The Formula 500’s and Super Sedans produced some top class racing over the Easter weekend at the Murray Machining and Sheds Murray Bridge Speedway with Whyalla’s Angelo Karoussis and Ryan Alexander winning their respective feature events. In what were two extremely entertaining races Karoussis fought off the current Australian Champion Liam Williams to win the 30 lap Formula 500 Easter Nationals A-Main while Alexander led home Victorian’s Peter Nicola and Brad Wicks in the $5000 to win 35 lap finale.

The Formula 500 event saw 24 cars front for action for the two-night Easter Nationals with local Brad Stell kicking off the weekend in the best possible fashion as he won the Preliminary A-Main, that doubled as the 65 Roses Race, on Saturday night defeating Angelo Karoussis and Liam Williams.

Following the opening night all the talk in the pit area was about how good the Formula 500 feature was but night two it got even better as Karoussis and Williams put on quite a show. With both drivers determined to win they traded blows early in the race trading side jobs on either end of the race track lap after lap before Karoussis got the upper hand.

Third across the line was current Australia #3 Josh Buckingham with Stell, Ash Sinclair, Jack Bell, Chris Bellman, Patrick Merrett, Leigh Van Ginneken and Lockie Cates completing the top ten.

After finishing second on night 1, behind feature winner Brad Wicks, Alexander was able to go one better as he defeated Peter Nicola and Brad Wicks in the Super Sedan final on night two. After securing the pole after winning the pole shuffle Alexander trailed Wicks early but once he got by he wasn’t headed as he won by just over 2 seconds. Despite blowing a radiator hose Nicola held onto second with Wicks, Paul Blenkiron, Kym Jury, Dave Gartner, Steve Schwartz, Jason Gantz, Trevor Ware and Michael Brown completing the finishers.

The only caution in the entire race came on lap 12 when Brown spun in turn three just in front of the leaders as they approached the slower car.

Speedcars and Wingless Sprints were also on the program with the Speedcars contesting the Easter Nationals Feature while the Wingless Sprints saw Rounds 2 and 3 of their annual Easter Trail.

Unfortunately, by the time night two rolled around the Speedcars were reduced to just 8 cars with the field decimated due to engines failures to the likes of Australian Champion Kaidon Brown, Anthony Chaffey, Todd Wigzell and Travis Mills.

In what proved to be a race of attrition as only four cars completed the 25 final with Nick Rowe winning ahead of Andy Pearce, Brett Ireland and Robert Heard. Andy Pearce was victorious in the A-Main on night 1.

Over the weekend the A-Main winners in the Wingless Sprints were Joel Heinrich and Anthony Tapley, with Tapley winning the overall Easter Trail ahead of Heinrich and New South Wales youngster Tyson Williams.

The next event at the Murray Machining and Sheds Murray Bridge Speedway will be this Saturday night (April 7) with the Sprintcars returning for a Sprintcars SA Club show with close to 20 cars nominated. AMCA Nationals, Wingless Sprints, Street Stocks and V6 Sprints will also be on the program.