Andrew Scheuerle scored his second feature event victory of the season at AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway last night after a thrilling battle with Peter Lack and David Murcott. In a strong field of twenty-four cars, Scheuerle, Lack and Murcott were dominant all night, and while Lack led the opening lap of the 30-lap feature, Scheuerle was quick to make his way to the front and was unstoppable from there. Lack and Murcott battled for the rest of the race over the minor positions, with Lack holding down second for most of the race. Murcott managed to slip into second just before the half-way mark, but Lack was quick to fight back and regained his position just two laps later. With five laps left to run Murcott managed to secure second, leaving Lack to settle for third after a spectacular drive in the immaculately presented Q58 racer. Brent Kratzmann and Mitchell Gee rounded out the top five, with Paul Morris and Steven Johnson close behind. Johnson had a very impressive run to finish in seventh in the A-Main event after initially starting seventh in the B-Main.

Qualifying got underway on a somewhat wet track with Lachlan McHugh setting the quickest time of the first group to hit the track. Unfortunately for McHugh the track really started to come in for the following groups and as each group hit the track he slipped further back in the qualifying order. Mark Pholi managed to top the leader board at the conclusion of qualifying, stopping the clock at a blistering 11.678 seconds. Andrew Scheuerle was second quickest with an 11.707 second recorded lap, just 0.045 seconds quicker than Peter Lack in third with an 11.752 second lap. Brent Kratzmann and Paul Morris rounded out the top five, with Morris beating sixth placed Allan Woods by just one thousandth of a second. There was less than one second separating the top twenty-one cars.

Heat one started with young Callum Walker from pole position, with Jason Bottin alongside. Bottin got a great start and quickly secured the lead, pulling several car lengths ahead of his rivals by the time he hit turn three. Walker held down second but immediately came under pressure from Mitchell Gee, while Allan Woods and Mark Pholi argued mid-field. Walker managed to generate a small margin over Gee, while Pholi found his way past Woods and set out after Gee. With just two laps left to run the race was brought under caution for the spun car of Woods in turn two. Bottin led the restart from Walker and Gee with positions remaining unchanged for the final two laps. Jason Bottin took the win ahead of Callum Walker and Mitchell Gee, with Mark Pholi, Luke Tinson, Dale Shilleto and Allan Woods rounding out the finishers. Steven Johnson, who had contact with Shilleto on the start, which left front end damage on the Q27 racer, did not finish the event.

Andrew Liebke and Lachlan McHugh shared the front row for the start of heat two, with McHugh getting a brilliant start on the high line. Liebke tried to fight back on the low line through turn one, but McHugh was unstoppable up top. McHugh quickly settled into the race lead and set about opening a comfortable margin over the rest of the field, while David Murcott put all kinds of pressure on Liebke as they argued over second. Brandon Rawlings soon forced Murcott on the defensive as he challenged the current Australian Champion for position, all while keeping Andrew Scheuerle behind him. Rawlings had a brilliant run in the NQ44 racer, challenging Murcott on several occasions, having a couple of big looks up the inside through turn two just a few laps from home. Lachlan McHugh hit every corner just beautifully in the NQ23 racer, and easily cruised to take the heat race win, with a race time of 1:59:743 seconds. McHugh was just a tiny 0.01 seconds off a new ten lap record, with the current record standing at 1.59.733 (set by Brodie Tulloch in May 2014). Second place in heat two went to Andrew Liebke with David Murcott in third. Brandon Rawlings had a very impressive run and managed to cross the line in fourth, leading Andrew Scheuerle, Paul Morris and Kristy Bonsey across the line. Dylan Menz suffered mechanical problems in the #46 racer and did not start the race.

Heat three started with Brad Ayers and Andrew Marks from the front row. The pair raced side-by-side across the line but it was Ayers who had the best run on the low line and quickly secured the race lead. Marks held down second with Kevin Titman right on his tail, as Peter Lack battled with Brent Kratzmann behind them. Titman was relentless on the low line, having a breath-taking battle with Marks for second place before eventually pulling off the pass and setting out after Ayers. Lack quickly made his way around Marks as they rounded turns one and two and while Marks was left to defend his position from Kratzmann, Lack quickly closed the gap to Titman, who had caught Ayers, and the trio had an enthralling battle for the lead. Lack was fast and determined on the low line, but couldn’t quite get the job done despite several bold attempts as he and Titman raced wheel-to-wheel. Unfortunately for Titman he spun the striking black, white and red Q59 racer coming out of turn four on the final lap. Officials were quick to bring the race under caution, just moments before Ayers took the chequered flag, then it was a two-lap race to the finish with Ayers leading Lack, Marks and the rest of the field to the green. Lack searched high and low, putting on a brilliant show for the fans, while Ayers drove a smooth and consistent race denying every attempt from his opposition to get through. Brad Ayers went on to take the win, with Peter Lack in second and Andrew Marks in third. Brent Kratzmann crossed the line in fourth ahead of Dan Murray, Steve Greer, Ben Hilder and Kevin Titman.

