Kicking Up The Dirt – Sprintcar Track Championship – Round 2

Kicking Up The Dirt – Sprintcar Track Championship – Round 2

Joanne White

It was a beautiful evening for Sprintcar racing at AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway last night where a field of twenty-four Sprintcars took to the track for the second round of the East Coast Logistics Sprintcar Track Championship.  Teenager Callum Walker had an absolutely brilliant night, securing quick time in qualifying before winning the dash event in spectacular fashion and leading the first ten laps of the A-Main event after beating Andrew Scheuerle off the line.  In the end though experience triumphed and Andrew Scheuerle managed to race under Callum Walker to take control of the race.  Luke Oldfield had a magnificent drive and put some pressure on Scheuerle in lapped traffic, but it was Andrew Scheuerle who walked away with the win, his first of the season.  Oldfield finished a strong second while Mitchell Gee stole third from Brent Kratzmann in the last half dozen laps of the race.  Brent Kratzmann had a very impressive drive in the A-Main and crossed the line in fourth, with Peter Lack rounding out the top five.

Qualifying got underway with each driver getting the track to themselves for two qualifying laps.  Kevin Titman unfortunately suffered some engine gremlins and while he was able to get one qualifying lap completed, and qualifying in eleventh position, the issues on board the Q59 would eventually bring a very premature end to his night of competition.  Brett Sullivan had issues with the transponder on board the NZ28 racer, and, despite two attempts, failed to record a time.  Callum Walker had an inspiring first lap, and while his second lap was somewhat less than ideal, he only needed the first one to secure quick time.  Walker stopped the clock at a quick 11.701 seconds, beating second quickest Luke Oldfield by 0.050 seconds.  Andrew Scheuerle was third quickest, his time of 11.791 seconds meaning the fastest three were separated by just nine hundredths of a second.  Mitchell Gee beat Ben Hilder by just two thousandths of second, the pair rounding out the fastest five, with Peter Lack just three thousands of a second behind.  Lachlan McHugh, who qualified in seventh position, was the last of the cars to break into the eleven-second bracket, but the top twenty cars were separated by less than one second proving once again not only how closely matched each of these drivers are and how tough the competition is, but that the smallest fraction of second can have a massive impact on how the rest of the night unfolds.

Heat one started with Paul Rooks from pole position with Jayden Peacock alongside and Chris Harrison (from the Northern Territory) and Brent Kratzmann from row two.  Rooks was at a disadvantage from before the lights went green, a collapsed front wing set to make handling more difficult than usual.  Peacock got a brilliant start on the outside and quickly moved into the race lead, while Kratzmann raced around the high side of Rooks to steal second before they hit turn two.  Peter Lack was trying to follow on the top side but the race was quickly brought under caution for Chris Harrison who had spun to a stop on the bottom of turn two.  A full race restart followed with Rooks and Peacock again sharing the front row but with Lachlan McHugh now starting from position three.  Peacock again got a great start and quickly secured the lead while Kratzmann continued to work the high line to move in second.  McHugh was trying to find a way around Rooks, who was struggling with the damaged front wing, and when Rooks ran too wide in the second corner of the race, Peter Lack quickly slid under both Rooks and McHugh to move into third.  Rooks persevered for a lap or two but with the front wing now lifting at the front, making it both difficult to handle and impairing the already limited vision, it wasn’t long before Rooks pulled out of the race.  Meanwhile at the front of the field Peacock was opening a small but comfortable margin over Brent Kratzmann, while Lack worked on catching the tail of Kratzmann and Lachlan McHugh started to close in.  With just four laps left to run Sean Iacono brought he race under caution when he spun coming out of turn four and leaving a quick and thrilling four-lap dash to the chequered flag.  Peacock led the restart and immediately put a couple of car lengths between himself and Kratzmann.  Kratzmann tried to fight him for the lead but was soon forced on the defensive as Peter Lack tried to make his way into second.  Lack had a massive look underneath Kratzmann as they rounded turn four, the pair rubbing wheels right through the turn but with Kratzmann able to hang onto the advantage.  One lap later and Lachlan McHugh joined the battle, and traded slide jobs with Lack as they raced ever closer to the chequered flag.  McHugh slid beautifully underneath Lack as they raced through turn four, only for Lack to fire straight back and race back under McHugh as they navigated turn one.  Jayden Peacock went on to take the win ahead of Brent Kratzmann, Peter Lack, Lachlan McHugh and Callum Walker, with Sean Iacono and Chris Harrison rounding out the finishers.  Paul Rooks did not finish the event.

