Asian Motor Sports

AN Australian is yet to win the Outlaws Down Under series and the nation’s best have assembled in Sydney in a bid to end the run of outs at Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway this weekend.

Outlaws Down Under IV represents Australia’s best opportunity to break an American stranglehold with the challenge headed by two times national champion Brooke Tatnell, Kerry Madsen, Skip Jackson, Trevor Green and Lynton Jeffrey, all of whom raced with great success in the US during 2006.

Tatnell, who will drive for the Krikke Motorsport Team out of WA, has returned home after his best-ever American season, highlighted with an outstanding sixth placing in the World of Outlaws Championship standings after an exhaustive 10-month 100-plus race campaign.

Tatnell knows the Americans’ game plan better than most, having competed against the leading drivers on the professional US circuit for the past 10 years.

“The Americans are just so good at what they do. They are ultra professionals whose daily job is sprintcar racing and Outlaws Down Under IV will be a tough assignment for the Australians contesting the event,” Tatnell said this week.

Tatnell has cut back his racing schedule in Australia this summer and comes to Parramatta Raceway race ready and in form, courtesy of a big win in Brisbane last weekend.

Madsen will drive an Australian-built car against the record 21 Americans entered in their fully imported factory built cars. Madsen’s sprintcar is manufactured by the Cool Chassis Company in Warrnambool, Victoria.

Madsen, who earlier in the Parramatta season recorded three sensational feature race victories, enjoyed a very successful 2006 American season.

Madsen, like Tatnell, Jackson and Jeffrey, has won against the Americans on their home tracks.

“These guys are awesome and just so tough to beat. You have great respect for them and you can run wheel to wheel with the Americans and it’s great to race with these guys,” Madsen said.

Jackson is a former Australia titleholder who has based his race operation out of the world famous Knoxville Raceway in Iowa where he is a multi-track champion.

Jackson will drive for Sydney car owner Rod Bowen under his Prestige Smash Repairs company banner.

Jeffrey also has raced successfully in the US during 2006 and recorded his first career main event win at Knoxville Raceway during the 2006 season.

Parramatta Raceway has the strongest domestic car count in Australia headed by track champion Trevor Green.

In addition to Green, Ian Loudoun, Adrian Maher, Grant Tunks, Mark Richards, Mark Blyton and Ian Madsen, younger bother of Kerry Madsen, represent the strongest challenge to the Americans.

Multi-national champion Max Dumesny returns to Tyrepower Parramatta City raceway after competing throughout Australia in the national series that resulted in the seventh title win of his career.

Dumesny is one of Australia’s most senior drivers who broke into the US headlines in 1985 when he took out the prestigious Race of States title during the Knoxville nationals annual event.

Australian speedway history will be created with the running of Outlaws Down Under IV when over 20 Americans compete.

Included in the line-up are two women drivers, Delaware’s Becca Anderson, 27 and Natalie Sather, 21, from Dakota who will challenge Parramatta’s seasoned female driver Kelly Linigen.

The full contingent of Americans is: Steve Kinser (Indiana), Sammy Swindell (Tennessee), Donny Schatz (Dakota), Danny Lasoski (Missouri), Jason Meyers (California), Jason Sides (Tennessee), Paul Sides (Tennessee), Jason Solwold (Washington), Joey Saldana (Indiana), Jonathan Allard (California), Dean Jacobs (Ohio), Mike Carber (Pennsylvania), Natalie Sather (Dakota), Becca Anderson (Delaware), Tim Kaeding (California), Tommy Tarlton (California), Travis Rilat (Texas), Brian Brown (Missouri), Shane Stewart (Oklahoma), Chad Hillier (Washington) and Paul McMahan (Tennessee).