Aussie Racing Cars: Garland Grabs Race 1 Victory, Midfield Chaos at Sandown Speed Series

Qualifying Report

Last Friday’s dry qualifying session saw Joel Heinrich (#1) secure outright pole position with a best lap of 1:18.7607. He was followed by Kody Garland (#41) in second outright on 1:19.1148, and Jack Boyd (#38) in third with 1:19.5698.

In the Rookie Cup, Caleb Paterson (#101) was the fastest rookie, qualifying fourth outright with a 1:19.6355. Diesel Thomas (#18) followed with seventh outright on 1:20.1559, and Hayden Nissen (#195) completed the top three rookies in 15th outright with a time of 1:21.4429.

The Masters Cup was topped by Kent Quinn (#28), who qualified sixth outright with a 1:20.0893. Cody McKay (#69) was second in class and 17th overall, clocking 1:21.7134, while Shane Mann (#21) took third in the Masters and 19th outright with a 1:22.2739.

In the Gold Cup, Scott Dornan (#23) led the way with a time of 1:20.5771, placing him 10th outright. David Makin (#65) was second in class and 13th overall on 1:21.3124, with Scott Andriske (#4) third in class and 18th outright after posting a 1:21.8168.

Race One Review

Race One Opens with Drama and Tight Midfield Battles

Race 1 last Saturday began with the track still slightly damp, as pole-sitter Joel Heinrich (#1, C) nearly stalled off the line, allowing Kody Garland (#41, C) to launch straight into the lead. The moment forced several drivers to take evasive action, with Heinrich bogging down and dropping to sixth by Turn 1, then slipping further to ninth by Turn 4.

After a clean run through Turn 1 and onto the back straight, a fierce midfield scrap developed over fifth to eighth positions. Diesel Thomas (#18, R) held the advantage, just ahead of a three-wide charge involving Jack Boyd (#38, C), Ryan Reynolds (#9, C), and Scott Dornan (#23, G), with Heinrich close behind. Boyd came off worst under braking, dropping multiple places, while Heinrich had a moment through the esses—nearly losing control but managing to recover without surrendering a position.

Midfield Battles and a Trip to the Sand

After a clean first lap, Kody Garland (#41, C) led from Caleb Paterson (#101, R), with Reece Chapman (#25, C) in third. Heading into Turn 1, Ryan Reynolds (#9, C) made a big move under brakes, locking up in a passing attempt on Scott Dornan (#23, G) for sixth. Dornan ran slightly wide, allowing Reynolds to complete the move. Down the back straight, Dornan came under pressure again as Joel Heinrich (#1, C) pulled alongside and made a clean pass to move into seventh.

Further back at Dandenong Road (Turn 9), 10th-placed Mason Harvey (#54, C) ran out of braking room and slid into the sand trap. Fortunately, with the track still damp, he was able to trundle his way through the gravel and rejoin, albeit down in 19th.

Intensity Builds as the Midfield Shuffles

With the lead unchanged on Lap 3, Caleb Paterson (#101, R) was pushing hard in second, even lifting up on two wheels through Turn 4. The main battle at this stage was between fifth-placed Diesel Thomas (#18, R) and Ryan Reynolds (#9, C) in sixth, separated by just +0.183 seconds down the back straight. Half a second further back, Joel Heinrich (#1, C) and Scott Dornan (#23, G) followed with a gap of +0.567 seconds.

Heading into Dandenong Road (Turn 9), Reynolds made a clean move down the inside of Thomas to take over fifth place. On the run to Turn 11, Heinrich also found a way past, pushing Thomas back to seventh.

From Pole Drama to Fourth: Heinrich Fights Back

Starting Lap 4, Joel Heinrich (#1, C) made a move down the inside of Ryan Reynolds (#9, C) for fifth place into Turn 1. Heinrich ran wide over the outside ripple strips but remained alongside into Turn 2 before finally securing the position. Along the back straight and into the esses, Kent Quinn (#28, M) executed a pass on third-placed Reece Chapman (#25, C).

With tight racing unfolding between third and ninth place, Heinrich then made his way up the inside of Chapman through Dandenong Road (Turn 9), completing the move into Turn 11. The pass elevated him to fourth place, a strong recovery after his disastrous start from pole position.

