Jock Goodyear in victory lane at Archerfield Speedway. (photos by Goodyer Racing)
Tasmanian Jock Goodyer has won a $20,000 winner’s check to be the winner of the 25th National Open Motorsport Championship at Archerfield Speedway in Brisbane on January 14.
Goodyear, driving the No. 22 Platinum Prints, was the beneficiary of a showdown between local champion Lachlan McHugh (Lee Smith Yachting/Western Truck Group) and California visitor Carson Macedo (Dyson Motorsports) when they were battling for the lead with two laps left in the race. 50 lap advantage.
McHugh recovered from the chase, finishing an agonizing 0.187 seconds behind the winner.
Cole Macedo (Mozzie Motorsport/Reston Enterprises) ensured the family’s representation on the podium, going from ninth on the grid to third, ahead of Matt Dumesny (Valvoline) and Young Texan Chase Randall (EZ Print/Ultra Shields), who at one stage was As high as fourth place.
Carson Macedo continued to take the points lead all night, but a penalty shootout determined McHugh and Goodyear started on the front row, ahead of himself and Oldfield (Advanced Mobility/BK Trading).
McHugh led Goodyear from the flag in the final until Macedo passed first the Tasmanian and then the Queenslander with eight rinks remaining. Randall was moving the field, as was Cole Macedo for a chaotic last few laps.
Three laps from the end, McHugh reclaimed the lead. At turn 1 of lap 49, Macedo attempted an inside pass but he drifted up the track, sending McHugh into the wall. Macedo went down to the rear on the restart, and McHugh missed catching Goodyear on a frantic final rush to the finish.
The Australian Open Sprintcar Championship was the second event in the New South Wales-Queensland Series after early rounds scheduled at Eastern Creek Speedway were canceled due to rain.
Reigning National Champion, Marcus Domnysny, driving the familiar Valvoline Australia car no. One car survived an accident-prone advantage to claim the $5,000 winner’s check at the previous event on January 11th. And at Archerfield, Dumesny won the Australian title in 2022.
Dumesny led his team’s Brock Hallett (JW Racing) ahead of first American finisher Justin Sanders (Motorguard Motorsports). The only other drivers to finish the unranked feature were Ryan Newton, Brock Tatnell, Stephen Lines, Luke McHugh, Matthew Dumesny, Carson Macedo and Michael Saller.
Poulsitter Jimmy Vail and Jock Goodyear were the fastest qualifiers among the many casualties, with Carson Macedo sent to the back of the field for sending veal into the wall.
Macedo tops the first night
The American returned to the Brisbane Oval two nights later on January 13 for an impressive display of open-wheel driving on the pre-night National Sprint Car Open meeting.
In contrast to the complex and frustrating qualifying system used at the opening meet two nights earlier, the traditional format with a mirrored heat racing grid produced a night of competitive racing and desirability.
After the eight qualifiers, Carson Macedo and Luke Oldfield filled out the front row of the grid for the final 25 laps. Displaying a superior pace, the two pulled away from the rest of the field, led by Lachlan McHugh and Matt Dumesny.
Back on the field, Matt’s brother Marcus was launching a spirited attack across the field, rounding up Jimmy Phil, Stephen Lines, Justin Sanders and Jock Goodyear.
Only steadfast Sanders and Cole Macedo at the first turn on lap 21 stopped an uninterrupted race. Carson Macedo raced clear on the restart to claim the advantage on preliminary night – his second at Archerfield this summer.