With the temperature starting to drop and the season almost over, twenty-four Sprintcars turned up at Brisbane International Speedway to contest Round 11 of the Queensland Speedway Spares Sprintcar Series. Round nine was officially abandoned after two consecutive rain-outs, and when Allan Woods took the win at the end of last nights feature race, he made the ninth different round winner of the ten completed rounds. Woods got the jump on the start, with A-Main pole-sitter Todd Wanless slipping into second. Wanless pushed Woods for most of the race, but Woods was determined to get a win on the board, taking the win from Wanless with Andrew Scheuerle in third ahead of Richard Morgan and Peter Thorley.

Richard Morgan looked like he was going to have a tough night, his car refusing to run right during engine starts. Fortunately for Morgan, after a bit of investigation he and his crew were able to sort out the issues and get down to the task of trying to gain a few extra points on series leader Peter Thorley. Heading into last night’s competition Thorley lead the series, with Morgan in second and Peter Lack in third. Peter Lack’s job got a whole lot harder when he inverted the #58 racer in turn three during qualifying. Unfortunately for Lack was unable to continue his qualifying session and failed to record a time. Having earned no qualifying points, Peter hit the track for the heats and started from the rear of the field.

Peter Thorley topped the qualifying order, recording the only 11-second lap of the 24 contenders (an 11.950), with Todd Wanless, Andrew Scheuerle, Richard Morgan and Kevin Titman rounding out the fastest five. Allan Woods was sixth quickest but it was seventh quickest, Des Collier, who surprised a lot of people. Des hasn’t had much track time this season, and only made sporadic appearances in recent years, but in the past few race meetings has shown considerable improvement in both speed and driver ability and certainly one to keep your eye on.

Heat one saw Craig Stevenson and Tim Garrett share the front row of the starting line up and when the lights went green the pair raced down the main straight, neither wanting to settle for second. It was Garrett who secured the race lead, running around the highline through turns one and two, but it was the chaos unfolding behind the leading pair that brought the race to a stop. Mark Pholi and Kevin Titman, who shared the third row on the start, came together as they exited turn four for the start, leaving Peter Thorley, who had started directly behind Titman, with nowhere to go. Thorley ran into the back end of Pholi and inverted the #51 Tyrepower racer before even crossing the white line. Both Titman and Pholi were out of the race with damaged front ends, while Thorley restarted the race with a badly damaged main wing and a deflated left front tyre. Thorley started at the rear of the field in an attempt to finish the race and gain some valuable points, an opportunity he could ill-afford to pass up, and battled with his broken car for ten-laps. Tim Garrett once again got the jump on the start, with Craig Stevenson settling into second, while Richard Morgan started to make his move from further back in the field. Sticking mostly to the highline Richard found a groove that seemed to work and before long ran around the outside of Brett Thomas to secure fourth. Paul Rooks, sitting in third, put the pressure on Craig Stevenson in second, and was attempting a big passing move when he spun the #64 racer in turn two and brought out the yellows. During the stoppage officials called race leader Garrett to a stop so they could investigate a flame onboard the #31 Brisbane Foundry racer. Garrett was restarted and took his place at the front of the field, but pulled infield before the restart, his feet covered in oil. Meanwhile Brett Thomas was having his own issues, slowing to a stop on the main straight and nearly causing a six car nose-to-tail. Thomas, having run out of fuel, with a possible fuel up-take issue in the #89 racer, did not take to the restart. With Garrett out of the race, Craig Stevenson inherited the race lead with Richard Morgan now up to second with six laps to go. Stevenson ran a strong race, while Morgan searched for a way past, knowing full well that his two closest competitors in the Series were having a rough start to the night and wanting to capitalise on the slight advantage he now found himself with. With the white flag in the air and Stevenson still leading Morgan had one last look coming out of the final corner. With only the length of the main straight to go, Morgan found a little extra horsepower and raced past Stevenson to steal the win by a tiny 0.207 seconds. Craig Stevenson finished second ahead of Melissa Boyes, Peter Lack, Gary Finglas, Paul Rooks, Matt Butler and Peter Thorley. Tim Garrett, Brett Thomas, Kevin Titman and Mark Pholi all failed to finish the event.