Callum Walker and Ben Hilder led the start of heat four with Hilder getting the jump and settling into the race lead. Chaos unfolded behind him though, with Walker making contact with David Murcott, who then came together with Kevin Titman before the race was brought under caution. Hilder was relegated to the second row for the restart, leaving Murcott from the front row with Walker still from pole position. Walker got a great start but there was no stopping Murcott from the front row. Murcott quickly secured the race lead and began opening a comfortable margin over the rest of the field, while Walker held down second ahead of Titman. From the back of the field Peter lack was on a mission, and in less than a lap he managed to race around the outside of Paul Morris, before switching to the low line to slip underneath Ben Hilder. Unfortunately the race was almost immediately brought under caution for the spun car of Dale Shilleto in turn two. With eight laps still to run Murcott led the restart from Walker, Titman, Hilder, Lack and Morris. When the race resumed Lack was quick to move underneath Hilder in turn two and had soon caught Titman and Walker to join their battle for the minor places. Titman eventually managed to find his way past Walker, while Paul Morris and Ben Hilder battled towards the back of the field. David Murcott took the win ahead of Kevin Titman and Callum Walker, with Peter Lack in fourth and leading Paul Morris, Steven Johnson, Ben Hilder and Dale Shilleto across the line.

Andrew Liebke and Luke Tinson were supposed to start alongside each other on the front row for heat five, but Liebke suffered mechanical dramas in the Q47 racer and was unable to take the start, watching from the infield as Lachlan McHugh moved up into pole position. McHugh got the jump as the lights went green, but Tinson, and Allan Woods behind him, had a brilliant run on the outside with Tinson slipping into the race lead and Woods almost managing to secure second. Woods and McHugh battled two-wide for three-quarters of a lap, with McHugh emerging in front by the end of the first lap. Tinson made a mistake in turn one, allowing McHugh to almost effortlessly run around the outside to secure the lead. Tinson managed to hang on to second for another lap before Woods was able to make his way through, leaving Tinson with Mark Pholi and Mitchell Gee right on his tail. Tinson faded quickly, as Pholi and Gee slipped underneath as the trio rounded turn two, with Gee then racing underneath Pholi to gain another position as they raced down the back straight and into turn three. McHugh, battling with a broken front wing, was leading comfortably, but Woods and Gee were closing in fast. Despite the ill-handling NQ23 racer and immense pressure from Woods, Lachlan McHugh went on to take his second heat race victory of the night, with Allan Woods in second and Mitchell Gee in third. Mark Pholi crossed the line in fourth, leading Dan Murray and Kristy Bonsey across the line. Luke Tinson pulled out of the race after completing just seven laps.

Andrew Marks and Brad Ayers shared the front row for the start of the sixth and final heat event of the night, with Brandon Rawlings and Jason Bottin right behind them. Marks got a beautiful start and fought hard on the high line and was able to secure the lead through turn one, with Ayers right behind and a small margin back to Brent Kratzmann in third. Steve Greer had a spin in turn two and brought the race under caution, and instigated a full race restart. Marks and Ayers this time raced side-by-side into turn one, with Ayers this time securing the lead and leaving Marks to defend his position from a very hard charging duo of Bottin and Rawlings. Marks managed to open a small margin over his rivals, and Bottin had the advantage over Rawlings, with Scheuerle closing in fast. The race was brought under caution only a few laps later through when Rawlings collected the turn three wall. Rawlings walked away from the impact, but complained of neck pain and was later taken to hospital for tests and observation. The race resumed with Ayers leading Marks, Bottin and Scheuerle with six laps left to run. Scheuerle searched high and low for a way past Bottin, eventually slipping underneath the Q24 racer on the low side of turn one. Scheuerle spent a couple of laps chasing down Marks, and a couple more finding his way past, and had begun to close the gap to Ayers before running out of laps. Brad Ayers took his second heat race win of the night, with Andrew Scheuerle in second ahead of Andrew Marks, Jason Bottin, Brent Kratzmann, Steve Greer and Dylan Menz. Brandon Rawlings did not finish the event.