Dave Whell and Anthony Lambert shared the front row for the start of heat two with Mark Pholi from position three and Ben Hilder elevated to position four in the absence of Kevin Titman.   Titman has been scheduled to start the event from the outside of the second row but the earlier issues on board the Q59 racer were enough of a concern that the team had decided to park the car for the rest of the evening, however Clem Hoffmans kindly offered Titman his own car to drive instead and Titman took to the start, in the Q3 racer, from the rear of the field.  Whell and Lambert raced side-by-side into turn one, with Lambert on the high side soon taking control of the race lead.  Hilder had a look around the outside of Whell, but got caught behind Lambert who had gotten a little sideways in turn two and washed off some speed.  This left the door open on the bottom for Whell, and while Whell had a big look on the inside of Lambert for the lead, Lambert recovered from his mistake and fought back on the high side to secure the lead.  Meanwhile Mark Pholi was on a mission and had raced under Hilder in turn two and was quickly closing in on Whell.  Luke Oldfield caught Hilder and spent a couple of laps searching for a way through, eventually slipping through on the low side coming out of turn four, and began closing in on Mark Pholi.  The race was barely at the halfway point when Oldfield raced under Pholi as the rounded turn four, with Whell next in the sights of Oldfield.  Oldfield was clearly on a mission and just one lap after getting under Pholi he slipped past Whell, again working the bottom to his advantage.  Oldfield quickly closed in on the tail of Lambert in the race lead and put all kinds pressure on the Q90 racer, but Lambert ran a smooth and consistent race and would go on to take the race win ahead of Luke Oldfield and Dave Whell.  Mark Pholi came on particularly strongly in the final few laps of the race, catching Whell and putting on a great show as he searched for a way through, but was forced to settle for fourth.  Ben Hilder crossed the line in fifth and led Steve Greer across the line.  Kevin Titman unfortunately had issues in the Q3 car of Hoffmans and pulled out of the race after only five laps. 

Heat three started with James Grady and Brett Minett from the front row, with Kristy Bonsey and Darren Kane out of the second row. Grady got a great start from pole position and quickly settled into the race lead, while Bonsey had a brief look under Minett through turn one.  Darren Kane was magnificent on the high side, racing around Bonsey before switching to the low side and having a look under Minett.  Andrew Scheuerle was trying to make his way forward, searching patiently for a way around Bonsey, eventually getting through underneath the Q42 racer in turn four.  Mitchell Gee was able to follow Scheuerle through as well, but all eyes were drawn to the front of the field where Minett and Kane had caught Grady, with Scheuerle and Gee also closing in.  Kane, whilst no stranger to speedway racing or Archerfield Speedway, has adapted to Sprintcars remarkably quickly and eventually found a way under Minett as they raced through turn two.  Scheuerle and Gee followed in the next couple of laps and while Kane was able to close in on Grady in the final two laps of the race, there was little he could do before the chequered flag flew.  James Grady took the win, his first in Sprintcars, with Darren Kane in second and Andrew Scheuerle third.  Mitchell Gee, Brett Minett, Kristy Bonsey, Brett Sullivan and Dylan Menz rounded out the finishers. 

