Kicking Up the Dirt – Sprintcar Track Championship Round Four

Joanne White

 

Sprintcars Queensland started the season with a massive five consecutive weekends of racing before taking last weekend off, giving the teams a chance to regroup and revitalise before returning to AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway last night for Round Four of the Sprintcar Track Championship.  Twenty-eight cars hit the track to put on a show and what a show it was!  Jayden Peacock and Brent Kratzmann, who had entered the night a very slender one point lead in the series, both crashed out of the event early in separate incidents, while Lachlan McHugh, Mitchell Gee and Callum Walker all proved once again what a great depth of talent we have coming up through the ranks with some truly inspiring drives.  Gee and McHugh shared the front row for the start of the A-Main with Gee quickly settling into the lead, only to come under immense pressure from McHugh who soon stole the lead.  The pair were in complete control of the race and while Gee pushed hard and ran spectacularly around the top, lapped traffic saw him come unstuck in turn three, relegating him to the rear of the field with eighteen laps left to run.  McHugh led for a further ten laps, with Bryan Mann, Andrew Scheuerle and Peter Lack on his tail, but with eight laps left to run he had contact with a lapped car that left him stranded on the track and relegated to the rear of the field.  Bryan Mann inherited the race lead and despite mounting pressure from Lack and Scheuerle, Mann went on to take a very popular win.  Peter Lack finished an impressive second while Andrew Scheuerle seemed to have banished the gremlins that have plagued him the past couple of meetings and secured a strong third to round out the podium.  Callum Walker had a brilliant night and had a smooth and consistent run to come home in fourth with Steve Greer putting in a truly spectacular effort to round out the top five.

 

Bryan Mann proved right from qualifying that he had the car speed to take the win at the end of the night, and started the evening by topping the qualifying order after Time Trials.  Mann stopped the clock at a quick 11.795 seconds and was the only car to break into the 11-second bracket.  Peter Lack secured second quickest with a 12.011 second lap, some 0.216 seconds slower than Mann, while young Ben Hilder, who himself is really starting to master the qualifying events, was just six thousandths of a second slower, stopping the clock at 12.017 seconds to lock in third quickest.  Brent Kratzmann and Mitchell Gee rounded out the fastest five.  Kratzmann, Gee, Andrew Scheuerle, Dan Murray, Lachlan McHugh and Scott Doyle, qualifiers four to nine, were separated by less than one tenth of a second, with the entire top twenty-four cars separated by less than one second. 

 

James Grady and Steven Johnson shared the front row for the start of the first heat of the night, with Chris Harrison, from the Northern Territory, and Steve Greer out of the second row.  Johnson got a great start and had secured the lead by the time they hit turn one but mechanical problems saw him pull to the infield in turn two, handing the lead to Grady.  Grady was already under fire from a very hard charging Greer while further back in the field Jayden Peacock had raced under Murray and was searching for a way past Harrison.  Andrew Scheuerle began his climb towards the front, having started from position seven, racing under Murray and setting his sights on Peacock.  Peacock however was having a brilliant run and soon made his way past Harrison, with Scheuerle following a lap later.  Greer had been putting all kinds of pressure on Grady as they argued over the race lead, but when Greer ran too wide in turn four Peacock didn’t hesitate to swiftly race through on the inside to steal second.  Greer fought back hard on the high side but contact between the pair as they entered turn one ended with Peacock rolling end-to-end and extremely high into the turn one catch fence.  It was a massive crash, and while Peacock is sore, he was able to walk away from the wreck.  James Grady led the restart from Steve Greer and Andrew Scheuerle, with Scheuerle quickly stealing second just a few moments after the race resumed.  Scheuerle was on a mission and with the race lead within sight there was little Grady could do and just a lap and half into the restart Scheuerle raced underneath the Q40 racer and took control of the race.  As Scheuerle stole the lead from Grady, Chris Harrison slipped underneath Greer to steal third, before setting his sights on Grady.  Harrison was looking for a way under Grady when Grady got just a fraction too sideways entering turn four and while Harrison did everything he could to avoid an incident, both he and Grady ended up stranded in turn four.  Unfortunately this also left Steve Greer with nowhere to go and he too came to a stop, while Dan Murray spun to avoid the chaos but was able to keep the Q44 racer running.  Andrew Scheuerle led the restart from Bryan Mann and Dan Murray with five laps left to run, and while Mann was all over the back of Scheuerle, Harrison searched for a way past Murray, and Grady and Greer exchanged positions several times at the rear of the field.  Andrew Scheuerle went on to take the win ahead of Bryan Mann, Dan Murray, Chris Harrison, Steve Greer and James Grady.  Jayden Peacock, Clem Hoffmans and Steven Johnson all failed to finish the event. 

 

Heat two started with Kristy Bonsey and Dave Whell from the front row, with Whell getting the jump on the start and quickly securing the race lead.  Bonsey, who had raced wheel-to-wheel with Whell into the first corner, settled into second but had her sights set firmly on Whell and the race lead.  Behind the leading pair Brett Minett secured the advantage over Rob Hamilton, while Lachlan McHugh ran the high line, with Kevin Titman on the bottom, as they too tried to find a way past Hamilton.  Hamilton however was not about to surrender his position without a fight and slid straight back underneath Minett as they rounded turns three and four to conclude the first lap.  Minett immediately fired back and regained third half a lap later, the battle thrilling fans on the hill, while Kevin Titman and Peter Lack tried to make their way forward.  Hamilton slid underneath Minett in turn four, just as Lack behind them was racing under Titman, and while Minett tried to fight back to regain his position from Hamilton, contact between Titman and Lack brought the race under caution.  Lack pirouetted spectacularly on his right rear before the Q5 racer tipped onto its side and then returned to the upright position.  Mitchell Gee had nowhere to go and, squeezed between Lack and the concrete wall, making contact with both.  Lack was unscathed but was also unable to restart the event, while Gee had to take to the restart from the rear of the field.  Dave Whell led the restart from Kristy Bonsey and Brett Minett, Rob Hamilton, Kevin Titman and Lachlan McHugh, with Titman having a big look around the outside of Hamilton as soon as the race resumed.  McHugh had a massive look on the inside of Titman, forcing him on the defensive, but Titman had significant momentum on the high side and not only managed to stay ahead of McHugh, but half a lap later he raced around the outside of Hamilton as well.  McHugh persisted with the low line, making his way under Hamilton a lap later, with Gee now right on his tail as well.  Titman was now on the tail of Minett in third, and challenging the Q94 racer for position, while McHugh quickly closed in on the pair.  Up the front of the field Bonsey was having a magnificent run in the Q42 racer, putting together a series of consistent and smooth laps, and was seriously challenging Whell for control of the race.  McHugh made his way past Titman, and then Minett in quick succession, while both Titman and Gee were able to get underneath Minett through turn four.  Gee was all over the back of Titman, the pair keeping the racing close and exciting, while McHugh closed in on Bonsey and Whell.  With the white flag in the air McHugh raced under Bonsey in turn two to steal second, with both Titman and Gee right on his heels.  Contact between Bonsey and Titman as they exited turn two could have so easily ended in disaster for both, and probably Gee too due his proximity, but somehow all three managed to make their way down the back straight and around the final two corners of the race.  Dave Whell took a hard fought and well-deserved win with Lachlan McHugh officially second.  Kristy Bonsey had a truly marvellous race and managed to hang on to cross the line in third ahead of Kevin Titman, Mitchell Gee, Brett Minett, Rob Hamilton and Kevin Britten.  Peter Lack did not finish the race. 

 

Wayne Iacono started from pole position in heat three, with Andrew Liebke alongside and David Muir, in his first night back on track after a lengthy absence, and Dylan Menz from the second row.  Liebke, in his first race this season, got a brilliant start on the high side when the green flag flew, quickly securing the race lead and opening a small margin over his rivals.  Iacono settled into second ahead of Menz, while deep in the field Brent Kratzmann was on the move as he raced under Callum Walker, just as Ben Hilder was running around the high line.  Hilder had the best run and came out in front of both Kratzmann and Walker and set his sights on Scott Doyle.  David Muir was searching for a way past Dylan Menz, but Menz was having a great run and soon managed to put a small margin between himself and Muir as he closed the gap to Iacono.  Menz had a massive look on the inside of Iacono, eventually getting the job done, while further back in the field Kratzmann slid beautifully underneath Hilder through turn three and set about closing the gap to Doyle and Iacono.  Liebke was way out in front, while Menz and Muir argued over second and third.  Behind them a moment between Iacono and Kratzmann brought the race under caution and left Kratzmann with a flat right rear tyre.  Liebke led the restart from Menz and Muir with four laps left to run with Menz determined and putting all kinds of pressure on Liebke when the race returned to green conditions.  Andrew Liebke managed to hang on to take the win ahead of Dylan Menz and David Muir, with Wayne Iacono, Callum Walker, Scott Doyle, Brock Dean, Ben Hilder, Mitch Gowland and Brent Kratzmann rounding out the finishers. 

 

Heat four started with Steven Johnson from pole position with Rob Hamilton alongside and Chris Harrison and Steve Greer right behind.  Johnson got a great start when the lights went green and quickly settled into the lead ahead of Hamilton and Harrison.  Brent Kratzmann, who had started from position six, had already secured the advantage over fellow third-row starter Dylan Menz, but was determined to get to the front of the field.  Kratzmann, had an absolutely beautiful run on the low line when the three in front of him were sitting mid-track and was looking to run underneath Greer, Harrison and Hamilton in one hit through turns three and four.  It was breathtaking to watch but unfortunately for Kratzmann Hamilton got a little too sideways in turn four, coming down tack and leaving the luckless Kratzmann nowhere to go.  The pair collided on the bottom of the track in turn four, with Kratzmann inverting the immaculately presented Q2 racer.  Kratzmann was unscathed in the incident but his night of competition was over, and not only loosing any chance to extend his lead in the Track Championship race in the absence of Luke Oldfield, but handing the lead in the series to Andrew Scheuerle.  A full race restart followed with Steven Johnson again from the front row but with Steve Greer now alongside in the absence of Rob Hamilton.  The race was quickly brought under caution though, with Johnson deemed to have jumped the start and relegated to the second row for the next attempted restart, with Chris Harrison now from pole position.  Harrison got a great start and quickly secured the lead while Johnson raced up the inside of Greer to secure second.  Greer spent several laps searching for a way past Johnson, until Johnson pulled out of the race with mechanical issues once more.  Bryan Mann and Ben Hilder closed in on Greer, and while Hilder had a quick look underneath Mann he couldn’t quite get the job done.  Mann edged ever closer to Greer and was smooth, consistent and relentless in his efforts to find a way past, his persistence eventually paying off as he raced under Greer through turn two.  Mann started to pull ahead of Greer and Hilder, leaving the pair to their own battle as he began closing the gap to Harrison.  Hilder was having another solid run, searching high and low for a way past Greer, but an uncharacteristic spin in the final corner, just as Harrison greeted the chequered flag, saw him loose several positions.  Chris Harrison, who has only competed a couple of shows in Brisbane but has so far struggled on the bull-ring that is Archerfield Speedway, finally seemed to have settled in and easily took a well deserved and confidence-boosting win ahead of Bryan Mann and Steve Greer, with Dylan Menz, Kevin Britten and Ben Hilder rounding out the finishers.  Steven Johnson, Brent Kratzmann and Rob Hamilton all failed to finish the event.

 

Brock Dean, now driving the Q8 racer formally driven by Melissa Boyes, started heat five from pole position and led the field to the green with Wayne Iacono sharing the front row.  Dean got a brilliant start when the lights went green and quickly settled into the race lead, while Iacono held down second and David Muir ran up the inside of Brett Minett to make his way into third.  From deep in the field Peter Lack took to the highline and with the car perfectly set up he had plenty of speed as he tried to make his way to the front.  Lack raced around the high side of Kevin Titman before going around both Brett Minett and David Muir all before the end of the first lap.  By turn two of the second lap Lack had raced around the outside of Iacono and into second and was rapidly closing the gap to Dean and the race lead.  Iacono got too sideways in turn two, leaving David Muir nowhere to go and while there was contact between the pair, Muir was able to keep the car moving.  Iacono however ended up stranded on the track and brought the race under caution.  Dean led the restart from Lack and Muir, and while Muir had a brief look for a way past Lack, Lack was focussed on finding a way past Dean and using every inch of track in his efforts to find a way through.  Brett Minett had a spin in turn four and brought the race back under caution, with Dean to again lead the restart with eight laps left to run.  Lack immediately committed to the high line in spectacular fashion as he made his move for the race lead.  Dean, a seasoned competitor in his own right, didn’t give up without a fight and the pair raced, cleanly, wheel-to-wheel for most of a lap, each giving the other just enough racing room, before Lack powered ahead and took control of the race.  Mid-field Andrew Scheuerle made his way under Kevin Titman in turn two, and was making a beeline to the front of the field.  David Muir got under Brock Dean, with Andrew Scheuerle following soon after and Kevin Titman next in line.  Unfortunately contract between Dean and Titman in turn four left Titman spun and stranded on the track, leaving Dan Murray nowhere to go.  Neither Titman nor Murray was able to restart the event.    Lack led the restart from Muir and Scheuerle for a thrilling two-lap dash to the chequered flag.  Peter Lack went on to take the win ahead of David Muir, Andrew Scheuerle, Brock Dean and Mitch Gowland.  Brett Minett, Kevin Titman, Dan Murray and Wayne Iacono all failed to finish the event.

