After an series of wet weekends in Queensland we finally had Mother Nature on side last night for Round Two for the East Coast Logistics Sprintcar Series at Ausdeck Patios and Roofing Archerfield Speedway. With over thirty cars in attendance, a dry, slick track surface, and a somewhat different format for proceedings, we were in for a HUGE night. Peter Lack was the eventual winner, leading the main event while withstanding challenges from Brent Kratzmann, Lachlan McHugh early in the race, before going wheel-to-wheel with a very hard-charging Allan Woods for the reset of the 30-lap journey. Lack got the win with Woods in second and Brent Kratzmann, who faded back as far as fifth just five laps in, patiently worked his way back to third and began chasing down the leaders. Kratzmann displaced both Steven Lines and Lachlan McHugh and crossed the line in third to round out the podium, while McHugh finished fourth ahead of Luke Oldfield. Lines failed to finished event after coming together with a lapped car while running in third with two laps left to run.

The format for last night was a little different to what we usually run, with the drivers qualifying and racing within their own heat groups until the features rolled out. Mitchell Gee topped the leader board in group one qualifying, stopping the clock at 11.575 seconds, which ultimately ended up being the fastest qualifying time of the night. Brent Kratzmann went second quickest in group one ahead of Allan Woods, Lachlan McHugh and Scott Genrich. Group two qualifying saw Luke Oldfield on top in his season debut, stopping the clock at 11.712 seconds, with Peter Lack second quickest, beating Andrew Corbet by just one thousandth of a second. Corbet was third quickest of group two while Sprintcar debutant Ryan McNamara was fourth quickest ahead of Jayden Peacock. Andrew Scheuerle was the best of group three, stopping the clock at 11.736 seconds, with Steven Lines, Tim Farrell, Mark Pholi and Dan Murray completing the fastest five of group three. Unfortunately for Phill Foster though, on-going mechanical dramas in the Q66 racer prevented him for taking part last night.

Heat one started with Kevin Britten and Steven Johnson from the front row and a field of hard-chargers behind. Britten got the jump when the lights went green, quickly securing the lead ahead of Johnson and Scott Genrich, but the race was quickly brought to a stop when Britten spun the Q34 racer in turn two, leaving Johnson nowhere to go. The pair collided while the rest of the oncoming field took evasive action. Genrich and Lachlan McHugh managed to get around the top side, while Darren Jensen, Allan Woods and Brent Kratzmann got through underneath. Mitchell Gee tried to get around the top side of the stranded cars in front of him but there simply was no room and the unavoidable contact that followed unfortunately damaged his front end and prematurely ended his race. A full restart followed, with Britten and Johnson from the rear of the field and Jensen and Genrich now leading the field to the green. Jensen got the jump when the race resumed and took control of the race, while Lachlan McHugh immediately raced underneath Genrich and started challenging Jensen for the lead. Genrich surrendered another position, this time to Allan Woods, while Steven Johnson got around Andrew Baumber and then underneath Clem Hoffmans before setting his sights on Brent Kratzmann. With one lap completed Johnson started trying to have a look underneath Kratzmann, only to spin the Q96 racer coming out of turn one and bring the race under caution. Jensen led the restart from McHugh and Woods and while Jensen got a great start and opened a small margin over McHugh and Woods, Kratzmann wasted no time in challenging Genrich for fourth, racing underneath the Q18 racer as they rounded turn two. Kratzmann set out after Woods while Britten and Genrich battled over the minor places. Baumber, Hoffmans and Johnson battled at the rear of the field, with Johnson attempting, unsuccessfully, to go around the outside of Hoffmans before Hoffmans got underneath Baumber. Johnson got underneath Baumber a few laps later before catching Hoffmans and again looking to go around the top side, getting the job done on the final lap. At the front of the field McHugh had caught Jensen and was putting all kinds of pressure on the Q75 racer as they raced closer to the chequered flag. McHugh timed his run to perfection, challenging Jensen on the final corner of the race and stealing the lead, and the win, as they crossed the line. Lachlan McHugh got the win, just 0.044 seconds ahead of Darren Jensen, with Allan Woods home in third. Brent Kratzmann crossed the line in fourth and led Scott Genrich, Kevin Britten, Steven Johnson, Clem Hoffmans and Andrew Baumber home. Libby Ellis and Mitchell Gee both failed to finish the event.

