13/09/2026
MEDIA RELEASE | EGEL MAKES IT THREE COT CROWNS, A DREAM DEBUT FOR HMS.
the chequerd flag has fallen for the 2026 Chariots
Matt Egel has claimed his third Chariots of Thunder crown, winning the 2026 All Star Welding Chariots of Thunder at the Wise Group Northline Speedway with victory in Saturday night's final and the overall series win, in his first weekend racing for new team Heinrich Motorsport.
Egel finished ahead of Lachlan McHugh and Brock Hallett in the overall standings, the same three drivers who filled the podium on the final night.
Egel was in control on the final night. He won the Top 8 Dash, started the 30-lap feature from pole and led throughout, setting the fastest lap of the race at 13.203 seconds to hold off McHugh, who was quickest in time trials, and Hallett. Luke Storer finished fourth and Mick Saller fifth.
The feature was not without incident at the front. Opening-night winner and pre-series favourite Jock Goodyer was forced out by a mechanical failure after just two laps. Max Guilford was the Hoosier Tyre Australia Hard Charger, winning the B-Main before charging from 18th to 11th in the feature.
RECAP ON WHAT WAS | Goodyer set the standard on night one, leading every lap of the opener from pole and topping time trials. McHugh made the first of two bold runs at the Pope Challenge, giving up grid position for a shot at the $65,000 bonus and climbing to sixth before crashing out. The night also produced one of the great efforts of the weekend from Dylan Menz, whose crew rebuilt his car in around half an hour, welding the chassis, after he snapped an axle and rolled on the Pole Shuffle warm-up.
Hallett won night two ahead of Goodyer, with Menz recovering from his night-one setback to finish on the podium in third. McHugh went to the Pope Challenge a second time and made it count, charging from the rear of the field to sixth to claim hard-charger honours. Saturday then belonged to Egel, who capped a consistent weekend to take both the final and the series.
The defining story of the weekend was McHugh twice taking on the Pope Challenge, giving up the front of the grid on both nights in pursuit of the $65,000 and still finishing runner-up overall. Egel's win was a breakthrough first result for his new pairing with Heinrich Motorsport in their very first weekend together.
The Wingless Sprints were a highlight in their own right, with a run of close finishes across the three nights. Kyle Mock won the opening and closing features either side of a night-two win to Blake Walsh.
Thanks to our fans, officials, volunteers and track curators and to our partners and sponsors All Star Welding, the WISE Group, Xtreme Crane Hire, the Northern Territory Government, The Precinct, Civil X NT, Carlton & United Breweries, Cazalys Palmerston Club and Top End Line Markers.
END RELEASE.
CHARIOTS OVERALL TOP 3
1. Matt Egel S29
2. Lachlan McHugh NQ7
3. Brock Hallett Q5
SATURDAY NIGHT TOP 10
1. Matt Egel S29
2. Lachlan McHugh NQ7
3. Brock Hallett Q5
4. Luke Storer S98
5. Mick Saller N56
6. Tim Farrell Q51
7. Dylan Menz Q46
8. Ryan Jones S63
9. Jye McKenzie W46
10. Jason Pryde W14
Photo credit Nakita Po***ck Motorsports Photography
