Last night thirty-four Sprintcars rolled into Hi-Tec Oils Speedway in Toowoomba for the Pitstop 50 and Round Four of the Queensland Ultimate Sprintcar Championship. It was an eventful night of Sprintcar racing, culminating in a thrilling 50-lap feature event, which saw Bryan Mann, Brent Kratzmann, Andrew Scheuerle, Robbie Farr and Luke Oldfield amongst the casualties that littered the infield by the time the chequered flag flew. Despite the long list of casualties, it was Danny Reidy who stood atop the podium at the end of the night, never phased as the chaos unfolded behind him. Reidy spent the first half of the main race in second before racing exquisitely underneath Farr to secure the race lead with twenty-one laps left remaining. Farr exited the race soon after, having collected the wall and spectacularly inverting the Q7 racer. Behind Reidy the battle for second was literally decided on the line. Mitchell Gee had run a brilliant race, sitting inside the top three for most of the race, but the late race battle with Jayden Peacock captivated the crowd. Peacock made one last charge as the pair exited the final corner, crossing the line side-by-side, with Jayden Peacock just managing to snare second by just 0.156 seconds. Mitchell Gee was forced to settle for third with Geoff Ensign and Jordyn Brazier rounding out the top five. Peter Lack crossed the line in a very impressive sixth, after having come from the rear of the field, twice.

Qualifying got underway with three flights set to hit the track. Robbie Farr topped the leader board in flight one, his 11.493 second lap proving too quick and saw him also secure the fastest overall qualifying time. Dylan Menz was second quickest in flight one, also managing secure second quickest overall with an 11.575 second lap. Danny Reidy, Peter Lack and Geoff Ensign rounded out the fastest of flight one. Flight two saw Jayden Peacock edge out Luke Oldfield to stop the clock at 11.620 seconds and lock in quick time for the second qualifying flight. Oldfield was second quickest with an 11.715 second lap, while Brent Kratzmann was just 0.005 seconds slower than Oldfield, securing third quickest with an 11.720 second lap. Callum Walker and Cody Maroske completed the quickest five of flight two. The third qualifying flight was dominated by Andrew Scheuerle, who locked in an impressive 11.661 second lap. Mitchell Gee went second quickest with an 11.824 second lap, with Jordyn Brazier, Bryan Mann and Anthony Lambert rounding out the fastest five.

Heat one started with Robbie Farr and Dylan Menz from the front row with Farr quickly securing the lead ahead of Menz, while Peter Lack tried to race around the top side, only to come into contact with Danny Reidy and lose some ground. As the field spread out, Lack focused on closing back in on Reidy, while behind them Geoff Ensign started putting pressure on Jessie Attard. Lack was absolutely relentless in his pursuit of Reidy, but was unable to get the job done, even as the leaders began to weave their way through lapped traffic. Farr was untroubled out in front and went on to take the win ahead of Dylan Menz in second. Danny Reidy held off Peter Lack to finish third, with Lack home in fourth and leading Jessie Attard, Geoff Ensign, Mark Pholi, Adam Butler, Karl Hoffmans, Michael Walsh and Tim Ford across the line. Shane Matthews did not finish the event.

