Christmas has been and gone for another year but the festive season race schedule is just beginning. We have two very busy weeks of racing coming up, with the Summer of Speed starting last night at AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway for Round Seven of the SuperCheap Auto Sprintcar Track Championship. The night also doubled as Night One of the USA Sprintcars at the venue with Americans Sonny Schatz, Brent Kaeding and Davey Heskin joining a host of local talent for a thrilling night of racing action. The Americans were certainly the stars of the night, with Schatz taking quick time in qualifying before later winning the A-Main event, while Heskin had a brilliant run to win the Dash and lead the early stages of the A-Main. Schatz took the win at the end of the night, making the eighth winner from eight nights of racing in south-east Queensland this season, with Andrew Scheuerle and Bryan Mann both having brilliant drives to round out the podium. Brent Kaeding also had a great run, at one stage a very strong second, but drag raced Mick Sauer across the line beating him to fourth by just 0.097 seconds. Sauer had perhaps one of his best ever runs in a Sprintcar and crossed the line in a very impressive fifth.

Qualifying got underway and Donny Schatz got his first night of competition in his Australian trip off to the best possible start, setting quick time with a 12.151 second lap. Bryan Mann was second quickest with a 12.329 second lap, ahead of Davey Heskin with a 12.354 in his first run on the tight Brisbane circuit. Mark Pholi and Kevin Titman rounded out the fastest five. Ben Hilder and Brent Kratzmann, just outside the top five, were separated by just 0.004 seconds while further back in the field Brent Kaeding beat Dave Fanning by just three thousandths of a second and Darren Silcock beat David Whell by the same tiny margin. Paul Morris and Steven Johnson both recorded identical fastest laps, both stopping the clock at 12.726 seconds. The top 21 cars, of 32 qualifiers, were separated by less than one second.

Heat one started with Anthony Vanderreyden and Andrew Liebke from the front row with Liebke getting the jump when the lights went green. As Liebke settled into the race lead Steven Johnson, from position four, challenged Vanderreyden for second. Johnson managed to secure second by the end of the first lap with a strong run on the low line while Vanderreyden stole the position back half a lap later. Johnson again took to the low line to slide straight back underneath Vanderreyden in turn two before starting to pull away ever so slightly. Meanwhile Paul Morris was having a great run in Q67 SuperCheap Auto racer and Donny Schatz was beginning to make his way forward, slipping straight between Morris and Dan Murray as they went three-wide through turn three. Vanderreyden was next in line and Schatz had one look on the low line before switching to the high side to get the job done. Morris and Vanderreyden continued to argue over position, with Brent Kratzmann and Dan Murray soon joining the battle. Morris managed to pull ahead but it was hard to tear your eyes from Vanderreyden, Murray and Kratzmann. Murray had a brief look on the inside of Vanderreyden before changing tactics to attack on the high line. Kratzmann was still looking on the low line but the race was brought to a stop when Vanderreydens’s right rear wheel climbed over the front end of the Murray car. Murray spun as a result of the contact and inverted the Q44 racer in turn three. Murray was unscathed in the incident and was even able to restart the event. Steven Johnson, who had been in second at the time of the incident had a fire on board the Q27 racer during the stoppage and was unable to restart the race. Andrew Liebke led the restart but with four laps to run and Donny Schatz now right on his tail the stoppage was the last thing he needed. Liebke drove well but there was no stopping Schatz and after spending a lap behind Liebke Schatz made his move, effortlessly slipping by on the bottom as they rounded turn four. Paul Morris really put the pressure on Andrew Leibke for the remaining laps of the race but couldn’t quite get the job done. Donny Schatz went on to take the win ahead of Andrew Liebke, Paul Morris, Brent Kratzmann, Brandon Rawlings, Anthony Vanderreyden, Ben Hilder, James Grady, Stephen Greer and Dan Murray. Steven Johnson did not finish the event.