 

The sixth and final heat of the night saw James Grady and Kristy Bonsey share the front row ahead of Andrew Liebke ad Dave Whell.  Bonsey was a little too eager and jumped the first start, officials relegating her to the second row for the restart and promoting Whell to the front row.  Whell got the jump on the start and quickly settled into the race lead ahead of Grady and Liebke.  Callum Walker raced up the inside of Scott Doyle and Kristy Bonsey in the first half of lap one of the race, setting his sights on Andrew Liebke while Lachlan McHugh found a way around Kristy Bonsey.   McHugh was now on the tail of Walker, who in turn was on the tail of Grady.  Walker had a look under Grady, just as McHugh had a look under Walker, the trio almost three-wide in turn four.  Walker managed to emerge in front, with McHugh then patiently searching high and low for the right way though.  Before long Walker and McHugh had caught the tail tank of Liebke, and were almost instantly joined by Mitchell Gee as he too tried to make his way to the front of the field.  With Walker on the top side, McHugh in the middle and Gee on the bottom the young trio ran three-wide through turn two, exciting the crowd not just for the race in front of them but for the future of Sprintcar racing.  These three young men each have an immense talent and watching them learn the craft of Sprintcar racing is something special to behold.  McHugh came out in front but Gee was not done and slid beautifully under Walker through turn three before having a massive look under McHugh in turn four, only for Walker to come back hard on the bottom and slip straight past Gee as they raced down the main straight.  Walker then raced under McHugh as they navigated turn three, with Gee quickly following, before Gee slid under Walker as they entered turn one.  McHugh returned to the high side and half a lap later raced around the outside of Walker to once again advance through the field.  Dave Whell took the win ahead of Mitchell Gee and Andrew Liebke, with Lachlan McHugh, Callum Walker, Kristy Bonsey, James Grady and Scott Doyle rounding out the finishers. 

 

Bryan Mann entered the Dash event as highest points scorer of the night, but a pre-dash marble draw saw him start the event from position seven.  Dave Whell and Lachlan McHugh shared the front row, with Mitchell Gee and Peter Lack right behind them.  Whell got a great start and quickly settled into the lead while McHugh and Gee raced side-by-side as they negotiated over who would secure second.  Gee won that battle and was soon challenging Whell for the lead, while Lack and Mann argued over mid-field positions and Andrew Scheuerle tried to find his way past a very much in form Ben Hilder.  Within a couple of laps Gee raced under Whell to steal the lead, and while Whell put up a great fight there was no stopping Gee on his way to the front.  Whell soon came under fire from McHugh, while further back in the field Andrew Scheuerle was defending is position from a very hard charging Callum Walker, whilst still trying to find a way around Hilder.  Mitchell Gee went on to take the win ahead of Lachlan McHugh while Dave Whell and Bryan Mann raced side-by-side across the line for third and fourth.  Whell beat Mann to the line by just 0.047 seconds and the pair led Peter Lack, Ben Hilder, Andrew Scheuerle and Callum Walker across the line.  Gee declined the Kratzmann Challenge, which, had he accepted, would have inverted the top fourteen starters for the A-main event.

 

Thirteen cars were scheduled to start the B-Main event but with Brent Kratzmann, Rob Hamilton and Clem Hoffmans all out of action the field was reduced to just ten cars.  Race distance was reduced to twelve laps and it was Scott Doyle and Kristy Bonsey who led the field to the green.  Bonsey got a brilliant start in the Q42 racer and quickly secured the race lead, while Doyle tried to fend off the advances of Kevin Titman and Brock Dean.  Wayne Iacono had a look underneath James Grady but couldn’t get the job done, only for Steven White, who subbed in for Steven Johnson in an effort to try and better diagnose the mechanical problems that had plagued the team all night, to slide under the Q20 racer of Iacono in turn two and set his sights on James Grady.  White chased Grady for a number of laps before Grady began to pull ahead, leaving White to try to defend his position from Iacono.  White and Iacono exchanged positions several times over the course of the next few laps but when Grady looped the Q40 in turn four, even though Grady was able to keep the car moving, Iacono ended up spun as he and White took evasive action.  Bonsey led the restart with three laps to run and Kevin Titman right on her tail and holding nothing back.  Bonsey, with her sights set firmly on the chequered flag, had a brilliant run, and despite enormous pressure from Titman managed to hang to take the win, her first race win since upgrading from her 360ci engine.  Kevin Titman crossed the line in second with Kevin Britten, in only his first night of Sprintcar competition, crossing the line in third and securing a transfer to the A-Main.  Scott Doyle crossed the line fourth, joining Bonsey, Titman and Britten as the final transfer to the A-main, with James Grady, Steven White, Wayne Iacono and Mitch Gowland rounding out the finishers.  Brock Dean did not finish the race.

 

Mitchell Gee and Lachlan McHugh shared the front row for the start of the 30-lap A-Main event with Gee getting a brilliant start and quickly settling into the lead ahead of McHugh with Bryan Mann settling into third ahead of Ben Hilder and Peter Lack.  Andrew Scheuerle was starting to make his way forward, working the low line through the opening corners to advance a couple of positions, and by the time the race was just a lap and a half old Scheuerle had moved past several cars, including both Hilder and Lack and was sitting in fourth behind Mann after initially starting from position seven.  Scheuerle was soon all over the back of Mann, while McHugh took to the high line in spectacular fashion as he searched a way around Gee, while Lack and Hilder raced side-by-side as they argued over position.  McHugh, still committed to the high side soon managed to build enough momentum the sweep stylishly around the outside of Gee and take control of the race, while Gee tried to stay close by and Mann and Scheuerle began closing in.  Dylan Menz, Steve Greer and Callum Walker were having a great battle mid-field, all three impressing as they put on a show.  Lapped traffic soon came into play for the leaders, with at least the top four drivers committed to the high line and making it look easy as they simply raced around the back markers.  Chris Harrison had a spin in turn four, right in front of the leaders, and while McHugh was able to get through, as everyone took evasive action Gee ended up stranded on the track as well, sadly forfeiting second place. 

 

Lachlan McHugh led the restart from Bryan Mann, Andrew Scheuerle, Peter Lack and Ben Hilder.  Mitchell Gee restarted at the rear of the field and with just eighteen laps left to run it was pretty clear he would be on a mission to get back to the front.  Gee had a lot of work to do and a lot of tough cars to pass if he wanted to get back to the front, and he wasted no time at all in getting started.  Elbows up and straight to the high line Gee made rapid progress, making his way past several cars a lap for the first few laps of the restart, and before long was on the tail of the battle between David Muir and Kevin Titman.  Within just a few laps the leaders were again in lapped traffic, with McHugh patiently working any line he needed to get the job done.  Bryan Mann was closing in fast, as was Peter Lack who had found his way past Andrew Scheuerle.  Mann had a massive look under McHugh in lapped traffic, but could only show his nose before McHugh pulled ahead once more, leaving Mann to defend his position from Lack who was challenging on the low line for second.  The pace was frantic and exhilarating and the leading quartet weaved through lapped traffic.  McHugh switched lines seemingly effortlessly, but when he switched from the high line to the low side to slip under Chris Harrison and Dylan Menz in turns three and four, things came undone for the race leader.  Menz got a fraction sideways entering turn four, washing off some speed just as McHugh was coming through.  Contact between the pair left McHugh spun and stopped on the track with just eight laps to run.  Kristy Bonsey, who had been having another impressive run as well, spun to avoid the stranded car of McHugh and would join him at the rear of the field for the restart.

 

Bryan Mann led the restart with eight laps left to run and Peter Lack and Andrew Scheuerle right on his tail.  Callum Walker was up to a very impressive fourth with Ben Hilder and Steve Greer set to argue over fifth and sixth.  Mitchell Gee had made his way into ninth in just ten laps and was always going to be one to watch for the final eight circulations, and of course Lachlan McHugh coming from the rear of the field after what could have been his second feature race win.  Steve Greer put the challenge to Ben Hilder, the pair racing side-by-side, while behind them Dan Murray and Kevin Titman were negotiating over the minor mid-field places in a two-abreast battle that kept the crowd enthralled.  Greer got the better of Hilder while Gee joined the battle between Titman and Murray and McHugh once again put the Q23 racer wherever he needed to weave his way back through the field.  Bryan Mann went on to take a hard fought and popular win, with Peter Lack and Andrew Scheuerle joining him on the podium, experience beating youth in a tough and quality field.  Callum Walker had an impressive run to finish fourth while Steve Greer had one of his best runs in a Sprintcar to date and rounded out the top five.  Kevin Titman had a massive drive to finish sixth after transferring from the B-Main and led Ben Hilder, Mitchell Gee, Dan Murray, Scott Doyle, Dave Whell, Kevin Britten, Chris Harrison, Lachlan McHugh, David Muir, Andrew Liebke and Kristy Bonsey across the line.  Dylan Menz was the only driver who did not finish the race, a stark contrast and welcome change to the attrition rate of a fortnight ago.

 

Sprintcars Queensland will return to Hi-Tec Oils Toowoomba Speedway next weekend, Saturday 05 November 2016, for another round of the USC Series.  The night will also double as Ultimate Pink Night where the venue will raise money for Breast Cancer Research.  All women and girls, and all children under twelve years old will receive free general admission so come on out for a spectacular night of racing and raise some money for a good cause.  You will not want to miss this one – hope to see you all trackside!

 

Kicking Up The Dirt – Sprintcar Track Championship – Round 3

Joanne White

 

Luke Oldfield won an action packed Round Three of the Sprintcar Track Championship at AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway last night, with Brent Kratzmann having a truly mesmerising drive to secure second after initially starting from position eight.  With just six laps completed in the main event Kratzmann had not only survived the chaos of the multiple restarts, he had caught, and passed, Mitchell Gee, before seriously challenging Oldfield for control of the race.  Kratzmann had the always immaculate presented Q2 simply flying but an inopportune stoppage six laps in, just as Kratzmann was having a massive look underneath Oldfield in turns three and four, brought the race under caution.  Oldfield switched to the low line when the race resumed and despite a strong challenge from Kratzmann, eventually went on to secure the win quite comfortably.  Mitchell Gee put in yet another solid and consistent performance to once again fill the final podium position for the night, while Ben Hilder and Callum Walker completed the top five after each driver came from the rear of the field.  Twenty four sprintcars turned up at Archerfield last night ready to put on a show, and while the opening laps of the A-Main saw more than half the field exit the race prematurely, the entire night was a sight to behold. 

 

The format for the night was a little different to that which we normally run.  There was no qualifying, and heat starting grids were determined in a draw and invert fashion, making each and every heat, and every single position, extremely valuable to the drivers and teams.  It is a format that has been criticised in the past and is no longer used to the degree it once was, but it is a way to mix up the competition a little and puts the emphasis on performing well in the heats as opposed to relying on a good qualifying run.

 

Heat one started with Brent Kratzmann from pole position with James Grady alongside and the formidable duo of Mitchell Gee and Luke Oldfield out of the second row.  Kratzmann got a brilliant start when the green flag flew, with Gee quick to follow on the bottom.  Oldfield, caught behind the slower Grady, switched to the low line as they raced towards the first corner, clipping Paul Rooks, who had started from position five, on the way down track.  Rooks, who slowed a little after the contact, was then hit from behind by Kristy Bonsey, sending Rooks spinning onto the infield in turn one.  Unfortunately for Rooks he came to a stop well onto the infield and race officials left the green lights on.  Kratzmann quickly settled into the race lead, trying to open any kind of margin over Gee and Oldfield, while further back in the field Kristy Bonsey looked for a way past James Grady, until a small mistake by Bonsey in turn two allowed Jayden Peacock to slip through and begin his battle with Grady.  Peacock edged closer to Grady with each lap before searching high and low for a way past the Q40 car, the pair putting on a brilliant show as they fought over the minor places.  As each lap passed Kratzmann extended his lead ever so slightly, his team having the car set up beautifully for him, and left Gee and Oldfield to battle over second.  Oldfield was relentless as he chased the tail of Gee, while the pair actually closed the gap to Kratzmann quite significantly when the race leader got caught behind a lapped car.  Once clear of the lapped car Brent Kratzmann quickly pulled ahead once more before going on to take the win ahead of Mitchell Gee and Luke Oldfield.  James Grady finished fourth ahead of Jayden Peacock.  Kristy Bonsey pulled out of the race after just seven laps, joining both Clem Hoffmans and Paul Rooks on the infield, with all three failing to finish the event.

 

Scott Doyle and Nelson Reddacliff started alongside each other on the front row for the start of heat two, with Kevin Titman and Peter Lack making for a daunting second row.  Doyle got a great start when the lights went green, while Lack took to the high line to race spectacularly around the outside of Reddacliff as they rounded the first corner.  Lack secured second and set out after Doyle in the race lead, while Reddacliff settled into third.  Kevin Titman and Callum Walker were both keen to get closer to the front and before long both were on the tail of Reddacliff, while Lack applied all kinds of pressure to Doyle.  Sean Iacono had a great run on the bottom, racing under Walker when Walker clipped the wall on the exit of turn two, while Titman switched to the low side looking for a way past Reddacliff.  When Reddacliff drifted too high in turn two Titman was quick to take advantage but just half a lap later Titman, who has had a seemingly endless run of bad luck in the past couple of weeks, made heavy contact with the wall in turns three and four before tipping the Q59 racer on its side.  Titman walked away from the wreck but unfortunately his night of competition had once again come to a very premature end.  Doyle led the restart from Lack, Reddacliff and Iacono with just four laps left to run.  Doyle and Lack immediately opened a sizable margin over the rest of the field, with Lack completely relentless as he searched for a way past Doyle.  Doyle, to his credit, really held his own and ran a solid and consistent race, successfully holding off his more experienced rival and taking the win.  Peter Lack finished a strong second, a quarter of a lap ahead of Nelson Reddacliff in third.  Sean Iacono crossed the line in fourth and led Callum Walker, Andrew Marks and Mitch Gowland across the line.  Kevin Titman did not finish the race. 

