Local teen claims third in National Junior Sedan Competition

A Secret Harbour teenager has been the breakout star at this year’s National Junior Sedan Championship at Mount Gambier’s Borderline Speedway in South Australia. Competing against some of the best speedway drivers in the country, Zach Munro, 15, claimed his first win at a national level at this month’s competition. The teenager has grown up with his family involved in motorsport, with dad Jeff Munro racing in speedway and coaching his son in the sport. The Junior Sedan division has two categories: new stars and top stars. Zach started out in the Junior Sedans new stars division but after six months was moved to the top stars, having mastered the rules of the track etiquette. Zach said that it was a “dream come true” to place third overall in the competition. “Being there racing alongside the best kids in the country was definitely a highlight,” he said. “Starting off the back of heat races and finishing first was pretty awesome. “It is a rush to compete at this level, you need to make every heat race count, which means every lap needs to be on point, everyone is aiming for the top points to progress them into the A main without running a B or C main.” Zach said that racing against some of the “best in the country” was a great learning experience for him. “My advice to any other young drivers is never try and impress people with your driving, because you will end up hurting yourself or someone else, always stay humble,” he said. Father Jeff Munro said they felt Zach was ready for this next level of competition and decided to nominate him. “This sport takes a certain level of determination and resilience, all of which Zach has grown so much in the last 12 months,” Munro said. “We had no expectations for Zach entering into this national title, we simply hoped that he would have a good time and finish all the races without damage to the car. “It was a pretty stressful race with many cautions and restarts, so seeing him cross the line in third place behind the QLD and WA State champs was absolutely mind blowing. “It was very emotional to see your son achieve his goals and know that he has put many hours in working on his car in the garage, and studying and learning his craft.” Zach will compete again in the WA Junior Sedan State Title in April.