Last night Hi-Tech Oils Toowoomba Speedway played host to round two of the Ultimate Sprintcar Championship, with a strong field of 22-cars set to do battle. The management team at the venue spent the past week trying to solve the dust issues from round one, leaving the competitors a somewhat different track to contend with. Toowoomba local Peter Lack again entertained the crowd, the strongest of the Queensland contenders for most of the night, but it was the Western Australian based W3 racer of Steven Lines who led the feature event. Lines and Lack were in a class of their own out in front and putting on a truly spectacular show for the race fans once again, however the race was brought to a very sudden stop when then fourth-placed Matt Smith rode a wheel and launched his N11 racer into a quick series of flips in turn one. Smith got considerable height and speed before testing the effectiveness of the catch fence, entangling his car and coming to rest hanging up-side-down. Fortunately Smith quickly emerged the wreck unscathed, while the catch fence did it’s job and kept the car from crashing into the fans on the hill. Unfortunately the fence suffered extensive damage and officials had no choice but to abandon the final ten laps of the race. Steven Lines was declared the winner with Peter Lack securing his third podium in as many weeks officially second, while Toby Bellbowen rounded out the podium. Andrew Scheuerle and Luke Oldfield rounded out the top five.

Qualifying got underway with eleven pairs hitting the track for a couple of laps with Steven Lines topping the qualifying order after stopping the clock at 11.303 seconds. Toby Bellbowen was second quickest with an 11.318 second lap, while James McFadden, Matt Smith and Kevin Titman rounded the top five. In fact, the top five cars were separated by just 0.063 seconds, the top fourteen by less than 0.4 seconds and the top nineteen by less than one second.

Mick Saller and Mitchell Gee shared the front row for the start of the first heat, with Andrew Scheuerle, Robbie Farr, Danny Reidy, Steven Lines and Blake Skipper right behind. Saller got the jump on the start, leading the field into turn one, but Gee on the high line had a beautiful run around the outside to steal the lead as they headed through turn two. Farr tried to follow Gee but got caught behind Saller as they entered turn three, just as Lines charged underneath both Farr and Saller to steal second as they raced through turn three. Farr then slipped under Saller through turn four, with Scheuerle quick to follow, while at the front of the field Gee was under all kinds of pressure from Lines. Lines was persistent, working away on the low line, while Gee, last season’s Sprintcars Queensland Rookie of the Year, really held his own against his more experienced rival. The racing was hard and fast, and clean, and thoroughly entertaining for the fans, and while Gee had a remarkable run in the Q41 racer, Lines was eventually able to edge his way in front as they raced through turns one and two. Gee fought back valiantly but ran too wide through turn four, giving Farr all the invitation he needed to steal second. Further back in the field Danny Reidy was closing in on Andrew Scheuerle, but ultimately ran out of laps. Steven Lines took the win ahead of Robbie Farr and Mitchell Gee with Andrew Scheuerle in fourth and leading Danny Reidy, Mick Saller and Blake Skipper across the line.

Heat two started with Wayne Iacono from pole position with young Lachlan McHugh alongside. Iacono initially had the lead but again the outside proved fruitful as McHugh quickly blasted around the outside through turn two to steal the lead. Iacono settled into second with Brandon Rawlings in a comfortable third. Behind the leading trio Brent Kratzmann, Kevin Titman and Toby Bellbowen ran three-wide through turn two, with Bellbowen on the inside managing to emerge in front by the time they hit turn three. Titman slipped under Kratzmann in turn three, while Bellbowen made his way past Rawlings and set out after Iacono. While Bellbowen eventually made his way underneath Iacono in turn four, it was hard not to watch Titman as he searched for a way past Rawlings, all with Kratzmann only a car length or two behind. It was captivating to watch as Titman tried both the high side and the low line, at one stage opening the door just enough in turn four for Kratzmann to slip underneath. Titman was quick to fire back, slipping straight back past Kratzmann half a lap later, the two Brisbane-based racers really captivating crowd. Lachlan McHugh went on to take the win, with Toby Bellbowen in second ahead of Wayne Iacono, Brandon Rawlings, Kevin Titman, Brent Kratzmann and Andrew Liebke.