When heat four rolled onto the track no one quite knew it would become the spectacle it was.  It started with Dave Whell and Brett Minett from the front row, with Mark Pholi and Anthony Lambert out of the second row.  Whell got a brilliant start and quickly secured the lead, while Pholi and Lambert made quick work of getting under Minett.  Lachlan McHugh and Luke Oldfield tried to race under Minett as well, with Oldfield on the bottom of the track, only for Ben Hilder to race spectacularly around the outside of Oldfield and McHugh, and under Minett, essentially going four wide as they raced down the main straight for the first time.  Hilder was first of the quartet to make it through turn one, with Oldfield and Minett staying side-by-side until Oldfield got a great drive off the bottom and managed to pull ahead of not only Minett but Hilder as well.  Lambert was next in the crosshairs for Oldfield but Hilder was not willing to surrender his position quite so easily and soon fought back hard, racing up the inside of Oldfield as they came out of turn four.  Oldfield managed to maintain his advantage and pulled slightly ahead and he searched for a way around Lambert.  Oldfield eventually got the job done coming out of turn four on the high side and set about closing the gap to the leaders.  Meanwhile, the battle for the lead was only just starting to heat up.  Dave Whell was in control of the race but Mark Pholi had the Q14 racer on rails and was holding nothing back as he relentlessly searched for a way into the lead.  It was simply breath-taking to watch as each racer ran a smooth and clean race, with Oldfield soon joining the battle.  Pholi worked the high line beautifully and had plenty of speed as he put all kinds of pressure on Whell, committing to the high line and running two-wide with Whell for the last lap of the race.  Dave Whell managed to hang on to take the win, just one hundredth of a second ahead of Mark Pholi, with Luke Oldfield crossing the line less than one second later in third.  Ben Hilder managed to finish fourth after trading slide jobs with Lachlan McHugh for several laps, with McHugh officially fifth across the line.  Anthony Lambert finished sixth and led Brett Minett and Sean Iacono home.

With Kevin Titman out of action Jayden Peacock inherited pole position for the start of heat five, with Kristy Bonsey sharing the front row.  The pair drag raced side-by-side down the main straight but it was Peacock who managed to secure the lead in turn one.  Bonsey settled into second but soon found Darren Kane right on her tail, while Peter Lack tried to run the high line around Dylan Menz and Callum Walker.  Lack and Paul Rooks both managed to get through under Menz when the Q46 racer ran too wide in turn four, with the pair then setting their sights on Callum Walker.  Lack searched high and low for a way past the teenager, eventually making his way through on the bottom of turn three before racing around the outside of Bonsey a few laps later.  Walker soon caught Bonsey and the pair put on a captivating show as Walker tried to the find a way past and Bonsey defended her position.  It took several laps but just two laps from home Walker managed to get around Bonsey to steal fourth but ran out of time to catch the front three.  Jayden Peacock took the win, his second of the night, ahead of Darren Kane and Peter Lack, with Callum Walker, Kristy Bonsey, Paul Rooks and Dylan Menz rounding out the field. 

