Allan Mortimer Wins Modified Producton Title


Allan Mortimer has won a thrilling West Australian Modified Production Sedan Championship held at the Esperance Speedway, last Saturday night.

Mortimer defeated Jason Pearce and Mick Johnson in a race of attrition.
The A Main started at a cracking pace, but at the exit of turn four on the first lap, Aydan Trewern spun. Contact from several drivers forced the Albany driver out of the event, while Paul Briggs would suffer a flat tyre, leaving sixteen cars to face a complete restart.

On the initial start, Steve Beres of Albany got the better of the start over defending Champion Brendan Selleck, but Selleck held the lead on the second start, with Jason Pearce getting through to second place, putting Beres back to third.

The three drivers opened a small gap on the remainder of the field, with Beres taking the lead on lap three, passing Pearce and Selleck in one move. John Purser caught the trio on lap five and joined in the battle for the lead. Purser's battle would be short lived, after suffering a flat tyre ten laps into the race.
With fifteen laps gone without a restart, Brendan Selleck and Steve Beres made contact, with Beres losing the front left wheel in the exchange. Selleck climbed out his car, only to find no damage, leaving both cars on the infield.  Jason Pearce inherited the lead, and had to survive a series of restarts mid race, with Neville Bylund and Kim Jolly exiting in separate stoppages on lap sixteen.

Two laps later, Neville Manstead had a collision at the end of the main straight with another back marker, forcing Manstead off the track on the back of the tow truck.

Jason Pearce continued to lead from Ken Tucker who started the final from position six, while Allan Mortimer who started from position seven had moved into third. The order remained unchanged for two further laps before Mick Johnson spun on turn two, while in fifth position. On the restart, Matt Kata lost a wheel forcing another stoppage, leaving just eight cars on the track.

The last fourteen laps were incident free, with Pearce still leading Tucker, Mortimer, Rob Fraser, Adam Houston, Johnson, Bob Boyd and Ben Strautins.

Mortimer moved into second position with eleven laps to go, and started to chase down Pearce  who opened a small lead. Mortimer tried desperately to pass Pearce on several occassions in the closing laps, finally making a move with three laps to go.

Pearce made a couple of attempts in the final three laps to take back the lead, but was unable to do so, with Mortimer holding on for a thrilling victory, winning by a car length, with Mick Johnson moving back through the field to finish third. Ken Tucker, Rob Fraser, Adam Houston, Bob Boyd and Ben Strautins would be the only other finishes, in a great race.

Grid Positions A Main
1. W1 Brendan Selleck, 2. W77 Steve Beres, 3. W22 Jason Pearce, 4. Aydan Trewern, 5. W43 Peter Fraser, 6. W54 Ken Tucker, 7. W74 Allan Mortimer, 8. W9 John Purser, 9. W2 Ben Strautins, 10. W32 Mick Johnson, 11. W87 Bob Boyd, 12. W25 Adam Houston, 13. Neville Bylund, 14. W15 Neville Manstead, 15. W3 Rob Fraser, 16. W16 Paul Briggs, 17. W21 Kim Jolly, 18. W17 Matt Kata
Official Result:
1. W74 Allan Mortimer, 2. W22 Jason Pearce, 3. W32 Mick Johnson, 4. W54 Ken Tucker, 5. W3 Rob Fraser, 6. W25 Adam Houston, 7. W87  Bob Boyd 8. W2 Ben Strautins, 9. W17 Matt Kata, 10. W43 Peter Fraser, 11. W19 Neville Bylund, 12. W15 Neville Manstead, 13. W21 Kim Jolly, 14. W1 Brendon Selleck, 15. W77 Steve Beres, 16. W9 John Purser, 17. W12 Aydan Trewern, 18. W16 Paul Briggs