Makin Spins at Turn 9, Midfield Scramble Ensues

Just behind this battle, 11th-placed David Makin (#65, G) ran wide at Dandenong Road (Turn 9), crossing the ripple strips and sliding into the dirt. The off-track excursion caused him to spin directly into the path of 13th-placed Cody McKay (#69, M), who had to take severe avoiding action, as did 14th-placed Andrew Corish (#87, C), who narrowly escaped the incident.

Starting Lap 5 at Turn 1, Joel Heinrich (#1, C) made a move on third-placed Kent Quinn (#28, M) to take over the position. On the following lap at the same corner, Scott Dornan (#23, G) worked his way past Diesel Thomas (#18, R) to move into seventh.

Andersen Spins, Williams Seizes the Moment

As the field crossed the line to begin Lap 6, Kent Quinn (#28, M) in fourth was under increasing pressure from Ryan Reynolds (#9, C) along the main straight. Moments later, yellow flags were waved at Turn 1 after Kim Andersen (#42, R), running in 22nd, lost the rear under braking and spun 180 degrees. The car rolled backwards and came to rest on the grass at the inside of the corner. The incident remained a local yellow, confined to Turn 1, allowing racing to continue uninterrupted elsewhere.

Into Dandenong Road (Turn 9) on Lap 9, Reynolds dived down the inside of Quinn to take over fourth place, pushing him back into the clutches of Reece Chapman (#25, C) and Nathan Williams (#95, C). The trio battled tightly through Turns 11 and 12, with Williams charging past both and taking the inside kerb heavily as he launched onto the main straight, moving up to fifth position.

Thomas Drops Back as Chapman and Dornan Clash

Lap 10 saw fifth through eighth places covered by less than a second. Into Turn 1, Diesel Thomas (#18, R) attempted a move down the inside of Kent Quinn (#28, M), but ran out of space, allowing Quinn to hold position. The failed move unsettled Thomas, dropping him back into the clutches of Reece Chapman (#25, C) and Scott Dornan (#23, G). However, Chapman and Dornan quickly broke into a battle of their own heading into Lap 11, with the fight beginning to settle as the field stretched out along the back straight.

Garland Takes Victory, Heinrich Recovers to Third

Crossing the line to complete the race, Kody Garland (#41, C) secured a commanding victory, followed by a strong drive from Caleb Paterson (#101, R) in second. After a dreadful start from pole, Joel Heinrich (#1, C) delivered an impressive recovery to claim third outright.

Note: Full Qualifying and Race Results are included at the bottom of this page.

Championship Class: Top 3

In the Championship class, the top three were Kody Garland (#41, C), who also took the outright win, followed by Joel Heinrich (#1, C) in second (3rd outright), and Ryan Reynolds (#9, C) in third (4th outright).

Rookie Cup: Top 3

In the Rookie Cup, Caleb Paterson (#101, R) led the way with second outright, followed by Diesel Thomas (#18, R) in second (7th outright) and Hayden Nissen (#195, R) in third (14th outright).

Masters Cup: Top 3

In the Masters Cup, Kent Quinn (#28, M) was the first across the line in class, finishing sixth outright. Cody McKay (#69, M) delivered a standout drive from 17th on the grid to take second in class and 10th outright. Shane Mann (#21, M) completed the top three in class, finishing 19th overall.

Gold Cup: Top 3

In the Gold Cup, Scott Dornan (#23, G) led the class, finishing 9th outright. He was followed by Scott Andriske (#4, G) in second, placing 12th overall, with Joseph Andriske (#58, G) rounding out the top three in 16th outright.

