Seventeen Sprintcars headed to Toowoomba Speedbowl last night to contest the first round of the War of the Wings series at the Charlton venue. With previous rounds abandoned due to inclement weather, everyone welcomed the clear blue skies above the venue yesterday morning. Hot, dry and windy weather left a track that instantly took rubber, with drivers from all divisions very concerned about tyre wear from the very first look at the racing surface. In the end concerns about tyre wear and time constraints resulted in a modified program of events with interval moved forward, our B-main event cancelled and the Twin Feature format discarded in favour of a single 25-lap A-Main event. Andrew Scheuerle and Luke Oldfield had led the start of the feature event, with Scheuerle quickly securing the race lead when the lights went green. Peter Lack quickly made his way in front of Oldfield to secure second and while Oldfield faded a couple of positions further back, Lack really put the challenge to Scheuerle. Lack managed to steal the lead when Scheuerle ran too wide in turn four just a couple of laps from the chequered flag, but Scheuerle was able to steal his position back with one lap left on the board. Andrew Scheuerle went on to take the win, with Peter Lack in second and Luke Oldfield climbing his way back into third. Bryan Mann finished a strong fourth while Brodie Tulloch managed to get the better of Kevin Titman in the final few laps to steal fifth.

With heat starting positions already drawn there was no qualifying and, after a couple of quick hot lapping sessions, we were straight into the heat events. Heat one started with Anthony Lambert and Andrew Scheuerle from the front row, with Scheuerle quickly getting the jump on the start and settling into a very comfortable race lead. Brent Kratzmann from position four was fast on the highline, running around the outside of Lambert through the opening two corners to secure second by the time they were exiting the second turn. Kevin Titman tried to follow Kratzmann on the high side but ran into trouble in turn four, running very wide and loosing several positions before recovering. Terry Bracken was all over the back of Anthony Lambert searching for a way past, but all eyes were on Titman as he worked hard trying to find his way past Melissa Boyes. Titman searched both high and low for the right path through, eventually committing to the low line and having a big look up the inside coming out of turn four. The pair raced wheel-to-wheel down the straight and into turn one when contact between the two sent Boyes heading towards the fence. Contact with the fence then saw Boyes invert the #8 racer and while Boyes was a little sore afterwards, she walked away from the wreck. Both Boyes and Titman were out of the race while Andrew Scheuerle led the restart with six laps left to run and Brent Kratzmann on his tail. Terry Bracken took to the restart from position four but quickly ran around Anthony Lambert in turn two, before slipping underneath Kratzmann in turn four to steal second in less than a lap. Bracken set out after Scheuerle, trying to close the gap but there was little he could do. Andrew Scheuerle went on to take the win ahead of Terry Bracken, Anthony Lambert and Luca Cox. Melissa Boyes and Kevin Titman did not finish the race while Mitchell Gee missed the start after suffering engine dramas in the Q41 racer.

Bryan Mann and Brodie Tulloch shared the front row for the start of heat two, with Mann quickly securing the lead and opening a small margin by the time he hit turn three. Tulloch held down second but was under immense pressure from David Whell and Peter Lack, who had started along-side each other on the second row. Whell was on the bottom while Lack tried to find some drive on the top side when the race was brought to a stop when Mike Walsh hit and climbed the wall in turn three and nearly rolled the NQ4 racer. Walsh did not restart the event while Mann and Tulloch lead the full race restart. Mann again got the jump on the start, with Tulloch close behind while Peter Lack ran around the outside of David Whell through turn two and started putting the pressure on Tulloch. Luke Oldfield soon joined the battle between Tulloch and Lack, while Brandon Rawlings, Andrew Liebke and Paul Rooks argued towards the tail of the field. Back at the front it was hard not to watch Tulloch and Lack as Lack searched for a way past. The pair managed to pull away from Oldfield, while also closing in on Bryan Mann, but there was little either could do to stop Bryan Mann. Mann went on to take the win with Brodie Tulloch having an inspiring drive to finish in second ahead of a very hard charging Peter Lack in third. Luke Oldfield finished fourth ahead of David Whell, Paul Rooks, Brandon Rawlings and Andrew Liebke. Mike Walsh did not finish the event.

