QSRA New office bearers are:

President:

John Dean

Vice President:

John Davidson

Secretary:

Paula Draney

Treasurer:

Kelly Davidson

Committee:

Dave Jackson

Grant Draney

John Spaniak

Dwayne Neilson

Gary Greenwood

Speedcars Aust Rep:

Michael Harders

QLD Speedcar NASR Rep

Nil

Brown Blitzes Brisbane 50

Mark Brown defeated a star studded field to win the American Tyre & Racing Service 50 lapper at Brisbane International Speedway on Saturday May 9.  Starting from position nine Brown worked his way through the top eight qualifiers to hit the front on lap 21 and then proceed to pick up the $100 a lap bonus money through to the chequered flag.

Brock Dean was top point man from the two rounds of heats and after drawing marble 8 inverted the top eight qualifiers.  This put Dene McAllan (WA) and Troy Jenkins (NSW) on the front row followed by Kiwis Alach, Insley and Walsh then Palmer, Mosen (NZ) and Dean,

McAllan led from the green but a yellow on the second lap bunched the field up and after the restart he was under attack from Jenkins who took control on the fourth rotation.  Behind them the action was hectic with slide jobs the order at every corner and drivers using every inch of the race track.

Brown was on the move as Walsh went to second and McAllan struggled to maintain his position in the top five.  Another yellow closed up the field again and it was obvious at this point that Brown was the man to watch.  Jenkins and Walsh continued their duel on the green with Walsh leading laps 19 and 20 as Brown pounced on the leaders taking the lead the following lap.  Another Kiwi who had gone unnoticed to this point was Michael Kendall who was having a guest drive in the Davidson Racing Spike/Gaerte.  He had come from position16 to now be in the top 8. 

On lap 26 Doug Cavell had a roll over in turn 2 which also involved West Australian Chris Telenta.  It was a full red light and a long delay resulted while Cavell was extricated from his car.  All precautions were taken with his neck being placed in a brace.  He was later taken to hospital for observation and released at 5.00am the following morning. 

The time was now 10.00pm with 24 laps remaining and the Sprintcar feature to be run before the 10.30 curfew.  The speedcars were pushed to the infield as the sprintcars came out to run their main fortunately without too many delays.  The second stanza of the 50 lapper going green with 12 minutes left for the meeting with the top eight Brown, Jenkins, Walsh, Insley, Mosen, Palmer, McAllan and Kendall.

With nineteen laps to go a touch saw Brendan Palmer in the Brendon Fox Spike/Esslinger around sideways in turn two and going ROF.  After the restart Walsh started to fall back dropping out with fifteen laps still to travel.  Walsh has shown great form this season in the John Harders Racing Aggressor/Hawk but unfortunately luck has eluded them when it comes to podium places in the big events.

The yellows were on again with 11 laps left and time running out.  Fortunately from this point the run home was without incident even though the racing was intense.  Palmer had fought his way back into contention as well as Keith Giles (WA)  who had come from nowhere to now be in the top six.  It was a mad scramble in the final laps with Brown finishing his Australian season in fine style to take the win from Shaun Insley (NZ), who was also second in the Sydney 50, and Troy Jenkins.  A fast finishing Palmer was next and lamented what might have been if he hadn’t been sent ROF.

The heats saw many drivers suffer mixed fortunes.  The races were punctuated by yellows caused by zealous over driving or as one observer pointed out, was it the effects of a ‘full moon’ !  In the first heat Mitchell Whittaker became airborne when he ran off the inside edge of the track putting the Col Davies Stealth/Esslinger on its side. 

1   Stevie Walsh (NZ)    2   Brock Dean           3   Michael Kendall (NZ)

Neville Lance (WA) led early in the second heat but appeared to suffer problems in the Victorian Jordan Racing machine as the race progressed.  Brad Mosen going to the front and followed by New Zealand champ Shayne Alach in the Brad Dent Aggressor/Hawk.

1   Brad Mosen (NZ)     2   Shayne Alach (NZ)   3   Neville Lance (WA)

Heat three saw Brown spin in turn two after the car in front propped.  Pole sitter Mark Cooper, making his final racing appearance, was untroubled to win from Grant Draney in the Jason Gray Breka/Fontana and Brown who had fought his way back into a place.  Unfortunately a holed radiator finished Draney’s night at that point.