 

Heat three started with Brett Minett and Dan Murray from the front row, with Murray getting a brilliant start on the high side and quickly securing the race lead.  Steve Greer, who started from position four, was quick to follow Murray on the high side to secure second, while Andrew Scheuerle had a look underneath Minett as they entered turn one.  Lachlan McHugh, already on the high side, ran seemingly effortlessly around the outside of both Scheuerle and Minett before setting his sights on Greer.  Scheuerle switched to the high line coming out of turn two to make his way around Minett and set about trying to close the gap to Greer and McHugh, leaving Minett to try and defend his position from a hard charging and very much in-form Ben Hilder.  Minett and Hilder had a moment in turn two a few laps into the race, with both cars running wide in the corner, opening the door for Rob Hamilton who did not hesitate to slip straight past both cars as he worked on the low side of the track.  Hilder came out in front of Minett, with the pair both looking to find a way back past Hamilton, only for the race to be brought under caution when Chris Harrison, in the NT84 racer, spun in turn two as he was about to go a lap down to Murray.  Murray led the restart from Greer, McHugh and Scheuerle with five laps left to run with Murray getting a beautiful start and immediately opening small but comfortable lead over his rivals.  Greer had both McHugh and Scheuerle all over his tail tank searching for a way through, but soon managed to edge ahead just a couple of car lengths and give himself a fraction of breathing room.  Dan Murray went on to take the win ahead of Steve Greer, Lachlan McHugh, Andrew Scheuerle, Rob Hamilton, Ben Hilder, Brett Minett and Chris Harrison.

 

When Andrew Marks, who was scheduled to start heat four from pole position, elected to start rear of the field, Peter Lack was elevated to the front row, with Jayden Peacock alongside.  Lack got a brilliant start on the bottom and quickly took control of the race, while Nelson Reddacliff had a brief look on the inside of Peacock before Peacock powered ahead to secure second.  Paul Rooks and Mitchell Gee took to the high line and within half a lap had raced around the outside of Reddacliff, leaving Reddacliff to try and defend his position from Brent Kratzmann.  Kratzmann committed to the high line and raced around the outside of Reddacliff in turn four, while Gee searched high and low for a way past Rooks, eventually getting the job done and setting out after Peacock.  The race was brought under caution when Mitch Gowland had a spin in turn one, backing the Q32 racer into the turn one fence and ending his race.  Lack led the restart from Peacock and Gee with eight laps left to run, with Lack getting an absolutely magnificent start and opening a sizable lead before hitting turn one.  Gee had a look underneath Peacock before switching to the high line, while Kratzmann searched high and low for a way past Rooks.  Kratzmann had a massive look on the inside of the #64 racer of Rooks as they rounded turns three and four, and then again in turns one and two, only for Rooks to fight back strongly each time and maintain his position.  Not content to settle for fifth Kratzmann had another look on the inside of Rooks as they raced down the main straight a lap later and this time was able to secure the advantage and, gradually, began to pull away as he chased after Gee.  At the rear of the field Andrew Marks closed in on Nelson Reddacliff but couldn’t quite get close enough to challenge for position, but there was simply no stopping Peter Lack out in front, with Lack going on to take the win ahead of Jayden Peacock and Mitchell Gee.  Brent Kratzmann finished a strong fourth and led Paul Rooks, Nelson Reddacliff and Andrew Marks across the line.  Mitch Gowland did not finish the event.

 

Kristy Bonsey was elevated to the front row for the start of the fifth heat when Clem Hoffmans pulled out of the event.  Rob Hamilton shared the front row as they approached the start and while Bonsey got the initial jump and led the way to the first corner, Hamilton was impressive on the top side and raced around Bonsey in turn one to steal the lead.  Ben Hilder was in fine form and quickly followed Hamilton to secure second by the end of turn two, while Luke Oldfield and Andrew Scheuerle tried to find a way past Bonsey.  Oldfield chased Bonsey for a few laps before taking to the high side in turn three and running spectacularly around the outside of the Q42 racer, leaving Bonsey to defend her position from Scheuerle.  Scheuerle was persistent and patient as he searched for the way past, spending several laps watching and waiting for the right opportunity to strike, eventually making his move around the outside in turn two.  The race was almost instantly brought under caution as Brett Minett had a moment in turn two, only Minett managed to keep the car moving.  With three laps left to run it was Hamilton who led the field to the green, with Oldfield and Hilder now right on his tail.  Hamilton did a great job out in front while Oldfield found a way underneath Hilder as they came out of turn two, only for Hilder to try and slide straight back past Oldfield half a lap later.  Oldfield closed in on Hamilton and had one last look underneath the Q11 racer as they raced side-by-side past the chequered flag but it was Rob Hamilton who secured the win.  Luke Oldfield crossed the line in second ahead of Ben Hilder, Andrew Scheuerle, Kristy Bonsey, James Grady and Brett Minett. 

 

The sixth and final heat of the night started with Chris Harrison and Callum Walker from the front row, with the pair racing wheel-to-wheel into the opening corner.  Walker, on the high line, was able to secure the lead coming out of turn two, with Harrison settling briefly into second.  Harrison got a little too sideways on the bottom of turn two, leaving plenty of room for Lachlan McHugh and Scott Doyle to race around the outside.  Sean Iacono tried to go with them, but Harrison recovered well and fought hard to keep Iacono behind him.  The pair actually came together coming out of turn four, with Iacono clipping the wall coming out of turn four.  Just a couple of laps later and the race was brought under caution for Harrison who had spun in turn four.  Walker led the restart from McHugh and Doyle, while Iacono suffered a very flat right rear that saw him pull out of the race as the lights went green.  Walker quickly built a very healthy lead, but just a few laps later the race was again brought under caution for Harrison who had come to a stop against the wall in turn one.  Walker again led the field to the green and got a truly breath-taking start, immediately opening a sizable margin over second placed McHugh, while Dan Murray searched for a way past Steve Greer at the rear of the field.  Callum Walker went on to take the win and led Lachlan McHugh, Scott Doyle Steve Greer and Dan Murray across the line.  Chris Harrison and Sean Iacono both failed to finish the event.

 

Instead of a dash event we ran a series of three shootouts with the top eight qualifiers.  First up was the Bronze shootout, with qualifiers three to eight taking to the track for a couple of qualifying laps.  Callum Walker was quickest of the lot, stopping the clock at 12.079 seconds, while Luke Oldfield was second quickest with a 12.320 second lap.  Mitchell Gee and Dan Murray also secured transfers to the silver shootout, while Lachlan McHugh and Brent Kratzmann were eliminated from the shootout events and would start the A-main from positions seven and eight respectively. 

 

Peter Lack and Scott Doyle joined Callum Walker, Luke Oldfield, Mitchell Gee and Dan Murray on track for the Silver Shootout, with the fastest four drivers to transfer to the Gold shootout.  Peter Lack was the quickest this time around, stopping the clock at 12.144 seconds, just 0.011 seconds quicker than Callum Walker.  Mitchell Gee and Luke Oldfield rounded out the fastest four, leaving both Dan Murray and Scott Doyle eliminated from the shootout events and set to share the third row for the start of the A-Main race.

 

For the Gold Shootout the four remaining cars lined up, fastest to the back, for five-lap race to determine the starting positions for the upcoming A-Main race.  Luke Oldfield and Mitchell Gee shared the front row for the start but it was Oldfield who got the jump on the start and secured the race lead.  Gee fought hard and was all over the back of Oldfield, while Lack and Walker argued between themselves over the minor positions.  Walker slid beautifully underneath Lack in turns one and two, only for Lack to slide straight past just half a lap later.  Walker was not done and by the time they hit turn one again he was sliding back under Lack in an effort to regain third.  It was truly mesmerising to watch as Lack and Walker exchanged slide jobs, with Lack then taking to the high line to try and race around Walker before switching back to the low side.  It was thrilling, clean racing and thoroughly entertaining to watch, but neither had anything for Oldfield and Gee out the front.  Luke Oldfield went on to take the win and briefly considered accepting the Kratzmann Challenge to invert the top fourteen, but in the end declined the Kratzmann Challenge and elected to start from pole position.  Mitchell Gee finished second in the Gold Shootout to earn his spot alongside Oldfield for the start of the A-Main, with Callum Walker and Peter Lack set to fill the second row for the start.

 

The B-Main rolled out onto the track and with Kevin Titman, Clem Hoffmans, Andrew Marks and Chris Harrison all out of the competition with various issues, there were just six cars to take part in an eight lap race, with the top four finishers to transfer to the back of the A-Main field.  James Grady and Sean Iacono started alongside each other on the front row, with Brett Minett and Kristy Bonsey right behind as they led the field to the green.  Grady got his nose in front when the green flag flew, but Iacono had more momentum on the high side and quickly made his way into the race lead.  Grady settled into second while the battle behind between Bonsey, Minett and Paul Rooks began to heat up.  Bonsey had settled into third but a small mistake in turn two was all the invitation Minett needed to look for a way through on the bottom, while Rooks searched the high side for a way around.  Bonsey managed to hold on to third for another lap while Rooks secured the advantage over Minett before racing around the outside of Bonsey in turn two.  Unfortunately for Rooks the race was immediately brought under caution for Mitch Gowland who had spun to a stop on the bottom of turn one.  Iacono led the restart from Grady, Bonsey, Rooks and Minett with seven laps left to run.  Rooks was all over the back of Bonsey, searching for a way through, the pair battling for the rest of the race with Bonsey doing a magnificent job and running a smooth and consistent race. Sean Iacono took the win ahead of James Grady and Kristy Bonsey, with Paul Rooks securing the final transfer to the A-Main.  Brett Minett and Mitch Gowland rounded out the finishers of the B-Main race.

 

When the field of eighteen cars rolled out for the A-Main event, little did anyone know what was about to unfold.  Luke Oldfield and Mitchell Gee shared the front row of the 30-lap affair, with Callum Walker and Peter Lack close behind.  Luke Oldfield got the jump when the green flag flew and quickly settled into the race lead, with Gee in second and Lack taking to the high line in spectacular fashion as he tried to race around the outside of Gee.  Unfortunately contact between Lack and Gee ended with Lack hurtling down track towards the concrete barrier on the edge of the infield as they raced down the back straight.  Lack made heavy contact with the barrier and came to a sudden stop on the back straight and brought the race under caution.  Lack was unscathed in the incident but his race was prematurely over, with Ben Hilder also suffering mechanical issues and putting the Q95 car on the infield. 

 

A full restart followed with Oldfield and Gee again sharing the front row and Oldfield again getting the better start and taking control of the race.  Gee settled into second while Callum Walker made his way into third, Lachlan McHugh made his way in front of Brent Kratzmann and Andrew Scheuerle searched for a way under Steve Greer.  Unfortunately though several back markers came together in turn one, leaving James Grady up-side-down and both Kristy Bonsey and Nelson Reddacliff with wing damage.  Bonsey was unable to restart the event, and while Grady was able to restart his car, officials deemed his main wing, the left side board hanging by just a few rivets, just too dangerous to continue and he was relegated to the infield.  Reddacliff also pulled out of the event.

 

Attempted start three once again saw Oldfield and Gee lead the field to the green, and while Gee had a better start than the previous two attempts at getting the race underway, Oldfield still managed to secure the advantage once more and began settling into the race lead.  Brent Kratzmann began trying to climb his way forward, racing around the outside of Dan Murray, only for the race to again be pulled up, this time for Lachlan McHugh, who had been trying to follow Kratzmann on the high line.  A small error was enough to see McHugh collide with the wall coming out of turn one and brought the race to yet another stop, still without a single lap being completed. 

 

The fourth attempt at a start again saw Luke Oldfield and Mitchell Gee share the front row, with Oldfield again able to secure the race lead.  Callum Walker raced under Scott Doyle to secure third while Brent Kratzmann was on the move and once he was in front of Dan Murray, Kratzmann switched to the low side and raced under Doyle as they rounded turn one.  Walker was next in line for Kratzmann, with Kratzmann sticking to the bottom and racing up the inside of Walker in turn two.  Walker fought hard and the pair raced side-by-side out of turn two and down the back straight with Kratzmann securing the advantage in turn four just as Walker looped the Q33 racer on the high line and brought the race under caution once more.

 

Still without a single lap competed Luke Oldfield and Mitchell Gee led the field to the green for the fifth time, with Oldfield still dominating the start and once again securing the race lead.  Gee settled into second ahead of Scott Doyle and Dan Murray, but Brent Kratzmann took to the high line this time and raced around the outside of Murray in turn one before getting around Doyle in the second corner.  Kratzmann was flying and had Gee in his sights while deeper in the field Andrew Scheuerle battled with Steve Greer and Ben Hilder, who had had the opportunity to fix the Q95 racer during all the stoppages and restarted at the rear of the field, was making impressive progress towards the front of the field.  Kratzmann had several big looks underneath Gee and they fought over second, but wheel-standing the Q2 down the main straight cost him ground.  Dan Murray and Scott Doyle had a brilliant battle unfolding for the minor places, while Callum Walker had a beautiful drive from the rear of the field, quickly making up lost ground as he raced straight between Steve Greer and Rob Hamilton as the trio went three-wide through turn two.  Sean Iacono and Paul Rooks were quickly on the tail of Greer and Hamilton, with Iacono racing under Hamilton in turn four.  Unfortunately Iacono got a fraction sideways in turn four, and as Rooks tried to slip through on the inside contact between the pair ended with Iacono rolling spectacularly end-to-end out of turn four and half way down the main straight.  Iacono walked away from the wreck but his race was over and he joined the growing contingent on the infield.  Rob Hamilton also pulled out of the race, leaving just eleven cars on the track after only two laps.