Dave Whell and Kristy Bonsey shared the front row for the start of heat two, with Whell getting the better start and quickly securing the race lead. Kevin Titman raced underneath Bonsey before they entered turn one while Jayden Peacock took to the high line. Peacock raced around Bonsey in turn two, before looking to go around Titman in turn three, only for Titman to fight back hard on the bottom to maintain second. A caution for the spun cars of Ryan McNamara and Justin Snellman bunched the field back up, with Peacock wasting little time on the restart, quickly racing underneath Titman and moving into second just half a lap into the restart. Luke Oldfield and Peter Lack were embroiled in their own intense battle mid-field, searching for a way past Bonsey. Lack was on the top while Oldfield ran the bottom, the pair looking to race either side of Bonsey, only Bonsey was too strong and not prepared to surrender her position without a fight. Lack had a brilliant run on the top, and, after several laps running wheel-to-wheel with Bonsey, managed to move ahead of the Q42 racer, with Oldfield soon switching to the top side to follow Lack around the high line. Titman looped the Q59 racer in turn two, bringing the race under caution just before half-race distance with Whell to lead the restart from Peacock and Lack. Peacock quickly raced around Whell when the race resumed, while Lack tried to get around Whell on the high line, leaving the bottom wide open and giving Oldfield the opportunity to race through underneath both drivers. Lack secured the advantage over Whell and set out after Oldfield, the pair quickly closing in on Peacock, with Oldfield racing around the Q77 racer and into the lead when Peacock got momentarily caught behind a lapped car on the last lap of the race. Luke Oldfield got the win ahead of Jayden Peacock and Peter Lack, with Dave Whell home in fourth ahead of Kristy Bonsey, Andrew Corbet, Kevin Titman, Ryan McNamara and Justin Snellman. Trent Vardy pulled out of the event after completing just four laps.

Heat three started with Jason King from pole position and Mitch Gowland sharing the front row. King and Gowland raced side-by-side into turn one but it was Gowland on the top side who secured the lead, leaving King briefly in second before he surrendered positions to Brett Minett and Mark Pholi. The race endured the first of many cautions moments later when Minett spun the Q94 racer in turn four. A full restart followed and while King momentarily had his nose in front, it was again Gowland who led the way through the opening corner. King settled into second with Pholi on his tail, while Andrew Scheuerle had a magnificent run around the outside, getting past Brock Dean and beginning to challenge Pholi, while deeper in the field Steven Lines began trying to make his way forward but was caught behind Dan Murray, who was trying to find a way past Brock Dean. King and Pholi came together in turn two, sending Pholi up track and into the path of a very unlucky Andrew Scheuerle. Contact between Pholi and Scheuerle would bring the race back under caution, with both drivers relegated to the rear of the field for the restart. Gowland led the restart from King and Dean, while from the back of the field Scheuerle immediately began trying to make up lost ground. Lines made his way past Murray and Dean before setting out after King, while Scheuerle made his way past both Kris Jennings and Brett Minett. Jennings was next to bring the race under caution, spinning the immaculately presented Q81 racer in turn four with half the race still to run. Gowland led the restart once more from King and Lines, and while Lines promptly raced underneath King as they rounded turn three, King spun the NQ69 racer into the path of Dean. Dean did everything he could to lessen the impact, the pair only making light contact, however Scheuerle had already committed to the high line and was unable to avoid contact, clipping the front end of Dean and cutting down a tyre and bringing about an early end to his race. Gowland led the restart once more but had Lines on his tail and four laps left to run. Lines was all over the back of the #32 racer, spending just one lap looking for his way through before taking control of the race. Steven Lines got the win ahead of Mitch Gowland, Dan Murray, Brett Minett, Tim Farrell, Brock Dean, Kris Jennings and Mark Pholi. Jason King and Andrew Scheuerle did not finish the event.