Andrew Scheuerle was the highest points scorer going into the Dash event. In the pre-Dash draw Scheuerle drew position four for the start and was quick to select David Murcott to share the second row. This left Peter Lack and Mark Pholi on the front row, Pholi from pole position for the start. Pholi got the jump on the start and led the field into turn one but Lack committed to the high, planted his right foot, and didn’t seem to lift or back off an inch. It was bold. It was breath-taking. It captivated the crowd as Pholi and Lack raced two-breast through turn two, down the back straight, and through turn three, with Lack finally securing the lead in turn four and beginning to open a small lead over Pholi and the rest of the field. Andrew Scheuerle was also on a mission to get to the front, first finding his way in front of Murcott, before putting all kinds of pressure on Pholi for a few laps before making his move into second. Peter Lack took the win ahead of Andrew Scheuerle, Mark Pholi, David Murcott, Mitchell Gee and Brent Kratzmann.

Nine cars took to the track for the 10-lap B-main event, with Ben Hilder and Dan Murray to lead the field to the green flag. Murray was quick to secure the lead when the lights went green, with Hilder in second and Steve Greer in third. But it was the battle for the fourth and final transfer position that provided the best racing of the B-Main. Luke Tinson held that elusive transfer position initially, with Andrew Liebke, Steven Johnson and Kristy Bonsey all close behind and looking for a transfer to the A-Main race. Liebke and Johnson both managed to slip past Tinson, only moments before the race was brought under caution for the spun car of Dylan Menz on the exit of turn three. Murray led the restart from Hilder and Greer, with Andrew Liebke in the final transfer position, but Steven Johnson was right on his tail and eager to make it into the A-Main event. Liebke looked set to make the transfer but a small mistake in turn two gave Johnson all the invitation he needed to slip through and take the final transfer position for himself. Dan Murray went on to take the race win, with a comfortable three-second margin over second placed Ben Hilder. Steve Greer crossed the line in third with Steven Johnson securing the final transfer to the A-main when he crossed the line in fourth. Andrew Liebke, Luke Tinson, Kristy Bonsey and Dylan Menz rounded out the finishers, while Dale Shilleto completed just two laps before watching the rest of the race from the infield.

A strong field of eighteen cars lined up for the start of A-main event, with Peter Lack and Andrew Scheuerle to lead them away. Lack got the jump on the start and led the opening lap but it was not long before Scheuerle made his move to secure the race lead. From there Scheuerle was virtually untouchable, but all eyes were on Lack and Murcott as they fought for second. Lack held the position until just before half way when Murcott was able to get through. It was however short-lived as Lack fought back hard to regain second just two laps later, only to again lose the position to Murcott just five laps from the chequered flag. There was action right through the field, though it was hard to not notice Steven Johnson making a huge charge from the rear of the field. Johnson had started eighteenth and in just two and half laps had passed a staggering six cars, and was by no means done. Scheuerle, now well and truly in control of the race, was navigating lapped traffic just five laps into the race, with Lack and Murcott close behind. Steve Greer and Andrew Marks came together on the back straight, right in front of Lack, with all three cars lucky to avoid a bigger incident, while mid-field Steven Johnson was making impressive progress towards the front of the field. Allan Woods and Lachlan McHugh had a great battle for a number of laps mid field, with Woods initially having the advantage. With just seven laps left to run contact between Mark Pholi and Steve Greer saw Greer tip the car up onto the tail tank and back down onto the track in turn two. Greer was able to restart at the rear of the field as Scheuerle, Lack and Murcott led the field away for the final seven laps. Scheuerle was a comfortable leader but the battle for second between Lack and Murcott was just starting to heat up. Lack was smooth, fast and consistent, forcing Murcott to the high side, and the long way around, while behind them Mitchell Gee, Paul Morris, Kevin Titman and Steven Johnson were fighting over the minor places. Johnson slipped up the inside of Titman, with McHugh joining the battle as well. Andrew Scheuerle went on to take the win, his second in as many meetings this season. Scheuerle was not able to secure a single feature event win in Brisbane last season, so two in a row to start the 2015-2016 season is sure be a confidence boost for Scheuerle and the AusDeck Patios team. David Murcott eventually got the better of Peter Lack to secure second with Lack a very solid third. Brent Kratzmann had a spectacular run to finish a very impressive fourth with Mitchell Gee rounding out the top five. Paul Morris crossed the line a commendable sixth with Steven Johnson having an absolutely inspiring run to finish seventh after transferring from the B-Main. Kevin Titman finished in eighth, and led Lachlan McHugh, Allan Woods, Ben Hilder, Mark Pholi, Jason Bottin, Callum Walker, Dan Murray, Andrew Marks and Steve Greer across the line. Brad Ayers did not finish the event.

Sprintcars Queensland will take next weekend off racing before returning to AusDeck Patios Archerfield Speedway on Saturday 31 October 2015 for round three of the SuperCheap Auto Sprintcar Track Championship. Only two nights into the local series and already things are starting to heat up. Come along to cheer for your favourite driver – and pop down to the pits after the racing has finished to meet the drivers, grab an autograph or photo and see the cars. The drivers love meeting the fans so come along and see the racing for yourself!