QLD'ers stick it to National Competitors at Shannon Nationals

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With the Shannons Nationals coming to Morgan Park in Warwick the Queensland competitors came out in force to take on the interstate national competitors . After a first ever win at this level in his first ever Australian Saloon Car Series start , Matt Shanks threw down the challenge to the rest of the field and it took the rest of the weekend for round winner Matt Lovell from South Australia to rise to the top.

The two combined qualifying sessions saw Tony Evangalou from Victoria in his VT Commodore take pole with Matt Shanks (AU Falcon ) beside him .It was then current QLD State Champion Lindsay Kearns next with Coleby Cowham beside him .Matt lovell qualified 5th with Dave Rogers from NSW beside him and then it was the Woodtech team of Chris Berry and John Van Gilst followed by Bevan Garioch , Tony Shanks ( Matt's dad ) and local boy Gary Beggs all of them driving AU Falcons. Next was the VT of Harley Phelan ahead of Jon Fishburn in his EA Falcon . Bart Stanfeild (AU ) in his first Nationals start was next with Matin Deckert ( VT ) , Geoff Brown , Mark Primmer , Brian Hine and Ian Chivas in their AU's . Chris Lulan ( VT ) , new comer John McClevity and Kelli Stephens rounding out the 22 car field.

Race one saw Matt Shanks with a superb drive to take his first win in a hard fought race. Pole sitter Tony Evangalou had to retire with a puncture which was unfortunate as he was in the multi car challenge at the front of the field. Lindsay Kearns finished second only just ahead of Lovell and Cowham. Rogers was next followed by Van Gilst , Garioch and Beggs. Matt's dad Tony was 9th with Jon Fishburn in his EA rounding out the top 10. Harley Phelan was also a casualty with a broken exhaust and Chris Berry was excluded.

Matt Shanks' weekend went a little sour as he got an ordinary start from pole in race two which dropped him back four or five places . This left the top six or seven cars fighting it out for the win.Lovell got to the front in the end after some panel rubbing racing between he and Kearns , Cowham and Shanks with Tony Evangalou coming from rear of grid to an eventual third being a highlight. The race was shortened by one lap and finished under the pace car after Dave Rogers had a brake failure at Gum Tree corner and ended up backing the car into the tyre wall still carrying some speed on impact . Dave was unhurt but the same can't be said for his Falcon as it was badly damaged.

The final placings were Lovell, Cowham, Evangalou, Matt Shanks, Van Gilst ,Beggs, Garioch, Tony Shanks and the ever improving VT of Deckert coming in 10th .

After Cowham was passed by Evangalou three laps into the last race he set off after Lovell . From then on there was nothing between them as Evangalou threw everything at Lovell getting along side him several times but Lovell covered his lines at the right times to deny Tony Victory. Behind them the race for third was just as exciting as Cowham held off Bevan Garioch , Chris Berry , Tony Shanks and a recovering Lindsay Kearns who went off at turn one in the previous race and had to come through from the rear of grid. Race one winner Matt Shanks was deemed to have jumped the start and served a Drive through penalty which dropped him down to 15th place . From a Queensland point of view , Coleby Cowham was first in the QLD Saloon Car Series Points with Matt Shanks second and an excellent third to Bevan Garioch, Morgan Park put on some of the best Saloon Car racing seen for years and it was a credit to all who competed.