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National Sports Sedan Series

Des Wall Trophy back on the line at SMP

A huge combined Sports Sedans field of 38 cars will compete at SMP on September 2-4, with the coveted Des Wall Trophy up for grabs in race three on Sunday 4.

Round four of the National series will also see it share the grid with the NSW Sports Sedans series, with the trophy up for grabs across the entire field.

The trophy is in honour of former National Sports Sedan champion Des Wall, who cut a figure of up-most respect during his time in Australian racing, passing away after a short bout of cancer in November 2012 at the age of 61.

Wall won the 2009 Australian Sports Sedan Championship in his Trans Am Chev Corvette, and was leading the 2012 running until his withdrawal from illness, eventually placing fifth.

In that 2009 title season, his son David Wall, took out the Australian GT Championship, marking the first occasion that a father and son held two Australian titles in the same season.

Before claiming the title in his Corvette, Wall competed with an EH Holden, a HDT-constructed Holden Torana, and in an ex-Bryan Thompson Chev-powered Toyota Supra, with which he claimed three successive third place finishes between 1991-93. Having the trophy cast in his name is in honour of the significant contributions that he gave to Sports Sedan racing and racing in general, and it will be presented By David and his mother Vicky on behalf of the entire Wall family on the day. Also as a show of recognition, the entire field will drive an additional formation lap in honour of the past champion in that race three, where the trophy is up for grabs.

Amongst the drivers, the trophy race is seen as a hugely prestigious one to win, with the perpetual Des Wall Trophy race not having being held since 2019 due to COVID.

Its last recipient was Tony Ricciardello, a legend of the sport who won 10 national titles, who took out an emotional victory and was presented the trophy by Des Wall’s wife.

Along with Sports Sedans, Wall was also a passionate competitor in national production car racing; which his highlights include crossing the line first at the 2010 Bathurst 12 hour with his son David and Trevor Symonds driving a Lancer Evo IX, but alas the car was later excluded for a technical infringement.

He also finished second in Class A in the 2008 Production Car Championship, and third in Class A of the 2008 Bathurst 12 Hour, as well as competing at the Bathurst 1000 four times.

The last National Sports Sedans outing was at The Bend where series leader Jordan Caruso’s Audi A4 took a clean sweep of wins in front of Steven Tamasi’s Holden Calibra. Caruso leads Tamasi by 19 points with two rounds remaining.

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