1   Mark Cooper (NSW)  2   Grant Draney                   3   Mark Brown (NSW)

The action in turn two continued in the next heat when Mitchell Whittaker got out of shape and collided with Michael Kendall with the Kiwi finishing on his side.  Brendan Palmer, looking for a change of luck after his big accident in Maryborough wrecked his own car, took the Brendon Fox car first across the line.  Round one winner Stevie Walsh went ROF after an altercation and finished out of the major points.

1   Brendan Palmer                 2   Brock Dean           3   Richard Mules

The Kiwis were out in force in heat five with Shaun Insley getting the better of pole sitter McAllan while Alach and Mosen staged their own battle.

1   Shaun Insley   (NZ)  2   Dene McAllan (WA)  3   Shayne Alach (NZ)

The final heat was a catastrophe with a number of spins.  The race was declared at the last yellow couple of laps short with only two finishers.  Unfortunately both Queensland Champ Mark George and Mark Brown were innocent parties who both missed out on points.

1   Troy Jenkins (NSW)  2   Chris Telenta (WA)

50 Lap Main

1   Mark Brown (NSW)  

2   Shaun Insley (NZ)   

3   Troy Jenkins (NSW) 

4   Brendan Palmer (QLD)

5   Brad Mosen (NZ)    

6   Keith Giles (WA)

7   Michael Kendall (NZ)

8   Sid Whittaker (QLD)

9   Dene McAllan (WA)

10   Neville Lance (WA)

11   Brock Dean (QLD)    

12   Richard Mules (QLD)

13   Michael Harders (QLD)

14   Neale Tobin (QLD)

*  All results are provisional

This brings to a close the QSRA 2008-09 racing season.  A season which has seen some terrific racing and the best car counts for years.  The new season is already shaping up to be even better with new tracks looking to feature speedcars at their meetings.  Add these to the existing venues of Brisbane International Speedway, Charlton, Maryborough and Lismore and it is easy to see why there are so many new drivers joining the section. 

Bring on season 2009-10 it’s going to be sensational.

is Proud to bring you the

2009 Queensland Speedcar Title

1st Q16 Mark George

2nd Q99 Brock Dean

3rd Q14 Michael Harders

.

Mark George – Queensland Champ

Mark George won the 2009 ‘Polar Ice’ Queensland Speedcar Championship at Maryborough speedway over the Easter week end.  A jubilant George greeted the chequered flag punching the air after holding off a fast finishing Brock Dean in the run to the line.  It brought to a close two nights of torrid speedcar action.

Stevie Walsh, maximum point’s scorer from the heats, started from pole after Pole Shuffle winner Mark Brown elected to go from position two in the 35 lap main.  It was Walsh who went to the front on the green followed by Brown, Michael Harders, George, Doug Cavell and Richard Mules and fourteen others all vying for a spot on the podium.  Brown did not allow the Kiwi to pull away and as they caught lapped traffic mounted a challenge.

They snaked their way through cars until entering turn one on the eleventh lap they went either side of a lapped car.  Unfortunately Walsh was on the outside and climbed a wheel rolling the John Harders Aggressor/Hawk and bringing on the red lights.  Both Walsh and Rob Mackay, son of Ronald Mackay who won this title 30 years ago, sustained damage that finished their campaign.

Mark Brown was now on course to add to his two previous titles, 2004 and 2007, as Mark George, Michael Harders and Richard Mules now had Brock Dean (position 9) breathing down their necks.  Another yellow for a spun car saw the field again bunch up as the laps disappeared at a fast rate. The furious pace had claimed a number of fancied runners including Matt Young (NSW), Clayton Walker and Doug Cavell.

The lap scoreboard showed seven to go when Matt Greenwood hit the back straight fence and rolled. The car bounced cage first onto the concrete wall and landed upside down on the track.  There were some anxious moments for the lanky youngster when he could feel something hot under his helmet and fearing there was a fire was keen to get out.  Apparently some hot leaking oil had run under his helmet causing a nasty burn on his neck.  He was okay but later taken to hospital for treatment.

The race was now in its final stanza and about to spring a surprise.  On the restart Brown again pulled away from George, Harders and Dean but coming down the back straight on the next lap he slowed and pulled infield.  George was the new leader with a small break back  to Harders and a very determined Dean.   Dean grabbed second with a couple to go and gave chase.  He caught the leader but George, who has a reputation of being smooth and unflappable, did not buckle under the pressure and went on to win the 2009 crown. 