The final heat of the night saw Brett Sullivan and Chris Harrison line up alongside each other on the front row, with James Grady and Steve Greer from the second row.  Sullivan and Harrison raced wheel-to-wheel into the first corner, with Harrison on the high side able to secure the lead and leave Sullivan in second.  Steve Greer and Mitchell Gee used the high line to their advantage to move ahead of Grady, while Brent Kratzmann got caught behind Grady on the low side before sliding spectacularly underneath the Q40 racer as they raced through turn two.  Kratzmann set his sights on Gee, who in turn was looking to run underneath Greer in turn three when the race was brought to stop for two separate incidents involving the first two cars.  Chris Hamilton had thrown the NT84 racer a little too hard into turn four, spinning the racer, lifting the front wheels high off the ground, and performing a thrilling vertical pirouette before somehow landing back on all four wheels.  Behind him Sullivan was running high on the track and balked a fraction when the Harrison car was spinning in front of him.  Sullivan ended up in the marbles near the fence, before making contact with the concrete wall entering turn four and inverting the car.  Sullivan was uninjured in the crash but unable to restart the event, while Harrison took to the restart from the rear of the field.   A full restart followed with James Grady and Steve Greer now elevated to the front row to lead the field to the green.  Greer got a brilliant start and quickly secured the lead, with Mitchell Gee on the high side quickly securing second.  Brent Kratzmann got caught on the low line behind James Grady again, and while Kratzmann had more speed entering turn one, he was not able to find his way through, while Clem Hoffmans had a great run on the outside of both Kratzmann and Grady to advance two positions.  Kratzmann, still behind Grady, now had Andrew Scheuerle to deal with, and while Scheuerle worked the high line searching for a way past both Kratzmann and Grady, Kratzmann had a massive look on the inside of Grady, running his right rear over the left front of Grady as they raced through turn four.  Kratzmann bounced up track and little but somehow managed to not only keep the car on four wheels, but also managed to stay ahead of Grady on the track.  Scheuerle however had seized his opportunity and while Kratzmann and Grady were preoccupied on the bottom, he raced around the pair in turn four and immediately set about opening a sizable margin on the pair.  Kratzmann set about closing the gap to Scheuerle and the rest of the field and had considerable speed on board the Q2 racer, closing the gap in only a couple of laps.  Scheuerle was looking for a way past the Q3 car of Hoffmans, eventually racing underneath down the main straight.  Kratzmann followed a lap and half later, while Scheuerle began working on Steve Greer, who by then had surrendered the lead to Mitchell Gee.  It was truly spectacular to watch as Scheuerle patiently watched Greer and waited for the right time to make his move, around the outside in turns three and four.  As Kratzmann closed in on Greer, Scheuerle made quick work of closing the gap to Gee but ran out of laps to make any further impact on the race results.  Mitchell Gee took the win with Andrew Scheuerle in second while the battle for third between Greer and Kratzmann really heated up in the closing few laps of the race.  Greer was smooth and consistent but Kratzmann was fierce, determined and relentless, racing under Greer to steal third with just half a lap left to run.  Brent Kratzmann officially finished a very commendable third with Steve Greer across the line in fourth.  James Grady and Chris Hamilton rounded out the finishers while Clem Hoffmans pulled out of the race having only completed half the race distance.  Brett Sullivan also did not finish the 10-lap journey.

The top eight drivers after time trials and heat events took to the track for six-lap Dash event.  Luke Oldfield had been highest on points after all the qualifying rounds, but in a random draw prior to the start of the dash race he drew position six as his starting spot.  The dash started with Callum Walker from pole position and Darren Kane sharing the front row.  Walker got a brilliant start and quickly secured the race lead, pulling several car lengths ahead of Kane in second.  Mitchell Gee and Peter Lack argued over third, with Lack winning that battle and setting his sights on Kane, while Andrew Scheuerle had an absolutely incredible run on the bottom, slipping underneath Luke Oldfield in turn two, then Mitchell Gee in turn three and finally Peter Lack coming out of turn four.  Lack tried to fight back on the high side through turn four, but Scheuerle was simply far too quick, while Gee had a look under Lack as the exited turn two, and Oldfield looked on the high line for a way around Gee.  The race was soon brought under caution for Lachlan McHugh who had uncharacteristically spun in turn four.  Walker led the restart from Kane, Scheuerle, Lack, Oldfield and Gee with four gruelling laps left to run.  Walker again got a magnificent start and opened a small margin while the battle over the minor places raged behind him.  Scheuerle raced under Kane in turn one while Lack had a big look on the high side, but Kane fought back strongly on the bottom and managed to briefly regain his position coming out of turn four.  Half a lap later and Scheuerle ran around the outside of Kane in turn two, while Oldfield and Lack raced wheel-to-wheel before Lack once again moved ahead.  Lack is always spectacular on the high line and last night was no exception as Lack took the Q5 racer to the top and raced around the outside of Kane in turn two, with Oldfield following a lap later.  Callum Walker had complete control of the race, oblivious to the battle for the minor places behind him, and went on to seemingly easily take his first ever Sprintcar Dash win.  Andrew Scheuerle crossed the line in second ahead of Peter Lack, Luke Oldfield, Darren Kane, Mitchell Gee, Ben Hilder and Lachlan McHugh.

