Capturing last Saturday night’s NSW RSA Junior Sedan Title at Dubbo’s Morris Park Speedway was the perfect way for Jaiden Healey to finish his time in the RSA Junior Sedan ranks.
Proving that his recent Australian Title victory was no fluke, the 15-year-old was in fine form throughout the NSW Title by winning all three of his qualifying heat races and then going on to score a hard-fought NSW Title deciding feature race win.
Despite finishing the NSW Title deciding feature race on the top step of the podium, Healey certainly didn’t have it all his own way. After qualifying on pole position for the 20-lap event, he was outpaced in the opening laps by rival and fellow front-row starter Riley Smith, before Healey took control of the lead on lap three.
For the remaining laps of the feature race, Healey fought hard to keep his rivals at bay as they worked their way through dense lapped traffic. In the closing laps, there was a stoppage and it saw Healey’s winning hopes turned on its head, after he was put back two spots to third by the officials for the restart after he was penalised for a lap-10 incident with a lapped car.
With his NSW Title winning hopes thrown into chaos, Healey kept his composure and focused on putting together two perfect laps in hope of reclaiming the lead. On the restart, rivals Riley Smith and Connor Reeves were ahead of Healey, who chased after them hard and his efforts were rewarded when Smith and Reeves clashed coming up to greet the white flag and it presented Healey with the opportunity to take back the lead, which was what he managed to do. Once back in control of the lead, Healey made the most of this second chance and he was able to stay out in front all the way through to the chequered flag.
Healey’s previous best NSW Title performance was a second-place finish in the 2017-18 season event at Lismore Speedway, so he was over the moon to go one spot better and finish his career in RSA Junior Sedans on a high.
“Winning the NSW Title was a fantastic way to finish my time in RSA Junior Sedans and it was also showed that my Australian Title was no fluke,” expressed the Portland, NSW-based racer.
“It was certainly an exciting NSW Title feature race, as there was just so much going on throughout the 20 laps, but I’m very thankful that I was able to keep my emotions in check, especially when I was penalised late in the race, and that was one of the keys to my win.”
The NSW Title success was Healey’s 66th career feature-race win over his four seasons so far in his young speedway career, which has mainly been in RSA Junior Sedans but also a short stint in Junior Formula 500s. The most recent Australian and NSW Title wins were the obvious highlights of Healey’s speedway career so far, but he also claimed four Cullen Bullen Raceway Track Championships in RSA Junior Sedans.
With the Aus # 1 Bettergrow Landscape & Rural Supplies supported Honda Civic sold directly after his NSW Title win, Healey is now looking forward to his move into senior competition, where he is going to be running a Ford Falcon in the SSA Production Sedan class.
Healey would like to thank his 2020-21 season sponsors:
Bettergrow Landscape & Rural Supplies
Portland Automotive
Amsley Towing
Tint Me Up – Campbelltown
Special thanks: Sue and Ray Healey (mum and dad), Brendon Miles (pit crew), Shane Duggan, and Phil and Jake Clark.
