ParkerStore Sponsored Star Shooting for $50,000 victory

GRANVILLE, NSW - A racer wants to win every time they're on the track. World of Outlaws sprint car standout Donny Schatz spent the month of January racing in Australia and has found victory lane three times in eight starts, including last Sunday's Grand annual Sprintcar Classic. His 10-race Australian journey will conclude this weekend at Parramatta City Raceway with the $50,000-to-win Gough & Gilmour CAT 50,000.

"We started out kind of slow, but winning the Classic last week was huge," said Schatz. "Luch Monte has a good race team and this was our first time together. Racing here is certainly different from racing with the pressure of the World of Outlaws, but it still comes down to getting the car right. After a few races, I started setting it up like K. W. (ParkerStores WoO #15 Crew Chief, Kenny Woodruff), and we've been pretty comfortable since. I'm hoping we can end this trip on a high note."

Schatz began his Australian Tour by capturing the 20th Annual USA vs. WA Sprintcar Car Craft Wild West series Speedweek title, winning races at Bunbury City Speedway and Kwinana Motorplex. Last weekend, Schatz won Australia's crowned jewel, the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at Premier Speedway (Warrnambool). By taking Australia's biggest race as well as last fall's Williams Grove National Open, Schatz has won two of the most prestigious sprint car races in the world in the last four months. The victories have helped the Minot, ND native overcome the disappointment of finishing second in the Amoco Knoxville Nationals, sprint car racing's biggest race.

"This is just a great feeling to win this race, there is a lot of prestige that goes with this race throughout the world," said Schatz, following Saturday's victory. "Last year I narrowly missed out on winning the world's biggest Sprintcar race, and although the Classic isn't the Knoxville Nationals it is the Australian equivalent."

In three races at Parramatta City Raceway last year, Schatz won a preliminary feature and the final WSS feature. He's done well at the 1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval, which bodes well for the 23 year-old in the two night Gough & Gilmour event. When the race concludes on Saturday, Schatz will make his return to the US to prepare for the upcoming 2001 Pennzoil World of Outlaws season.

Parker Hannifin, Schatz's primary sponsor on his World of Outlaws #15 J&J, also has made headlines in the land "Down Under" recently, by acquiring two fittings manufacturers. Stainless Connections Pty Ltd. (New South Wales, Australia) and Stainless Connections Pty (Auckland, New Zealand) operations will become part of Parker's Fluid Connectors Group.

Lonnie Gallup, group vice president, said, "We're pleased that adding Stainless Connections to the Parker family will strengthen Parker's base of Australian-manufactured products and enhance our ability to provide premier customer services tailored to the unique requirements of this market."

(Article by Bill Klingbeil)

(Photos by Paris Charles)