Kicking Up The Dirt - Saturday 17 September 2016

Kicking Up The Dirt – Archerfield Speedway Track Championship – Round 1

Joanne White

The 2016-2017 speedway season kicked off last night at AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway with Round One of the Sprintcar Track Championship.  Twenty-seven Sprintcars turned up to get the season underway and with an array of striking new war paint, a host of new numbers, and a handful of Sprintcar newcomers joining an already strong line-up, the stage was set for a truly spectacular night of Sprintcar racing action.  And the Sprintcar stars certainly did not disappoint, putting on a thrilling show, culminating in a breath-taking feature event that saw the lead change several times.  Robbie Farr eventually took the win after racing around the outside of then leader Bryan Mann on a restart shortly before the half mark, with Andrew Scheuerle having a brilliant drive from position seven on the starting grid to cross the line in second.  Mann, who lead the race on several occasions, finished third and rounded out the podium while Brent Kratzmann and Peter Lack both put in solid performances to complete the top five and set themselves up for what is sure to be a massive season ahead.

Qualifying got underway and while Sprintcar new-comer Darren Kane set the initial bench-mark with a 12.344 second lap in the first group to qualify, by the end of the qualifying runs it was Andrew Scheuerle who topped the leader board, with a fastest lap of 11.564 seconds, starting his night, and season, the best way possible.  In fact, Scheuerle was an impressive, 0.151 seconds ahead of second-quickest Peter Lack who stopped the clock at 11.715 seconds, while Luke Oldfield, back in the family-owned Q17 racer this year, secured third quickest with an 11.729 second lap, just 0.014 second slower than Lack.  Allan Woods and Robbie Farr completed the fastest five, with Bryan Mann in sixth the only other car to break into the eleven-second bracket.  Just outside the top ten, Ben Hilder beat Brent Kratzmann by just eight thousandths of a second, while Darren Kane managed to out-qualify some of his much more seasoned Sprintcar competitors in only his first competitive Sprintcar drive.  Unfortunately though qualifying did not go well for everyone, with Dylan Menz missing qualifying after suffering a broken driveline during engine starts.  Mark Pholi unfortunately suffered engine dramas during his qualifying run and despite qualifying into the top twenty-one car inversion, was forced to withdraw from the race meeting before the heats had even begun.

Heat one started with Paul Rooks and Matthew Butler from the front row, with Rob Hamilton and Brent Kratzmann sharing row two for the start of the ten-lap journey.  Rooks got a brilliant start and quickly settled into the race lead, hitting turn one a couple of car lengths ahead of the rest of the field.  Brent Kratzmann wasted no time in making his way forward, and while Hamilton tried to find a way underneath Butler, Kratzmann found a gap between the pair, and raced straight through and had second secured as they entered turn one.  Kratzmann set out after Rooks and began trying to close the gap, leaving the rest of the field to sort themselves out and argue over the minor places.  Butler faded quickly and soon pulled out of the event, while Hamilton held a strong third, but with Bryan Mann and Darren Kane close behind.  At the tail end of the field Andrew Scheuerle began trying to find his way past Brett Minett and Dan Murray before setting his sights on Kane and gradually closing the gap.  As the laps wore on and Rooks began to catch lapped traffic, Kratzmann began to really close the gap to the race leader but could not quite get close enough to make a move before the chequered flag.  Paul Rooks took the win in the first heat race of the season, with Brent Kratzmann a solid second and Rob Hamilton coming home in third.  Bryan Mann finished fourth and led Darren Kane, Andrew Scheuerle, Dan Murray and Brett Minett across the line.  Matthew Butler did not finish the event.