Kevin Britten and Steven Johnson shared the front row for start of heat four, with Mitchell Gee and Scott Genrich right behind them. Britten led them into the first corner, only for Johnson to challenge on the top side, the pair racing wheel-to-wheel for most of the first lap before Britten moved ahead, while Johnson left the bottom open for Allan Woods to take full advantage. Woods quickly raced underneath Johnson and set out after Britten, while Lachlan McHugh began challenging Mitchell Gee, who was searching for a way past Johnson. Brent Kratzmann made his way past Darren Jensen and Scott Genrich before setting out after Gee and McHugh. Woods raced around Britten to take the lead, while the battle for the minor positions behind him intensified. McHugh and Gee raced side-by-side for several laps before McHugh secured the advantage and turned his attention to Johnson, while Gee was left to defend his position, unsuccessfully, from a very hard-charging Brent Kratzmann. While Kratzmann managed to get ahead of Gee, Gee fought back hard, challenging Kratzmann for position, whilst also searching for a way past Johnson. Allan Woods got the win ahead of Kevin Britten and Lachlan McHugh, with Brent Kratzmann home in fourth ahead of Mitchell Gee. Steven Johnson crossed the line in fifth ahead of Darren Jensen, Scott Genrich, Clem Hoffmans, Andrew Baumber and Libby Ellis.

Dave Whell started heat five from pole position with Kevin Titman alongside and Kristy Bonsey and Andrew Corbet behind. Whell got the advantage first time around with Bonsey having a massive look underneath Titman as they entered turn one, only for Titman to not only maintain his position but close in on Whell and begin putting all kinds of pressure on the race leader. Deeper in the field Luke Oldfield raced underneath Peter Lack, while in front of them Jayden Peacock tried to race around Andrew Corbet. A moment between Peacock and Corbet sent Corbet down track, leaving Oldfield nowhere to go, the unavoidable contact leaving Oldfield spun in turn three, bringing the race under caution. A full restart followed with Whell once again securing the advantage ahead of Titman and Lack. Kristy Bonsey held down fourth, defending her position from Oldfield, who was running the bottom after getting past Jayden Peacock, and Ryan McNamara, who was having sensational run on the high line. Bonsey, closing in on Lack, kept Oldfield at bay for several laps before the Q17 racer got past on the top side, only for the race to be brought under caution a lap later for the spun cars of McNamara and Justin Snellman. Whell led the restart from Titman, Lack and Oldfield and while Lack was all over the back of Titman, Oldfield was searching for a way past them both, leaving Whell relatively untroubled in the lead. Oldfield got underneath Lack in turn two, only for Lack to return the favour half a lap later, the pair then racing side-by-side, with Oldfield on the top. Contact between the pair heading down the back straight was followed by another clash as they entered turn four, with Oldfield looping the Q17 racer and losing positions to Lack, Peacock and Bonsey before regaining his momentum briefly before withdrawing from the race soon after. Peacock and Bonsey came together towards the end of the race, leaving a two-lap dash to the chequered flag. Dave Whell led the way, with a relentless and determined Kevin Titman all over the back of the Q4 racer, but it was Whell who secured the win ahead of Titman and Peter Lack. Trent Vardy survived the chaos that unfolded in front him over the course of the race to finish fourth ahead of Ryan McNamara, Jayden Peacock, Kristy Bonsey and Justin Snellman. Luke Oldfield and Andrew Corbet both failed to finish the race.

