James Murphy
A TRIO of Mount Gambier street stock drivers have impressed in the 2023-24 Southern Street Stock Series.
Jayden Edwards won the series, while Thomas Garner and Corey Crafter both secured top-10 placings.
In total 83 drivers registered points across the six-round competition, which featured tracks across South Australia and Victoria, while 10 of those competed in all rounds.
Edwards, Garner and Crafter were among those 10, with all but one driver making the top 10 if they had contested every race night.
Following a rebrand, this was the first running of the Southern Street Stock Series, with Edwards pleased to take out the title.
“It was the first round of this series,” he said.
“It is the first one I was able to win this time.
“I won a series about three years ago, which was the same thing but it has changed name.”
Edwards drove a consistent six rounds in his FG Falcon and at the end of the six-part series emerged on top of the leaderboard.
“There probably wasn’t a lot of highlights, I just finished all of the races which I think was the key to it,” he said.
“I was leading one round for 25 laps out of 30 and got a flat tyre – that was going to be the highlight.
“I got second at Whyalla in the first round and then I got third at Mildura in the second round and third in the last round at Horsham.
“I think I got a couple of fifths or something as well.”
Edwards said it was a matter of “collecting points” and his consistency proved rewarding at the conclusion of the series.
Garner finished in fifth place – an impressive feat in just his second year racing in the category.
Following a big wreck last year at the Victorian Title, Garner bounced back in a big way to round out the top five, while also taking out the most improved trophy at the presentation night.
“He ran really well this year,” Crafter said.
Crafter himself rounded out the top 10 in his EL Falcon, achieving a goal he had set leading into the series.
“Last time I tried I got two rounds in and ended up upside down with two laps to go in the feature and wrote the car off,” he said.
“I set a goal of top 10 this year and just scraped in.
“I had Whyalla as my best result, which was sixth and then I had a ninth in Mildura”
All three drivers have been heavily involved in motorsport throughout their lives, with Edwards a third-generation street stock driver.
“I started racing juniors when I was 10 and I am 26 now,” he said.
Edwards is no stranger to success, having won the same series before its rebrand, along with two seconds, a third and a fourth.
Crafter has been back behind the wheel at speedway for four years now following a break.
“I have been back racing for four years,” he said.
“I had a stint in production sedans about 10 years ago for a couple of years.
“I have been brought up around (speedway) – I was bred into it.”
All three drivers now look forward to the 2024-25 series, which kicks off in October at Mildura.