Heat two saw Dan Murray get the jump on the start, but it was the mid-field battle that brought out the red lights. Heading through turn two Adrian O’Connell bounced through a rut and contact between O’Connell’s left front and Brent Kratzmann’s right rear propelled Kratzmann’s #77 racer into the wall. The #77 racer got airborne and came crashing back down on the track and in all the chaos Des Collier was left with nowhere to go. Collier hit the brakes and slowed as much as he could, but couldn’t stop before making contact with the upturned Kratzmann car. Kratzmann was unfortunately out of the race but both O’Connell and Collier were able to take to the restart. This time it was Murray Gibson who got the jump on the start, with Dan Murray settling into second. Andrew Scheuerle, who, with Kratzmann out of the race and Collier at the rear of the field, took to the restart from position three. Scheuerle made short work of running around the outside of Murray to secure second and chase after race leader Gibson. Scheuerle gained the race lead when Gibson had a moment coming out of turn two and headed towards the infield, recovering and rejoining the race, but loosing several positions. Meanwhile further back in the field Des Collier and Paul Morris came together heading down the main straight, Morris coming to a stop in turn one, Collier spinning to a stop coming out of turn two. Morris restarted the event but Collier spent the remaining three laps on the infield. Andrew Scheuerle went on to take the win from Allan Woods, while Todd Wanless made a last second attempt to get past Dan Murray and secure third. Wanless and Murray drag raced across the line, Wanless stealing third place by a tiny 0.057 seconds. Dan Murray finished fourth ahead of Adrian O’Connell, Murray Gibson, Steven Wright, Paul Morris and Steven Johnson. Des Collier, Tasmanian Terrance Kirkpatrick and Brent Kratzmann all failed to finish the event.

Tim Garrett got the jump on the start of heat three, with Paul Rooks settling into second and putting the pressure on. Two laps in and the race was brought under caution for Melissa Boyes who had come to a stop against the turn two wall, with sufficient damage to her front end that would see her take no further part in the heat. Tim Garrett led the restart from Paul Rooks and Dan Murray but after only one lap the race was stopped once more. This time Kevin Titman and Peter Thorley came together, with Andrew Scheuerle also involved, inverting the #25 Ausdeck racer. Thorley and Titman were able to continue the race, but Scheuerle was unable to restart. Tim Garrett led the restart from Dan Murray and Kevin Titman, with Paul Rooks relegated to fourth after hitting the cone on the previous restart. Garrett went on the take the win, with Dan Murray in second and Kevin Titman third. Paul Rooks was fourth across the line ahead of Peter Lack, Peter Thorley, Steven Johnson, Des Collier and Paul Morris. Andrew Scheuerle and Melissa Boyes did not finish the race.

Murray Gibson led the start of heat four, with Craig Stevenson settling into second. Todd Wanless was moving his way through the field, clearly determined to get to the front. Four laps in the yellow lights were brought out for Terrence Kirkpatrick who had stooped on the edge of the track in turn three, a fire on board the T67 racer. He did not restart the race. Murray Gibson led the restart, from Craig Stevenson, but it was Todd Wanless on the outside who stole the show. In fifth on the restart he had moved up in to third by midway through turn two, blasting around the outside of both Mark Pholi and Adrian O’Connell. By the end of the lap Todd was attempting a pass on Craig Stevenson, not quite getting it done, though it wasn’t long before Wanless moved in to second and set out after race leader Gibson. Wanless wasted no time and quickly worked his way into the race lead in time to greet the chequered flag first ahead of Murray Gibson, Craig Stevenson, Adrian O’Connell, Mark Pholi, Allan Woods, Richard Morgan, Gary Finglas, Matt Butler, Brett Thomas and Steven Wright. Terrence Kirkpatrick was the only non-finisher.