Kristy Bonsey and Anthony Lambert shared the front row for the start of heat two and Bonsey got the jump on the start. However, the race was brought to a stop for the up-turned car of Andrew Corbett in turn one.  Corbett, a former Australian Production Sedan Champion made his Sprintcar debut last night but unfortunately ran too high in turn one on his first racing lap, clipped the wall and inverted the Q78 racer in spectacular fashion.  It was a rough introduction to the division but Corbett walked away from the wreck.  On the restart Bonsey was relegated to the second row for jumping the first start, handing a front row start to Kevin Titman.  Titman and Lambert raced side-by-side across the line, and down the main straight into turn one, neither willing to surrender the lead without a rather entertaining fight.  Titman looked to have his nose in front in the middle of turn one but Lambert had a magnificent drive on the high side through turn two and managed to secure the lead as they raced down the back straight for the first time.  Robbie Farr had started from position six, raced around Bonsey and underneath Ben Hilder to move into third as they exited turn two, setting his sights on Titman and Lambert and starting to close the gap.  It was hard to take your off Titman and Lambert as they held nothing back in their battle for control of the race.  Titman was relentless, having several big looks underneath Lambert in the first couple laps, the pair even coming together in turn two, only for Lambert to maintain the race lead.  The race was soon brought under caution once more as Ben Hilder slowed to a stop on the bottom of the track along the back straight with damage to the front end of the Q95 racer.  Lambert led the restart with eight gruelling laps left to run and Titman, Farr and Peter Lack right on his tail.  Lambert got a brilliant start and tried to put as much space between himself and Titman as possible, but Titman quickly closed in, the pair moving a few car lengths ahead of Farr for a lap or two.  Titman resumed his relentless and intense pressure on Lambert, having another big look up the inside of Lambert in turn two before having a look at the high side half a lap later.  Unfortunately for Titman he made slight contact with the right rear of Lambert and headed towards the wall.  While Titman was able to avoid complete disaster, he had opened the door for Farr who needed no invitation and swiftly stole second.  Titman then came under fire from Lack, whilst trying to find a way past Farr, all the while Farr was searching for the way past Lambert.  Lambert drove an astounding and consistent race against some very tough competition, really holding his own and taking a very hard fought and well-deserved heat race win.  Robbie Farr crossed the line in second, leading Kevin Titman, Peter Lack, Callum Walker, Kristy Bonsey and Dylan Menz across the line.  Ben Hilder and Andrew Corbett both failed to finish the race.

Open Sprintcar new-comer Jayden Peacock, and New South Wales based Michael Saller, led the field to the green for the start of heat three, with Saller getting a great start and quickly settling into the race lead.  Peacock secured second while Mitchell Gee tried to race up the inside of Simon Jupe and Dave Whell as they went three-wide down the main straight.  Jupe won that battle and settled into third, while chaos unfolded behind him as Whell and Gee fought over track position.  What could have so easily ended in disaster for either or both Whell and Gee, as Whell tried to avoid an incident he left the luckless Allan Woods with nowhere to go.  Woods made contact with the right rear wheel of Whell and ended up slamming hard into the turn three wall.  Woods was unscathed but rather unimpressed and, unfortunately would be out of competition for the rest of the night.  A full restart followed with Peacock and Saller to again lead the field away.  Peacock got a better start this time around and raced wheel-to-wheel with Saller into the first corner before Saller took control of the race.  Peacock held a very solid second, while the rest of the field, already a number of car lengths behind the leaders, again argued over the minor positions.  Gee was looking for a way up the inside of Jupe, getting the job done as they entered turn one, while New Zealand based Brett Sullivan, driving for Allan Woods in the NZ28 racer, raced around the outside of Jupe as they navigated the first corner.  Jupe was able to steal his position back half a lap later, sliding beautifully underneath Sullivan as they rounded turn three, leaving Sullivan and Oldfield to battle amongst themselves.  Unfortunately just a couple of laps into the race saw contact between Oldfield and Sullivan, leaving the later in the wall in turn one and out of the race.  Sullivan was not injured in the incident but he too would be out of the competition for the remainder of the evening, making for an extremely disappointing night for the Woods Motorsport team.  Saller, Peacock and Gee led the restart with six laps still to run and while Saller was able to pull a little ahead, at the rear of the field Oldfield was able to find a way past Jupe, but all eyes were on Peacock and Gee as Gee searched for a way into second.  Gee was persistent and aggressive in his pursuit for second, while Peacock showed enormous potential as he held off Gee and fought back every time Gee tried to find a way past.  It was a thrilling battle between some of the youngest in the field, but there was no stopping Michael Saller out in front.  Saller took the win with Jayden Peacock second and Mitchell Gee in third.  Luke Oldfield and Simon Jupe rounded out the field while Brett Sullivan, Allan Woods and Dave Whell all failed to finish the event.