Jayden Peacock and Luke Oldfield shared the front row for the start of heat two, with Brent Kratzmann and Callum Walker close behind. Peacock got the jump on the start but was immediately challenged by both Oldfield and Kratzmann, the trio three-wide in turn two before Peacock secured the race lead. Mid-field, Travis Woods slid underneath Walker to advance a little closer to the front, but the race was soon brought under caution for the spun car of David Kenway. Peacock led the restart from Oldfield, Kratzmann, Woods and Walker and while Oldfield put all kinds of pressure on the back of Peacock, Peacock was looking strong. Deeper in the field Cody Maroske was beginning to make his way forward, racing boldly around the outside of Dave Whell and while Maroske and Whell exchanged slide jobs for a few laps, Callum Walker persisted on the low line as he tried to make his way forward. Travis Woods had a massive wheel stand coming out turn four, before Kenway again brought the race to a stop, this time damaging the front end of the NQ26 racer and exiting the race. Peacock, having only narrowly missed the car of Kenway as he was about to put him a lap down, led the restart from Oldfield once more. Oldfield stepped up the pressure on Peacock, sliding underneath the Q77 racer as they rounded turn three to take control of the race. Peacock fought back hard but could not quite find a way back past Oldfield, only to find Kratzmann all over his tail tank. Kratzmann slide underneath Peacock but clipped the wall and allowed Peacock to race back into second. Kratzmann fought back hard, racing underneath Peacock in the final corner, but contact between the pair as they crossed the line almost ended in disaster. Luke Oldfield got the win with Brent Kratzmann snaring second from Jayden Peacock in the final few moments of the race. Peacock was rather unimpressed, but was subsequently disqualified from the race for failing to go to the scales after greeting the chequered flag. Cody Maroske was credited with third and led Travis Woods, Dave Whell, Andrew Corbet, Randy Morgan and Guy Stainshall across the line. Callum Walker and David Kenway did not finish the event.

Andrew Scheuerle and Mitchell Gee led the heat three field to the green, the pair racing wheel-to-Whell into turn one before Gee managed to secure the lead. Unfortunately Bryan Zelinski and Tony Wynne came together and brought the race under caution, necessitating a full restart. Once again it was Gee who led the way, while this time Jordyn Brazier was quick to race underneath Scheuerle and secure second for himself. Scheuerle had a big look underneath Brazier, searching for a way back through, and was absolutely relentless as he chased on the tail of Brazier. Bryan Mann closed in quickly on Scheuerle while Brett Minett and Anthony Lambert traded blows mid-field before coming together as they headed towards turn one and brought the race under caution. Gee led the restart from Brazier, Scheuerle and Mann, with Mann holding nothing back as he challenged Scheuerle for position. The battle between the two was phenomenal, while Brett Minett and Scott Genrich fought fiercely over mid-field positions. Mitchell Gee got the win ahead of Jordyn Brazier, with Bryan Mann eventually getting the better of Scheuerle to secure third. Andrew Scheuerle crossed the line in fourth and led Brett Minett, Scott Genrich, Brodie Tulloch, Mitch Gowland, Tony Wynne and Bryan Zelinski home. Anthony Lambert did not finish the event.

Heat four saw the first six starters inverted but it was Peter Lack who initially secured the lead after starting from the second row. Not to be outdone Danny Reidy took to the high line and raced exquisitely around the top-side to steal the lead from Lack and take control of the race. Robbie Farr quietly slid his way into position three and set out after Lack and Reidy, while behind them Dylan Menz was having an intense battle with Geoff Ensign, and Mark Pholi and Adam Butler were fighting over mid-field positions. Back at the front of the field and Lack was all over the back of Reidy, with Farr closing in quickly, only for lapped traffic to play a vital role in how the rest of the race unfolded. As the leaders began weaving through lapped traffic, Farr did not hesitate when a small hole opened on the inside of Lack, the Q7 racer almost effortlessly slipping through to steal second, before racing beautifully underneath Reidy as they negotiated turn three with just a couple of laps left to run. Michael Walsh brought the race under caution when he spun to a stop in turn four with one lap left to run, resulting in a frantic two-lap dash to the chequered flag. Farr led the restart from Reidy and Lack, the trio not afraid to run the high line, finding impressive momentum just millimetres from the wall. Jessie Attard started challenging Lack for third, the pair exchanging slide job after slide job for the final two laps, but there was no stopping Robbie Farr as he took the win. Danny Reidy came home in second and led Peter Lack, Jessie Attard, Dylan Menz, Geoff Ensign, Mark Pholi, Adam Butler, Karl Hoffmans, Michael Walsh, Shane Matthews and Tim Ford past the chequered flag.