 

Luke Oldfield led the restart from Mitchell Gee and Brent Kratzmann and once the race resumed, so did the battle between Gee and Kratzmann for second and third, and the battle between Doyle and Murray for fourth and fifth.  Callum Walker raced beautifully underneath Andrew Scheuerle in turn three, with Kratzmann executing a perfectly timed slide job on Gee a lap later, stealing second and setting out after Oldfield.  Kratzmann closed in on Oldfield in just a handful of laps and was starting to look like a real threat to the race leader when an incident in turn two brought the race to another stop.  This time it was Doyle and Murray who had come together and become stranded on the track, ending what was shaping up to be a thrilling battle between the pair.  Unfortunately neither was able to restart the event.

 

With twenty-four laps still to run and now as many cars on the infield as were left on the track, Luke Oldfield led the restart from Brent Kratzmann and Mitchell Gee, with Ben Hilder up to a very impressive fourth after initially going rear of the field.  Callum Walker quickly raced under Jayden Peacock and set his sights on Hilder, while Andrew Scheuerle focused on trying to find a way past Peacock.  Walker caught Hilder and slipped almost effortlessly underneath the Q95 racer, but Hilder was quick to fire back with a slide-job of his own on the very next corner.  Paul Rooks was searching for a way past Steve Greer when race leader Oldfield approached lapped traffic and began weaving his way through, racing under Rooks and then Greer in quick succession.  Rooks managed to get underneath Greer when Greer ran too wide in turn two, while Kratzmann, trying to hunt down Oldfield, began trying to find his way through the lapped traffic, all the while Mitchell Gee closed in.  Kratzmann and Gee both eventually made their way through the back markers but it was hard to ignore the battle between Walker and Hilder, which only intensified when they too hit lapped traffic.  With nine laps left run Oldfield had lapped Greer, Scheuerle and Peacock and had fifth placed Walker in his sights.  Greer, Peacock and Scheuerle had a great battle going for the minor places, while Gee had caught Kratzmann in the traffic and was beginning to challenge him for second and really put the pressure on in the final half dozen laps.  Luke Oldfield took the win with Brent Kratzmann a very impressive second, his first podium this season, and Mitchell Gee putting in another solid performance to secure third.  Ben Hilder crossed the line in fourth ahead of Callum Walker, both drivers having a truly exceptional run from the rear of the field to not only survive the chaos but put on a scintillating show for the fans as they raced their way through the field.  Jayden Peacock, Andrew Scheuerle and Steve Greer rounded out the finishers while Paul Rooks, Dan Murray, Scott Doyle, Rob Hamilton, Sean Iacono, Peter Lack, Lachlan McHugh, Nelson Reddacliff, James Grady and Kristy Bonsey all failed to finish the event.

 

After five consecutive weekends of racing to start of 2016-2017 season, Sprintcars Queensland will take next weekend off before returning to AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway on Saturday 29 October 2016 for Round Four of the Sprintcar Track Championship.  We have such a broad depth of talent here in South East Queensland at the moment that any one of at least a dozen drivers could take the win if a little luck is on their side.  You can be sure it will be a thrilling night of Sprintcar racing action so come on out and watch these stars put on a spectacular show!  After that we return to Hi-Tec Oils Speedway in Toowoomba on Saturday 05 November 2016 for USC Round Three and Ultimate Pink Night where all girls and ladies receive free general admission and the venue raises money for breast cancer research, and then back at AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway on Saturday 12 November 2016 for Round Five of the Sprintcar Track Championship.  There is plenty of racing coming up so come on out and cheer on your favourite driver!  See you trackside!

Kicking Up The Dirt – Queensland Sprintcar Title

Joanne White

 

For the fourth week in a row the stars of Sprintcars Queensland headed trackside for another night of racing, last night hitting Hi-Tec Oils Speedway in Toowoomba for Round Two of the Queensland USC Series and the 2016-2017 Queensland Sprintcar Title.  It was a spectacular night for Sprintcar racing and while the field may have been smaller than that which attended the same venue a fortnight ago, there was plenty of talent in the field, with anyone of at least a dozen drivers more than capable of taking the win.  Peter Lack had a mesmerising run the GW Racing Q5 car, winning both of his heat events before securing second in the Shootout and then leading most the A-main event.  Mitchell Gee also impressed in the feature event, spending much of the race inside the top three and putting up an incredible fight as he raced for every spot on the podium.  Lack had a very healthy lead but once lapped traffic came into play that lead quickly diminished and, when Lack hesitated for just a fraction of the second behind a lapped car, Farr took advantage and stole the lead.  Lack didn’t surrender the lead without a fight, making last nights race one of the most entertaining, and heart-stopping Sprintcar A-Mains seen in recent times.  In the end though it was Robbie Farr who took the win, his sixth Queensland Title, with Peter Lack securing second and Luke Oldfield having a powerful drive to finish third.  Danny Reidy and Bryan Mann rounded out the top five, the pair involved in their own race long battle for the minor places and really putting on a show for the fans.

 

Twenty-One cars turned up to put on a show but it was Robbie Farr who topped the leader board stopping the clock at a very quick 10.964 second lap.  Andrew Scheuerle secured second quick in a very solid start to his Queensland Title campaign, stopping the clock at 11.136 seconds, while Mitchell Gee was officially third quickest.  Bryan Mann and Lachlan McHugh rounded out the fastest five but with the entire field of twenty-one separated by barely one second it was clear right from the beginning just how close the competition was going to be.  Allan Woods and Andrew Wright both recorded identical times (11.482 seconds) while Kevin Titman was just one thousandth of a second slower, stopping the clock at 11.483 seconds.  Deeper in the field Dave Whell beat Darren Kane by 0.001 seconds and all twenty-one cars separated by just 1.029 seconds. 

 

Heat one started with Danny Reidy from pole position with Scott Genrich alongside and a very tough field behind.  Danny Reidy got the jump on the start and quickly settled into the race lead while Rob Hamilton settled, briefly, into second.  Peter Lack was working the high line and quickly made his way into third and began looking for a way around Hamilton.  Unfortunately Hamilton spun on the bottom of turn two and brought the race under caution.  Danny Reidy led on the restart but Lack was on a mission and slid under Reidy to steal the lead in turn two.  Reidy tried valiantly to fight back but Lack was simply too quick and was already starting to open a sizable lead over the rest of the field.  Lachlan McHugh and Robbie Farr were both trying to make their way forward but no one could touch Lack out in front.  Lack caught lapped traffic at about the half way point in the race and had begun weaving his way through the back markers when Dan Murray brought the race to a stop after spinning in turn two.  Peter Lack led the restart from Danny Reidy, Robbie Farr and Kevin Titman with just three laps left to run.  Farr had a big look underneath Reidy when the lights went green but couldn’t quite get the job done, while both Kevin Titman and Lachlan McHugh began to close in.  Peter Lack took the win ahead of Danny Reidy, Robbie Farr and Kevin Titman.  Lachlan McHugh crossed the line in fifth and led Bryan Mann, Scott Genrich, Simon Jupe, Rob Hamilton and Dan Murray across the line.  Brent Kratzmann suffered mechanical dramas in the front end of the immaculately presented Q2 racer before the race started and unfortunately was unable to take the green.

 

Darren Kane and Dave Whell shared the front row for the start of heat two, with Jayden Peacock and Mark Pholi close behind. Whell secured the lead when the lights went green, while both Mark Pholi and Allan Woods took to the high line in an effort to get closer to the front.  Mitchell Gee was trying to work his way forward while Luke Oldfield had a big look under Allan Woods, but couldn’t quite make his way through.  Mitchell Gee and Brandon Rawlings had a great race amongst themselves, the former team-mates spending several laps side-by-side as they negotiated over track position, while Andrew Scheuerle searched for a way through from behind.  Oldfield had his eyes set firmly on the pointy end of the field and dived underneath Woods before setting his sights on Mark Pholi and sliding under the Q14 racer of Pholi just one lap after securing the advantage over Woods.  Oldfield set about closing the gap to Whell in the race lead, quickly catching the leader and beginning to challenge him for control of the race.  While Oldfield put all kinds of pressure on Whell, there were only a couple of laps left to run and Whell did a truly spectacular job out in front and was able to hang on to the lead.  Dave Whell went on to take the win ahead of Luke Oldfield, with Mark Pholi having an absolutely terrific drive to finish third.  Allan Woods crossed the line in fourth and led Andrew Wright, Mitchell Gee, Darren Kane, Andrew Scheuerle, Brandon Rawlings, and Jayden Peacock across the line. 

 

Scott Genrich and Darren Kane lined up alongside each other on the front row of heat three, while Rob Hamilton and Jayden Peacock shared the second row.  Genrich and Kane came together shortly after the green, ending with Kane making contact with the wall and flipping down the main straight and into turn one.  It was a big hit and while Kane was able to walk away from the wreck, the car suffered enough damage to bring about a very premature end to his night of racing.  Mitchell Gee, who had started at the rear of the field after a strong qualifying performance, suffered a pair of flat front tyres and was unable to restart the race.  Genrich led the field to the restart, with Peacock now alongside him on the front row.  Peacock was brilliant on the high side and quickly secured the race lead while deep in the field Robbie Farr and Peter Lack were having a brilliant battle between themselves, whilst also chasing down Brandon Rawlings.  Lachlan McHugh soon joined the battle making for an exciting four-car race, but closer to the front of the field Andrew Wright was having a massive look on the inside of Genrich and entertaining the crowd as he put on a brilliant show trying to make his way through the field.  Peter Lack was again on a mission and had managed to weave his way through field, and was now putting all kinds of pressure on Wright.  Brandon Rawlings slammed the fence hard, climbing the right side of the car up the fence but somehow managing to avoid disaster.  Unfortunately though Robbie Farr had nowhere to go and came to a stop trying to avoid Rawlings.  The stoppage with three laps left to run was probably the last thing race leader Peacock needed, with the field now bunched up and right on his tail tank.  Lack wasted no time at all and slid beautifully under Genrich as they rounded turn one when the race resumed, before turning his attention to Peacock and stealing the lead in a perfectly timed inside passing move just one lap later.  Peacock tried to fight back in a valiant effort but Lack was simply too quick.  Peter Lack took the win ahead of Jayden Peacock and Lachlan McHugh, with Andrew Wright and Scott Genrich rounding out the top five finishers.  Robbie Farr finished sixth and led Brandon Rawlings and Rob Hamilton across the line while Mitchell Gee and Darren Kane did not finish the event.

 

The fourth and final heat of the night got underway with Dave Whell from pole position and Danny Reidy alongside as they led the field to the green.  Reidy got the jump when the lights went green and quickly settled into the race lead as Allan Woods raced around the outside of Dave Whell to move closer to the front of the field.  Kevin Titman had contact with the wall before pulling the Q59 out of the race, while Luke Oldfield began to make his way forward as well.  Reidy looked extremely comfortable in the race lead but the battle was all behind him as Brent Kratzmann, determined to make up for the heat he dropped earlier in the night, raced around the outside of Whell, as Oldfield began closing in on Woods.  Andrew Scheuerle suffered some mechanical dramas, which were later revealed to be a broken valve in the engine, and slowed to a stop coming out of turn two.  Unfortunately for Scheuerle it would be the end of his 2016-2017 Queensland Title campaign.  Reidy led the restart from Woods, Oldfield, Kratzmann and Whell, with Oldfield quick to slide under Woods once the lights went green.  Unfortunately for Oldfield though the race was brought under caution when Kratzmann hit the cone on the restart.  Kratzmann was relegated to the rear of the field for the restart with three laps left to run.  Reidy again led the restart from Woods and Oldfield and while Oldfield tried to repeat his slide job on Woods from the previous restart, but Woods was not going to let him through quite so easily this time around.  Danny Reidy went on to take a well-deserved win ahead of Allan Woods and Luke Oldfield, with Bryan Mann, Dave Whell, Dan Murray, Simon Jupe and Brent Kratzmann rounding out the finishers.  Andrew Scheuerle pulled out of the event after completing just seven of the ten laps, with Kevin Titman also failing to finish the event.  Mark Pholi also suffered mechanical problems in the Q14 Darra Mechanical racer and was unable to start the heat event, his Queensland Title campaign also coming to a disappointing end.

 

Peter Lack led the points chase heading into the shootout events, with Robbie Farr, Lachlan McHugh, Bryan Mann, Danny Reidy, Luke Oldfield, Allan Woods and Mitchell Gee all qualifying for the top eight shoot out events.  Reidy, Oldfield, Woods and Gee were the first to hit the track for the Bronze Shootout.  They got three timed laps with the fastest two set to transfer into the Silver Shootout.  Mitchell Gee was the quickest of the quartet, stopping the clock at 11.764 seconds, with Luke Oldfield securing second quick to join Gee and transfer to the Silver Shootout.  Danny Reidy missed the transfer by just four thousandths of a second and would start the A-Main from position seven, with Allan Woods alongside.

 

The Silver Shootout saw Bryan Mann and Lachlan McHugh, third and fourth highest on points, join Mitchell Gee and Luke Oldfield on the track for their three timed laps.  This time it was the young guns who topped the leader board, with Mitchell Gee and Lachlan McHugh topping the leader board, the pair separated by just 0.014 seconds.  Luke Oldfield and Bryan Mann would start the A-Main event from positions five and six respectively while both Gee and McHugh would advance to the Gold Shootout to battle against Peter Lack and Robbie Farr for their A-Main starting positions.

 

With four of the fastest cars on the track for the Gold Shootout we were set for a close battle and they sure didn’t disappoint.  Pole position changed hands several times as each driver went quicker with each completed lap but at the end of the run it was Robbie Farr who held the top spot, and pole position for the Title race, after stopping the clock at 11.586 seconds.  Peter Lack went second quick to join Farr on the front row for the start of the A-Main, with Lachlan McHugh beating Mitchell Gee in the final qualifying run.