Heat four started with Jayden Peacock from pole position with Dave Whell alongside and Darren Kane and Michael Saller right behind.  Peacock got a great start and quickly secured the lead ahead of Whell and Saller, while Mitchell Gee raced his way around Darren Kane before getting caught behind Saller as Saller used the low line to slide under Whell though turn two.  As Gee lost ground he left the bottom wide open and Callum Walker, who had just raced beautifully underneath Kane, didn’t hesitate and quickly secured the advantage over Gee as well.  Walker set about trying to find a way past Whell, while Gee tried to fight back while under fire from Kane and Lack.  Gee ran too wide in turn four, allowing both Kane and Lack to slip through, but Gee quickly recovered and slid underneath Lack as they rounded turn one.  Gee was chasing down Kane when Gee got out of shape on the back straight, turning down track and very nearly collecting Lack as Lack took evasive action.  Callum Walker unexpectedly slowed to a stop high on the track in turn four, bringing the race under caution.  Peacock and Saller led the restart, still with eight laps left to run, and while Peacock looked extremely comfortable out in front, Saller had his hands full defending his position from a hard charging Whell.  Whell managed to slip under Saller through turn three, only for Saller to fight back and slide straight back underneath as they raced through turn four.  Gee was putting all kinds of pressure on Kane, all the while under fire himself from a very hard charging Peter Lack.  Gee looked underneath Kane through turn four, with Lack then looking on the inside of Gee, the trio three-wide through the corner.  Kane found some speed on the high side and managed to pull ahead of Lack and Gee, with Gee soon pulling out of the race with mechanical issues, and Matthew Butler then taking the challenge to Lack.  Lack began to systematically work his way through the field, sliding under Butler through turn three before racing around the outside of Kane in turn four when Kane got a little too sideways while navigating the turn.  Lack set his sights on the tail of Saller and spent a couple of laps closing in before seemingly effortlessly sliding underneath the N56 racer through turn four with just a few laps left to run.  Lack managed to catch the tail of Whell in the remaining three laps but simply ran out of time to make his move before the chequered flag flew.  Jayden Peacock took the win, almost three and a half seconds ahead of second placed Dave Whell.  Peter Lack crossed the line in third after an impressive drive from the rear of the field, and led Michael Saller, Darren Kane and Matthew Butler across the line.  Mitchell Gee and Callum Walker did not complete the ten-lap event.

Heat five started with Ben Hilder and Simon Jupe from the front row, with Kevin Titman and Rob Hamilton from the second row.  Hilder got the jump on the start, with Titman trying to go with him.  Jupe initially challenged Titman trying to maintain the advantage but Titman on the bottom was too good and had second secured by they time they exited turn one.  Jupe then found himself under fire from Brent Kratzmann, who had just raced underneath Hamilton as they headed into turn one.  Hamilton clipped the back straight wall coming out turn two, while Kratzmann found his way past Jupe as they rounded turns three and four.  Kratzmann set about closing the gap to Hilder and Titman, leaving Jupe to defend his position from Bryan Mann.  Back at the front of the field Titman was all over the back of Hilder, searching high and low for a way through, while Hilder remained smooth and consistent and even managed to pull a car length or two ahead of Titman and generate a small bit of breathing room.  Ben Hilder went on to take the win ahead of Kevin Titman, Brent Kratzmann, Robbie Farr, Simon Jupe, Bryan Mann and Rob Hamilton.