Dave Whell and Travis Woods shared the front row for the start of heat five, with Cody Maroske and Brent Kratzmann from the second row ahead of Luke Oldfield and Jayden Peacock. Whell and Woods raced side-by-side into the opening corners but it was Woods who came out in front and secured the advantage. Maroske made his way into second but the race was quickly brought under caution. Woods led the restart from Maroske and Whell, with Kratzmann sitting in fourth. Kratzmann got very sideways and lost a lot of ground but managed to keep going and immediately started to make up lost ground. Jayden Peacock came under immense pressure from Luke Oldfield, and, while defending his position from the hard charging Q17 racer, Peacock also searched for a way past Whell. The race was once again brought under caution when Guy Stainshall spun the N18 racer to a stop. Woods led the restart from Maroske, Kratzmann and Whell with six laps still to run. Kratzmann slid underneath Maroske, making contact on the way through, but Maroske was quick to return serve to regain second before opening a small but comfortable margin over Kratzmann. Peacock closed in on Kratzmann, the pair resuming their battle from the earlier heat, the racing intense until Peacock managed to get underneath the Q2 racer, to secure the advantage and began to pull away. Luke Oldfield closed in on Kratzmann as they raced ever closer to the chequered flag but ran out of time to make his move. Travis Woods got the win, his first in open Sprintcar competition, with Cody Maroske home in second ahead of Jayden Peacock, Brent Kratzmann, Luke Oldfield, Andrew Corbet, Dave Whell, Randy Morgan and Guy Stainshall.

The sixth and final heat of the night saw Brett Minett secure the lead quickly from pole position, while Mitch Gowland settled into second. Jordyn Brazier was coming on strong though and quickly made his way past Gowland before setting his sights on Minett. Mid-field Andrew Scheuerle and Mitchell Gee battled over the minor places, with Scheuerle eventually getting the better of Gee. Brazier and Minett traded places numerous times, and while Minett valiantly defended his position, Brazier soon managed to secure the lead. Bryan Mann made his way into third and set his sights on Minett, while Scheuerle began closing in on Gowland with just three laps left to run. Mann was exceptional on the top side, making it all look so easy as he powered around the outside on Minett and closed in on the back of Brazier. Jordyn Brazier got the win ahead of Bryan Mann and Brett Minett, with Mitch Gowland fourth across the line. Andrew Scheuerle finished fifth and led Mitchell Gee, Scott Genrich, Brodie Tulloch, Tony Wynne and Bryan Zelinski home.

Mitch Gowland quickly secured the lead from pole position when the lights went green to start the B-Main event. Mark Pholi quickly secured second, while Dave Whell made his way past Andrew Corbet to settle into third. Pholi wasted no time and soon made his way underneath Gowland to take control of the race, before immediately starting to pull away and open a very comfortable margin on his rivals. Tony Wynne started trying to find a way past Randy Morgan, while Scott Genrich and Adam Butler negotiated over minor places until Genrich spun to a stop in turn four. Pholi led the restart from Gowland, Whell and Corbet, with Pholi again opening a sizable lead the moment the green flag flew. Brodie Tulloch battled with Adam Butler while Tony Wynne found his way past Andrew Corbet to move into fourth. The race was however brought under caution when David Kenway slowed on the high line with just four laps left to run. Pholi had just hit lapped traffic and was no doubt thankful for the clear air ahead of him for the restart. Pholi led Gowland, Whell, Tulloch and Corbet to the green, and once again Pholi proved too quick for his rivals, immediately opening an unassailable lead, but almost as quickly as Pholi pulled away from the field, the race was back under caution when Andrew Corbet spun the Q78 racer to a stop. With the program already way behind schedule, the race was declared with Mark Pholi officially the winner. Mitch Gowland secured second with Dave Whell and Brodie Tulloch coming home third and fourth respectively to secure their transfers to the main event. Adam Butler was promoted to fifth now that Corbet was relegated to the rear of the field, with Tony Wynne, Randy Morgan, Guy Stainshall, Bryan Zelinski and Michael Walsh rounding out the top ten. Karl Hoffmans, Scott Genrich, Shane Matthews, Tim Ford and Andrew Corbet rounded out the finishers, while David Kenway failed to finish the event.

