Schatz fights Y2K bugs

Surrenders points lead with 6 shows to go
(NEWCASTLE, NSW. Wednesday Jan 5, 2000) A late-race pass two laps from the end of the 30-lap A-Feature at Wynn’s Newcastle Speedway gave Garry Brazier his first WSS win of the season, denying points leader Brooke Tatnell of a fourth consecutive victory. Brazier, who fell back as far as sixth on the opening lap, was delighted to register his maiden WSS win for Queensland car-owner Barry Lawrence and the Capalaba 4WD Wreckers/Castrol/Weld/Pro Shocks Maxim, admitting, "This one has been coming for a while."

"I got a bit worried after the first lap and then I didn’t really want the late-race (lap 27) caution," said the 1993-4 WSS champion. "Brooke knew I was behind him and got into Turn Two a little too hot by perhaps only the width of a right rear tire. That allowed me to get a good run off the bottom onto the back straight and get underneath him - I was going to try a slide job into Turn Three no matter what! These races aren’t easy to win any more and we are coming good at the right end of the season."

Tatnell, who smashed the six-lap Dash record in front of the biggest crowd of the Newcastle season, had led from the start and was disappointed not to clinch the victory. "Rolling around for the yellow when Tim Kaeding spun with three laps to go, my right rear tire sealed over. Garry just did what I would have done to him in the same circumstances, he drove in hard and straight underneath me and took away my line."

Third was outside front row occupant Kerry Madsen in the Motor-Up Grizzly, content despite, "The car being too tight on the bottom of Turns One and Two as I had set it up to carry a bit more momentum than it turned out to be. Lapped traffic was very helpful but this is only my fifth race of the season and all these top guys have a lot more hard racing laps than me."

Fourth after a tough night was World of Outlaws star Donny Schatz who completed one heat race without a front wing and almost flipped after contact with reigning WSS champ Skip Jackson. "We got carried away and too conservative with the fuel system in the feature," said Schatz. "We have got to make this motor last through until mid-February, then we’ll really step on it!" Jackson incidentally was an early casualty on lap five when he somersaulted the Pennzoil-Skilled Jackson after contact in Turn One.

A hard-earned fifth was Andrew Scheuerle whose Lucas Oils Maxim had been as far back as 12th but made dramatic progress as the race continued, overtaking Max Dumesny after the late race caution for Kaeding. The Californian said of his first WSS race, "It was pretty enjoyable but I’m not used to running on a D-shaped track like this one. These are a tough crowd of guys and have a lot more experience of these tracks than me."

Seventh, one lap in arrears, was yet another American, Ohio’s Phil Gressman, who was relieved to make his BC Motorsports Gambler co-operate. The B-Feature winner said, "Tonight the car was the best it has been this summer, the changes we made were because we were afraid in the past of being too tight. Even when Brooke and Brazier got past me I was able to stay with them and improve my position."

Titan Garages teammates Dean McComb and (first reserve) Drew Kruck ran in tandem for a 9-10 finish ahead of Brad Heywood, Peter Attard, Nathan MacDonald and John Shore. Aside from Jackson, the only other retirements were Darren Jensen (crash) and Robert Farr who was a casualty of a false start and lost the front end of his O’Brien Aluminum Avenger in the ensuing confusion.

The Series now moves to Sydney where the two-night meeting (Jan 7-8) comprises Round 14 of the 17-race championship with Tatnell having marginally increased his lead over title rival Schatz.

1999/2000 WORLD SERIES SPRINTCARS CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 13
Wynn’s Newcastle Speedway, Newcastle NSW - Wednesday, Jan 5, 2000

TIME TRIALS : 1. Garry Brazier (QLD#28) 11.432s, 2. Kerry Madsen (NSW#29) 11.481s, 3. Donny Schatz (WA#2) 11.781s, 4. Darren Jensen (QLD#75) 11.798s, 5. Tim Kaeding (USA#56) 11.808s, 6. Brooke Tatnell (NSW#8) 11.851s, 7. Dean McComb (QLD#21) 11.971s, 8. Phil Gressman (USA#2) 11.973, 9. Andrew Scheuerle (QLD#95) 12.004, 10. John Shore (NSW#6) 12.005, 11. Skip Jackson (NSW#71) 12.019, 12. Warren Ferguson (NSW#19) 12.044, 13. Max Dumesny (VIC#5) 12.104, 14. Nathan MacDonald (QLD#32) 12.107, 15. Drew Kruck (QLD#36) 12.115, 16. Adrian Maher (NSW#77) 12.232, 17. Robert Jackson (NSW#12) 12.243, 18. Jamie Jones (NSW#36) 12.310, 19. Kelly Linigen (NSW#25) 12.509, 20. Peter Attard (NSW#53) 12.526, 21. Robert Farr (NSW#3) 12.538, 22. Brad Heywood (NSW#46) 12.716, 23. Cameron Gessner (QLD#68) 12.867, 24. Adam Tulloch (QLD#74) 13.410