The sixth and final heat of the night saw Kristy Bonsey and Paul Rooks share the front row for the start, with Anthony Lambert and Luke Oldfield right behind them and ready to strike.  Bonsey got the jump on the start but both Rooks and Oldfield quickly committed to the highline and raced around the outside of Bonsey to secure first and second by the time they exited turn two.  Rooks had control of the race, and while he and Oldfield started opening a lead over the rest of the field Oldfield soon began challenging Rooks for the lead, having a big look on the inside of Rooks though turns three and four but was not quite able to get the job done.  Rooks maintained the lead, with Oldfield relentlessly searching for the right moment to make his move, while further back in the field Andrew Scheuerle was searching for a way past Dan Murray and Anthony Lambert.  Paul Rooks went on to take the win, his second for the night, with Luke Oldfield in second ahead of Kristy Bonsey, Anthony Lambert, Andrew Scheuerle, Dan Murray, Brett Minett and Dylan Menz. 

Luke Oldfield led the points going into the Dash event, to be contested by the top eight qualifiers over six laps.  A pre-dash marble draw saw Kevin Titman inherit pole position for the start of the dash, with Bryan Mann alongside.  Titman got the jump on the start and quickly secured the race lead, while Peter Lack had a brief look under Bryan Mann while Robbie Farr raced past Paul Rooks.  Oldfield was on the move, securing the advantage over Brent Kratzmann after the pair had shared the back row for the start, with Oldfield then racing under both Scheuerle and Rooks before the end of the second corner.  Rooks faded as Kratzmann and Scheuerle began working their way closer to the front of the field, as Lack closed in on Farr, who in turn was edging closer to Bryan Mann.  Kevin Titman went on to take the win and earn pole position for the start of the A-Main event, with Bryan Mann home in second ahead of Robbie Farr, Peter Lack, Luke Oldfield, Brent Kratzmann, Andrew Scheuerle and Paul Rooks.

Ten cars lined up for the start of the twelve-lap B-Main race, with Dave Whell and Rob Hamilton to lead them to the green, and Mitchell Gee and Callum Walker from the second row.  Whell got the best start and quickly secured the race lead, leaving Hamilton to try and defend his position from both Gee and Walker who were both challenging hard and making sure Hamilton worked hard to maintain his position.  Gee soon found a way underneath Hamilton in turn three and set his sights on Whell, leaving Hamilton and Walker to their own devices.  Gee was all over the back of Whell, having a massive look up the inside as they rounded turn four a few laps in but was not quite able to pull off the pass.  Gee didn’t lift, he was unyielding in his pursuit for the race lead and it was thrilling to watch.  Walker eventually found his way past Hamilton, leaving Hamilton in the final transfer position but with Matthew Butler right on his tail and vying for his own A-Main start.  Gee eventually managed to find his way underneath Whell, with Walker making his way through a couple of laps later.  Whell began to fade, loosing another position, this time to Butler, before the fall of chequered flag, but once Gee had made his way into the front there was no stopping him.  Mitchell Gee went on to take the win, with a margin of just over three seconds on second placed Callum Walker.  Matthew Butler finished third with Dave Whell securing the final transfer to the A-Main.  Rob Hamilton finished fifth and led Brett Minett, Andrew Corbett, Kristy Bonsey and Dylan Menz across the line.  Simon Jupe did not finish the race.