The B-Main event saw nine cars hit the track for the ten lap last chance race for a start in the A-Main event.  With only the top four cars to make the transfer it was going to be a thrilling battle as each driver vied for a spot in the main event.  Dylan Menz and James Grady shared the front row for the start, with Chris Harrison and Kristy Bonsey from the second row.  Menz and Grady raced down the straight together when the green flag flew, but it was Menz who made it to turn one first and secured the lead, leaving Grady to try and defend his position from Kristy Bonsey who was having a big look on the inside.  Bonsey had just about got the job done when the race was brought under caution for the spun car of Sean Iacono in turn one.  Brett Minett had suffered a flat right rear tyre and a short two-minute delay followed to allow his crew to change the tyre.  A full race restart followed with Menz and Grady again set to lead the field away, with Menz repeating the start he had first time around and securing the lead as they entered turn one.  Grady settled into second with Chris Harrison securing third.  Paul Rooks and Kristy Bonsey argued over fourth but Bonsey took to the high side to not only secure the advantage over Rooks in turn two, but to race around the outside of Harrison in turn three and set out after Menz, who had just lost the lead to Grady.  The battle for the lead was only just starting to heat up, with Menz soon taking to the high line to run around the outside of Grady a lap later and regain control of the race, leaving Grady and Bonsey to fight over second and third.  Harrison had a spin in turn four, almost collecting Rooks, and then somehow managing to keep the NT84 racer moving.  It was however too late as officials had already brought the race under caution and Harrison was relegated to the rear of the field for causing the stoppage.  Menz led the restart from Grady, Bonsey and Rooks and while Rooks searched for a way past Bonsey, he found himself under fire from a hard charging Minett for several laps, before Minett surrendered his position to Sean Iacono.  Rooks had several big looks up the inside of Bonsey but just could not quite find a way past and ran out of laps to try anything further.  Dylan Menz took the win almost two and half second ahead of James Grady, while Kristy Bonsey and Paul Rooks competed the top four and all secured transfers to the A-Main event.  Sean Iacono finished fifth and led Brett Minett, Brett Sullivan, Chris Harrison and Clem Hoffmans across the line.

