Parker teams still one and two in WSS points race

"I come here to win races, not points," said World Series Sprintcars Round Five winner Donny Schatz after dominating the 30 lap main event, "hopefully the Championship takes care of itself when you win though."

Schatz was simply awesome all night in the #15 Chantec / Castrol / Monte Motorsport J&J, starting off the evening in typical lightning fashion. He took the #15 car to second quick time behind Max Dumesny in K&N Air Filters Qualifying and then came from the rear of his first heat to win as he pleased. His second heat wasn't far from the same result, coming from 7th to 3rd before time ran out.

He fell short by one in the Weld Wheels Pole Shootout when Skip Jackson outfoxed him; the Australian Champion earning himself outside pole for the main event in the #1 Pennzoil / Toyota Genuine Parts Maxim. Jackson won the initial start in the feature, but Darren Jensen turned the #75 Cresta Australia Maxim around in turn four of the opening lap and rolled gently - taking Phil March out in the process. "I think it was just my inexperience with a surface like they have here at Murray Bridge," Jensen later conceded, "I probably came into turn three a little hard and paid the price."

At the complete restart, sadly minus Phil March and (Trevor Green who had driveline failure in the #4 ADRAD Radiators Maxim before a lap had even been completed) it was Schatz who got the most from the low line to lead into the first corner. Green's DNS result topped off a disappointing night for the likeable South Aussie, who rolled over in his second heat when Dennis Burford spun in turn two and left him with nowhere to go. "I don't why I do this (race), this sport is so frustrating sometimes. Thank goodness for people like ADRAD who help me out with such excellent equipment," he grimaced from the infield.

March's evening ended with a whimper when his crew ran out of time to repair the #3 Maxwill Engines car before the yellows went out.

Earlier in the evening Phil had been his usual barnstorming self, battling with Max Dumesny in what was easily the best heat race of the night. Though Victorian Matthew Reed cleared out to win, it was the battle between the two former National Champions that had the crowd on their toes. March eventually powered by Dumesny to finish second, but not before the duo had swapped the advantage some six times in three laps.

Schatz took off like a scalded cat and only when the lapped traffic became particularly dense did Skip Jackson and Max Dumesny look like they may get a sniff. "I could see the traffic up in front of him (Schatz) and I was thinking that we might get a look at a passing chance, but the yellows came on and we watched him drive away at the restart," lamented Dumesny.

Drew Kruck had spun the #36 Titan Garages Eagle in turn four to cause the caution. "There's no doubt the yellow light woke me up a bit," smiled Schatz, "I was cruising a bit in the traffic and the restart helped me get focused on what I had to do again." Schatz would never look like being caught in the remaining 12 laps. "Right now we have to concentrate on winning as many races as we can, I can't afford to think about where we are in the Championship."

Drive of the night may well have been Danny Smith in the #20 Dawkins Motorsport / Tamar Cars Maxim. The Indiana veteran powered around the highline to finish an eventual 5th behind fellow American Brad Furr. Smith used some banzai highline passes to rocket back into contention, at one point he was three wide down the back straight with the #20 banging its right rear wheel on the main straight wall.

For Brad Furr it was mission accomplished. The quietly spoken Californian has to finish in the top five in each main event if he's to make up for lost ground from disappointment in the WA legs of the series. "We need to make the top five every time," says crew chief Kim Buswell, "and so far we're doing that OK."

The best South Aussie result was easily Mark Reuter in the #95 ROH Wheels entry. Reuter ran fourth for much of the event before fading to 6th by the fall of the checker.

Defending Champion Brooke Tatnell looked fast in the Weld Wheels Pole Shootout after smoking two cars and advancing forward to his imminent battle with Max Dumesny. Unfortunately the Shell Helix / Sidchrome Tools / Phantom Comics Avenger developed a motor problem before he could engage with Dumesny and the four time WSS Champ took the #8 back to the pits to survey the damage. In the end he had to borrow a car from South Aussie Wayne Bunker and run from position #19 in a machine he had no real seat time or set-up time in prior. Despite the unfamiliarity of his steed, Tatnell still managed to claim 14th at race's end.

Andrew Scheuerle finally took the #95 Lucas Oils Maxim to a finishing result, and he came up as the Extreme Race Products Lucky Sevens winner - claiming a new front wing from ERP in the process. "I really have to thank Ray Scott from Mt. Gambier for lending me a motor," he smiled, "we couldn't have been here tonight without his generosity." Scheuerle promised his 'good' motor would be back in for the Avalon $10,000 event on December 7/8.

(Article by Wade Unger)
(Photos by Paris Charles)

Final results of the 30 lap main event
Donny Schatz
Skip Jackson
Max Dumesny
Brad Furr
Danny Smith
Mark Reuter
Andrew Scheuerle
Stephen Bell
Cameron Gessner
Matthew Reed
Daryn Maggs
Darren Jensen
Drew Kruck
Brooke Tatnell
Tony Bartlett
Darryl Wright
Phil March DNF
Trevor Green DNF