Aidan Crowned King Of Kingaroy

Queensland champion Aidan Raymont is now also officially the “King of Kingaroy” after winning the Kings Royal on Sunday night … Aidan earned the Modifieds crown after three nights of tough racing

February 1, 2019

The Kingaroy Speedway’s biggest weekend of the year – the Kings Royal – was massive in every way … record crowds, almost 200 nominations all up, and plenty of awesome action.

The three nights of racing included events for Junior Sedans, Street Stocks and Production Sedans as well as the unique Queen’s Royal for women drivers.

But the main game was the Kings Royal for Modifieds which featured more than 70 nominations and a total of almost $40,000 in prize money.

Three nights of racing – 35 heats, 10 dashes and a pole shuffle – culminated in the 50-lap final of the Kings Royal VII on Sunday night.

The top 16 drivers after racing on Friday and Saturday nights automatically earned spots in the final, but their starting positions were determined by racing on Sunday night.

Other competitors also had the opportunity to fill another eight positions in the big race.

This ensured there was plenty of close and exciting racing by drivers keen to have a crack at the $10,000 first prize.

Queensland champion Aidan Raymont started in poll position alongside West Australian driver Clint Noakes.

Noakes got the best of the start and led Raymont through the early laps, and clocking up the fastest lap time (16.910).

It rapidly became a race of attrition with twice-crowned Kingaroy “king” Greg Worling, Wayne Gilroy, Tim Weir, Brett Barron, Gary Pagel and 2018 “king” Matty Smith all retiring within three laps.

Raymont took the lead on lap 30 from Noakes, who was then forced out with mechanical failure.

He scooted away in the last laps from Toowoomba brothers Shane and Nathan MacDonald who finished second and third.

The other highlight on Sunday night was the final of the Queen’s Royal.

This is the second time that this race – for women drivers only – has been run in Kingaroy, and for the second time, Gatton driver Maddi McGee was crowned Queen.

Maddi McGee gets a congratulatory hug after taking the chequered flag for the second year in a row in the Queen’s Royal

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Kings Royal Results

Kings Royal winner Aidan Raymont celebrates his victory with his wife Amy and children Alyssa, 6, and Alijah, 3

50 Lap Results (A Main)

1. Aidan Raymont
2. Shane MacDonald
3. Nathan MacDonald
4. Brodie Boss
5. Johnno Collins
6. Dennis Shallcross
7. Michael Shelford
8. Andrew Blackwell
9. Jason Beer
10. Max Clarke (44 laps)
11. Clint Noakes (31 laps)
12. Mark Raymont (31 laps)

13. Kye Walters (28 laps)
14. Brad Warren (25 laps)
15. Glenn Pagel (23 laps)
16. Brock Atkins (18 laps)
17. Matty Smith (14 laps)
18. Gary Pagel (14 laps)
19. Brett Barron (14 laps)
20. Tim Weir (12 laps)
21. Wayne Gilroy (11 laps)
22. Greg Worling (11 laps)
23. Tim Smith (3 laps)
24. Ty Galley (1 lap)

Cooroy driver Aidan Raymont does a victory lap after winning the 50-lap final of the Kings Royal

Top 10 after Night 1:

1. Clint Noakes
2. Aidan Raymont
3. Greg Worling
4. Wayne Gilroy
5. Jake Drewett
6. Andrew Blackwell
7. Tim Smith
8. Kye Walters
9. Max Clarke
10. Dennis Shallcross

Top 10 after Night 2

1. Aidan Raymont
2. Tim Smith
3. Clint Noakes
4. Brock Atkins
5. Kye Walters
6. Max Clarke
7. Andrew Blackwell
8. Wayne Gilroy
9. Shane MacDonald
10. Johnno Collins

The Kings Royal victory podium … from left, Brodie Boss (4th), Shane MacDonald (2nd), Aidan Raymont (1st), Nathan MacDonald (3rd) and Johnno Collins (5th)

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Queen’s Royal Results

Queens Royal – Top Stars

1. Maddi McGee
2. Jessica O’Meara
3. Amy Evans

Queens Royal – New Stars

1. Jacki Cunningham
2. Chrissy Scotney
3. Amanda Seiler

The Queen’s Royal Top Stars victory podium … from left, Jessica O’Meara (2nd), Maddi McGee (1st) and Amy Evans (3rd)

The Queen’s Royal New Stars victory podium … from left, Chrissy Scotney (2nd), Jacki Cunningham (1st) and Amanda Seiler and daughter Zoey (3rd)

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Sunday Racing Action

Racing three wide in a heat of the Queens Royal New Stars

Jessica O’Meara wins a heat of the Queen’s Royal Top Stars … she finished in second spot in the Queen’s Royal final

Kingaroy driver Sheree Barron loses a bumper during a heat of the Queen’s Royal Top Stars

Maddi McGee on her way to winning the Queen’s Royal Top Stars trophy

Kingaroy driver Brett Barron racing in the one of the dash events … Brett earned a spot in the Kings Royal final but hit the wall on the 14th lap

Victorian driver Matt Nelson and Toowoomba driver Lee Volk go nose-to-nose in a Kings Royal dash

Bundaberg driver Dennis Shallcross and his Ford Cortina were crowd favourites during the Kings Royal heats … Shallcross won the B Dash in the last 10 metres from Mackay driver Wayne Gilroy

West Australian driver Clint Noakes and Aidan Raymont go head-to-head in the pole shuffle … Raymont won through to earn pole position for the Kings Royal final. The battle continued in the final with Noakes putting in the fastest lap of the race and leading for many of the early laps; he was forced to retire on lap 31 after breaking a control arm

This mix-up brought out the yellow flag during the Kings Royal final … one of about seven stoppages during the 50-lap race which took about 45 minutes to complete

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The Crashes

Emergency crews rushed to assist Liz Welch after she hit the wall in a heat of the Queen’s Royal New Stars on Sunday night … Liz was assisted from the vehicle and then assessed by paramedics

The biggest stack from the three days of racing occurred on Friday night when Calliope driver Tony Coomber stood his Falcon on its nose during an early heat of the Kings Royal.

Not only was Tony unhurt in the crash, he had his Falcon back out on the track less than an hour later!

Victorian driver Dale Hallett also escaped unharmed from a big rollover after hitting the wall in a Kings Royal heat on Saturday night.

(Video by Ash Media)