Heat three started with Luca Cox and Melissa Boyes from the front row and heavy hitters Terry Bracken and Kevin Titman close behind. Boyes got the jump on the start with Titman quick to follow on the high line to secure second, while Anthony Lambert also had an impressive run on the high line. Lambert started from position six and had a great run on the top, following Boyes and Titman and very nearly getting past Bracken. Bracken however fought back hard once they entered turn three and was able to maintain his position. Brent Kratzmann was racing towards the rear of the field with Mitchell Gee, with a new engine on board the Q41 racer after his earlier problems, when Kratzmann clipped the wall coming out of turn two and inverted the Q4 racer. Kratzmann was not injured in the crash but was out of the race. Melissa Boyes led the restart from Kevin Titman and Luca Cox and while Boyes and Titman began to run away from the field, Andrew Scheuerle was quick to capitalise when Terry Bracken ran too wide entering turn two on the restart. Scheuerle quietly slipped underneath Bracken and began searching for a way past Luca Cox while Bracken searched for a way to regain his position. Melissa Boyes was doing an incredible job out in front, while Titman was absolutely relentless, the pair putting on a truly spectacular show for race fans as they argued over the lead. Melissa Boyes went on to take the win ahead of Kevin Titman and Andrew Scheuerle, while Terry Bracken and Luca Cox crossed the line side-by-side with Bracken securing fourth by just 0.116 seconds. Luca Cox finished fifth and led Mitchell Gee and Anthony Lambert across the line. Brent Kratzmann was the only driver who failed to finish the event.

Luke Oldfield and Paul Rooks shared the front row for the start of heat four with Oldfield securing the lead when the lights went green and Rooks settling into second ahead of David Whell and Mike Walsh. Peter Lack worked the low line beautifully as he weaved his way past Andrew Liebke, Mike Walsh and David Whell in only a couple of laps before spending a few laps chasing down and passing Paul Rooks for second. Further back in the field Bryan Mann was trying his luck a little high on the track and making good progress towards the front of the field. Peter Lack was closing in on race leader Oldfield, just as Oldfield approached lapped traffic, but there was no denying Oldfield the win. Luke Oldfield took to win in heat four, with Peter Lack in second and Paul Rooks in third. David Whell managed to hold off Bryan Mann to finish in fourth, with Bryan Mann, Andrew Liebke, Brodie Tulloch and Brandon Rawlings rounding out the finishers. Mike Walsh spun just meters from the chequered flag and was counted as a non-finisher in the race.

With just seventeen cars, concerns about tyre wear, and a program that was already significantly behind schedule, the Toowoomba Speedbowl Promoters, in consultation with all Sprintcars drivers contesting the event, adjusted the format for the nights racing. The B-Main event was cancelled in favour of all seventeen cars going straight into the A-Main event, and the twin feature format was changed to a single, 25-lap A-Main event. Andrew Scheuerle and Luke Oldfield shared the front row for the start, with Peter Lack and Bryan Mann close behind. First time around the race was brought under caution, officials not happy with the start. Andrew Scheuerle managed to get the jump on the second attempted start but it was short-lived when the race was brought to a sudden stop for Brandon Rawlings who had flipped violently in turn one. Rawlings, who had started rear of the field, rode the right rear wheel of Andrew Liebke entering turn one and crashed hard into the turn one catch fence, getting plenty of height and ripping the main wing from the NQ44 racer. Rawlings was not injured in the crash and was very quick to exit the car, but was out of the race. Andrew Liebke was also unable to restart the event, a very flat right rear tyre forcing him to the infield.

