From JAK
Brisbane, AU — It was all things Titan when Bryan Mann captured one of the biggest wins of his career on Sunday night May 1, driving the #36 Titan Racing Maxim to victory in the Titan Garages Australian Sprintcar Open at Titan Garages Brisbane International Speedway.
Mann took over the front running on lap twenty-five of an action-packed event, leading the final fifteen laps to take the chequers ahead of David Murcott, David Muir, Peter Lack and Danny Reidy. Only eleven of the original twenty car field completed the forty lap distance.
For the second time in as many weeks Bud Kaeding was out of the race before crossing the start line, this time the American and Todd Wanless got together as they picked up the gas on the green and the field bunched simultaneously. Wanless was jammed up against the turn four wall and collected from behind as Kaeding came to a stop before the line, neither driver would restart.
Ryan Farrell led the opening lap but Robbie Farr quickly made his move on the West Australian and led through to lap twelve, Farr seemingly on his way to his fifth BIS victory of the season before hitting a rut in turn four and getting into the wall with the right rear of the East Coast Pipelines #7. Farrell inherited the lead back as Farr grappled with his car for the next few laps before settling back into the race, the World Series Champ doing all he could to eventually finish sixth.
Pete Thorley had moved from seventh to second at this point and was pressuring Farrell for the lead, Farrell having nothing of it though as he shut the door on Thorley in turn three. Thorley re-grouped and raced his way back onto the tail of the leader, got a run off of turn two and drew alongside Farrell entering the same corner a few laps later. This time around they touched, locked together and spun to a stop. Both would restart but Farrell would pull to the infield a lap or so later and Thorley would join him on lap thirty, the same lap Cameron Gessner’s race ended after spinning to a stop in turn three while running in sixth position.
David Muir, in his first race of the season at Archerfield after a lengthy lay-off, started back in position thirteen and had been the big mover to this point and now found himself at the head of the field for the restart. “Blingy” led through one and two but Bryan Mann soon took the lead as Muir lost another spot to Murcott, these three positions remaining unchanged through to the end.
Murcott on a number of occasions looked to be closing on Mann but each time he did he found the rough part of the racetrack in turn three and four and lost valuable ground. Despite Murcott’s best efforts, there would be no denying Mann and he drove a smart race over the final few laps to score a popular and much-deserved win.
In other results on the night, Todd Wanless set quick time ahead of Andrew Scheuerle and Robbie Farr, Heat race wins went the way of Ryan Farrell, David Muir (2), Ben Hilder, Brent Kratzmann and Cameron Gessner. Farrell won the A Dash from Farr, Kaeding, Wanless, Scheuerle and Mann while Pete Thorley won the B Dash over Murcott, Gessner, Danny Reidy, Peter Lack and Des Collier. David Muir won the B Main with Brent Kratzmann, Ben Hilder, Brett Thomas, Steven Wright and Steven Johnson also transferring to the Open Feature.
Russ Hardy won the AMCA Nationals Feature, taking the chequers ahead of Eric Knight and Michael McQueen while Dave Fanning won the Lightning Sprints Feature from David Whell and Greg Polzin.
Racing continues at Titan Garages Brisbane International Speedway next Saturday night with the KRE Race Engines Sprintcar Track Championship, the Polar Ice Qld Midget Car Series, ASCF Junior Sedans, Fireworks and support class racing on the programme.