 

The eighteen-car A-Main rolled on to the track with Farr, who has won the Queensland Title four times in the past seven years, set to start from pole position with Peter Lack alongside him on the front row.  Young guns Lachlan McHugh and Mitchell Gee shared the second row, while defending champion Luke Oldfield took the green from position five with Bryan Mann on his outside.  When the lights went green it was Farr who got the initial jump but Lack committed to the high line and it was nothing short of spectacular.  Lack raced around the outside of Farr in the opening couple of corners to steal the lead, much to the delight of the Toowoomba crowd, while McHugh had a look on the bottom of Farr.  Mitchell Gee had a brilliant run in the Q36 Titan Garages racer and began challenging McHugh for track position, while further back in the field Brandon Rawlings and Allan Woods exchanged positions several times as they negotiated over mid-field positions.  Within just a handful of laps Lack entered lapped traffic, while Mitchell Gee slid beautifully underneath Farr to steal second.  Farr switched lines to try and stay in touch with both Lack and Gee, while Oldfield made his way into fourth and Danny Reidy found his way in front of Bryan Mann.  In very heavy lapped traffic Gee really closed in on Lack but Farr can never be discounted and seemingly out of nowhere Farr stole second from Gee and held nothing back as he challenged Lack for the lead.  As Lack searched for a way around the lapped car of Dave Whell, Farr did not hesitate to slide under Lack and take control of the race.  Lack switched to the low line and immediately fired back to regain the lead, just as the race was brought to a stop as McHugh upended the Q23 racer with just fifteen laps completed.  McHugh walked away from the wreck but was unable to restart the race.  Kevin Titman, who had been running close to the top ten, suffered a flat right rear tyre, ending his 2016-2017 Queensland Title campaign on the infield for the final twenty-laps of the race.

 

Peter Lack led the restart from Robbie Farr, Mitchell Gee, Luke Oldfield, Danny Reidy and Bryan Mann.  When the lights went green Gee had an absolutely massive look underneath Farr, all the while Farr was on the tail of Lack and the race lead.  Further back in the field Brandon Rawlings got a little too loose in turn four, getting the NQ44 racer a little sideways in turn four and washing off some speed.  Unfortunately Jayden Peacock was left with nowhere to go and while he tried to spin his own car to lessen the unavoidable contact, both cars ended up up-side-down.  Both Rawlings and Peacock were unscathed in the crash but neither were able to restart the race.

 

Peter Lack again led the restart from Robbie Farr, Mitchell Gee, Luke Oldfield and Danny Reidy and while Farr chased hard to challenge Lack for the lead, Lack had plenty of speed in the Q5 racer and managed to open a small lead.  Further back in the field Allan Woods and Brent Kratzmann were having a thrilling battle, with Woods sliding under Kratzmann only for Kratzmann to fight straight back.  The leaders caught the tail of the field once more in only a few laps, with Farr right on the tail tank of Lack as they tried to weave their way through the traffic.  Farr had a massive look on the inside of Lack but couldn’t quite make it stick, and immediately found Gee right on his tail.  Farr had another big look under Lack and Lack was caught momentarily behind a lapped car, with Farr this time moving into the race lead.  Lack lost a little bit of ground behind the lapped car and came under pressure from Gee as they argued over second and Luke Oldfield began to close in with nine laps left to run.  Lack and Gee soon gained ground on Farr and the trio became surrounded by very heavy lapped traffic.  Farr and Lack showed their years of experience as they raced through a small gap between a pair of lapped cars, while Gee got into the back of one of the lapped cars as the other driver lost a little speed.  Gee spun the Q36 racer to a stop with five laps left to run and ruining his chances of another strong podium position finish. 

 

Robbie Farr led the restart from Peter Lack, Luke Oldfield, Danny Reidy and Bryan Mann with five gruelling laps to run.  Lack took to the high side and looked fast and determined as he fought Farr for control of the race, while further back in the field Allan Woods found his way past Brent Kratzmann, and Danny Reidy and Bryan Mann had a thrilling battle over fourth and fifth.  Lack closed in on Farr with three laps left to run but Farr looked too strong as he raced past the white flag.  Unfortunately for Kratzmann, who had endured a dreadful run of bad luck last night, he brought the race under caution when Farr had just half a lap left to run.

 

Robbie Farr led the field to the green for the Green-White-Chequer dash to the finish.  Farr was quick and Lack held nothing back, the pair putting on a truly brilliant show as they fought for the Queensland Title, all the while defending champion Luke Oldfield was right on their tail tanks.  Robbie Farr took the win, ahead of Peter Lack and Luke Oldfield with Danny Reidy and Bryan Mann rounding out the top five.  Allan Woods crossed the line in sixth and led Mitchell Gee, Brent Kratzmann, Andrew Wright, Simon Jupe, Dan Murray, Dave Whell, Rob Hamilton and Scott Genrich across the line.  Brandon Rawlings, Jayden Peacock, Lachlan McHugh and Kevin Titman did not finish the race.

 

After four consecutive weekends of racing Sprintcars Queensland will now head back to AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway next Saturday night, 15 October 2016, to make it five in a row.  It will be round three of the Sprintcar Track Championship and if the racing we have already seen so far this season is anything to go by it will be a exhilarating night of Sprintcar racing action that you will not want to miss.  We have already had a number of different winners this season so come on out to Archerfield Speedway next weekend and see if Andrew Scheuerle or Luke Oldfield can get a second win on board, or if perhaps Peter Lack, Brent Kratzmann, Bryan Mann, Kevin Titman, Lachlan McHugh, Mitchell Gee or any one of the other drivers can get their first win of the season.  See you all trackside!

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!

Kicking Up The Dirt – Hi-Tec Oils Speedway – USC Round 1

Joanne White

 

With perfect weather for the opening night of the Ultimate Sprintcar Championship at Hi-Tech Oils Speedway in Toowoomba an impressive field of 38 Sprintcars turned up to put on a spectacular show.  The entire field lined up for a truly spectacular four wide parade lap to start the show before hot-lapping and qualifying got under way.  It was an action-packed night of Sprintcar racing that thrilled the crowd and made each and every driver work hard for each track positions.  Track conditions were somewhat rough and trying and played a massive part in the results, but at the end of the night it was Luke Oldfield who stood atop the dais after taking the win in the feature event.  Robbie Farr, second, and Jamie Veal, third, joined him on the podium, while Andrew Scheuerle and Jake Tranter completed the top five.

 

Qualifying got under way with Robbie Farr quickly securing the top spot in the qualifying session, stopping the clock at a quick 11.670 seconds.  Toby Bell-Bowen was second quickest with an 11.838 second lap, with Mark Pholi and Andrew Wright next in line.  Luke Oldfield rounded out the fastest five, beating Jamie Veal by a tiny one thousandth of a second.  The fastest twenty cars were separated by less than one second making for an extremely closely matched field and some thrilling racing ahead.  James Grady collected the wall coming out turn two on his qualifying run, loosing his right rear tyre, but fortunately did not come to any further harm.

 

Heat one started with Andrew Wright and Luke Oldfield from the front row with Mitchell Gee and Brandon Rawlings from the second row.  Andrew Wright got the jump on the start while Luke Oldfield settled into second as Mitchell Gee and held off Brandon Rawlings as they fought over third and fourth.  Mid field Kevin Titman and Danny Reidy were having a brilliant battle over track position, but back at the front of the field Wright and Oldfield were putting on a spectacular show as they fought for the race lead.  Oldfield worked the bottom and had several looks up the inside of Wright before eventually getting the job done moving into the race lead.  Wright fought back hard but there was no stopping Oldfield out in front.  Luke Oldfield took the win ahead of Andrew Wright, Mitchell Gee, Brandon Rawlings, Kevin Titman, Danny Reidy, Sammy Walsh, Rob Hamilton, Matthew Butler, Steve Greer, Anthony Lambert, James Grady and Courtney O’Hehir.

 

Mark Pholi and Jamie Veal shared the front row for the start of heat two with Brent Kratzmann and Chad Ely taking to the green from row two.  Pholi got a great start and quickly settled into the race lead, but Veal was right on his tail tank and challenging hard, working the high side and looking for a way past.  Kratzmann struggled mid field and faded a little but the race was soon brought under caution as Mitch Gowland and Scott Genrich slowed in turn three.  Mark Pholi led the restart from Jamie Veal and Darren Kane, while Brent Kratzmann began trying to make up lost ground.  Kratzmann ran around the outside of Chad Ely and began chasing down Darren Kane, setting to work closing the gap while Michael Saller and Allan Woods battled with Chad Ely mid-field.  Pholi had built up a massive lead but hit some ruts on the bottom of the track and bounced up the track, giving Jamie Veal all the invitation he needed to slip underneath, steal the lead and take the win in heat two.  Mark Pholi managed to hang on to finish second ahead of Peter Lack, Brent Kratzmann, Allan Woods, Chad Ely, Michael Saller, Dylan Menz, Dan Murray, Mitch Gowland, Scott Genrich and Darren Kane.

 

Heat three saw Robbie Farr start from pole position with Toby Bell-Bowen alongside.  Farr and Bell-Bowen raced side-by-side into the opening couple of corners, neither willing to surrender the lead, when the race was brought under caution for Luca Cox who had spun to a stop.  A full race restart followed, with Farr and Bell-Bowen again to lead them away.  Farr got the jump on the start but officials pulled the race up, deeming Bell-Bowen to have held back on the start and relegated him to the second row for the third attempted start.  This elevated Jake Tranter to the front row alongside Robbie Farr, with Farr getting the jump and securing the race lead.  Tranter settled into second but immediately came under pressure from Bell-Bowen who made quick work of finding a way past on the low side.  Andrew Scheuerle sat in a very comfortable fourth while mid field Nelson Reddacliff tried to hold off the advances of Callum Walker.  Walker soon found his way through on the bottom while at the front of the field Farr and Bell-Bowen were entering lapped traffic.  The longer they spent in traffic, the closer Bell-Bowen was able to get to Farr, dramatically closing the gap and starting to look like a real threat to the race leader.  Another yellow light stoppage, this time for Sean Iacono, the race was brought under caution once more and gave Farr a clear track on the restart.  Farr led from Bell-Bowen, Jake Tranter, Andrew Scheuerle and Simon Jupe for the restart.  Tommy Machett and Luca Cox had a great battle towards the tail end of the field, but it was only three laps before Farr once again entered lapped traffic.  Robbie Farr went on to take the win ahead of Toby Bell-Bowen, Jake Tranter, Andrew Scheuerle, Callum Walker and Dave Whell.  Simon Jupe was seventh across the line and led Jackson Delamont, Nelson Reddacliff, Kristy Bonsey, Jimmy Matchett, Luca Cox and Sean Iacono across the line.

 

Heat four started with Allan Woods from pole potion with Steve Greer alongside and Michael Saller and Rob Hamilton out of the second row.  Jamie Veal and Andrew Wright were coming from the rear of the field, with Mitchell Gee, Chad Ely, Kevin Titman and Peter Lack making up a very interesting mid-field.  Woods got the jump on the start and quickly settled into the race lead, with Saller and Gee in hot pursuit, while both Kevin Titman and Peter Lack began to make their way forward.  Rob Hamilton brought the race under caution when he spun in turn four, with Woods to lead the restart from Saller, Lack and Titman.  Unfortunately for Woods he hit the cone on the restart, and chaos unfolded behind him.  Jamie Veal had contact with Steve Greer mid field, with Veal ending up upside down and out of the race.  Woods was relegated to the rear of the field for the restart with Saller inheriting the race lead.  Saller got a great start while Peter Lack and Kevin Titman chased hard but the race was soon brought under caution once more when Andrew Wright got a little too side-ways in turn four, leaving both Chad Ely and James Grady nowhere to go. Saller again led the field to the green with Lack right on his tail.  Lack immediately took to the high line in a spectacular run around the outside to steal the lead, while Kevin Titman and Mitchell Gee had a great battle, with Gee managing to secure the advantage.  Titman tried to fight back, but the pair were now on the tail of Saller, with Gee soon having a big look on the low side of Saller as he searched for his way into second.  Courtney O’Hehir brought the race under caution while Allan Woods exited the race with a flat left rear tyre.  Peter Lack led the restart and instantly opened a sizable lead over his rivals, while Gee found his way under Saller.  Peter Lack went on to take the win ahead of Mitchell Gee, Michael Saller and Chad Ely.  Kevin Titman crossed the line in fifth and led Andrew Wright, Steve Greer, Courtney O’Hehir, James Grady, Mitch Gowland and Rob Hamilton across the line.  Allan Woods and Jamie Veal did not finish the race.

 

Matthew Butler and Dave Whell shared the front row for the start of heat five, with Danny Reidy and Jackson Delamont out of row two.  Dave Whell got the jump on the start and secured the race lead, while Scheuerle ran the high side and Robbie Farr swiftly worked his way through the field, passing several cars in quick succession with Matthew Butler next in the crosshairs.  Luke Oldfield had a big look on the inside of Brandon Rawlings but all eyes were on Farr as he edged closer to the front and began closing in on Whell.  Whell was about to enter lapped traffic when Luca Cox spun the N91 racer in turns one and two and brought the race under caution.  Unfortunately for Whell this meant Farr was now right on his tail and it was moments after the green flag flew that Farr took to the high side and raced around Whell and into the lead as they came out of turn two.  Danny Reidy and Andrew Scheuerle were both making forward progress, while Brandon Rawlings had a spin, right in front of Farr as Farr approached the tail end of the field and the chequered flag.   Farr went on to take the win ahead of Dave Whell, Danny Reidy, Andrew Scheuerle, Luke Oldfield, Jackson Delamont, Sammy Walsh, Simon Jupe, Matthew Butler, Sean Iacono, Luca Cox, Anthony Lambert and Brandon Rawlings.