With the field still yet to get a single lap completed another full race restart followed, with Andrew Scheuerle again getting the jump on the start and settling into the race lead. Peter Lack had a brilliant run on the low line from position three, straight underneath Luke Oldfield and immediately challenging Scheuerle for the lead. Oldfield and Mann stayed with the leading pair of Scheuerle and Lack, while mid-field Terry Bracken and David Whell tried the high side as they searched for ways past Brodie Tulloch and Paul Rooks. Unfortunately with barely two laps completed by the leaders the race was once again stopped, this time for Mitchell Gee in the Q41 racer who had climbed the wall and tipped the car on its side and out of the race. Gee was unscathed in the incident but it was a very disappointing end to what was a very disheartening, and very expensive, night for the team with Gee joining team-mate Rawlings on the infield, having both wrecked their cars in less than two laps, and Gee’s engine issues earlier in the night.

Andrew Scheuerle led the restart with 23-laps to run and Peter Lack and Luke Oldfield on his tail. Bryan Mann and Luke Oldfield had a great race, with Mann getting the better of Oldfield as the latter ran a fraction too wide in turn four, while Terry Bracken continued his relentless search for a way past Brodie Tulloch, with both Paul Rooks and Kevin Titman right on his tail. Rooks and Titman had a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle with Titman searching high and low before eventually getting past underneath in turn one. David Whell was quick to follow, taking full advantage of the opportunity when Rooks drifted just a fraction higher on the track. Luca Cox spun his N91 racer as he entered turn four while running at the rear of the field with race leader Andrew Scheuerle closing in fast. Scheuerle had been running the high-side and looped the Q1 racer mid-track to try and avoid Cox. Scheuerle skilfully managed to complete a full 360 turn in the middle of the track, avoiding Cox and other traffic before continuing on through turn four.

Scheuerle led the restart from Lack, Mann and Oldfield, with Brodie Tulloch, Terry Bracken and Kevin Titman close behind and trying to get closer to the front. Oldfield and Mann had a thrilling battle over the minor places, while Titman had a brilliant run to get past both Bracken and Tulloch. Another yellow light stoppage soon followed, this time for Melissa Boyes and Anthony Lambert who had tangled in turn four, and while Boyes was able to restart the event from the rear of the field, Lambert was out of the race. Luca Cox also stopped in the incident and did not restart.

With 11 laps still to run it was Andrew Scheuerle who again led the restart, followed by Peter Lack, Luke Oldfield, Bryan Mann and Kevin Titman. While battles raged right through the field, between Mann and Oldfield, Titman and Tulloch, Bracken and Whell to name just a few, it was hard to ignore the fight out in front for the race lead. Andrew Scheuerle and Peter Lack were locked in a captivating battle for the lead and when Scheuerle ran too wide in turn four with just three laps to run, Lack didn’t hesitate and was perfectly positioned to take advantage. Powering through on the low line Lack stole the lead from Scheuerle as they passed the flag box with just three more circuits to complete. Lack led the next lap and half before lapped traffic came back into play and as Lack moved up track a little to try and get past the lapped car, Scheuerle stuck to the bottom and challenged for the lead. They passed the white flag virtually side-by-side, the lapped car a fraction in front, with Scheuerle making his way past the inside of the lapped car and stealing the lead back in turn one. Lack unfortunately got held up for a moment behind the lapped car and was unable to stop Scheuerle from taking the win. Andrew Scheuerle was the first to greet the chequered flag, with Peter Lack and Luke Oldfield joining him on the podium. Bryan Mann had a brilliant run but ultimately finished in fourth after a tough, race-long battle with Oldfield. Brodie Tulloch and Kevin Titman put on a breath-taking show for the large crowd in attendance, exchanging positions several times with Tulloch eventually managing to get his nose just in front again as they crossed the line. Tulloch finished an impressive fifth and led Kevin Titman, Terry Bracken, David Whell, Brent Kratzmann, Paul Rooks, Melissa Boyes and Mike Walsh across the line. Anthony Lambert, Luca Cox, Mitchell Gee, Brandon Rawlings and Andrew Liebke all failed to finish the event.

Sprintcars Queensland will take a break from racing next weekend, wishing all drivers and teams a safe and successful Australian Title campaign, before returning to AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway on Saturday 21 February 2015 for the next round of the SuperCheap Auto Sprintcar Track Championship. Be sure to get yourself trackside and see all the action for yourself and don’t forget to pop down to the pits after the racing to meet the drivers and grab an autograph!