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Sun Herald’s Peter Mckay Gets His Sprintcar Fix
Posted Sunday, 3 January 2010 by TPCR Media

Sun Herald’s Motorsport Columnist Peter McKay was convinced that real racing is alive after attending last Tuesday night's Hogs Breath Cafe Sprintcar International at Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway.

Here is a copy of his column from today’s Sun Herald.

OH, WHAT A NIGHT
JUST when it’s too easy to be convinced that modern car racing is predictable and even contrived (with unnecessary tyre and refuelling pit stops), along comes a sprintcar race that works better than shock therapy.

Tuesday night’s Sprintcar International at Sydney’s Parramatta City raceway shook the big crowd out of its festive season languor. I may well have been at the best car race seen in more than a decade.

It was spellbinding stuff when world No.1 Donny Schatz, Australian champ Garry Brazier and Ian Madsen, a driver with a modest CV and reputation, went about their business with unbridled ferocity, unusually relgating US NASCAR legend Tony Stewart to a virtual spectating role.

For the majority of the spellbinding 30-lap journey, Madsen, Schatz and Brazier were fighting for the lead.

But by around half race distance, Schatz was imposing his talents on the field and looked set to notch another victory.

But the Aussie pair fought back spectacularly, taking turns up front with daring overtaking moves.

With four laps remaining, the younger brother of the well-credentialed Kerry Madsen tapped Brazier into retirement and then held off the aggressive American to take the $10,000 purse for the biggest win of his career.

“To beat Donny Schatz like that is unbelievable…I’m shaking in the legs and everything,” he said.

Paul ‘Dude’ Morris, the former super touring champ and V8 supercar driver, was at Parramatta too, racing his sprintcar.

Gold Coast Morris, who started his career driving an EH Holden speedway sedan, admits he’s still learning the art of handling the winged 800-horsepower sprintcars. But he’s loving the challenge. And the comparatively meagre budget needed to run them, about $800 a night, he says.

He also welcomes the lack of bureaucratic nonsense in the speedway world. “I decided a day earlier we’d drive the transporter to Sydney to race. Paid my $60 entry and now I’m out there on the same bill as the best in the world,” he said.

Mark Winterbottom's a dirt-track cowboy

Keen to try something else ... Mark Winterbottom gets into his race suit. Picture: Brett Costello Source: The Daily Telegraph

V8 SUPERCARS top gun Mark Winterbottom has revealed his ambitions to drive a sprintcar on the eve of Sydney's biggest-ever event in the category.

Nascar legend Tony Stewart and American ace Donny Schatz prepare to go head-to-head tonight at Parramatta and Winterbottom said he would consider joining the sport. The excitement of sprintcars lured Stewart from world-renowned tracks like Talladega and Daytona to the quaint Parramatta City Raceway on a full-time basis.

"Driving a sprintcar is probably the most fun you can have in a race car," said Winterbottom, whose father was a two-time Australian Sprintcar Champ. "Trying to put down 800 horsepower on dirt when the car is going sideways is a pretty cool feeling.

"I would not hesitate in saying that if Australian drivers could do it professionally and make a career out of it here, like they do in America, that almost every driver in pit lane would jump at the opportunity. Until you've driven one you don't know how hard they are to drive.

"It's all about using the throttle to your advantage, reading the track, using the different lines, trying to pass and you're doing all of this without any rear-vision mirrors. There is no doubt in my mind that when I had the opportunity to drive a sprintcar it was the biggest buzz that I've ever had driving a car."

About 15,000 people are expected to make their way to Parramatta City Raceway for tonight's $50,000 Scott Darley Memorial showdown between Stewart and Schatz.

Some interesting facts left out of the above article

1969 Winner I believe is his father

Parramatta Cheif Steward Gary Winterbottom is his uncle

Someone will correct me if im wrong

Where Australian Sprintcar Titles Where Held

1963 Windsor NSW
1964 Windsor NSW
1965 Windsor NSW
1966 Westmead NSW
1967 Westmead NSW
1968 Sydney NSW
1969 Morriset NSW
1970 Morriset NSW
1971 Sydney NSW
1972 Warrnambool Vic
1973 Rowley Park SA
1974 Tralee ACT
1975 Brisbane Qld
1976 Latrobe Tas
1977 Bunbury WA
1978 Parramatta NSW
1979 Warrnambool Vic
1980 Adelaide SA
1981 Brisbane Qld
1982 Tralee ACT
1983 Newcastle NSW
1984 Rockhampton Qld
1985 Claremont WA
1986 Warnambool Vic
1987 Darwin NT
1988 Adelaide SA
1989 Canberra ACT
1990 Brisbane Qld
1991 Launceston Tas
1992 Parramatta NSW
1993 Claremont WA
1994 Warrnambool Vic
1995 Mt Gambier SA
1996 Archerfield Qld
1997 Parramatta NSW
1998 Bunbury WA
1999 Warrnambool Vic
2000 Adelaide SA
2001 Archerfield Qld
2002 Parramatta NSW
2003, Warrnambool Vic
2004 Bunbury WA
2005 Murray Bridge SA
2006 Archerfield Qld
2007 Latrobe Tas
2008 Parramatta NSW
2009 Perth WA
2010 Darwin NT

I wonder what would happen in the states if a few prominent "stick & ball" sportswriters went to see a good sprint car race during a slow time in their schedule....

Hell, how about if some of the NASCRAP Media Stepford Wives went to a good race.... Surely that would sell a few more tickets somewhere...

Loose is when you hit the wall with the rear of the
car, tight is when you hit the wall with the front of
the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and
torque is how far you move the wall.

I like the "real racing is alive" statement that introduces the article. Amen to that. Its just that too many people don't know about this real racing.

Adding $6 trillion of debt in his 1st term and now if 
elected again he wouldn't have to worry about an 
electorate in 2016 so the sky is the limit.And his EPA 
would continue to put the screws to oil drilling and 
mining for coal.Can you say bankruptcy.