 

Heat six started with Kristy Bonsey and Scott Genrich from the front row, with Callum Walker and Dylan Menz from row two.  Once again the mid-field was full of tough competition with Nelson Reddacliff, Darren Kane, Jake Tranter, Brent Kratzmann, Toby Bell-Bowen and Mark Pholi set to make it a thrilling race.  Bonsey got the jump on the start and quickly secured the lead, but the race was brought to a stop when Genrich and Menz came together, with Genrich slowing to a stop in turn three.  Unfortunately for Genrich he was unable to restart the event.  A full restart followed with Menz now joining Bonsey on the front row.  Bonsey again got a great start and took control of the race, while behind her Brent Kratzmann very nearly rolled after hitting a rut in turn one.  Jake Tranter slipped under Kratzmann, the pair making slight contact on the exit of the turn, while Nelson Reddacliff spun on the bottom of the track entering turn two.    Bonsey and Menz again led the restart and while Bonsey again got the better start, Menz quickly took to the high line to secure the lead.  Darren Kane and Toby Bell-Bowen were quickly making their forward, while Kratzmann worked the low line as he tried to advance through the field.  Kane was in second and chasing down Menz with plenty of momentum, soon sliding under the Q46 racer in turn two to take over the race lead and leave Menz to try and defend his position from a hard-charging Bell-Bowen.  Within only a few laps the leaders had caught the tail of the field, and when Kane momentarily got caught behind a lapped car Bell-Bowen wasted no time in slipping through on the bottom to take control of the race.  The back markers were embroiled in their own battle, making for heavy traffic for the leaders, and when Bell-Bowen made contact with a lapped car he spun low on the track, leaving Kane with nowhere to go.  The race was brought under caution with just one lap left to run.  Callum Walker inherited the race lead and would go on to take the win ahead of Brent Kratzmann, Jake Tranter, Kristy Bonsey, Toby Bell-Bowen, Mark Pholi, Jimmy Matchett, Darren Kane, Dan Murray and Nelson Reddacliff. Dylan Menz and Scott Genrich did not finish the event.

 

The top eight qualifiers took to the track for the eight-lap dash event, with Robbie Farr and Peter Lack sharing the front row for the start and Luke Oldfield and Mitchell Gee from the second row.  Brent Kratzmann, Toby Bell-Bowen, Jake Tranter and Mark Pholi rounded out a star-studded field.  Farr got a brilliant start and quickly settled into the race lead with Lack chasing hard, while further back in the field Bell-Bowen was on the move as he charged under Oldfield and Gee.  Oldfield and Gee had a great battle but it was hard not to watch Lack as he took to the high side and tried everything looking for a way past Farr.  Lack looked very comfortable on the high side but in the end Robbie Farr took the win.  Peter Lack secured second despite a last corner charge by Toby Bell-Bowen, who was forced to settle for third.  Mitchell Gee finished fourth ahead of Luke Oldfield, Brent Kratzmann, Mark Pholi and Jake Tranter.

 

The first of two B-Main events hit the track with Michael Saller and Sammy Walsh from the front row in a field of eleven cars, with only the first two finishers to transfer to the A-Main.  Saller got the better start and quickly settled into the race lead, only for Walsh to take to the high side in a spectacular drive to race around the outside and steal the lead in turn two.  Unfortunately Rob Hamilton spun the Q11 racer and brought the race under caution, bringing on a full restart, with Walsh this time getting a brilliant drive from the outside of the front row.  Delamont had a big look underneath Saller, with Steve Greer caught up as well, and Anthony Lambert spun in turn four.  Walsh led the restart but before long the race was once again under caution, this time for Luca Cox who had slowed to stop on the inside edge of the track whilst trying to make it to the infield.  Walsh again led the restart while further back in the field Darren Kane was working the high line as he raced around the outside of Greer and set his sights on Matthew Butler.  Greer however was fighting back hard and slipped back past Kane, only for Kane to quickly regain his position in a thrilling battle for the mid-field positions.  Sammy Walsh took the win and secured a transfer to the A-Main, with Michael Saller across the line in second to secure the final transfer position.  Jackson Delamont crossed the line in third and led Matthew Butler, Steve Greer, Darren Kane, Dan Murray, Rob Hamilton, Anthony Lambert and Mitch Gowland across the line.  Luca Cox did not finish the event.

 

Brandon Rawlings and Simon Jupe shared the front row for the start of the second B-Main event, with Kristy Bonsey and Allan Woods from the second row.  Rawlings got a brilliant start and quickly secured the advantage while Woods took to the high line and raced around Jupe to secure second.  Jupe fought back hard, racing under Woods to regain his position, while Woods searched high and low for a way back past.  Sean Iacono had a spin in turn four and brought the race under caution with Rawlings set to lead the restart from Jupe and Woods.  Once the lights went green once more Woods immediately took to the high line around Jupe and regained second, only with Dylan Menz now joining the battle between Woods and Jupe making for an exciting three-way battle.  Iacono had another spin to bring the race to a stop and was relegated to the infield for the final five laps.  Rawlings led the restart from Woods, Jupe and Menz, with Menz taking to the high side and putting on a spectacular show as he tried to find a way around Jupe.  Menz swiftly switched to the low side and slid under Jupe, only for Jupe to fire straight back with a slide job of his own in a breath-taking battle that left fans captivated.  Brandon Rawlings took the win ahead of Allan Woods, with both drivers securing a start in the up-coming A-Main event.  Simon Jupe finished third and led Dylan Menz, Kristy Bonsey, Courtney O’Hehir, Nelson Reddacliff and James Grady across the line. Jimmy Matchett and Sean Iacono did not finish the race.

 

Robbie Farr and Peter Lack shared the front row for the start of the A-Main event, with Farr electing to start from the outside.  Farr got the jump on the start and quickly settled into the race lead, but Lack was chasing hard and thrilling the Toowoomba crowd.  Toby Bell-Bowen though had other ideas, quickly sliding underneath Lack to steal second.  Andrew Wright had a spin in the N78 racer, with young Callum Walker left with nowhere to go.  Farr led the restart from Bell-Bowen, Lack and Mitchell Gee, with Bell-Bowen putting enormous pressure on Farr for the race lead.  Mitchell Gee was quickly closing in on Peter Lack before sliding underneath and advancing one position closer to the front, while Bell-Bowen and Farr traded slide jobs for control of the race.  Unfortunately the race was quickly brought under caution as Lack slowed to a stop on the back straight.  Lack was pushed to the infield where officials and Andrew Wright assessed the car in the hopes of getting Lack back in the race but to no avail. 

 

Robbie Farr led the restart with twenty-six laps left to run.  Mitchell Gee had a brilliant run to slide almost effortlessly under Bell-Bowen to steal second, with Luke Oldfield quickly following him through.  Gee had plenty of speed in the Titan Garages and Carports #36 racer and really started closing in on Farr.  The race was again brought under caution when Callum Walker spun to a stop with about twenty-three laps left to run.

 

Robbie Farr led the restart from Mitchell Gee, Luke Oldfield, Toby Bell-Bowen, Jake Tranter and Brent Kratzmann.  Farr got a great start but Gee was right with him, challenging for the lead while trying to hold off a hard charging Bell-Bowen.  It was hard to know where to look in a race that had some many intense battles unfolding right through the field.  Farr, Gee, Oldfield and Bell-Bowen were putting on a spectacular show out the front, but Brent Kratzmann and Mark Pholi were having a great battle amongst themselves, as were Allan Woods and Danny Reidy.  Oldfield was up to second and closing in on Farr as the approached lapped traffic, while Gee and Bell-Bowen put on a truly mesmerising show as they argued over the minor places.  Farr hit a massive rut in turn four and almost inverted the Q7 racer, giving Oldfield all the invitation he needed to race through on the inside and steal the lead just moments after racing around the lapped car of Dave Whell.  The lapped traffic was thick but a yellow light stoppage with sixteen laps left to run would give the leaders some clear track for a couple of laps. 

 

Luke Oldfield led the restart from Robbie Farr, Mitchell Gee, Toby Bell-Bowen, Andrew Scheuerle and Brent Kratzmann.  Farr and Gee make contact but it was Farr who managed to maintain his advantage, while Bell-Bowen had a big look on the bottom but could not quite get the job done.  Mark Pholi was having a great race until he came off the fence coming out of turn four and ended up stranded low on the track facing the wrong direction and bringing the race under another caution.  Oldfield again led the restart from Farr, Gee, Bell-Bowen and Scheuerle with fourteen laps left to race.  Jamie Veal was on a mission and committed to the high side around Andrew Scheuerle but the race was soon brought to a stop when Bell-Bowen upended the immaculately presented N7 racer in turn three.  Bell-Bowen walked away from the wreck but was unfortunately out of the race.

 

Luke Oldfield led the restart from Robbie Farr, Mitchell Gee and Jamie Veal and while Gee chased Farr putting immense pressure on his vastly more experience rival, Veal was on the high line and really stepping up the pace.  Before long the leaders were in lapped traffic, with Oldfield having built a sizable lead.  Track conditions were extremely rough and Oldfield nearly flipped more than once after hitting the ruts wrong and washing off significant speed.  Fortunately for Oldfield he was able to hang to the race lead, but the race was soon brought to another stop, this time for Mitchell Gee who had gently upturned the Q36 racer.  Determined to finish the race once officials tipped Gee back on all four wheels, Gee restarted at the rear of the field despite the damage to his top wing.

 

Luke Oldfield led the restart from Robbie Farr and Jamie Veal.  Andrew Scheuerle was searching for a way forward on the high side, while Veal put the challenge to Farr.  As the leaders were approaching lapped traffic Brandon Rawlings got a little too sideways and was collected by Brent Kratzmann, leaving Kratzmann stranded in the middle of turn four, right in front of race leader Oldfield. 

 

Luke Oldfield was very lucky to avoid contact and would again lead the restart from Robbie Farr, Jamie Veal, Andrew Scheuerle, Jake Tranter and Kevin Titman.  Titman ran the low line looking for a way through a tough field, while Veal searched the high line for a way around Farr.  Veal gave it everything but Farr fought back hard to maintain second, still there was no stopping Luke Oldfield as he raced past the chequered flag to take the win and the $10,000 winners cheque.  Robbie Farr crossed the line in second with Jamie Veal a spectacular third to round out the podium.  The ever-consistent Andrew Scheuerle crossed the line in fourth ahead of Jake Tranter, Allan Woods, Kevin Titman, Danny Reidy, Michael Saller, Mitchell Gee, Callum Walker, Chad Ely, Dave Whell, Brandon Rawlings and Mark Pholi.  Brent Kratzmann, Toby Bell-Bowen, Peter Lack, Sammy Walsh and Andrew Wright all failed to finish the event.

 

Sprintcars Queensland will return to AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway next Saturday night, 01 October 2016, for the second night of competition in the Brisbane Track Championship.  The 2016-2017 season may be only two nights old, and with two feature winners to date in Robbie Farr and Luke Oldfield, this season is already shaping up to be one for the history books.  Will we add another name to the list of feature winners for the season?  Come on out to AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway next Saturday night see all the thrilling racing action for yourself! See you trackside!

 

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!

Kicking Up The Dirt – Sprintcars Queensland 2015-2016 Presentation Dinner

Joanne White

With the 2015-2016 race season now concluded the drivers, crews, families, friends and

sponsors of Sprintcars Queensland gathered at Easts Leagues Club for the annual end of season

celebrations and festivities. Almost 140 people attended the black tie event, with Wade Aunger

acting as MC for the night. It was a night to celebrate the season that was – and what a truly

remarkable season we have had. It was a season full of plenty of thrills, spills and close

competition, but also one that saw the best once again rise to the top, as well as a host of

newcomers and young talent that really gave some of our most seasoned competitors a run for

their money.

First up were some Appreciation Awards for the Sponsors who have generously supported

Sprintcars Queensland and our drivers this past season. These people and their companies have

shown unwavering and invaluable support for Sprintcars Queensland and the sport of Sprintcar

racing in general and their contribution is endlessly appreciated. Without these people we

would have no Kratzmann Caravans Challenge, no Darra Mechanical Hard Charger Award, No

Lucas Oils Dash and no Right Price Exhausts Heat Race Championships. Both SuperCheap Auto

and East Coast Logistics as series sponsors this season have been such valued partners this

season, while Ken Thorn and Myla Graphics have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for all our

graphic and signage needs. Glen and Christine Spence and the Darra Mechanical team again

stepped up to sponsor the hard charger award while Gary Kratzmann and the Kratzmann

Caravans team again sponsored the Kratzmann Caravans Challenge. Mark Wode, who already

contributes so much to the Sprintcars Queensland club, together with Right Price Exhausts again

sponsored the heat race points championship, while Clem Hoffmans and Downforce Wings

generously donated a front wing to be given to the fifth place finisher in each of the B-Main

events in the SuperCheap Auto Sprintcar Series.

While all of our sponsors are invaluable, so too are our volunteers. We have a small band of

officials who work absolutely tirelessly behind the scenes not only on race nights, but often on

those days and nights in between as well. John and Kathy Kelly, who coincidentally celebrated

their 21 st wedding anniversary last night, are not just the promoters of Archerfield Speedway but

both hold positions in our executive committee (President and Treasurer) and their contribution

to this sport and this club should never be underestimated. Mark Wode and Lyn Turner have

again concluded another year on the Sprintcars Queensland Executive Committee, as Vice

President and Secretary, with their endless and relentless efforts behind the scenes a significant

factor in the smooth running of this club. What Mark and Lyn do, the time and effort they put in,

despite not having a personal connection with any one car, driver or team, is simply incredible –

they have helped shape and grow this club for over fifteen years and few people realise just how

much they do. Their contribution cannot be measured and there are no words that can

adequately portray just how indebted and thankful everyone at Sprintcars Queensland is for all

that they have done over the years.