The 50-lap A-Main event rolled onto the track with Jordyn Brazier and Robbie Farr sharing the front row for the start. Farr quickly secured the lead when the lights went green, with Danny Reidy almost immediately making his way past Brazier to secure second. Brent Kratzmann had a spin and brought the race under caution, with the rest of the field doing a magnificent job to avoid the stranded Q2 racer. Cody Maroske was having issues in the Q22 racer and pulled out of the race. Farr led the restart from Reidy and Brazier, while behind them Mitchell Gee and Dylan Menz had a great battle for the minor positions. Chaos unfolded just a few laps into the race though, with Jessie Attard, Peter Lack, and Bryan Mann all involved, and Brent Kratzmann collecting the wall before managing to drive away from the stopped cars to maintain his position.

Robbie Farr led the restart from Danny Reidy, Jordyn Brazier, Luke Oldfield, Dylan Menz and Mitchell Gee, and Farr immediately opened a very comfortable lead over the rest of the field. Oldfield challenged Brazier, searching the low line for a way through, but Brazier maintained the advantage, while Brent Kratzmann raced underneath Brett Minett. Moments later Peter Lack, on a charge from the rear of the field, used the high line to try to get around Minett and set his sights on Kratzmann, while Kratzmann and Gowland fought over track position. Contact between Gowland and Kratzmann allowed Minett to slip through, with Gowland and Mann then coming together, just as Jessie Attard climbed over the rear of Brent Kratzmann. Both Luke Oldfield and Dylan Menz were also involved as the two incidents unfolded at the same time. Mann, Attard and Kratzmann were all unable to restart and were forced out of the race with only six laps completed.

Robbie Farr again led the restart from Danny Reidy, Jordyn Brazier and Mitchell Gee, and while Farr and Reidy were virtually untouchable out in front Gee made his move on Brazier, bolding sliding underneath the NS21 racer to earn third. Brazier immediately tried to return the favour but Gee was too strong and successfully defended his position before beginning to chase down the leaders. Gee had phenomenal speed in the Q36 racer, while behind him Geoff Ensign chased after Travis Woods, with Andrew Scheuerle right on his tail. Scheuerle made his way under Ensign and set out after Woods, while Jayden Peacock and Geoff Ensign, who had both started deep in the field, exchanged positions back and forth for several laps and Peter Lack made his way back into tenth from the rear of the field. The leaders entered lapped traffic, while Luke Oldfield tried to make his way forward from the rear of the field, quickly weaving his way past the back markers until he was on the tail of Lack as the pair entered the top ten. Andrew Scheuerle pulled out of the event with 35-laps still to run. Oldfield made his way into ninth, still chasing Lack, with Lack and Peacock almost coming together as they fought over the minor positions. Oldfield got past Peacock, only for Peacock to immediately fight back on the bottom, but the race was brought to a stop when Brodie Tulloch slowed to a stop on the bottom in turn four.

When the race resumed it was still Robbie Farr leading the field ahead of Danny Reidy, Mitchell Gee, Jordyn Brazier and Travis Woods, but Peter Lack wasted no time at all and quickly moved past Woods into fifth. Luke Oldfield quickly followed Lack past Woods, leaving Woods to try and defend his position from an exceptionally hard-charging Peacock. Mark Pholi and Dylan Menz both managed to make their way underneath Geoff Ensign, while Oldfield slid underneath Lack to move a little closer to the front of the field.

It was at this point, twenty-five laps into the fifty-lap affair, that the race was brought under caution for the fuel pitstop. Drivers pulled up to a stop in front of the crowd, and teams were allowed on track to refuel the car and make alterations to the set up if required. Changing a tyre was permitted, but would result in the driver being relegated to the rear of the field for the restart. While tyre-wear was an issue for most, only Peter Lack and Brodie Tulloch elected to bolt on fresh rubber, the duo going to the rear of the field for the restart.

