Last night 39 Sprintcars turned up at AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway ready to put on a spectacular show for race fans. After being washed out in Toowoomba on Friday night all were itching to get some racing in, though Mother Nature was again threatening to steal the show. One look at the weather radar made it clear it was just a matter of time, but Archerfield Speedway Promoter John Kelly and his team pushed on with the show, desperately trying to get in as many races as they could before rain intervened.

Despite the approaching rain qualifying got underway with eight groups set to hit the track for a series of qualifying laps. Six of the eight groups were able to complete their runs before light rain began to fall as the seventh group began their session. Qualifying was promptly abandoned, with the final two groups unable to get a fair run on the track, and a draw and invert format was adopted for the heat race starting positions. Robbie Farr had been the quickest of the 30 cars that had completed qualifying, stopping the clock at 11.810 seconds. Andrew Scheuerle was second fastest with a recorded lap of 12.037 seconds, while Kevin Titman, Bryan Mann, Dave Fanning, Darren Jensen and Steven Rowell all recorded laps in the 12.2 second bracket.

During the rain delay everyone was keeping a very close eye on the weather radar, with a large line of rain heading straight towards the track. Several teams elected to pack up on the spot, but those who didn’t began to line up for the first round of heats. Each heat group got a couple of quick hotlaps before the race got underway, with Gary Finglas and Steve Caunt leading the way for the start of heat one. Caunt got a great jump on the start while Kevin Titman and David Murcott, both from the second row, got caught behind Finglas as they raced towards the first corner. Murcott was able to slip underneath Finglas in turn two, but Titman ended up losing positions to both Darren Jensen and Steven Rowell. Rowell had a beautiful run on the inside line, slipping underneath Jensen when Jensen ran a fraction too high in turn two and then, in an almost identical move just one lap later, slipped by Finglas as well. Jensen chased Finglas for several laps, searching for a way past and biding his time waiting for the right opportunity while behind him Kevin Titman and Mitchell Gee both remained close by and ready to strike at the smallest of mistakes. Steve Caunt went on to take the win with David Murcott and Steven Rowell right on his tail. Darren Jensen crossed the line in fourth ahead of Mitchell Gee, Gary Finglas, Kevin Titman and Stephen Greer.

Heat two saw Andrew Liebke line up on pole with Ben Hilder elevated to the front row in the absence of both Mick Sauer and Danny Reidy. Liebke and Hilder led them around for the start with Hilder securing the lead by the time they exited turn one, with Liebke settling into a comfortable second. Andrew Scheuerle stayed with the leading duo, applying pressure to Liebke for a couple of laps but ultimately settled for third. Hilder, Liebke and Scheuerle all pulled away with about a third of lap margin back to the rest of the field. There was simply no stopping Ben Hilder out in front though and he went on to take a very comfortable win ahead of Andrew Liebke, Andrew Scheuerle, Blake Skipper, Brandon Rawlings, Callum Walker and Melissa Boyes.

Heat three hit the track with hard chargers Peter Lack and Robbie Farr sharing the front row for the start. Unfortunately disaster struck when contact between Lack and Farr, as they took the green, saw Lack climb over the front end of Farr and get considerable air underneath the Q58 racer. Lack was exceptionally lucky not to roll, while Farr was turned sideways in the incident leaving the completely luckless Richard Morgan, who had been starting from position four, with absolutely no where to go. Morgan collected the left rear of the Q7 racer of Farr and inverted his own #54 car. Morgan was not hurt in the incident but was out of the race. Farr and his crew quickly changed his now deflated left rear tyre before he rejoined the start at the rear of the field, while Lack was relegated to the back of the field for his part in the incident. This now left Dave Fanning from pole position with Brent Kratzmann, who had been originally set to start from position eight, now out of position two. Kratzmann got the jump on the start and quickly settled into the race lead, while Farr immediately began to weave his way through the field, straight around Kristy Bonsey and underneath Mike Walsh in less than half a lap. Lack too began working his way through the field, spending a couple of laps making his way past Kyle Caunt, Clayton Hart, Kristy Bonsey and Mike Walsh before working on closing the gap to the leaders in front. Kratzmann had a solid lead, with Fanning doing a magnificent job in second, but with lapped traffic coming into play Fanning soon faded as both Farr and Lack came charging through. Brent Kratzmann went on to take the win ahead of Robbie Farr, Peter Lack, Dave Fanning, Mike Walsh, Clayton Hart and Kristy Bonsey. Kyle Caunt and Richard Morgan did not finish the event.

As if on queue the rain began to fall once more, only lightly but right on the fall of the chequered flag of the sixth race of the main program. The fourth heat of Sprintcars rolled out onto the track and attempted hot-lapping but there was little that could be done. It was pretty clear that this lot of rain was going to stick around long enough to make any further racing unviable and the AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway promotional team were quick to abandon the race meeting. John and Kathy Kelly have however advised that those who attended the meeting last night can hang on their tickets and/or armbands and, upon presentation of said tickets/armbands can receive a 50% discount on their entry to any of the next four race meetings to be held at the AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway.

Sprintcars Queensland will head back to the Toowoomba Speedbowl tonight to try and complete one night of racing in this 2015 Easter Trail. Currently the weather forecast is more promising than it has been for most of the weekend and we are all hopeful of a great night of Sprintcar racing. It is a truly spectacular field we have assembled and, should Mather Nature let us get the night in, you can be sure that it will be a night not to be missed! Keep an eye on the Toowoomba Speedbowl Facebook page for the latest weather update and get yourself trackside tonight for some sensational Sprintcar racing action!