The 30-lap A-Main event was set to be a cracker of an event, with young Callum Walker starting from pole position, and the very experienced Andrew Scheuerle sharing the front row.  Walker got an absolutely brilliant start and seemingly easily beat his rival to the first corner, secured the lead and even managed to put a car length or two between himself and the rest of the field.  Scheuerle settled into second ahead of Peter Lack and Luke Oldfield and while Oldfield looked strong on the high side, Ben Hilder had a breath-taking run on the bottom and by the time the race was just half a lap old Hilder had raced under Darren Kane, Mitchell Gee, Luke Oldfield and Peter Lack to secure third after starting from position seven.  Brent Kratzmann tried to follow Hilder on the low side, and managed to race under Kane, just as Lachlan McHugh raced around the outside, before making his way under Gee and setting his sights on Oldfield.  Jayden Peacock ran the low line to get under Kane and McHugh mid-field, while Kratzmann caught Lack, Oldfield and Hilder to make for a thrilling four-way battle, with Mitchell Gee soon joining the battle as well.  Gee had a look on the inside of Kratzmann but couldn’t quite get the job done, while further back in the field McHugh searched for a way past Steve Greer and Darren Kane, all with Mark Pholi on this tail.  Back at the front of the field Walker and Scheuerle edged ever closer to the back markers, with Scheuerle gradually closing in on the tail of Walker.  Walker was having an amazing run out in front, smooth and consistent and holding his own again his vastly more experienced rival, with Scheuerle’s long and distinguished Sprintcar racing career having begun before Walker was even born.  Kristy Bonsey was having a brilliant run deep in the field, working the low line beautifully as she battled Dave Whell, while Dylan Menz raced around the top side.  Oldfield and Lack raced wheel-to-wheel, giving each other just enough racing room but putting on a mesmerising show for race fans, while Ben Hilder inched ever closer to Scheuerle with each passing lap.  Ten laps in and Scheuerle made his move on Walker, timing the move beautifully and sliding elegantly under Walker as they raced through turn one.  Scheuerle immediately started to pull away, leaving Walker to defend his position from a very impressive Ben Hilder.  Lapped traffic soon became heavier and Oldfield was able to catch the leaders and quickly made his way past several cars before stealing positions from Hilder and Walker to settle into second and set out after Scheuerle.  Peter Lack was next to make his move, finding his way under both Hilder (in turn two) and Walker (in turn four) in just half a lap, with Hilder then finding his way under Walker.  Not to be outdone Brent Kratzmann was on the move, really picking up the pace and while Walker tried to run around the outside of Hilder in turn two, Kratzmann quietly slipped under the pair and set out after Lack, with Mitchell Gee staying hot on his heels.  Meanwhile Scheuerle and Oldfield were trying to navigate lapped traffic, with Oldfield preferring the high side in an effort to get find a way around the traffic and steal the lead.  It was a brilliant battle, and while Oldfield searched high and low for a way through, Scheuerle was too good in lapped traffic.  Mitchell Gee made his way under Peter Lack, when the race, which many thought was going to go the full distance without a stoppage, was brought under caution when Anthony Lambert and Steve Greer came together in turn three. 

With nine laps left to run Andrew Scheuerle led the field to the green, with Luke Oldfield, Brent Kratzmann, Mitchell Gee and Peter Lack close behind.  Lack immediately came under fire from Ben Hilder, who managed to slip under Lack less than one lap into the restart, only for Lack to immediately fire back to regain his position.  Oldfield held nothing back as he challenged Scheuerle for the lead, mid-field Lachlan McHugh and Jayden Peacock traded slide jobs for several laps and put on a simply brilliant show, all with Darren Kane and Mark Pholi close behind and ready to seize any opportunity.  Mitchell Gee managed to catch Brent Kratzmann and, after a few laps, was able to slip through on the inside of the Q2 racer as they rounded turn four just a handful of laps from the chequered flag.  Andrew Scheuerle went on to take a hard fought and very much deserved win, with Luke Oldfield forced to settle for second after a truly spectacular run.  Mitchell Gee claimed third in another impressive result in the Titan Garages Q36 car, while Brent Kratzmann and Peter Lack both had inspiring drives to round out the top five and secure another set of solid and consistent results.  Ben Hilder crossed the line in sixth and led Callum Walker, Lachlan McHugh, Mark Pholi, Jayden Peacock, Darren Kane, Steve Greer, Paul Rooks, Dave Whell, Kristy Bonsey, James Grady, Anthony Lambert and Dylan Menz across the line.  In a field of eighteen cars, a race of thirty-laps, and just one stoppage, the entire field managed to finish the race whilst putting on a breath-takingly exciting show.  It may be only the third night of racing this season but the competition is already unbelievable.

Next weekend Sprintcars Queensland head back to Hi-Tec Oils Toowoomba Speedway for Round Two of the Ultimate Sprintcar Championship, which will also double as our Queensland Title.  Luke Oldfield is the defending Champion, and was the last start winner at the venue, but he will have some VERY tough competition next weekend.  These boys and girls sure know how to put on show so come on out to Hi-Tec Oils Speedway in Toowoomba and cheer on your favourite!  You will not want to miss this one!  See you trackside!

Share this article