Schatz breaks record with 6 in a row!

(WARRNAMBOOL, VIC. Sunday Dec 12, 1999) Donny Schatz has done it again - although a record sixth WSS A-Feature victory in succession proved hard fought for the Minot, North Dakota, 22-year old at Round 6 of the 17-race national series at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway. On a night chock full of rain, records and wrecks, the 1997 World of Outlaws ‘Rookie of the Year’ came from behind to pass defending three-times WSS champ Skip Jackson in a maneuver which the American later claimed, "aggression got the better of me, I apologized to Skip."

The overcast evening, frequently interrupted by persistent light showers, commenced with Jackson and Trevor Green both eclipsing the one-lap track record in time trials, the Pennzoil/Skilled JohnBoy driver creating a new record of 10.671 seconds for a circulation of the quarter-mile banked clay oval. Later during preliminary heat races Peter Murphy undercut the 10-lap race distance then followed that up with a stirring win in the Goodyear Eagle Trophy Dash after Schatz had again drawn a six inversion for the six-lap sprint.

Drama ensued even before the start of the 30-lap feature when Brooke Tatnell pulled infield during the four-wide formation lap when the ‘wing tree’ (bracket) broke on his Shell Helix Avenger. As at the previous night, an official’s belt was seconded to tie up the offending item, but at the expense of a rear-of-field start. Schatz later admitted, "I got lucky when Brooke’s wing broke, and I moved up a row to start from third." Tatnell meanwhile was puzzled why there was a repetition, saying, "It is the same style of bracket we’ve used for the last four years."

Jackson jumped ahead of Murphy at the start followed by Dean McComb, Schatz, Garry Brazier and Green while Tatnell was quickly making an impression from the rear. The American’s Bunbury Toyota/Parker-Enzed Maxim was up to second spot by lap 10 while wholesale changes occurred over third position between Brazier, McComb, Murphy and Green. Nearing the end of lap 17, Schatz made an aggressive move making contact with Jackson in the process, as he took the lead. Skip later commented, "Donny raises the level of competition here which is fine, we have to raise our level. He raced me tough and hard and that’s just the way it is."

Lap 19 brought about the demise of Geelong’s Rob Rankin when his Buckley’s Gaming Foster flipped in turn three. Two laps later Murphy got hung up behind a slower car and inadvertently tapped the wall making avoidance, the consequence being a broken driveline and a caution to clear the stricken Sydney Overnight Maxim. From the restart, Schatz shot away from Jackson to race to an unprecedented sixth successive win, eclipsing Tatnell’s previous record.

Brazier hung onto third despite the close attentions of Green who in turn was being hounded by an astounding Tatnell who had taken advantage of Rankin’s wreck to repair his top wing. Brooke’s burst from 15th to fifth was however insufficient to prevent Green from regaining second in the point standings behind runaway leader Schatz. Donny claimed, "That was hard work and the rain made the track tough, but I’m happy to win six on end. People here need to realize that this will make their racers better - I know, because I’ve been beaten by the best at home too."

Brazier, who was limping around on crutches outside the car after suffering burns to his right foot at Avalon, was happy to finish third under the circumstances. "I had no second thoughts about racing even if the pain last night was the worst I’ve experienced. I had to perform surgery on my shoe to fit my bandaged foot inside and, rolling around under the yellow, I used my finger on the throttle cable so I could give my foot a rest."

Green was also pleased with his consistency in the ex-Kinser Maxim while Tatnell rued what might have been, lamenting, "I don’t know what we have to do to win!" Missing from the feature were Max Dumesny and Drew Kruck who both survived massive crashes and strove hard to fix their battered machines, only to fail to progress past the B-Feature. Dumesny was a passenger when his Valvoline J&J broke its steering box while Kruck clipped another car and somersaulted hard out of a heat.

While the Series takes a well-deserved two-week break, Schatz flies back home for Christmas and returns for Round 7, which will be held at Adelaide’s Speedway City on Dec 27. That meeting signals the start of a hectic period of seven races in nine nights across three states.

1999/2000 WORLD SERIES SPRINTCARS CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 6

Premier Speedway, Warrnambool, VIC - Sunday, Dec 12, 1999

TIME TRIALS: 1. Skip Jackson (NSW #71) 10.671, 2. Trevor Green (SA #4) 10.747, 3. Garry Brazier (QLD #28) 10.813, 4. Donny Schatz (WA #2) 10.822, 5. Brooke Tatnell (NSW #8) 10.858, 6. Nathan MacDonald (QLD #32) 10.976, 7. Mark Reuter (SA #95) 11.016, 8. Dean McComb (QLD #21) 11.022, 9. Drew Kruck (QLD #36) 11.037, 10. Chas Calandro (SA #33) 11.102, 11. Darren Jensen (QLD #75) 11.121, 12. Peter Smith (SA #8) 11.173, 13. Darryn Maggs (VIC #7) 11.273, 14. Jamie Maiolo (WA #99) 11.315, 15. Andrew Scheuerle (QLD #95) 11.321, 16. Adam Constable (NSW #47) 11.322, 17. Peter Murphy (NSW #11) 11.410, 18. Kelly Linigen (NSW #25) 11.425, 19. Mike Van Bremen (VIC #6) 11.460, 20. Max Dumesny (VIC #5) 11.473, 21. Joel Knott (NSW #44) 11.481, 22. Brad Heywood (NSW #46) 11.494, 23. Darren Walsh (VIC #22) 11.672, 24. Darryl Wright (SA #28) 11.763, 25. Jeff Judd (VIC #11) 11.871, 26. Troy Shiells (VIC #36) 12.202, 27. Rob Rankin (VIC #60) 12.383, 28. Chris Evans (SA #77) 12.851

QUALIFYING HEAT RACES (10 laps) :

HEAT 1 : 1. Mike Van Bremen, 2. Donny Schatz, 3. Jeff Judd, 4. Brad Heywood, 5. Darryn Maggs, 6. Mark Reuter, 7. Adam Constable, 8. Skip Jackson

GOODYEAR EAGLE DASH WINNERS : 1. Trevor Green (2), 2. Max Dumesny (1), tie Brooke Tatnell (1), tie Donny Schatz (1), tie Peter Murphy (1)