The third and final heat of the night saw Steve Caunt and David Whell share the front row for the start. The first start was aborted but second time around it was all about Peter Lack, who, after starting from position three, had a truly brilliant start on the low line to seemingly effortlessly race under both Caunt and Whell to steal the lead by the time he exited turn one. Lack and his crew had the immaculately presented #58 racer perfectly set up and by the time Lack exited the third corner he had several car lengths between himself and the four-way battle for second between Caunt, Whell, James McFadden and Luke Oldfield. McFadden had started from position six, quickly switched the low side once the lights went green and had made his way into second before the end of the first lap. By the end of the second lap race leader Lack had a margin of about a quarter of a lap on McFadden, and McFadden in turn was nearly as far in front of Caunt, Oldfield and Matt Smith. Oldfield managed to make his way in front of Caunt, leaving Caunt and Smith to argue over the minor places. The race was brought under caution, with four laps left to run, when Luca Cox collected the wall coming out of turn four and came to a stop half way down the straight. The N91 racer suffered enough damage to his right rear to put him out of the race. Lack and McFadden led the restart and while Oldfield challenged McFadden for position in the first few corners, it wasn’t long before Lack and McFadden had pulled away from the field. Peter Lack went on to take the win ahead of James McFadden, Luke Oldfield, Matt Smith, Steve Caunt, Scott Genrich and David Whell. Luca Cox did not finish the event.

Seven cars lined up for the first of the three Eliminator Sevens races, with many of this weekend Eliminator contenders having contested the Pole Shuffle just last weekend and proving how just how competitive the racing can be. Robbie Farr and Luke Oldfield led the field away for the first two-lap journey. Farr got the jump and quickly secured the lead, with Oldfield in second and Andrew Scheuerle in third. Consol Racing team-mates Brandon Rawlings and Mitchell Gee argued over the minor places but ultimately had nothing for the leaders. Robbie Farr took the win ahead of Luke Oldfield, Andrew Scheuerle, Brandon Rawlings and Mitchell Gee. Steve Caunt and Wayne Iacono finished sixth and seventh respectively and were eliminated before the second race.

Robbie Farr and Luke Oldfield again led the field to the start for the second Eliminator Sevens race. Farr again got the jump on the start, followed by Oldfield and Scheuerle, with Rawlings and Gee resuming their battle from the previous race. Unfortunately for Rawlings and Gee both would be eliminated before the third race took the green after they finished fourth and fifth respectively. Robbie Farr took the win ahead of Luke Oldfield and Andrew Scheuerle.

The final Eliminator Sevens race got under way with positions remaining unchanged and Robbie Farr taking the win. Luke Oldfield and Andrew Scheuerle rounded out the field and would start the A-Main from positions ten and eleven respectively.

Next up was the pole shuffle, which consisted of seven two-lap match races. First to hit the track was Peter Lack and Lachlan McHugh. With McHugh on the pole line they raced side-by-side into turn one, but Lack had a brilliant run on the high-side and quickly secured the lead. Lack went on to take the win, with McHugh returning to the infield while Danny Reidy joined Peter Lack on track. It was little surprise Reidy elected to start on the outside, and as they raced wheel-to-wheel into the first corner Reidy was able to pull ahead and secure the lead. Lack however was not prepared to surrender without a fight and had proved that while the top was fast there was still plenty of drive on the bottom. Lack, committed to the low side, worked tirelessly for two laps right on Reidy's tail, and managed to slip underneath Reidy as they rounded the final two corners to steal the win moments before they crossed the line. Despite a brilliant effort by Reidy, in the Mitchell Motorsport racer, he too returned to the infield making way Kevin Titman on the race track. Titman too chose the outside for the start, with Lack on the pole line. Lack quickly secured the race lead and while Titman initially put up a strong fight, there was no stopping Lack as he raced to another victory. Lack's next challenger was Matt Smith, who bravely chose the inside row for the start. Once again Lack was simply too good on the high side, able to put the #58 racer where ever he wanted on the race track, and went on to take the win. Next in line was James McFadden, and with McFadden on the outside for the start it was set to be an exciting race. Unfortunately for McFadden the race was brought under caution almost immediately, officials deeming him to have jumped the start and thus handing the win to Lack. Toby Bellbowen was next to challenge Lack. Light rain had been falling across the venue since the Eliminator Sevens races were on and parts of the track had become quite greasy. Unfortunately for Bellbowen he got caught in the wet rolling into turn three before the lights went green. Sliding to a stop in the wet on the bottom of turn three Bellbowen handed another win to Lack. Steven Lines was the final contender in the Pole Shuffle, choosing the outside of Lack for the start. Lack, now on the inside line, almost suffered the same fate as Bellbowen moments earlier, in the exact same spot, but was able to recover and take the start. Lines got a brilliant start on the high side and quickly secured the lead. Lack fought hard, searching both the high and low lines of the track, but both drivers were struggling for traction on the increasingly wet track. Both Lack and Lines recorded times around a second a lap slower than the times recorded in any of the other Pole Shuffle events or the Eliminator Sevens races. Steven Lines took the win the final Pole Shuffle event, earning pole position for the A-Main event, with Peter Lack officially second after an inspirational drive from what was position seven before the start of the Shuffle.