With twenty-five laps still to run and the infamous Toowoomba breeze picking up, Robbie Farr led the field to the green ahead of Danny Reidy, Mitchell Gee, Jordyn Brazier and Luke Oldfield. Farr and Reidy remained untouchable out in front while Brazier slid straight underneath Gee to regain third. Gee however was undeterred and swiftly slide straight back underneath Brazier, only for Brazier to again slide promptly back under Gee. Luke Oldfield joined the fight for third while Mark Pholi continued his impressive run and moved into eighth after transferring from the B-Main. Travis Woods had a spin in turn four that brought the race back under caution and bunched the field back up once more.

Still untroubled at the front of the field Robbie Farr and Danny Reidy were quick to pull away from the field when the race resumed, while deeper in the field Peter Lack had already made his way back to tenth. Luke Oldfield raced around the outside of Jordyn Brazier and set his sights on Mitchell Gee, while Brazier tried to defend his position from Jayden Peacock and Geoff Ensign. Oldfield and Gee traded places several times, but the race was brought to an abrupt stop when Travis Woods clouted the wall in turn four and came to a stop.

Robbie Farr and Danny Reidy led the restart with Mitchell Gee, Luke Oldfield, Jordyn Brazier and Jayden Peacock all close behind. Gee challenged Reidy for second but was unsuccessful in his attempts, while Reidy started challenging Farr for control of the race. Reidy was magnificent in the Q19 Mitchell Motorsport racer, sliding skilfully underneath Farr and earning control of the race with twenty-one laps remaining. Farr of course fought back, and tried to slide back under Reidy but couldn’t quite get back in front, while behind them Luke Oldfield was all over the back of Mitchell Gee. In a moment that is especially uncommon for the Q7 racer, Farr drifted too high in turn four as he chased after Reidy, clipping the wall and inverting the Q7 racer. Farr walked away from the wreck but, disappointingly, his race was over. Unfortunately for Oldfield things took a turn for the worse, the Q17 racer lifting the front wheel high in the air as he spun the car in an effort to avoid contact with the upturned Farr right in front of him. Oldfield ended up stranded on the track in turn four, and while he was able to restart, the stop meant he was relegated to the rear of the field.

With twenty-laps still to run it was Danny Reidy who this time led the field to the green, with Mitchell Gee, Jayden Peacock, Jordyn Brazier and Geoff Ensign close behind. Reidy was solid out in front while Gee had a firm grip on second, but from the rear of the field Oldfield was on a mission to get back towards the front and begun to weave his way past the back markers. Brazier made his way into fourth before Travis Woods spectacularly inverted the NQ28 in turn four and brought the race to a stop.

Danny Reidy led the restart with eighteen laps left to run, and a trio of young hard-chargers, Mitchell Gee, Jayden Peacock and Jordyn Brazier, on his tail. Brazier took to the high line to race around Peacock, before Peacock slid beautifully underneath Brazier to regain third. Peter Lack worked the top side as he tried to make his way forward, clouting the wall in turn four but persisting on the top side as he searched for a way around Mark Pholi. Reidy led comfortably, but the battle for second was heating up as Peacock caught Gee and made his way past, only for Gee to fight back and successfully regain the spot. Danny Reidy took a long over-due and much deserved win, while Jayden Peacock had one last look on the inside of Gee as they rounded the final corner. The pair raced side-by-side across the line, with Jayden Peacock snaring second and leaving Mitchell Gee in third. Geoff Ensign crossed the line in fourth with Jordyn Brazier rounding out the top five. Peter Lack managed to climb back to sixth in just twenty-five laps, with Mark Pholi, Dave Whell, Mitch Gowland and Dylan Menz rounding our the top ten. Brett Minett and Brodie Tulloch rounded out the finishers, while Travis Woods, Luke Oldfield, Robbie Farr, Andrew Scheuerle, Brent Kratzmann, Bryan Mann, Jessie Attard and Cody Maroske all failed to finish the event.

Sprintcars return to Ausdeck Patios and Roofing Archerfield Speedway next Saturday night, 24 February 2018, for another round of the East Coast Logistics Series and Archerfield Track Championship. We hope to see you all trackside for another spectacular night of Sprintcar racing action!