Brad Ayers and Tasmanian Callum Zizek shared the front row for the start of heat two with Ayers getting the jump on the start and Zizek settling into second. Brock dean had a great drive in the opening corners, running the highline initially before quickly switching to the low to get past David Whell on the back straight. Whell was left to battle with a very hard charging Luke Oldfield. When Whell made a small mistake exiting turn three Oldfield quickly slipped though on the low line, with Bryan Mann quick to follow. Whell recovered and got a brilliant run out of turn four, running the highline with Andrew Scheuerle on the bottom. Whell and Scheuerle both found significant car speed coming off the corner and went either side of Bryan Mann as the trio raced down the main straight. Luke Oldfield was on a mission and systematically worked his way past each of the competitors in front, while Whell, Scheuerle, Mann and Kevin Titman put on a thrilling show mid-field. Luke Oldfield went on to take the win ahead of Brad Ayers, Brock Dean, Andrew Scheuerle, Callum Zizek and David Whell. Bryan Mann and Kevin Titman raced side-by-side across the line, with Mann securing seventh by just 0.030 seconds. Titman, Melissa Boyes, Anthony Lambert and Scott Johnston rounded out the finishers.

Jason Bottin and Dan Moes shared the front row for the start of the third heat with Bottin getting the initial jump when the green flag flew. Moes was brilliant on the highline as the leading pair rounded turn two, with Moes managing to secure the lead with the race less than half a lap old. Bottin sat in second while behind him Brent Kaeding was on the move, weaving his way between Mick Sauer on the top and Darren Silcock on the bottom. Davey Heskin, driving for Brodie Tulloch for the next few weeks, quickly settled into the car and the tight Brisbane track, and began working the highline as he inched his way closer to the front. The race was however brought under caution when Jason Bottin spun to a stop in turn one, with Dave Fanning barely able to squeeze his way through between Bottin and the wall. Dan Moes led the restart with Brent Kaeding right on his tail and Mick Sauer, Mark Pholi and Davey Heskin close behind. Moes led the first lap of the restart but with a persistent and determined Kaeding on his tail there was little he could so to stop Kaeding coming through. Kaeding stole the lead a lap after the green and didn’t look back, with Moes and Sauer only a couple of car lengths behind. Mark Pholi and Davey Heskin stole the show, putting on a great race for the large crowd on the hill. Heskin was relentless and despite fading back a couple of car lengths mid-race, was right back on Pholi’s tail by the end of the race. Pholi ran a faultless race to beat Heskin to the line. Brent Kaeding took the win ahead of Dan Moes, Mick Sauer, Mark Pholi, Davey Heskin, Dave Fanning, Darren Silcock, Kristy Bonsey, Jason Bottin and Mike Walsh.

Heat four saw Jason Bottin and David Whell share the front row for the start, with Whell getting the jump when the green flag flew. Bottin settled into second with Brock Dean a comfortable third, but it was the battle raging behind them that commanded attention. Luke Oldfield was running the high line, Donny Schatz calmly trying to find the best and quickest way through the competition, and Dave Fanning having a brilliant run in the immaculately presented Q89 racer. The race was brought under caution when Darren Silcock and Luke Oldfield came together on the main straight and spun to a stop in turn one. Both restarted at the rear of the field as Whell and Bottin led the field to the restart. Mid-field Brent Kratzmann had a breath-taking drive, racing underneath Dave Fanning and Jason Bottin less than a lap into the restart. Fanning however was not going to give up without a fight and slipped underneath Bottin before really putting the pressure on Kratzmann. Fanning eventually managed to slip underneath Kratzmann as they headed down the back straight, with Donny Schatz, who had quietly worked his way from the rear of the field, quick to follow. With Schatz gradually closing in, Fanning caught the tail of Brock Dean but was unable to hold Schatz at bay. Schatz slipped past Fanning and spent a couple of laps working on a way past Dean when the race was brought under caution once more, this time for the spun cars of Brandon Rawlings and Darren Silcock in turn one. With three laps to go David Whell led the restart with Brock Dean and Donny Schatz right behind him. Dean had a great run in second and managed to hold Schatz off for a lap but Schatz was on a mission to get to the front. David Whell drove a truly spectacular race, doing a magnificent job out in front despite enormous pressure from Schatz. David Whell went on to take the win ahead of Donny Schatz, Brent Kratzmann, Brock Dean, Luke Oldfield, Dave Fanning, Anthony Lambert, Jason Bottin, Stephen Greer and Darren Silcock. Brandon Rawlings did not finish the race.