Still on the topic of volunteers, Appreciation Awards were given to Glen Wilson, David Tracey

and Chris Dvorak for their work as our crash crew and fire marshals. These gentlemen are often

some of the first on the scene when one (or more) of our drivers is involved in an incident and do

an invaluable job keeping the drivers as safe as possible. Volunteer officials are hard to come by

but Ken Thorn has been a vital part of the infield officials team and crash crew, lending a hand

and helping to ensure the smooth running of events. Sprintcars Queensland even gave me a

small thank you writing these reports – though it is hard to believe it been over twelve years

now!

Once all our sponsors and volunteers had been thanked, it was time to move on to the Super

Cheap Auto Series and recognise the achievements of the drivers and teams who contested the

thirteen round series. We started with Andrew Scheuerle as the winner of the Right Price

Exhausts Heat Race Points chase before moving onto the fifteen series qualifiers.

The SuperCheap Auto Sprintcar Series was hard fought and while Andrew Scheuerle dominated,

especially with his remarkable run of feature wins in the early part of the season, there was a

large field of drivers who consistently put on truly mesmerising racing that kept everyone

entertained on a Saturday night. The final places in the SuperCheap Auto Sprintcar

Championship were as follows:

15 th : Q43 Scott Doyle

14 th : Q3 Clem Hoffmans

13 th : NQ11 Brad Ayers

12 th : Q44 Dan Murray

11 th : Q33 Callum Walker

10 th : Q27 Steven Johnson

09 th : Q14 Mark Pholi

08 th : NQ23 Lachlan McHugh

07 th : Q5 Peter Lack

06 th : NQ44 Brandon Rawlings

05 th : Q47 Andrew Liebke

04 th : Q4 Brent Kratzmann

03 rd : Q41 Mitchell Gee

02 nd : Q59 Kevin Titman

01 st : Andrew Scheuerle

Moving on to the East Coast Logistics Crispy Memorial Series that was held over five gruelling

rounds at the end of the season, and once again it was a hard-fought championship battle full of

thrilling racing action from the entire field. The championship went down to the final night of

competition with Sprintcar Rookie Lachlan McHugh beating seasoned racer Andrew Scheuerle

by just two points.

There were nine qualifiers in the East Coast Logistics Sprintcar Series:

09 th : Q59 Kevin Titman

08 th : Q41 Mitchell Gee

07 th : Q54 Richard Morgan

06 th : Q16 Bryan Mann

05 th : Q83 David Murcott

04 th : Q4 Brent Kratzmann

03 rd : Q36 Luke Oldfield

02 nd : Q25 Andrew Scheuerle

01 st : NQ23 Lachlan McHugh

It came as no surprise to anyone in the room that eighteen-year- old Lachlan McHugh also picked

up Rookie of the Year. If you haven’t already seen him race, you need to. This quiet young man

is a huge talent and has a simply massive future ahead of him in this sport. To have achieved

several feature race wins, in very tough competition, plus a number of podium finishes and a

series win in just his first year in the division is truly remarkable. He is breath-taking to watch

on the race track and is without a doubt one to watch in the years ahead. I know I am not alone

when I say I cannot wait to see just how far he can go in this sport in next five or ten years.

Encouragement awards this year were presented to Steven Johnson and Ben Hilder, who have

both shown a lot of promise this season but have not always had luck on their side. Ben

unfortunately could not be with us last night, he is still recovering after a rather nasty crash

during the final round a couple of weeks ago, his father Brad collecting the award on his behalf.

Brandon Rawlings had a great season in the NQ44 racer and despite a few nasty crashes,

Brandon really learnt a lot this season and was recognised as the Most Improved Driver of the

season. Unfortunately Brandon was also unable to attend last nights festivities, an extra-

curricular activity leaving him with a broken collarbone just hours before last nights

presentation dinner.

This year there were several (too many) nominations for the Wings Award, the most spectacular

or most frequent crashing. While Mitchell Gee came close to winning the award last year, this

year he, and team mate Brandon Rawlings, along with Kevin Titman were all joint winners of the

award they all claim no one wants to win. While Mitchell and Brandon both had several big

crashes, they were able to avoid crashing together, through did on occasion crash independent of

each other on the same night. Kevin, whose Q59 racer looked immaculate this year, started the

season strongly but some misfortune throughout season saw him a deserving joint winner of the

2015-2016 Wings Award.

The crew Chief of the Year award was this year presented to Tony Cochran for his efforts on the

Q4 racer of Brent Kratzmann. Tony works tirelessly for Brent, making sure that he not only has a

well presented car (it seriously looks spectacular every time it hits the track), but that it is a well

maintained and quality package that Brent can rely on.

Andrew Scheuerle and the AusDeck Patios and Roofing team took out the Best Presented Car

while Brad Ayers and the NQ11 team were credited as the Best Presented Crew.

Bryan Mann took home the coveted Greg Crispy McClennan Trophy, a kind of ‘best and fairest’

award in memory of a great man. Kevin Titman and Andrew Scheuerle again took out the

Clubmen of the year awards, the pair doing an extraordinary number of race meetings with the

club, a true testament to their passion and commitment, as well as that of their family, friends

and sponsors. It was the second year running that the pair have been the only two recipients of

the Clubmen of the year award, an impressive effort by all involved.

The 2015-2016 Club Championship was a hotly contested battle, with Kevin Titman taking home

third overall. Kevin accepted third but credited his best friend and crewman Bobbie for the

award, with Bobbie putting in a truly extraordinary effort not just during the reason season but

during last winter as he built the new team truck with countless hours spent in the Titman team

workshop. Luke Oldfield managed to sure second in the Club Championship, a great effort for his

first season in the Titan Garages and Carports team, while Andrew Scheuerle and the AusDeck

Patios and Roofing team took out the 2015-2016 Club Championship, as well as the Archerfield

Speedway Track Championship, taking the teams trophy tally for the night to seven.

Perhaps one of the most prized awards is the Drivers Driver award, chosen on the night by the

drivers present as the driver they most respect both on and off the racetrack. In a first since the

awards inception, we had a tie, with both Bryan Mann and Richard Morgan receiving an equal

number of votes. Bryan actually won the award last year, and to have been chosen for a second

year running is testament to the man that he is and the respect the other competitors have for

him. Richard has to be one of the most likable drivers in the sport, always keeping the racing

clean on the track and is one of the most easy going drivers in the pits.

The night concluded with some raffle draws and a Major Sponsor Award to John and Kathy Kelly

and AusDeck Patios and Roofing Archerfield Speedway. Whilst we love the opportunity to race

at some of our country tracks, Archerfield Speedway is the home track of many of our drivers.

John and Kathy and the team work relentlessly for not only Sprintcars Queensland and the

drivers and teams of this club, but for Speedway in general. Theirs is not an easy job, and is,

more often than not, a thankless one, but they give us place to race week in and week out. They

do more for this sport and this club than most people realise and their passion is relentless and

we could not do what we do without people like them.

Our 2015-2016 season may now be finished but there are already big plans in place for the

2016-2017 race season. Archerfield Speedway have already released their proposed calendar

for the coming season, and keep an eye out for a full Sprintcars Queensland Calendar coming

soon. We will of course be racing at AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway, as well and Hi-Tech

Oils Toowoomba Speedway, but we are trying to negotiate with several country tracks for a few

shows as well. At this stage our 2016-2017 season kicks off at AusDeck Patios Archerfield

Speedway on Saturday 17 September 2016 – enjoy the winter break and see you trackside in

about 97 sleeps!

Kicking Up The Dirt – East Coast Logistics Series – Round 5

Joanne White

Former Australian Champion David Murcott took the win in the 2015-2016 season finale at

AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway last night, with Andrew Scheuerle and Luke Oldfield

joining him on the last podium of the season. Lachlan McHugh and Ben Atkinson rounded out

the top five in very slick track conditions and a tough field behind them. Lachlan McHugh

entered the final round of the East Cost Logistics Crispy Memorial Sprintcar Series just twelve

points ahead of Andrew Scheuerle, and while Scheuerle had a brilliant night to significantly close

the gap to McHugh on the points ladder, McHugh did just enough to secure the series

championship. The Sprintcar Rookie, who turned eighteen on Friday, managed to win the East

Cost Logistics Crispy Memorial Sprintcar Series by just two points, with Andrew Scheuerle

officially second in the series.

Qualifying got underway with twenty-seven cars taking to the track to race the clock with

Andrew Scheuerle topping the leader board with an 11.798 second lap. Luke Oldfield was

second quickest around the tight Archerfield Speedway circuit, his 11.805 second lap just seven

thousandths of a second slower than Scheuerle. David Murcott was third quickest with Lachlan

McHugh and Bryan Mann rounding out the fastest five. The top twenty-three cars were

separated by less than nine tenths of a second, but the qualifying runs were not without incident.

Dave Fanning had a fire on board the Q89 racer at the end his qualifying run that saw his night

come to a premature end, while Ben Hilder, who managed to qualifying is position sixteen, took a

wild ride through turn three when he clipped the wall and launched the immaculately presented

Motorguard Motorsport Q95 racer into the air. It was a hard landing and while Ben was able to

walk away from the wreck, with the help of trackside crash crew and medical personnel, he was

later taken to hospital for tests and observations. Reports from the Hilder family this morning

confirm that Ben has suffered some injuries to his back and spent the night in hospital, but in

time is hopeful of a full recovery. Sprintcars Queensland wish Ben all the very best for a speedy

and complete return to health.

Heat one started with Rob Hamilton from pole position and Steven White, in only his second

drive for the season, out of position two. Hamilton got a great start from the front row and led

the field into turn one, but White boldly fought back on the high side as they rounded turn one.

Hamilton had the better run through turn two to finally secure the race lead, while White left the

bottom open for Brent Aprile to slip through. Brent Kratzmann was quick to follow Aprile, and

while White fought back on the top, Kratzmann had secured the advantage by the time the

reached turn three. Andrew Scheuerle slipped underneath White while further back on the field

Anthony Vanderreyden got a little too acquainted with the wall in turn three, before spinning to

a stop in turn one and bringing the race under caution. Brent Aprile had managed to steal the

lead from Hamilton before the stoppage and led the restart with nine laps left to run. Kratzmann

had a big look on the inside of Hamilton when the race resumed, but couldn’t quite get the job

done, soon finding himself under enormous pressure from Andrew Scheuerle. Scheuerle put all

kinds of pressure on Kratzmann, working the highline as the pair raced side-by- side down the

back straight and putting on a great show for the large crowd on the hill. Kratzmann however

fought back hard and refused to surrender the position, and began challenging Hamilton for

second. Unfortunately for Kratzmann he couldn’t quite find his way through, but gave Scheuerle

the opportunity to race around the outside. Steven White tried the race underneath Kratzmann

through turn four, the pair banging wheels as they exited the turn, only for Kratzmann to once

again pull ahead and start to chase down Scheuerle. Scheuerle soon closed in on Hamilton and

started searching for a way around the Q11 racer, with Kratzmann edging closer with every

passing lap. With the white flag in the air Kratzmann made his move, perfectly timing the run to

steal third and leave Scheuerle little time to fight back. Brent Aprile took the win, about a third

of a lap ahead of his nearest rival, with Rob Hamilton doing a truly remarkable job to cross the

line in second. Brent Kratzmann finished third and led Andrew Scheuerle, Steven White, Jayden

Peacock, Kristy Bonsey and Callum Walker across the line. Anthony Vanderreyden did not finish

the event.

Dave Fanning was scheduled to start heat two from pole position, with Ben Atkinson elevated to

the front row in his absence. Atkinson now started alongside Richard Morgan, with Bryan Mann

and Mark Pholi close behind. Atkinson got a great start and while Morgan tried to go with him

on the high side it was Atkinson who led the field out of the first corner. Luke Oldfield had a

brilliant run on the high side after starting from position six, racing spectacularly around Bryan

Mann and Mark Pholi in the first two corners before challenging Morgan for second when the

race was just half a lap old. The battle between Oldfield and Morgan was just starting to heat up

when Morgan retired from the race with mechanical issues on board the striking Q54 racer.

Mann chased Pholi, but Pholi soon pulled away as he worked on closing the gap to Oldfield, while

at the tail of the field James Grady and Brett Minett had a great race between themselves. Race

leader Atkinson started blowing a lot a smoke, his car speed dropping off enough to allow

Oldfield to not only close the gap but to challenge for the lead with just a couple of laps left to

run. Oldfield searched high and low for a way past but Ben Atkinson hung on to take the win.

Luke Oldfield finished second ahead of Mark Pholi, Bryan Mann, Scott Doyle, James Grady and

Brett Minett. Richard Morgan did not finish the event.