QUALIFYING HEAT RACES (10 laps)

HEAT 1 : 1. Brad Heywood, 2. Adrian Maher, 3. John Shore, 4. Kelly Linigen, 5. Garry Brazier, 6. Max Dumesny, 7. Dean McComb, 8. Darren Jensen

Heat 2 : 1. Peter Attard, 2. Cameron Gessner, 3. Nathan MacDonald, 4. Skip Jackson, 5. Robert Jackson, 6. Kerry Madsen, 7. Phil Gressman, 8. Tim Kaeding

Heat 3 : 1. Robert Farr, 2. Brooke Tatnell, 3. Warren Ferguson, 4. Drew Kruck, 5. Jamie Jones, 6. Andrew Scheuerle, 7. Donny Schatz, 8. Adam Tulloch

Heat 4: 1. Peter Attard, 2. Brad Heywood, 3. Nathan MacDonald, 4. Adrian Maher, 5. Kerry Madsen, 6. Darren Jensen, 7. Phil Gressman, 8. John Shore

Heat 5 : 1. Max Dumesny, 2. Brooke Tatnell, 3. Jamie Jones, 4. Dean McComb, 5. Kelly Linigen, 6. Warren Ferguson

Heat 6 : 1. Skip Jackson, 2. Robert Farr, 3. Andrew Scheuerle, 4. Robert Jackson, 5. Donny Schatz, 6. Tim Kaeding, 7. Cameron Gessner

GOODYEAR EAGLE TROPHY DASH (6 laps) : 1. 1. Brooke Tatnell, 2. Kerry Madsen, 3. Skip Jackson, 4. Garry Brazier, 5. Donny Schatz, 6. Peter Attard

B-FEATURE (15 laps): 1. Phil Gressman, 2. John Shore, 3. Drew Kruck, 4. Robert Jackson, 5. Adrian Maher, 6. Warren Ferguson, 7. Adam Tulloch, 8. Kelly Linigen, 9. Jamie Jones, 10. Cameron Gessner

A-FEATURE (30 laps): 1. Garry Brazier, 2. Brooke Tatnell, 3. Kerry Madsen, 4. Donny Schatz, 5. Andrew Scheuerle, 6. Max Dumesny, 7. Tim Kaeding, 8. Phil Gressman, 9. Dean McComb, 10. Drew Kruck, 11. Brad Heywood, 12. Peter Attard, 13. Nathan MacDonald, 14. John Shore, 15. Skip Jackson, 16. Robert Farr, 17. Darren Jensen

LAP LEADER/S : Tatnell (laps 1-28), Brazier (laps 29-30)

SERIES STANDINGS AFTER 13 (OF 17) ROUNDS

POINT STANDINGS : 1. Brooke Tatnell (9350), 2. Donny Schatz (8630), 3. Skip Jackson (7270), 4. Max Dumesny (6570), 5. Garry Brazier (4050), 6. Drew Kruck (3760), 7. Andrew Scheuerle (3580), 8. Trevor Green (3530), 9. Darren Jensen (3415), 10. Nathan MacDonald (2890)

A-FEATURE WINNERS : 1. Donny Schatz (6), 2. Brooke Tatnell (4), 3. Skip Jackson (1), tie Max Dumesny (1), tie Garry Brazier (1)

A-FEATURE LAP LEADERS : 1. Donny Schatz (155), 2. Brooke Tatnell (111), 3. Skip Jackson (53), 4. Trevor Green (38), 5. Max Dumesny (31), 6. Garry Brazier (2)

FAST TIME WINNERS : 1. Donny Schatz (4), 2. Skip Jackson (3), tie Garry Brazier (3), 4. Trevor Green (1), tie Brooke Tatnell (1), tie Phil Gressman (1)

GOODYEAR EAGLE DASH WINNERS : 1. Brooke Tatnell (4), 2. Trevor Green (2), tie Donny Schatz (2), 4. Max Dumesny (1), tie Peter Murphy (1), tie Phil March (1), tie Skip Jackson (1), tie Nathan MacDonald (1)

(John Hughes-Sprintcar World)
(Photo by Paris Charles)