Eighteen cars contested the thirty-lap A-Main, with Kevin Titman and Bryan Mann to lead the way.  Titman and Mann drag-raced side-by-side into the first corner but it was Mann who managed to secure the race lead.  Titman stayed close and in hot pursuit, ready to make a move at the earliest opportunity, while Robbie Farr began his climb towards the front of the field.  Luke Oldfield, Brent Kratzmann and Andrew Scheuerle had a close battle in the opening stages of the race, while further back in the field Ben Hilder was starting to make his way through the field.  Titman had his eyes on Mann, while Peter Lack looked pretty comfortable in third, though Robbie Farr was closing in, and Luke Oldfield, Brent Kratzmann and Andrew Scheuerle were all still major players in this race.  Mid-field Callum Walker, Jayden Peacock and Ben Hilder were putting on a brilliant show, the trio racing in close quarters and exchanging positions several times.  Titman stole the lead from Mann, while Scheuerle made his way in front of Kratzmann, and within just a few laps the leaders were dealing with lapped traffic, with Titman in control of the race and well in front of his nearest rival.  Lack and Mann were having a breath-taking battle for second, with both holding nothing back, and Lack trying to gain an advantage as both tried to find a way past the back markers.  Mann managed to slip under the lapped car, leaving Lack, with Farr now right on his tail, to defend his position from the Q7 racer.  Farr and Lack both tried to run underneath the lapped car of Whell in turn four, the trio going three-wide with Farr coming out in front and securing third.  Whell faded a little as both Oldfield and Scheuerle came charging through, while Darren Kane and Brent Kratzmann were not far behind.  Titman was trying to find a way around Anthony Lambert to put him a lap down, but contact between the pair almost cost Titman the lead, with Mann, Farr, Lack and Oldfield all close on his tail.  Titman managed to maintain his lead but struggled to find a way around Lambert.  Lack, Oldfield and Scheuerle were putting on a truly breath-taking show, with some thrilling and very close racing and they chased down the leaders.  Unfortunately further contact between Titman and Lambert ended with Lambert upside down and Titman stranded on the track facing the wrong direction, right in front of the battle between Lack, Oldfield and Scheuerle.  Lack was leading the trio at the time and backed off a fraction when he saw the chaos unfolding in front of him.  Unfortunately for Oldfield, he had his Q17 racer positioned on the highline and had nowhere to go, collecting the back end of Lack and rolling high into the turn three fence.  Darren Kane was late on the scene but on a fast and busy track there was little he could do to avoid contact with the airborne Oldfield, slamming into the underneath side of the Q17 mid-roll.  All drivers were unscathed, with Kane, Lambert and Oldfield all unable to restart the event.  Titman restarted at the rear of the field, with Bryan Mann inheriting the lead for the restart with seventeen laps left to run.

Mann led the restart from Farr and Lack but Farr wasted no time and swiftly took to the highline and raced around the outside of Mann to steal the race lead just half a lap into the restart.  Mitchell Gee and Matthew Butler had a great race going mid-field, but it was still hard to take your eyes from the action at the front of the field.  Kratzmann made his way past Lack, edging closer to a podium finish, while Farr reached lap traffic in just a few laps.  Mann held down second but Andrew Scheuerle was on a mission and once they entered lapped traffic things became quite intense.  Mann was committed to the high line as he raced around Whell who was now a lap down, while Scheuerle took to the low line at the same time trying to steal second from Mann.  The trio went three-wide through turn four with Whell in the middle, with Mann managing to hang on to second for the time being.  Scheuerle chased Mann, both seasoned and talent competitors, putting on a brilliant show for the large Archerfield Speedway crowd, all the while navigating lapped traffic.  Brent Kratzmann started to close in, the Q2 racer really coming on strong in the second half of the race.  Scheuerle eventually switched to the high line to make his way around Mann in the closing stages of the race, but ran out of time to catch Farr.  Robbie Farr took the win in a magnificent start to his 2016-2017 campaign, with Andrew Scheuerle in second and Bryan Mann home in third.  Brent Kratzmann had an inspiring run to cross the line an impressive fourth with Peter Lack home in fifth and leading Michael Saller, Jayden Peacock, Callum Walker, Matthew Butler, Mitchell Gee, Dan Murray, Kevin Titman, Paul Rooks and Dave Whell across the line.  Luke Oldfield, Ben Hilder, Anthony Lambert and Darren Kane all failed to finish the thirty-lap affair.

Sprintcars Queensland will venture to Toowoomba’s Hi-Tec Oils Speedway next Saturday night for the opening night of the USC Queensland Series.  If last night is anything to go by we are in for a massive season and you will not want to miss a moment of the action.  Head on up to Hi-Tec Oils Speedway in Toowoomba next Saturday night and see these stars in action for yourself!  They will then return to AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway the following weekend, Saturday 01 October 2016 for another thrilling night of Sprintcar Racing action.  See you trackside!

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