Incredible action at maiden Hi-Tec Oils AASA Short Track Nationals event
Images: MPix
The Hi-Tec Oils AASA Short Track Nationals – Powered by WOLF SPORTS debuted in spectacular fashion under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park.
It a weekend full of photo finishes and dramatic action with the 2.8km Druitt Circuit perfectly suiting the Australian Auto-Sport Alliance categories.
The main category was the TFH Hire Legends Cars, competing for their Australian title with a new Speedway inspired format.
Additionally, there was the Yokohama AASA Australian Formula Ford Championship, Formula RX8, Stock Cars Australia and AASA TT.
TFH Hire Legend Cars
After 10 qualifying races, it all came down to the winner-takes-all A-Main Final in which $10,000 and a round in an Aussie Racing Car was up for grabs for the race winner.
Early on, while the cars behind fought for second position, three-time heat race winner Joshua Craig was able to break away from the chasing pack.
After several laps the reigning national title winner Ruben Dan made his way to the front of the train and set about catching the race leader.
He successfully did so and dragged with him Josh Thomas, making it a spirited three-way fight at the front of the field.
It looked as though the title was going to go to one of these three, however a collision down the field resulted in the use of the Pace Car, as 2024 Australian title winner and champion Ryan Pring’s car was stranded in a precarious position at Turn 2.
This changed everything as on the restart current Super2 Series driver Nash Morris propelled himself from fourth into the race lead by Turn 1.
Dan caught and passed Morris late in proceedings and tried to make a decisive breakaway, as Morris and Craig scrapped for second.
Craig had more pace than Morris and attempted a move at the Turn 4/5 chicane, however he locked up and hit Morris and sustained damage in the process.
On the final lap Dan was pushing hard trying to pull out of any potential slipstream threat on pit straight and nearly threw the race away himself, he ran wide, ran two wheels through the grass at Turn 3, allowing Morris to close back in.
A great final sector saw Dan pull a significant margin coming onto the pit straight and he held on to take back-to-back TFH Hire Legend Car titles. Morris came home less than 0.6s behind the race winner.
It was a three-way photo finish for third Josh Benaud pipped Riley Skinner to the line by 0.015s, with Thomas a further 0.10s further behind in fifth.
Dylan Thomas ended up sixth ahead of a wounded Craig and Chais Tippett. Joel Berkley was best of the speedway stars in ninth, while Maverick Kemenyvary rounded out the top 10.
Formula RX8
It was a tale of two in Formula RX8 all weekend long and ended with a thrilling final lap duel between the pair.
Brad Harris and Stiaan Kriel shared the victories across the course of the categories second round.
In Race 1 it was Kriel who was victorious taking a comfortable victory over Harris, while youngster Cadel Ambrose rounded out the top three.
Race 2 saw Harris respond, he turned the tables emphatically and it was he who took a comfortable win in the second affair.
The top seven were inverted for Race 3, despite this the two combatants found themselves at the head of the field after the first couple of laps.
Kriel made his way to the front after one corner and pulled a margin over the field; however Harris began to close in. Before he could, the leader suffered a puncture and was forced into the pits.
Harris won, second went the way of Ambrose, while ex-Excel racer Toby Waghorn on debut in Formula RX8 finished third. Kriel ended up 14th, two laps down.
Stock Cars Australia/AASA TT
Daniel Stubbs and Jake Donaldson dominated Stock Cars Australia and AASA TT respectively across the three races on Sunday. The two categories were combined for their opening rounds of 2026.
It was a Stubbs 1-2 in the first round of Stock Cars, son Daniel in a lower-tiered NASCAR won all three races, while his father Jeff steering a TA2 scored two second places and a third to finish second for the round. The consistent Robert Marchese ended up third for the round.
In AASA TT Jake Donaldson driving a Porsche 991.1 Cup Car was imperious, he was untouchable all day long.
Richard Gartner was unable to match him, forced to settle for second in all three affairs in his Lamborghini Gallardo. Two thirds and a fourth was enough for Ben McLeod to take third for the weekend.
The Yokohama AASA Australian Formula Ford Championship report can be found here.
Round 2 of the Hi-Tec Oils AASA Short Track Nationals – Powered by WOLF SPORTS takes place at One Raceway from June 20-21. At this event Formula RX8 will be competing for national title glory.