Dan Murray and Callum Zizek shared the front row for the start of heat five, with Murray getting the initial jump and securing the race lead. Zizek was quick to challenge, stealing the lead briefly before Murray stole his position back to regain the lead. Andrew Scheuerle was in magnificent form on the high side of the race track, challenging Paul Morris for position only be get caught behind another car. Scheuerle only had to wait another half lap before the right opportunity presented itself and he swiftly took advantage of a small mistake by Morris and then set out after Brad Ayers. Brent Kaeding and Davey Heskin were both trying to work their way forward after starting at the rear of the field, with Kaeding this time having more luck than Heskin. In the closing stages of the race all attention turned to race leader Dan Murray and the very determined and hard-charging Andrew Scheuerle. Scheuerle held nothing back, searching high and low for a way around Murray but there was too little time and Murray ran a mistake-free race. Dan Murray took the chequered flag first, before spinning to a stop in turn one, with Andrew Scheuerle across the line in second and leading Callum Zizek, Brent Kaeding, Mick Sauer, Paul Morris, Davey Heskin, Brad Ayers, Mike Walsh, Kristy Bonsey and Scott Johnston across the line.

Heat six was an action-packed affair that started with Anthony Vanderreyden and Steven Johnson from the front row. Johnson got the jump on the start and quickly settled into the race lead with Vanderreyden and Andrew Liebke close behind. But it was all eyes on Bryan Mann who simply took to the low line, after starting from position seven, and made his way into third by the end of the second corner of the race. It was a brilliant yet simple move that paid dividends for Mann, while Dan Moes and Ben Hilder began to work their way forward and Kevin Titman battled with Andrew Liebke. The race was soon brought to a stop so Mark Pholi could try to limp his race car with a broken front end off the racing surface. Steven Johnson led the restart with Anthony Vanderreyden close behind and Bryan Mann hot on his heels. Ben Hilder was on the move but contact with Kevin Titman in turn two saw Titman loose a lot of ground before rejoining the race. Bryan Mann and Dan Moes put the pressure on Anthony Vanderreyden, eventually getting past when Vanderreyden made a mistake in turn two, leaving Andrew Liebke and Kevin Titman to try to find a way past Vanderreyden. Titman slipped under Liebke and spent the next couple of laps searching for a way past Vanderreyden. Titman did eventually manage to slip underneath the Q72 racer as they raced down the back straight, with slight contact between the pair giving Libke the chance to slip through. Liebke tried hard but a couldn’t quite get the job done and eventually lost a place to Melissa Boyes before the fall of the chequered flag. Steven Johnson went on to take the win ahead of Bryan Mann, Dan Moes, Ben Hilder, Kevin Titman, Melissa Boyes, Anthony Vanderreyden, Andrew Liebke and James Grady. Mark Pholi did not finish the race.

The top six qualifiers at the end of the heats hit the track for the six-lap dash event. Donny Schatz had been highest on points heading into the Dash but drew fourth in the Pre-Dash draw. Davey Heskin and Brent Kaeding started the Dash alongside each other on the front row with Brent Kratzmann and Donny Schatz from the second row and Bryan Mann and Andrew Scheuerle making up the rear. Heskin got a brilliant start in the U74 racer, with Kaeding settling into second and Donny Schatz quickly making his way into third. Six car race, with three Americans and three Australians, quickly became two three-car match races taking place at the same time, with the trio of Americans leading the way and arguing over position, and the three Australians putting on a spectacular show of their own at the rear of the small field. Schatz and Kaeding had a great race, with Schatz persistent on the highline to eventually steal second and put all kinds of pressure on Heskin. Davey Heskin managed to hang on to take the win, declining the Kratzmann Challenge and hence start the A-Main from pole position. Donny Schatz finished second ahead of Brent Kaeding, Andrew Scheuerle, Bryan Mann and Brent Kratzmann.

