Asian Motor Sports

American Sprintcar stars, Jason Meyers, Joey Saldana, Lucas Wolfe, Shane Stewart and Brandon Wimmer flew into Sydney this past Tuesday and have wasted no time in getting their Sprintcars built and prepared, ready to do battle against some of Australia’s best racers next Monday night – Boxing Night – in the Valvoline Australian Sprintcar Grand Prix.

Meyers will debut a new Maxim chassis for car owner ‘Mad’ Harry Delamont whilst the other four will race for their American car owners, Larry Woodward Racing (Saldana), Dave Helm (Wolfe), Kevin Rudeen (Stewart) and Tom Wimmer (Wimmer).

This time honoured event marks the start of what should be the most intense season of International Sprintcar racing seen in the history of Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway. Joining their five compatriots will be last years $50,000 and Outlaws Down Under winner Donny Schatz who will once again be teaming up with 10-time Australian champion Garry Rush and Texan Travis Rilat who will once again pair up with Aussie set-up guru Bill Roberts.

Kerry ‘Mad Man’ Madsen, Skip Jackson and Peter Murphy have returned to their hometown from their American bases and along with Troy Little, Adrian Maher, Trevor Green, Mark Blyton and Martin Lawes, are expected to take it right up to this talented group of American drivers.

Madsen has had a career best year capping it off by winning the track championship at America’s home of Sprintcar racing, Knoxville Raceway. Jackson was also a Knoxville regular and finished fifth in the track championship. Murphy a long time winged campaigner turned his hand to non-wing racing in the ultra-competitive Californian circuit and won many accolades with a host of podium performances. His drive here at our previous meeting, his first for the Steve Lynch team was a credible third placing and signalled to all at the track that Pete is back.

Little has once again been the stand-out performer in the opening to the 2005-2006 season, racking up four feature victories at TPCR leading in to the International challenge and many at the raceway believe he is on the verge of taking out one of our high dollar races. Green, the winner of the Inaugural Tyrepower Spring Nationals has been a force at all outings this summer and with two races in his new ‘Cool’ chassis car should be ready to show his best as he has in previous International races at TPCR. Maher has been in sensational form and somewhat unlucky not to of already notched up a win. Maher who has finished runner-up at a number of meetings has shown great consistency all year and will be somewhere near the front come chequered flag time. Blyton and Lawes have produced some solid results in the start of the TPCR track championship season and lie forth and fifth in points respectively. Both are considered top ten chances in any race and it would not surprise anyone to see one of them on the podium during the International season.

Grant Tunks has been his usual consistent self, and Young-guns Ian Loudoun, Rodney Maxwell, Ian Madsen, Joel Knott, Scott Darley and rookie Sam Walsh have all shown huge potential and the question will be who can live up to that potential against this star studded line up.

The nomination list is full of competitors capable of a top ten result and achieving a start in the A-mains will be the main aim of many who will consider a top ten result a bonus. Picking who will make the A-main each night will be just as intriguing as picking a winner. Who do you think will win?

Cross Posted @ Full Throttle