Queensland Junior Sedan Champion Aidan Rigby has added to his trophy cabinet, claiming the 2023 National Junior Sedan title at Borderline Speedway on Saturday night.

Rigby led the point score after night one of the title on Friday night and was the only driver to go through the night undefeated, with Queenslander Cooper Flynn, Victorian Linken Paterson and Western Australia’s Beau Oldfield and Donny Davis all collecting a pair of heat wins.

Almost 80 junior sedans contested the opening night of the 20th anniversary of the event, with the Borderline Speedway playing host for the first time since 2017.

Perfect weather conditions along with a great crowd and online audience enjoyed 21 quality heat races from the junior sedans.

The first national title of 2023 for Speedway Sedans Australia got under way with the first of 28 heat races for the weekend with Queensland’s Jayden Hancock dominating the eight laps.

Kurtis Peall, contesting his fourth national title, held off Western Australian champion Oldfield in heat two before Jaiden Santin led every lap of heat three in the Mitsubishi Mirage from northern New South Wales.

A trio of Western Australians did battle in heat four as they raced three wide at times, with Hunter Downs declared the winner from Zach Munro and Jackson Goodwin.

Rigby muscled his way to his first win of the weekend in heat five after starting from the fourth row.

Davis from Newman in Western Australia held off South Australian Lucas Warnett and Victorian Miller Throckmorton in heat six.

The final heat of the opening round was an outstanding exhibition of Speedway Sedan racing as eventual winner Flynn battled with Tyde Lovell and Charlie Tate for the lead during the entire race.

Rigby started the second round of heats in the best possible fashion when he charged through the field from position eleven to defeat Downs and Munro.

Heat nine was the domain of Davis as he joined Rigby as a multiple winner while James Oliver and Brodie Hollyman rounded out the top three.

The Raslaar Engineering backed entry of Paterson came from the back of the field to collect the win in heat 10 after enduring several stoppages.

Heat 11 was an action-packed affair with Northern Territory’s River Spitzbarth unfortunately coming together with Sharni Farrell and Tate as the trio got locked together on the exit of turn four.

Mildura’s Cameron Smith charged through the field in the Penrite Mirage to claim heat 12 from Harry Fowler and Bree Simpson as Oldfield dominated heat 13 winning by over five seconds.

Tyler Scott and Victorian Logan Mair enjoyed a great battle in heat 14 before Flynn found a way past in the concluding stages as the junior sedans continued to put on a great exhibition of racing.

The final round of the opening night began with an outstanding performance by Tasmanian Emilie Williams as she became the first driver from the Apple Isle to record a heat win.

Victorian Jayden Lock held off Peall and Summer Shore in an exciting heat 16 before Rigby continued his domination of proceedings as he won heat 17 from pole position.

Paterson’s strong opening night continued as he won heat 18 by over five seconds from Flynn, who had 100 points to end the opening night.

Oldfield moved from the sixth row to hit the lead on the final lap of heat 19 to record his second win of the evening.

Munro saved his best performance on night one until heat 20 as he worked the outside of the racetrack to claim the win from Turner and Victorian Cameron Smith.

An entertaining heat 21 rounded out proceedings as Throckmorton got the better of Jackson Kunny and Paterson over the eight laps.

On night two Rigby excelled the high banks to claim a thrilling victory, narrowly prevailing over Oldfield in what was a classic finale between the two state champions.

Munro claimed third from Paterson with Peall rounding out the top five.

Lock kicked off night two with a solid win in heat 22 from fellow Victorians James Oliver and Arthur Hutchison.

Heat 23 witnessed a dominating performance from Oldfield as he collected victory from Charlie Tate and Throckmorton.

Rigby set a new lap record in heat 24 with smoke coming from the Q28 Mitsubishi Mirage as he crossed the line.

A great battle was had in heat 25 as Indi Butcher, Bree Simpson, and Jaiden Santin all took turns at the front.

Simpson would narrowly prevail over Santin and Butcher as Paterson led all the way to record his third win of the weekend and a new lap record of 16.717.

After starting on the front row Munro narrowly held off Peall who came through the field from position nine to finish second ahead of Hancock in heat 27.

The final heat race of the weekend was the domain of Hollyman as the Queenslander took maximum points from Smith and Fowler.

Unfortunately, the C Main witnessed the first major crash of the weekend as Jacob Foley rolled heavily in his Mitsubishi Mirage after contact from another car in turn three.

The race was plagued by stoppages before George Tate and Karlia Riley took the two transfers positions on offer to move into the two B Mains.

Simpson Warnett and Fowler all transfer through into the A Main after surviving multiple stoppages during a ‘fascinating’ B Main.

South Australian Ky McEwin had the second major rollover of the night on the opening lap of the second 15-lap B Main with the driver of the Daihatsu Charade climbing from the car under his own steam.

Davis, Kiarna Barton and Billy Macdonald all claimed the final three positions in the A Main on offer but not before Williams threw everything at the trio in the final laps.

With the 22 finalists set for the A Main of the title, the competitors paraded four wide ahead of the 25-lap race.

Despite an engine change prior to the A Main, Rigby started on pole alongside Oldfield, who took the initial lead from Rigby with the first 15 laps of the race going through without a stoppage.

Rigby hit the front with 12 laps remaining, surviving a small bingle with Oliver and Barton as the driver of the Bacchus Marsh Towing tried to limp to the infield with a flat tyre.

The Queensland champion restarted at the front for the 10-lap run to the chequered flag with the second stoppage occurring after Simpson and Smith came together.

The two state champions raced side-by-side for the lead as Paterson, Munro and Hancock battled for third place.

Hancock’s race was over on lap 19 with a flat right front tyre after running as high as fourth place, while Turner retired from sixth at the same time.

The gap at the front continued to close in the final laps as Oldfield took the lead with two laps remaining before the yellow lights came on for the spun Mitsubishi Mirage of Warnett.

Fortunately for Rigby he restarted at the front of the field for the sprint to the finish, holding off Oldfield to be crowned national champion by half a second with Munro clinching third.

Paterson was fourth as Peall worked his way back into fifth. Hollyman was sixth after starting 11th and Downs came from 16th to finish seventh.

Rigby was delighted with his victory and celebrated with a roof dance with the chequered flag before thanking all the families that helped change his engine before the A Main along with his sponsors and supporters who contributed to his racing career over the years.