Seven cars lined up for the start of the B-main event, with the top five finishers to transfer to the back of the A-Main. Brent Kraztmann and David Whell led the field away with Kratzmann getting a great start from pole position and quickly securing the race lead. Whell settled into second with Mick Saller in third after getting in front of Blake Skipper. Luca Cox, Andrew Liebke and Scott Genrich battled for the final transfer position, the trio essentially three-wide coming out of turn two just a few laps into the race. Contact between Genrich and Liebke could have so easily ended in disaster for either or both drivers, but fortunately both drivers we able to avoid a more serious incident, with Genrich securing the advantage over Liebke. Brent Kratzmann went on to take the win with David Whell in second and Mick Saller in third. Blake Skipper and Luca Cox rounded out the top five and earned transfers to the back of the A-Main starting grid, while Scott Genrich and Andrew Liebke completed the B-Main finishers.

Twenty cars lined up for the start of what was intended to be a 30-lap A-Main event. Steven Lines and Peter Lack shared the front row, with Toby Bellbowen and James McFadden close behind. Lines and Lack raced side-by-side into the first corner once the green flag flew, but Lack found an advantage on the high line and by the time he hit turn three he had not only secured the race lead but had already put several car lengths between himself and Lines. McFadden, Bellbowen, Robbie Farr and Matt Smith were left to argue over third, with Kevin Titman also looking to join the fight, having a big look underneath Farr as they rounded turn four for the first time. Moments later though the race was brought under caution for Jamie McHugh who had slowed to a stop after climbing the right side of his NQ23 racer along the wall in turn four. Unfortunately for McHugh that would be the end of his race and he would be left to watch the remainder of the race from the infield.

Lines and Lack led the restart with Lines this time getting the jump and securing the lead. Lack fought hard, searching high and low for a way past and racing wheel-to-wheel with Lines as they began pulling away from the rest of the field. Within four laps the leaders were dealing with lapped traffic, while further back in the field Andrew Scheuerle was trying to find a way past Matt Smith while Keeping Robbie Farr and Luke Oldfield behind him. With lapped traffic now in play it was hard not to watch Lines and Lack as they navigated the traffic and put on a show for the fans. Lack managed to momentarily get his nose in front a few times, and had almost managed to pull of the pass, when he got too close to the infield in turn one and lost a little ground, just enough to see Lines maintain the lead. Bellbowen and McFadden were right on the leaders tail and within moments both Bellbowen and McFadden had managed to slip underneath Lack. A yellow light stoppage for Danny Reidy, who had spun the Q19 Mitchell Motorsport racer entering turn three, less than half a lap later was perfectly timed for Lack who took to the restart from position two, with Lines still the race leader.

Lines was strong in the race lead and while Lack spectacularly challenged hard on the high line as they entered turn one, he was soon forced on the defensive by a very hard charging Bellbowen. From the rear of the field Danny Reidy was on a mission, determined to make up lost ground and making impressive progress towards the front of the field. The race was soon under caution again, just half a dozen laps into the restart, when James McFadden came to a stop after contact with another competitor. Unfortunately for McFadden it brought about a premature end to his race.

With sixteen laps left to run it was again Lines and Lack who led the restart. Lines got the jump but again the race was soon brought under caution. Mitchell Gee had slammed the turn one wall and come to a stop. Gee was unable to take part in the restart, with Lines leading Lack, Bellbowen and Smith to the green. Titman and Oldfield had a great race going mid-field, with Farr behind them and eager to get to the front. It was only a handful of laps before the leaders were weaving through lapped traffic once more, with Lines now with a small lead over Lack and Bellbowen, who were battling over second and third. Matt Smith was right on their tail too but unfortunately for Smith he rode the right rear of a lapped car into turn one and flipped spectacularly into the catch fence, the N11 racer then catching on fire. Smith emerged from the wreck uninjured but disappointed and while the team are today trying to assess the damage to the car, the damage to the catch fence was significant. Officials had no choice but to declare the race on the spot, the fence now almost completely down in that section, making it unsafe to continue. Steven Lines was declared the winner, with Peter Lack second and Toby Bellbowen in third. Andrew Scheuerle was credited with fourth ahead of Luke Oldfield, Robbie Farr, Kevin Titman, Brent Kratzmann, Danny Reidy, David Whell, Mick Saller, Brandon Rawlings, Wayne Iacono, Steve Caunt and Blake Skipper. Matt Smith, Mitchell Gee, James McFadden, Luca Cox and Lachlan McHugh did not finish the event.

Sprintcars Queensland will return to AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway next Saturday night, 03 October 2015, for the opening night of the Brisbane racing season. While there have been some big changes at the venue during the winter break, you can be sure that your favourite Sprintcar stars will still put on a truly spectacular show. With so many potential winners in the field on any given night, you will not want to miss a moment of the action. Get yourself trackside at AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway next Saturday night and see the action for yourself. And pop down to the pits after the racing to see the cars up close, have a chat with the drivers and grab an autograph or some merchandise! See you trackside!