Dave Whell and Peter Milnes shared the front row for the start of heat three, with Brad Ayers

and Kevin Titman from the second row. Whell got a great start and quickly shot into the race

lead, but Kevin Titman was quick to dive straight between Ayers and Milnes as they raced three

wide down the main straight. Milnes and Titman entered turn one ahead of Ayers, with Milnes

on the high side and a fraction ahead of Titman. David Murcott and Lachlan McHugh, who hard

started alongside each other on the third row of the starting grid, were making impressive

progress through the field, with Murcott leading the way and McHugh right on his tail tank. The

pair raced around Ayers through turns one and two, before trying to run underneath Titman as

they navigated turns three and four. Titman however was determined and fought back hard on

the inside of Murcott, managing to get his nose a faction back in front before Murcott powered

around the outside to secure the advantage. With Titman focused on his battle with Murcott, he

left the bottom wide open for McHugh, who needed no invitation to stick his nose underneath

Titman as they raced side-by- side down the back straight. McHugh was in front in turn three,

but Titman got tremendous drive on the high side of turn four, regaining his position and setting

out after Murcott. Meanwhile Murcott was searching for a way past Milnes, working the high

line beautifully until a small mistake in turn two allowed both Titman and McHugh to slip

through. Murcott quickly set about making up lost ground, while Titman almost spun the Q59

coming out of turn four a few laps later and surrendered several positions. McHugh closed in on

Milnes and began looking for an inside passing opportunity, careful to give both himself and his

opposition ample racing room, but got a little too out of shape in turn four and looped the NQ23

racer with a little over a lap to go. Dave Whell did a remarkable job out in front to take the win

with Peter Milnes withstanding all kinds of pressure to cross the line in second. David Murcott

finished third and led Brad Ayers, Kevin Titman, Lachlan McHugh, Darren Silcock and Dale

Shilleto across the line.

Heat four started with Jayden Peacock and Peter Milnes from the front row with Peacock getting

a great start and leading the field into turn one. Milnes immediately fought back hard on the

high side, while Brent Kratzmann, who started from position three, was looking for a way

through on the low line. Milnes managed to get ahead of Peacock but got too sideways coming

out of turn two, spinning down track towards the infield, directly in front of both Peacock and

Kratzmann. While Milnes mounted the inside curb and completed a 360-degree spin before

rejoining the race at the rear of the field, the battle for the lead was really heating up. Peacock

had the lead with Kratzmann pushing hard on the inside as they raced down the back straight

and into turn three, with Kratzmann sliding underneath Peacock to momentarily snare the race

lead. Peacock, now with Lachlan McHugh on his tail, fought back hard to regain his lead, only for

Kratzmann to power around the outside in turns one and two to take control of the race.

Peacock was left to defend his position in second, though Luke Oldfield and Lachlan McHugh

were busy negotiating over third and fourth. McHugh, on the high side, and Oldfield, on the

bottom, raced side-by- side down the main straight and into turn one, before skillfully running

either side of Peacock as he spun the Q77 racer mid-track. Lachlan McHugh led the restart, with

Brent Kratzmann, who had been penalized one position for passing on the infield when he

initially stole the lead, in second and Luke Oldfield in third with eight laps left to run. McHugh

got a brilliant start, quickly opening a comfortable margin over his rivals while Kratzmann and

Oldfield put on a spectacular show as they argued over second. Kratzmann was smooth and

consistent and while Oldfield was relentless in his efforts to find a way past, Kratzmann was able

to pull away slightly and create a small margin over his rival, while further back in the field

Kristy Bonsey was having a great run and was soon having a big look up the inside of Peter

Milnes as she tried to steal his position. Back at the front of the field and McHugh was nearly half

a lap ahead of Kratzmann and Oldfield, with Oldfield seeming to find something extra in the Q36

racer and quickly closed the gap to Kratzmann before running around the outside to steal second

with a lap and a half left to run. Kratzmann immediately stepped up his game and was all over

the back of Oldfield searching high and low for a way through but couldn’t quite make it happen

before the fall of the chequered flag. Lachlan McHugh took the win ahead of Luke Oldfield, Brent

Kratzmann, Darren Silcock, Peter Milnes, Kristy Bonsey and Jayden Peacock. Mark Pholi did not

finish the event, a mechanical issue on board the Q14 racer brought his race, and his night, to a

very premature end.

Heat five started with Scott Doyle from pole position with Dave Whell alongside. The pair raced

wheel-to- wheel down the main straight with Doyle settling into the race lead by the time they

reached turn one. Ben Atkinson took to the high line and quickly raced around Whell, while

Andrew Scheuerle was quick to see how quick the high line could be and swiftly followed

Atkinson on the top. Scheuerle raced around Brad Ayers and was working on making his way in

front of Whell, all the while Whell was trying to regain his position from Atkinson. Ayers had a

brilliant run on the bottom through turn four, slipping underneath Scheuerle and leading him

into turn one, while Whell raced up the inside of Atkinson only for Atkinson to quickly fight back

on the high line. Scheuerle had once again committed to the high line and found a way back past

Ayers, and though Ayers did not surrender without a fight, Bryan Mann soon joined the battle

and Ayers was forced on the defensive as he tried valiantly to keep Mann behind him. The pair

exchanged positions a couple of times, while Scheuerle finally found a way past Whell.

Meanwhile Atkinson stole the lead from Doyle running the outside in turn two, before spinning

to a stop in turn four and bringing the race under caution. Doyle led the restart from Whell,

Scheuerle, Mann and Ayers with seven thrilling laps left to run. Doyle got a great start and

quickly opened a small lead, though with Scheuerle on a mission to get to the front it was short-

lived. Scheuerle took to the high line to race around Whell in turn two and by the time he and

Doyle hit turn three Scheuerle was committed to the high line and challenging for the lead. The

pair raced side-by- side through turns three and four, and half way down the main straight,

before Scheuerle emerged in front and took control of the race, desperate to earn his position in

the up-coming Dash event. Bryan Mann seemingly effortlessly switched between the high line

and the low as he searched for the right opportunity to get past Dave Whell, eventually racing

around the outside as they headed down the back straight. Mann set his sights on Doyle and just

half a lap after getting around Whell, Mann managed to race around Doyle and move into second.

Brad Ayers had a brilliant run on the bottom, successfully challenging Whell for position, slipping

through on the inside of turn four, but there was no stopping Andrew Scheuerle out in front as

he went on to take the win. Bryan Mann crossed the line in second ahead of Scott Doyle, Brad

Ayers, Ben Atkinson, Dave Whell, Brett Minett and James Grady.

The sixth heat of the night, and final heat of the season, started with Rob Hamilton and Steven

White again sharing the front row. Hamilton got a brilliant start and quickly settled into the race

lead with White in second and starting to search for a way into the lead. Hamilton and White

immediately began pulling a way from the rest of the field, while Kevin Titman raced up the

inside of Callum Walker, whilst simultaneously trying to keep David Murcott behind him. Titman

then raced up the inside of White to steal second just as the race was brought under caution for

Callum Walker who had come to a stop in the middle of turn four after contact with Brent Aprile.

Hamilton led the restart from White and Titman with nine laps left to run, with Hamilton really

nailing the start and quickly opening a small lead over White and Titman. White soon managed

to open a small margin over Titman, while Titman tried to defend his position from both Brent

Aprile and David Murcott. In the end both Aprile and Murcott found their way through, and each

began working on slowly closing the gap to White in second but were unable to get close enough

to make a move before the fall of the chequered flag. Rob Hamilton went on to take the win,

earning his position in the Dash event, with Steven White across the line in second ahead of

Brent Aprile and David Murcott. Kevin Titman finished fifth and led Callum Walker, Anthony

Vanderreyden and Dale Shilleto across the line.

Andrew Scheuerle, Luke Oldfield, David Murcott, Lachlan McHugh, Brent Aprile, Ben Atkinson,

Rob Hamilton and Dave Whell rolled onto the track to contest the Dash event. Scheuerle, as

highest point scorer for the night, drew a random marble to determine the inversion for the start

of the Dash event. While Scheuerle has previously had a knack for drawing one and starting the

field in qualifying order, last night he drew eight to invert the entire eight car field, leaving Dave

Whell and Rob Hamilton from the front row for the six-lap affair. Whell got the best start,

quickly securing the lead with Hamilton settling into second and Aprile and Atkinson arguing

over third. As Aprile and Atkinson exchanged positions several times, Murcott searched high

and low for a way past, eventually getting past Aprile when he made a small error in turn two

that cost him several positions. Meanwhile at the front of the field Hamilton set up for a bold

challenge for the race lead and took to the highline searching for a way around Whell and into

the race lead. Looking exceptionally comfortable in the Q11 racer, Hamilton was committed to

the high line and raced around the outside of Whell as they came out of turn four and powered

down the main straight, stealing the lead and taking control of the race. Hamilton began to pull

away from the field, building a margin of several car lengths in just half a lap, with Whell,

Atkinson and Murcott trying to keep up. Unfortunately Hamilton got a little too sideways in turn

four and looped the Q11 racer, completing two complete 360-degree spins mid-track before

straightening the car and rejoining the race. Officials had however already brought the race

under caution and Hamilton took to the restart from the rear of the field. Whell led the restart

from Atkinson and Murcott, and while Murcott put all kinds of pressure on the back of Atkinson

as he challenged for second, Murcott was soon forced on the defensive as young Lachlan McHugh

began looking for his way through. Murcott raced under Whell in turn two, with McHugh going

around the outside half a lap later and Luke Oldfield following soon after. Ben Atkinson took the

win, earning pole position for the start of the 30-lap A-Main event, with David Murcott officially

second and set to share the front row for the start of the feature. Lachlan McHugh finished third

and led Luke Oldfield, Andrew Scheuerle, Brent Aprile, Rob Hamilton and David Whell across the

line.

Nine cars lined up for the start of the B-Main event, to be contested over twelve laps, with only

the top four finishers to transfer to the back of the A-Main field. Peter Milnes and Scott Doyle led

the field to the green, with the pair racing side-by- side into the first corner. Milnes had the lead

but Doyle wasn’t giving up without a fight and committed to the high line as he challenged for the

lead. It took a couple of laps but eventually Doyle was able to make the high side work for him

and he was able to race around the outside of Milnes in turn two to take control of the race.

Jayden Peacock was having a great run, carefully maneuvering his way into a transfer position,

while Brett Minett, in only his second race meeting in a Sprintcar, was sitting very comfortably in

third. The race was however brought under caution for the stopped car of Darren Silcock in turn

four. Doyle led the restart but Milnes dived underneath the Q43 racer in the first corner of the

restart to steal the lead back, just as Peacock raced underneath Minett and Dale Shilleto began

climbing his way through the field. Shilleto was having a brilliant run through the field, working

the high line and having a great battle with Peacock, but things turned sour when he ran a little

too high in turn three, slammed the wall, and tore the front right wheel from the car. Shilleto

was obviously unable to restart the event with just two laps left to run. Milnes led the restart

from Doyle, Peacock and Minett but it was battle between Minett and Anthony Vanderreyden,

over the final transfer position that had everyone captivated. Vanderreyden held nothing back

but Minett was determined and remained focused, hitting his marks and withstanding the

pressure of his more experience rival. Peter Milnes went on to take the win with Jayden Peacock

in second and Scott Doyle in third. Brett Minett crossed the line in fourth, securing the final

transfer to the A-Main, and his first A-main start, with Anthony Vanderreyden, Darren Silcock,

Kristy Bonsey and James Grady rounding out the finishers. Dale Shilleto did not finish the event.

Ben Atkinson and David Murcott led the field of eighteen starters around to take the green at the

start of the 30-lap A-Main event, with Lachlan McHugh and Luke Oldfield close behind. Murcott

quickly secured the lead while Oldfield made short work of displacing Atkinson from second to

secure the position for himself. Kevin Titman was working the high line trying to find a way

closer to the front, while Lachlan McHugh set his sights on another podium finish. Jayden

Peacock and Brett Minett both began to climb their way through the field, while Brent

Kratzmann worked the low line as he edged his way closer to the front. The race was soon

brought under caution when Rob Hamilton spun to a stop low on the track coming out of turn

four.

David Murcott led the restart from Lachlan McHugh and Luke Oldfield with Brent Aprile and

Andrew Scheuerle close behind. Steven White, who had lost ground during the first third of the

race, started to climb his way slowly back through the field, while Brent Kratzmann and Kevin

Titman battled for a couple of laps before Kratzmann managed to pull ahead and put a couple of

cars between them as he moved closer to the front. Jayden Peacock had a very impressive run,

making great progress as he quietly navigated his way past several cars to be the lead car in

battle with Brad Ayers, David Whell and Bryan Mann, all while keeping an eye on trying to close

the gap to Kratzmann ahead of them. Kratzmann was closing in on Atkinson and Aprile, while

Ayers and Whell found a way back past Peacock, and White started putting pressure on the back

of Titman. White soon found his way underneath Titman as they came out of turn two, and

managed to get past Peacock in the same spot on the following lap before setting his sights on

Doyle, who in turn was closing in fast on Dave Whell. White had a big look underneath Doyle but

could not quite get the job done, with Doyle then swiftly racing past Whell and leaving Whell and

White to argue over the minor places. David Murcott went on to take the win with Andrew

Scheuerle a strong second ahead of Luke Oldfield in third. Lachlan McHugh crossed the line

fourth and led Ben Atkinson, Brent Aprile, Brent Kratzmann, Brad Ayers and Bryan Mann across

the line. Scott Doyle rounded out the top ten with Dave Whell, Steven White, Jayden Peacock,

Brett Minett, Kevin Titman and Peter Milnes also completing the race. Rob Hamilton and Callum

Walker did not finish the event.

Lachlan McHugh took the overall series win in the east Coast Logistics Crispy Memorial Sprintcar

Series, securing the championship by just two points with Andrew Scheuerle, who has won

almost everything else season, in second. And that ladies and gentleman, wraps up the 2015-

2016 race season for all of us at Sprintcars Queensland. It has been a truly spectacular race

season with plenty of highs (and lows), and one that will long be remembered. Our end of

season presentation dinner is in a couple of weeks and the teams will have just a few short

months to prepare for a bumper 2016-2017 season, with the new season kicking off in mid

September 2016. Enjoy your winter break and see you trackside in September!