It is a credit to Mark George and his good friend and car owner Chris Foreman who over the last five years have put together a good car featuring a Breka (NZ) chassis and a 4 cylinder DOHC Porsche engine.  Developing the engine themselves and despite it not producing the ‘big grunt’ of the purpose built engines it has proved to be reliable and in George’s hands capable of mixing it with the best.  The $3500 first place prize money will give their racing budget a big boost.

Night one qualifying heats saw a lot of surprises.  In the first round both Mark Brown and Dene McAllan failed to earn any points.  Brown did not start his heat while the West Australian suffered terminal engine damage.  Wins going to Matt Young (NSW), Brendan Palmer and Stevie Walsh (NZ).

Brown made amends in round two coming up with maximum points in the Rinkin Motorsport Aggressor/Hawk while Grant Draney pulled in during the same heat with a missing engine.  Brendan Palmer looked like backing up his earlier win in heat two until he hit wall in the back straight and rode out a huge roll over.  The car was a mess with the back axle broken and every thing else bent or broken.  The team had enough spares and set out after the meeting to rebuild the car for night two.  Stevie Walsh clocked another win in the final heat of the round from the back of the grid.

Moving into the final round for the night and it went sour for Matt Young in the initial heat.  He climbed a wheel and went straight into the turn two fence.  It was a hard hit and despite needing a new front end the Aggressor chassis only suffered minor damage.  Brock Dean spun backwards into the fence in the same heat but recovered to finish fourth while Brown finished the night with a win and move to third on points.  The jovial giant Doug Cavell also finished the night with a win and ended up second on points after the three rounds.  Steve Walsh made it three from three in the last heat and along with Mark Brown would go into the title equal favourites.

Overnight Brendan Palmer’s crew discovered chassis damage that could not be repaired and their week end was done.  Grant Draney made a phone call to Jason Gray and would buckle up in the Tools 4 Us Breka/Fontana for night two.  Bill Foreman had repaired his rear axle. Matt Young was ready to go and John Davidson and Matt Greenwood had sorted out brake issues.  Neale Tobin’s crew had fitted a new battery and were hopeful they had cured their engine miss.  Rob Mackay had missed night one with a fuel pump problem which was rectified during Sunday.

Mark Brown had his third win after a majestic outside pass on Brock Dean in the final corner.  It was Brown at his best.  Michael Harders showed he meant business in his last heat which would give him a start in the Pole Shuffle.  Stevie Walsh finished the heats with a perfect score with another win from the back.

Round 1

Heat 1

1         Matt Young (NSW)                 2        Grant Draney    3        Richard Mules

Heat 2

1         Brendan Palmer           2        Mark George              3        John Lennon

Heat 3

1         Stevie Walsh (NZ)                 2        Doug Cavell               3        Clayton Walker

Round 2

Heat 1

1         Mark Brown (NSW)                 2        Matt Young (NSW)       3        Richard Mules

Heat 2

1         Brock Dean                         2        Mark George              3        Sid Whittaker

Heat 3

Stevie Walsh (NZ)                           2        Clayton Walker  3        Doug Cavell

Round 3

Heat 1

1         Mark Brown (NSW)                 2        Brad Sloan                3        Mark George

Heat 2

1         Doug Cavell                        2        John Lennon              3        Michael Harders

Heat 3

1         Stevie Walsh (NZ)                 2        Richard Mules   3        Michael Davidson

Round 4

Heat 1

1         Mark Brown (NSW)                 2        Brock Dean                3        Mark George

Heat 2

1         Michael Harders          2        Clayton Walker  3        Sid Whittaker

Heat 3

1         Stevie Walsh (NZ)                 2        Grant Draney    3        Michael Davidson

Pole Shuffle

John Lennon def Richard Mules

Michael Harders def John Lennon

Michael Harders def Clayton Walker

Michael Harders def Doug Cavell

Michael Harders def Mark George

Mark Brown def Michael Harders

Mark Brown def Stevie Walsh

Grant Draney, Rob Mackay, Brett Foreman and Matt Greenwood earned a start in the A main from the ‘B’.

A Main

1 Mark George

2 Brock Dean

3 Michael Harders

4 Richard Mules

5 John Lennon

6 Michael Davidson

7 John Davidson

8 Brett Foreman

Congratulations to the trophy winners and commiserations to those who have a lot of work to do before the next QSRA show at BIS Archerfield on 9 May – the 50 lapper.

Special thanks to Jack Berry and Polar Ice for sponsoring the event and to the Maryborough Sporting Car Club for doing a great job of hosting the title and preparing a great race track.