Ambrose and AASA’s ultimate goal for the Nationals was to make racing more accessible for the competitors and to create a point of difference to other circuit racing series.
Several firsts were trialled in the event at Sydney Motorsport Park, such as a new broadcast partner in Clay-Per-View, a new speedway-style format.
“It was a very successful event for AASA, our first go at doing something like this,” Ambrose told Speedcafe.
“We really looked at all of motorsport and thought about, ‘how can we make it more dynamic, make it more affordable, make it more fun, make it more meaningful and make it easier to compete?’
“So, we went to a condensed one and a half day format, we had four categories, we had prize money to win, we had Clay-Per-View streaming it for us for the first time.
“Obviously new protocols for our pace car and control tower and the yellow cards, red cards are definitely getting tested in events like that.
“We’ve got a new AASA crew on the ground, they’ve just done an amazing job to get embedded and get the competitors to understand a new way.
“So I think all in all, you know, it was a fantastic weekend for us. We learnt a lot from it, we just can’t wait to do another one like that, to be honest.”
The first in a four round series, Ambrose noted the Sydney opener for Legends Cars taught AASA a lot about how to best utilise the format for other categories.
Formula RX8 headlines the next AASA Nationals round in June at One Raceway, but the event doubles as a round of the championship.
“The event at One Raceway will fall into that [Formula RX8] championship,” Ambrose said.
“So it’s not a standalone event for them, it actually folds into their championship, so we’ll have a hybrid format that works for them.
“We’re really hoping we can get more competitors to join Formula RX8 for that event because it’ll be a combined event of their championship round, plus you’ll be able to win the AASA Short Track Nationals and carry the #1 on the door if you win it.
“So, it’ll be a version of what you saw, slightly different.”
Four of Australian Speedway’s best took to the track for their circuit racing debuts in Sydney, which Ambrose was highly impressed by.
“You see why these guys are champions in their chosen field,” said Ambrose.
“The fact that they can just adapt and learn on the fly like that, it just shows you that some people are really just naturally gifted.
“They really held themselves to a high standard, to be honest with you.
“It’s not easy to jump in a foreign car, something you’ve never done, against drivers that are racing for big money.”
Australian Super Sedan champion Joel Berkley led the way for the speedway quartet, which included fellow Super Sedans champion Callum Harper, Sprintcar champion Jock Goodyer and Speedcar champion Kaidon Brown.
Berkley came away with the quickest times from a standalone test at Queensland Raceway, but reserved judgement on performance until race day in Sydney.
“I went in there as most probably would, thinking, I guess, just making the show without having to get through a B-Main or anything like that, that would be cool,” Berkley told Speedcafe.
All four drivers raced in the A-Main feature, however Berkley was the only of the four to make it through on combined points from the heat races.
Goodyer raced through to the feature by winning the B-Main, while Harper and Brown were the benefit of the promoter’s choice.
“I was very happy to make it in just straight off points,” said Berkley.
“When we saw the points after day one, I think me and Jock were 18th and 19th and I’m like ‘we’re on the bubble here to make a direct transfer.’
“That was cool to make the feature in itself and just to make every lap clean and try and stay out of trouble, that was the main goal and just try and respect the gear we had and I felt like we all did a fairly good job of that.”
Berkley finished every race he contested inside the top 10 and ran as high as third in the final heat race on Sunday evening.
Competing against drivers including Super2 star Nash Morris and series regulars such as Riley Skinner and Maverick Kemenyvary, Berkley held his own at the front of the field.
“It was cool to manage to get up to P3 for a second off just pace,” said Berkley.
“You just make one mistake and you’re chasing it for a whole lap to catch up and I made just one too many mistakes.
“They’re so easy to make one mistake in and you’re chasing it for a half lap, but it was great to run up as high as third in a race.”
Berkley noted the importance of the Clay-Per-View broadcast to assist in bridging the gap between speedway and circuit racing.
“I had a few messages from the dirt people watching, I’m sure a few tuned in,” said Berkley.
“So hopefully everyone had a good weekend and hopefully the vision from the AASA and Clay-Per-View had worked out well.
“Hopefully maybe one day they might throw the Legend Cars or something on dirt, or they might cross over to one of the tarmac cars on the dirt.
“I don’t know what the long-term plans are, but if you could get that crossover… I guess that’d be a cool thing.
“But, I think the short sharp format, making the short heat races and that sort of stuff was good.”
The AASA Nationals returns for Round 2, headlined by Formula RX8, at One Raceway on June 20-21.
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