eight heats, Carson Macedo and Luke Oldfield filled the front row of the grid for the 25-lap final. Displaying superior pace, the two charged away from the rest of the field, headed up by Lachlan McHugh and Matt Dumesny.
Back in the field, Matt’s brother Marcus was making a spirited charge through the field, rounding up Jamie Veal, Steven Lines, Justin Sanders and Jock Goodyer.
Only a stationary Sanders and Cole Macedo on the first turn on lap 21 halted an otherwise uninterrupted race. Carson Macedo raced clear at the restart to claim the preliminary night feature — his second at Archerfield this summer.