Some technical difficulties with a partial blackout of track lights as the B-main pushed onto the track delayed the start of the race but once the lights were back on sixteen cars took the green for the start of the 20-lap race. Dave Whell and Dan Moes shared the front row for the start with Steven Johnson and Callum Zizek close behind. Whell got the jump on the start and quickly settled into the race lead with Johnson on the low line managing to secure second ahead of Moes. Behind them contact between Dan Murray and Callum Zizek on the low line entering turn two left Brad Ayers nowhere to go, and started a chain reaction that flowed right through the oncoming field. Ayers spun the NQ11 racer on the bottom of the track while Darren Silcock spun on the highline and Murray and Zizek continued to clash. Anthony Vanderreyden managed to manoeuvre around the outside of Ayers but as Melissa Boyes attempted evasive action there was contact between several cars and Anthony Lambert, Mike Walsh, Stephen Greer and Scott Johnston were all involved. Boyes, Lambert, Greer, Johnston and Silcock all ended up stranded in turn two while everyone else was able to keep the cars moving. The race was promptly shortened to 15-laps with David Whell and Dan Moes to lead the full double-row restart. Whell again got the jump on the start and quickly settled into the race lead, with Dan Moes and Steven Johnson behind and Callum Zizek and Dan Murray fighting over the final transfer position. Zizek and Murray put on a spectacular show for several laps with some very close wheel-to-wheel racing, while further back in the field Kristy Bonsey and Mike Walsh had a great battle for mid-field positions. Zizek and Murray battled for several laps before Murray secured the advantage and started chasing down Steven Johnson. Johnson however had his sights set on Dan Moes and after spending a few laps closing the gap, Johnson quietly ducked underneath Moes in turn one to steal second with Murray following only a quarter of a lap later. Johnson challenged Whell for the race lead but ran out of laps. David Whell won the B-Main event, which ran 15-laps without incident after the initial hick-up, with Steven Johnson in second, Dan Murray in third and Dan Moes across the line in fourth to secure the final transfer to the A-Main. Callum Zizek finished a very respectable fifth and led Jason Bottin, Brad Ayers, Anthony Lambert, Stephen Greer, Melissa Boyes, Anthony Vanderreyden, James Grady, Kristy Bonsey, Mike Walsh, Scott Johnson and Darren Silcock across the line.

The A-Main was one of those races where you don’t quite know which way to look, full of brilliant racing that kept everyone entertained. Davey Heskin, in his first night of racing at AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway, started the 35-lap A-Main event from pole position with Donny Schatz alongside and Brent Kaeding and Andrew Scheuerle right behind. Heskin got an amazing start and quickly settled into the race lead, while Schatz tried to make the highline work and ended up arguing over second with Brent Kaeding. Ben Hilder, Brent Kratzmann and Brock Dean were all trying to make the highline work, while Luke Oldfield was working low to mid track and Titman had a great run on the bottom. With barely a lap complete Oldfield and Titman came together in turn two, bringing the race under caution and leaving Titman with sufficient front end damage to bring about a very early and disappointing end to his night of racing.

Davey Heskin led the restart with 34 laps still to run and Brent Kaeding and Donny Schatz right on his tail, and Andrew Scheuerle, Bryan Mann, Luke Oldfield and Brent Kratzmann all coming on strong. On the restart Schatz slid underneath Kaeding in turn one to steal second, only for Kaeding to fight back hard as they raced down the back straight and into turn three. They raced side-by-side for another half lap before Schatz emerged in front and Kaeding found his position under attack from Andrew Scheuerle. Scheuerle slipped straight under Kaeding as they approached turn three, making it look easy as he put one more car between himself and his main opposition in the Track Championship, Luke Oldfield. Oldfield was only a couple of cars behind, having an intense battle with Bryan Mann, while Mick Sauer really started to settle into a fast groove as he chased Ben Hilder and Paul Morris. Dave Fanning, Brock Dean and Dan Murray had a close battle mid-field, but the race was soon brought under caution when contact between Mann and Oldfield left the latter stranded on the edge of the track in turn two.