Kevin Titman almost didn’t make it trackside for the Dash event, the team working frantically trying to put a new rear end in the #59 racer, and while he missed the pre-dash hotlaps, he made it in time for the six-lap dash. Allan woods got the jump on the start, from pole position, but it was Todd Wanless from position two who seemed to have the advantage and he went around the outside of Woods in turn two. Todd Wanless went on to take the race win and earn himself pole position for the A-Main event, with Allan Woods in second ahead of Andrew Scheuerle, Richard Morgan, Peter Thorley and Kevin Titman.

Cousins Tim Garrett and Des Collier shared the front row of the B-Main, with Garrett getting the jump on the start and leading the opening laps of the race. Collier however was not about to let his cousin get away with an easy win and put the pressure on, eventually slipping around the outside of the #31 racer and securing the lead for himself. Peter Lack was on the move, desperate to make the transfer to the A-Main, and had moved up into third behind Garrett after only a few laps. Lack was searching for a way around Garrett, chased him hard for several laps, and was attempting a big outside pass through turn two when things nearly went horribly wrong for Lack. Peter hit one of the large ruts in turn two, bounced every-which-way and nearly rolled the #58 through the turn. Somehow he managed to keep the car on four wheels, and only lost one position on the track. Running in fourth, Lack knew he would have hold on if he wanted to transfer to the A-Main. Des Collier went on to take the win from Tim Garrett and Matt Butler with Peter Lack home in fourth and securing the final transfer to the A-Main. Paul Morris was next across the line with Gary Finglas, Melissa Boyes, Brett Thomas, Steven Wright, Steven Johnson and Terrence Kirkpatrick rounding out the finishers.

Allan Woods got the jump on the start of the 25-lap feature race, with Wanless forced to settle for second. Wanless stayed close to Woods, occasionally putting up a hard fight for the lead, but ultimately had nothing for a very determined Woods. Peter Lack and Tim Garrett were both working their way forward, but the race was brought under caution eleven laps in so officials could remove debris from the track in turn one. The debris was in fact the rear crash bar from around the tail tank of the #59 racer of Kevin Titman. Unfortunately for Titman the officials deemed his now completely unprotected tail tank to be too dangerous, a potential fire hazard should he be hit from behind, and pulled him out of the race. Peter Lack came on strong early in the race, seemed to struggle a little mid-race and faded a little again before coming on strong in the final few laps. Allan Woods went on to take a well-deserved win, With Todd Wanless in second and Andrew Scheuerle filling the final spot on the podium. Richard Morgan was fourth ahead of Peter Thorley, Dan Murray, Matt Butler, Craig Stevenson, Peter Lack, Tim Garrett, Adrian O’Connell, Des Collier, and Mark Pholi. Paul Rooks, Kevin Titman and Murray Gibson did not finish the race.

Only one round remains in the Queensland Speedway Spares Sprintcar Series, and it will go down to wire. Peter Thorley, Richard Morgan and Peter Lack will race for Championship honours, while every other driver and team in contention will be trying to get enough points to move just that little bit closer to the top of the points ladder. With ten rounds in the bag and already nine different round winners – McFadden (x2), Murcott, Madsen, Mann, Wanless, Morgan, Muir, Reidy and now Woods – it will be interesting to see if we can add one more name to the list. Current series leader Peter Thorley is yet to get a round win to his name, as is third placed Peter Lack. In fact, Richard Morgan, Todd Wanless, Allan Woods and David Muir are the only drivers in the top 10 in the series to have a round win under their belt, and each only having one apiece proving once again just how important it is to be consistent. It’s a far cry from the way the series panned out six years ago – Darrell Hodges won six of the ten rounds in the series then known as the Comp Cams Sprintcar series and was so far in front of the rest of the series competitors that he could have not shown up for the final round and still won easily. This years series, as has been the case for the previous few years, will come down to the final race so make sure you get yourself out to Brisbane International Speedway in a fortnight – Saturday 05 June 2010 – and see it for yourself!

In the meantime, Sprintcars Queensland would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Queensland representatives contesting the Australian Sprintcar Title in Darwin next weekend the very best of luck for a safe and successful trip.