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MacDonald second in Australian Title again
Tuesday April
2, 2013
For the second season in a row, Nathan MacDonald has finished
one spot shy of the Australian Modified Sedan Title win. Last
weekend on his home track, Charlton Raceway in Toowoomba,
Queensland, he finished in second place on the podium behind
winner Aidan Raymont.
MacDonald’s
Australian Title runner–up finish brought mixed emotions:
pleased with his overall performance considering that he hadn’t
raced since the Christmas-New Year period, and disappointed
because it was a matter of so close yet so far away from
Australian Title glory.
“If you had said to
me that I would’ve achieved the finish that I did at the
beginning of the weekend, I would’ve said that you were crazy;
because I hadn’t raced since the Australian Open three months,
so our preparation wasn’t the best,” explained MacDonald, who
posted the fourth fastest lap of the weekend. “To finish in
second place again in an Australian Title is pleasing but
disappointing at the same time, but when you consider we hadn’t
raced in three months, and the calibre of drivers that we were
up against, it’s very satisfying to achieve what we did.”
With some untried
modifications with the driveline and suspension made to his Qld
# 32 Linmac Automotive supported VZ Holden Commodore leading
into the Australian Title weekend, MacDonald had his first
shake–down run on the Thursday practice. The opening night saw
MacDonald finish on top of the point standings; after he had won
his opening two heat races and finished third in the other. In
the second heat race, he had charged his way from the back of
the field; while in his third and final heat race, he was
unlucky not to have won that too but a mistake in the closing
stages saw him drop back to third.
The second and final
night saw MacDonald finish fifth in his fourth and final heat
race, and that put him out of position three for the Australian
Title deciding feature race. From the drop of the green flag, he
moved into second and then within the opening half–a–dozen laps,
he took over the lead. For the next 25 laps, he held down the
lead, only to get engaged in a battle for the lead with Aidan
Raymont. Eventually, Raymont was able to take control of the
lead as MacDonald fell back into the clutches of third place
Gavin Lorensen. MacDonald dropped back to third, momentarily,
but fought back and regained second. By the time MacDonald had
got back into second, Raymont had cleared out in front and
second was where MacDonald finished.
“We had a strong car
all weekend, but Aidan (Raymont) had a stronger car when it
mattered most in those closing laps,” admitted MacDonald, who
recorded the fastest lap in the feature race. “There was a long
stoppage with 10 laps to go, and after the restart, the car
never quite felt the same and I lost the lead. All in all, it
was a fantastic weekend because we proved what we were capable
of, and we’ll be back next season to see if it can be a case of
third time lucky.”
MacDonald would like
to say a special thanks to Sean Black for all of his help over
the weekend, along with MacDonald’s dad, Lindsay, for the
endless hours he has put into the car leading up to the weekend,
and the rest of the team.
Making his debut
aboard a brand–new VZ Holden Commodore at the Australian Title
weekend was Nathan’s older brother, Shane. After 12 months away
from regular competition, he showed plenty of promise but
finished one spot shy of a feature race transfer spot in the B
main. He also set the sixth fastest lap of the entire weekend.
This Friday and
Saturday night (April 5 and 6) Nathan and Shane MacDonald will
return to the track to contest the Queensland Title at South
Burnett Speedway in Kingaroy.
To find out
more about Nathan and Shane MacDonald, visit their website
www.macdonaldracing.com.
Nathan and Shane
MacDonald are proudly supported in the 2012–13 season by the
following sponsors:
-
Linmac
Automotive
-
Mac Graphix
-
Trackstar
Imports
-
Ash Media
Speedway Footage
-
Toowoomba
Steering and Suspension
-
RCP Machining
-
Highfields
Exhaust and Service Centre
-
Repco
-
Forbes Batteries
and Communications
-
Eastern Downs
Storage and Stopover
-
Power Plus Race
Engines
-
Tracey-Lee Black Photography
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Nathan on the gas
during his heat race. Photo by Tracey-Lee Black Photography.
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Shane in action
during his first round of heats. Photo by Tracey-Lee Black
Photography.
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Podium from left to
right - Dennis Shalcross (5th), Gavin Lorensen (3rd), Aidan
Raymont (1st), Nathan Macdonald (2nd), Glenn Pagel (4th). Photo
by Tracey-Lee Black Photography.
-ENDS-
Nathan and Shane MacDonald media
enquiries: Daniel Powell from Redline Media
Mobile: 0432 126 210
Email:
daniel@redlinemedia.com.au
Website:
www.redlinemedia.com.au