Davey Heskin again led the restart, this time from Donny Schatz, Andrew Scheuerle, Brent Kaeding, Bryan Mann and Brent Kratzmann. Once again Heskin got a great start, with both Schatz and Scheuerle going with him and searching for a way past. Luke Oldfield, from the rear of the field, was running the highline, desperately trying to make up lost ground and putting on a truly spectacular show for the fans in the process. Heskin, Schatz and Scheuerle had each opened a small margin over each other and the rest of the field, and were working on closing in on lapped traffic. Mick Sauer had an absolutely brilliant run in the Q69 racer, quietly working his way through the field after starting from position fourteen. Sauer at one stage managed to get as high as fourth but ultimately lost one position before the race concluded. But Sauer wasn’t the only one putting in a remarkable performance during the A-Main event, and while race leader Heskin had a small but comfortable lead over Schatz, Schatz started to close the gap considerably when they began approaching lapped traffic. Schatz had a great run on the high side but Heskin was able to hang on to lead and put a lapped car between them for a lap before Schatz passed the lapped car and tried again for a spectacular outside passing move. This time Schatz emerged in front but Heskin immediately fought back and the pair drag raced wheel-to-wheel down the main straight, with Heskin almost back in front. Schatz, on the highline, was able to put a lapped car between himself and Heskin, who got momentarily stuck behind the lapped traffic. Heskin took the highline in spectacular fashion and spent a lap or two getting around the lapped traffic while Schatz tried to slip straight between Mark Pholi and Brock Dean before running around Dan Moes and making it three lapped cars between himself and Heskin. Heskin also now had Andrew Scheuerle hot on his tail tank, the best-placed local and current leader of the Championship points chase. The race was soon brought under caution with eight laps left to run. Davey Heskin had spun the U74 racer in turn four while running in second. Heskin restarted at the rear of the field but pulled out of the race a few laps later.

Donny Schatz led the restart from Andrew Scheuerle and Bryan Mann, with Mick Sauer up to an incredible fourth ahead of Brent Kratzmann, Paul Morris, Dan Murray and Brent Kaeding. Kaeding immediately took to the high line on the restart and had a breath-taking run as one of few drivers who ventured to the top side of the track. Within just a couple of laps Kaeding was challenging Mick Sauer for fourth while Luke Oldfield was also trying to make the highline work further back in the field. Kaeding and Sauer had a brilliant race, Sauer having one of his best ever drives in a Sprintcar, but the race was soon brought under caution when Luke Oldfield spun in turn two. Luke was relegated to the infield for the three-lap dash to chequered flag, with Donny Schatz leading them away. Donny went on to take the win and makes the eighth A-Main winner in eight races this season. He joins David Murcott, Robbie Farr, Danny Reidy, Peter Lack, Luke Oldfield, Andrew Scheuerle and Ian Madsen as winners this season and could very well become the first repeat winner this season. Andrew Scheuerle crossed the line in second last night, while Bryan Mann crossed the line in third, to round out the podium. While Mann has not got a win on the board so far this season, his form of late has been exceptional and could certainly add his name to the winners list at any race meeting he contests. Brent Kaeding finished fourth last night while Mick Sauer had a brilliant run the Q69 racer to complete the top five. Brent Kratzmann was sixth across the line and led Dan Murray, Dan Moes, Paul Morris, Mark Pholi, Dave Fanning, Steven Johnson, Ben Hilder, Brock Dean and David Whell across the line. Luke Oldfield, Davey Heskin and Kevin Titman all failed to finish the event.

Sprintcars Queensland were scheduled to race again tonight at AusDesk Patios Archerfield Speedway but with showers over the venue and a forecast for continued rain the event has been postponed until Saturday 03 January 2015. Our next night of racing will now be tomorrow night, Sunday 28 December 2014, at the Toowoomba Speedbowl, weather permitting. Get yourself trackside and see the racing action for yourselves!