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Brooke Tatnell's Superb Australian Sprintcar Title Win At Sungold Stadium
Sunday, 30 January 2011 by Gavin White |
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Krikke Motorsport pilot Brooke Tatnell joined elite company with his fourth Australian Sprintcar Title victory tonight at Warrnambool’s Sungold Stadium. Tatnell made a decisive move early in the feature to shoot to the lead in the Lucas Oil Products backed championship final to win ahead of Kerry Madsen and a fast finishing Steven Lines.
A great crowd witnessed a brilliant title decider with the 40 lap final going 37 laps before the first and only caution of the race for Darren Mollenoyux who blew a left rear tire. Sixth starting Tatnell sped to the highline with a softer right rear than a majority of his opponents and he set about opening a lead over Madsen and co. The caution did little to slow Tatnell unlike the week prior when the Classic slipped through his grasp.
“We took a gamble with the tire, we said we’re here to win,” beamed Tatnell at the presentations.
“We were either going to win or not finish.”
“We got out the front early and there was no back pedalling, it was twelve tenths all the
way.”
“I did ease up a little bit there at one stage but then I looked at the big screen to see where Linesy was on the restart and I knew they were coming.”
Tatnell managed to open a healthy gap over his rivals and produced a stunning drive as he worked to conserve his tire throughout the final while still managing to put space between he and his nearest rivals.
Runner up Kerry Madsen was quick to praise winner Tatnell despite his own excellent performance.
“I wasn’t too worried at the stage where he past me as I thought there was plenty to go.”
“We had some issues, we didn’t have the tire and Brooke just smoked everyone.”
“We’re very proud of what we did. I love it here, I love the town and the crowd is awesome. Unfortunately it’s another 12 months till we’re back.”
Tenth starting Steven Lines worked for everything as he moved forward to place on the podium.
“It’s been a long weekend, the whole team worked hard and we said let’s get out there and give it our best shot,” said Lines.
“We had a good enough car to do the job but them guys in front of us do a great job and they’re the best out there.”
“I was wearing myself out trying to get by Ando (Grant Anderson) and at that restart we had to give it a go. This last couple of weeks has been a dream come true.”
The stout championship line up was headed by local hero Max Dumesny and Madsen on the front row while Garry Brazier and Grant Anderson filled the second row. Carl Dowling, Tatnell, Kris Coyle, Kelly Linigen, defending champ James McFadden and Lines started fifth to tenth respectively. Jamie Bricknell, Stephen Bell, Ian Loudoun, David Murcott, Darren Mollenoyux and Robbie Farr started eleventh to sixteenth with Cameron Gessner and Nick Lacey rounding out the line up from the B Main.
The 40 lap championship began with polesitter Max Dumesny taking to the bottom and Madsen the top of the racy surface. Tatnell was quickly to third before he tracked down the leaders and took second from Madsen. Dumesny was next on Tatnell’s hit list as he took the lead 10 laps in. Madsen followed suit and into the runner up spot.
Anderson got Dumesny for third then Brazier got Max too as he was looking racy and trying to move forward. Lines came on strong in the second half of race and quickly got to fourth. Kris Coyle’s title tilt ended when he came into contact with Bricknell spinning to the infield and out of contention as Mollenoyux’s left rear blew with 3 laps to run.
Anderson had been strong in third position since mid race before Lines got under the V37 when he hooked a hole running high in turn 4 ensuring Lines would move into third by race end.
Final finishing places were Tatnell winning from Madsen, Lines, Anderson, and impressive Bricknell, McFadden, Brazier, Farr, Murcott, Dumesny, Bell, Dowling, Gessner, Loudoun and Lacey.
Linigen, Coyle and Mollenoyux did not finish.
The last chance to make the main event went to Cameron Gessner and Nick Lacey as they topped the field in the B Main ahead of Ben Atkinson and Danny Reidy who made the transfer as reserves.
The C Main saw Ricky Maiolo and Jason Loveday transfer to the B Main with their last chance to make the main event.
The first heat race winner of the evening was Stephen Bell from Cameron Gessner and Matt Young in heat fifteen.
Heat sixteen was won by Luke Dillon ahead of Kelly Linigen and Nick Lacey.
Shaun Dobson was spectacular in heat seventeen when he battled with Ian Loudoun for the win, Loudoun was eventual runner up ahead of Kerry Madesn in third.
Heat eighteen was won by Jamie Bricknell ahead of Max Dumesny and Dylan Jenkin.
The nineteenth heat of the weekend went to Grant Anderson while Johnny Vogels and Ben Atkinson rounded out the top three.
Glenn Saville led home Trevor Green and David Murcott in heat twenty and the final heat race of round one was won by Darren Mollenoyux who took Brooke Tatnell at the start around the outside and held on for the win. Tatnell finished second, Kris Coyle rounded out the top three.
The second round of heats began with Adrian Maher leading it home ahead of Carl Dowling and Luch Monte.
Heat race twenty three was won by Mitchell Dumesny from the bottom while second placed Garry Brazier worked the top. Nick Lacey came home in third.
Kerry Madsen led home Matt Egel and Grant Tunks in heat race twenty four while heat race twenty five was won by Max Dumesny ahead of James McFadden and David Craft.
Danny Reidy was victorious in heat race twenty six with plenty of racing going on behind him, Robbie Farr and Ben Atkinson finishing second and third respectively.
The twenty seventh heat race run and won by David Murcott, Steven Lines and Wayne Rowett rounding out the top three.
Kris Coyle won the final heat race of the evening ahead of Darren Mollenoyux and Brooke Tatnell.
Without question it has been one of the greatest weeks of Sprintcar racing at the venue in its 52 year history and the fans were left with some brilliant racing. Congratulations to Brooke Tatnell and the Krikke Motorsports outfit as they are the winners of the 2011 Lucas Oil Products Australian Sprintcar Championship proudly presented by Simonds Homes and Revolution Racegear.
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