30th April 2006
NSW PR

Nathan Smee, running the West Australian McAllan Motorsports #21 fought off a fierce attack from Jason Gates and Tony Abson in a spectacular battle on Saturday night to take home the Bikebiz 50 Lap Speedcar Classic at Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway, in front of this season’s biggest crowd.

With six different heat winners including Mark Cooper, Troy Jenkins, Nathan Smee, Matt Young, Darren Jenkins and Adam Clarke, the event looked set to be a battle of the big guns with the fastest in an inverted 16 starting position for the 50 demanding laps. The atmosphere was electric as a rumble emerged from the pits; a parade of Harley Davidson’s bringing the top twenty-four qualifiers onto the track to meet their machines and Speedcar fans along the main-straight.

With cars running up to five wide through the first lap, Alan Day #15 shot to an early lead ahead of Flyin’ Ryan Monaghan #67 and Trevor Malouf #8 with Monaghan immediately challenging Day for the lead. Nathan Smee meanwhile had progressed through the field and with 48 laps remaining, moved down-track to pass Monaghan for second, before moving outside to seize the lead from Day through turns one and two with 47 laps left on the board. One lap later Jason Gates moved under Day for 2nd through turn four seeing Smee, Gates, Day, Abson, Darren Jenkins, Monaghan and Adam Clarke leading the pack.

Smee hit lapped traffic with 43 laps remaining; his lead progressing to over half a straightaway ahead of Gates, Day and Abson who were battling it out behind him for the podium places. Clarke continued his advance through the field from position 16 moving around Abson into 4th place down the main-straight with 41 laps to go. Clarke slipped under Day through turns one and two to claim 3rd one lap later, before contact between Jeff Thomas #12 and Dean Cavanagh #19 saw Thomas roll in turn four bringing on the reds.

 

With Troy Jenkins exiting the track with a flat tyre and Jeff Thomas out of the event, the greens were switched on with Smee leading the way followed by Gates, Day, Clarke, Abson, Monaghan, Chris Steep #22, Brett Morris #17 and the remainder of the pack. Clarke moved to the highline passing Day, with Abson following close behind. Further back in the field the battle was on between Steep, Morris & Brown. Morris moved to the highline allowing Brown to slip underneath, before making a similar move on Steep for 5th. Meanwhile Clarke challenged for 2nd on the main straight, moving under Gates out of turn 2. Whilst Gates fought back, it was Clarke who claimed the position and set out to chase down the leader with 36 laps to go.

Hitting lapped traffic, Smee moved through the pack with Clarke closing in behind him. Balked by a lapped car, Clarke grabbed the lead from Smee just before the reds were pulled for the flipping Dean Cavanagh in turn 2. With Cavanagh and his machine removed from the track, the race was restarted with Smee returned to position one ahead of Clarke, Gates, Abson, Morris, Steep, and Cooper. Wheel to wheel action embraced the front runners with Clarke sliding under Smee in turn 3 with only 30 laps left on the board. Abson jumped under Gates in the main straight claiming 3rd out of turn 2 in an ultra-swift move.

With a two car length lead and 21 laps remaining, Clarke was tackling lapped traffic when tragedy struck the number 14. With flames billowing out of the engine, Clarke slowed and came to a stop on the back straight forcing the leader from the race.

Back under green Smee was back in front and now under pressure from ex-Australian Compact Speedcar Champion Tony Abson. Smee moved high, Abson went low. Racing wheel to wheel the duo fought for the lead lap after lap, again taking on lapped traffic until Morris came to a halt on the back straight. Returning to race mode Abson jumped to the lead on the low line through turns one and two before Smee claimed the spot back only one lap later. Behind the duo, Jason Gates was also ready to challenge for the lead ensuring a battle over the remaining 7 laps, Smee running the highline with Abson & Gates on the lowline.

In the closing 4 laps, Gates drove around Abson in the front straight and shot into 2nd. On a mission for the lead, Gates hunted down the WA21 McAllan car, skilfully sweeping through the lapped traffic. But as the white lights began flashing, Smee was under extreme pressure from Gatesy in the #69 Rinkin Motorsports Hawk/Breka machine; Jason giving everything in his attempt to capture the lead in the final lap. Hitting turn four and slowed by a lapped car, the crowd was enthralled as Smee and Gates came screaming into the main-straight towards the chequers. But it was Nathan ‘Speedy’ Smee who crossed the line first claiming his first Bikebiz 50 Lap Speedcar Classic victory ahead of Jason Gates and the 3rd placed Tony Abson!

"I'd just like to thank Bikebiz, Rondalee, Breka, Hoosier and The Speedway Shop for sponsoring the 50 Lapper, Team McAllan for this ride tonight and all the McAllan's Western Australian sponsors. We wouldn't be up here tonight if it wasn't for these guys" said an elated Nathan after the race. The '50 Lapper' capped off another great Sydney Speedcar season with a sensational race before a huge TPCR crowd.