Friday Qualifying Results

Pos	Driver & Entry	Class	Fastest Lap
1	Joel Heinrich (SA) #1 Osborn’s Transport (Mustang)	C	1:18.7607
2	Kody Garland (NSW) #41 Kody Garland Racing /MTA NSW (Mustang)	C	1:19.1148
3	Jack Boyd (SA) #38 Johnston Craill Racing (Aurion)	C	1:19.5698
4	Caleb Paterson (Qld) #101 Norganic Proteins Australia (Camaro)	R	1:19.6355
5	Ryan Reynolds (NSW) #9 Jascott Civil /Reynovate Const (Mustang)	C	1:19.8813
6	Kent Quinn (Qld) #28 Norganic Proteins Australia (Mustang)	M	1:20.0893
7	Diesel Thomas (Qld) #18 TFH Hire Services (Camaro)	R	1:20.1559
8	Reece Chapman (NSW) #25 Racer Industries /Motorsport25 (Mustang)	C	1:20.1667
9	Mason Harvey (WA) #54 Corish Motorsports /Tribridge (Mustang)	C	1:20.1678
10	Scott Dornan (Qld) #23 Action Line Marking (Camaro)	G	1:20.5771
11	Brandon Madden (Qld) #57 Harveys Towing (Camaro)	C	1:20.5857
12	Nathan Williams (Vic) #95 Competition Coatings (Mustang)	C	1:20.8670
13	David Makin (Vic) #65 Axil Coffee Rosters (Camaro)	G	1:21.3124
14	Andrew Corish (NSW) #87 Corish Motorsports (Mustang)	C	1:21.3756
15	Hayden Nissen (Qld) #195 CNH Racing (Camaro)	R	1:21.4429
16	Nathan Barber #55 Ballarat Performance Wreckers (Camaro)	R	1:21.7022
17	Cody Mckay (NSW) #69 Cody Mckay Motorsports (Camaro)	M	1:21.7134
18	Scott Andriske (Qld) #4 Harveys Towing (Camaro)	G	1:21.8168
19	Shane Mann (SA) #21 Safe Direction Racing (Mustang)	M	1:22.2739
20	Joseph Andriske (Qld) #58 Harveys Towing (Mustang)	G	1:22.3239
21	Jeff Watters (Vic) #96 MND Victoria /Proflow Mustang (Mustang)	G	1:22.7277
22	Kim Andersen (SA) #42 AA Racing (Mustang)	R	1:23.9780
23	Oscar Pederson (NSW) #51 Corish Motorsports (Mustang)	C	1:25.5377

Race 1 Results (Saturday)

Pos	Driver & Entry	Class	Laps	Race Time
1	Kody Garland (NSW) #41 Kody Garland Racing /MTA NSW (Mustang)	C	11	19:28.2241
2	Caleb Paterson (Qld) #101 Norganic Proteins Australia (Camaro)	R	11	19:30.3786
3	Joel Heinrich (SA) #1 Osborn’s Transport (Mustang)	C	11	19:35.0143
4	Ryan Reynolds (NSW) #9 Jascott Civil /Reynovate Const (Mustang)	C	11	19:42.0525
5	Nathan Williams (Vic) #95 Competition Coatings (Mustang)	C	11	19:42.5786
6	Kent Quinn (Qld) #28 Norganic Proteins Australia (Mustang)	M	11	19:44.4092
7	Diesel Thomas (Qld) #18 TFH Hire Services (Camaro)	R	11	19:44.4444
8	Reece Chapman (NSW) #25 Racer Industries /Motorsport25 (Mustang)	C	11	19:45.0797
9	Scott Dornan (Qld) #23 Action Line Marking (Camaro)	G	11	19:45.4383
10	Cody Mckay (NSW) #69 Cody Mckay Motorsports (Camaro)	M	11	19:54.9190
11	Brandon Madden (Qld) #57 Harveys Towing (Camaro)	C	11	19:55.0649
12	Scott Andriske (Qld) #4 Harveys Towing (Camaro)	G	11	19:56.9233
13	Andrew Corish (NSW) #87 Corish Motorsports (Mustang)	C	11	19:58.7108
14	Hayden Nissen (Qld) #195 CNH Racing (Camaro)	R	11	20:01.0989
15	Nathan Barber #55 Ballarat Performance Wreckers (Camaro)	R	11	20:01.4123
16	Joseph Andriske (Qld) #58 Harveys Towing (Mustang)	G	11	20:11.1945
17	Mason Harvey (WA) #54 Corish Motorsports /Tribridge (Mustang)	C	11	20:12.8126
18	Jack Boyd (SA) #38 Johnston Craill Racing (Aurion)	C	11	20:14.9410
19	Shane Mann (SA) #21 Safe Direction Racing (Mustang)	M	11	20:19.8931
20	David Makin (Vic) #65 Axil Coffee Rosters (Camaro)	G	11	20:21.4676
21	Jeff Watters (Vic) #96 MND Victoria /Proflow Mustang (Mustang)	G	11	20:29.5987
22	Oscar Pederson (NSW) #51 Corish Motorsports (Mustang)	C	11	20:31.8394
DNF	Kim Andersen (SA) #42 AA Racing (Mustang)	R	5	12:02.1574