Donny Schatz Wins Australian Sprintcar Open

From JAK Media

World Of Outlaws Champion Donny Schatz from Minot South Dakota completed an unprecedented hat trick of wins in the Performance Wholesale World Series Sprintcars / Titan Garages Australian Sprintcar Open with victory in Saturday night’s $20,000 to win, fifty lap Feature event at Archerfield.

Qld driver Cameron Gessner won Friday night’s Preliminary Feature&nbsp ;and was a convincing winner of the A-Dash on night two but it counted for little in the overall scheme of things with Schatz leading every lap of the Feature race to score his third win in the event in as many years.

Shatz’s victory wrapped up a dominant performance by the visiting American drivers in Brisbane over the past fortnight, with Jesse Hockett and Bud Kaeding sharing honours in the International Sprintcar Series events, Kaeding also winning the Capalaba Wreckers Sprintcar Cup and Schatz completing the USA sweep&n bsp;in the Open.

While the 2009 edition of the Open went non-stop, this year the yellows were out on lap one for Darrell Hodges who had come to stop in turn two. From there though, it looked like it would be a repeat of last January with Schatz out front and lapping cars at will with the rest of the field chasing but seemingly having no answers on how to reel in the #2 Pick N Payless J&J.

The race within the race became a battle for the minors between Cameron Gessner, Brooke Tatnell, Max Dumes ny and Danny Smith, the four racing for supremacy in the off-chance something would happen to Schatz.

On lap thirty-nine, Americans Brent Kaeding and Jason Sides got together in turn two bringing on the cautions for the second time and giving Brooke Tatnell in second a glimmer of hope. Tatnell raced to the bottom of Schatz in turn one on the restart but couldn’t make it stick and Schatz led the field down the back straight once more.

A lap later the yellows were on again for Todd Wanless who had come&nbsp ;to a stop against the pit exit wall after American Jason Johnson got into the front of Wanless’ #2 J&J as the two raced down the back straight. Again Tatnell went to the bottom of turn one under Schatz on the restart only for Schatz to run the high-line coming off of turn two with the lead secured.

Kerry Madsen had joined the fray for the minors after disposing of David Murcott and James McFadden, the 2003 National Champion on a charge around the top of the Speedway until the right side muffler cam e loose on the #W92 and when it finally became detached on lap forty-five, it cut down Kerry’s right rear tyre and his Open was over.

The yellows were back on for the final time to remove the muffler from the track and it opened up an opportunity for Garry Brazier. The six time and reigning Australian Champion had qualified for the Final via the B-Main and had raced from the seventh row of the grid to now be in contention for an unlikely podium finish.

Brazier drove by Gessner and Dumesny in qui ck succession to get to third and had a real good look under Tatnell for second over the final laps, Garry putting in the drive of the night in front of a huge and appreciative crowd at the raceway and reminding everyone just why he is one of the best in the business.

Dumesny held on for fourth ahead of Danny Smith in fifth, David Murcott snatched sixth spot from Gessner on the final lap, Qld Champion James McFadden finished eighth, Andrew Scheuerle ninth and Robbie Farr completed the top ten. Ryan Farrell,&nb sp;Danny Reidy, Jason Sides and Jason Johnson finished eleven through fourteen with Madsen, Wanless, Brent Kaeding and Darrell Hodges failing to complete the distance.

The name Donny Schatz is once again engraved on the Titan Garages Australian Sprintcar Open trophy. In 2009 he became the first two time winner of the event. In 2010, he has completed the hat-trick. It’s an unprecedented run of victories by the world’s number one Sprintcar driver.