Brock Dean and Mark Pholi led the sixth and final heat of the night to the green, with Dean leading the way while Andrew Scheuerle made short work of getting underneath Pholi to secure second. Steven Lines got underneath Brett Minett, before Minett took to the high line and to momentarily regain his position and challenge Mitch Gowland for his. Lines came back through on the bottom, displacing Minett, while further back in the field Tim Farrell and Kris Jennings battled over the minor places. Dan Murray spun the Q44 racer in turn two, leaving Jennings nowhere to go, the contact between the pair leaving Jennings stranded and bringing the race under caution. Dean led the restart from Scheuerle and Pholi, while deeper in the field Steven Lines raced around Jayden Peacock and began challenging Pholi for third. Gowland and Minett had a fierce battle towards the rear of the field but there was no stopping Brock Dean out in front as he raced to victory ahead of Andrew Scheuerle and Mark Pholi. Steven Lines finished fourth ahead of Brett Minett, Mitch Gowland, Tim Farrell, Dan Murray and Kris Jennings.

The top four qualifiers were inverted for the start of the Dash, leaving Peter Lack and Lachlan McHugh from the front row, with Steven Lines and Allan Woods right behind them. Lack got the better start and quickly secured the lead ahead of McHugh and Woods, while Brent Kratzmann, from position five, raced through underneath Dave Whell and set out after Steven Lines. Just as Allan Woods raced underneath Lachlan McHugh, as they rounded turn three, Jayden Peacock spun into the turn three fence and brought the race under caution. A full restart followed and it was Lack who again secured the advantage ahead of McHugh and Woods, while Kratzmann had an incredible run on the bottom, getting underneath Whell, Lines and Woods and settling into third with less than half a lap completed. Kratzmann turned his attention to McHugh, challenging him for the position by the end of the first lap and securing second with only one and half laps completed. McHugh of course fought back, searching high and low for a way back past Kratzmann but Kratzmann was not prepared to surrender, eventually opening a small margin on the Q23 racer and starting to close the gap to Lack. Peter Lack got the win, earning pole position for the main event, with Brent Kratzmann home in second and locking in a front row start for the main race. Lachlan McHugh finished third ahead of Steven Lines, Allan Woods, Dave Whell, Brock Dean and Jayden Peacock.

Sixteen cars lined up for the start of the fifteen-lap B-main, with Brett Minett and Kevin Britten to lead them to the green. Minett secured the lead when the green flag flew and did not look back, while Britten settled into second ahead of Mitch Gowland and Dan Murray. Ryan McNamara and Mitchell Gee had an intense battle unfolding, right behind Murray and the final transfer position, while Steven Johnson and Andrew Corbet negotiated over the minor positions while challenging Gee and McNamara. McNamara won out, setting out after Murray, while Corbet got past both Johnson and Gee, leaving Gee to try and defend his position from Johnson who was challenging hard on the bottom. Gee found some momentum on the top side, quickly getting clear of Johnson and attempting to race around the outside of Corbet, while Trent Vardy and Kris Jennings raced hard and began challenging Johnson for mid-field positions before Jennings spun the Q81 racer in turn four, leaving Scott Genrich with nowhere to go. Neither driver was able to restart the event. Minett led the restart from Britten, Murray and Gowland, with Ryan McNamara and Mitchell Gee still outside the transfer positions. Gowland got the better of Murray, with Murray then coming under immense pressure from McNamara, before McNamara got around the outside of Murray to earn his first A-Main start in a Sprintcar. Brett Minett went on to take the win ahead of Kevin Britten and Mitch Gowland, with Ryan McNamara securing the final transfer to the A-Main when he crossed the line in fourth. Mitchell Gee finished fifth and led Andrew Corbet, Dan Murray, Trent Vardy, Kristy Bonsey, Steven Johnson, Andrew Baumber, Clem Hoffmans, Justin Snellman and Libby Ellis home. Kris Jennings and Scott Genrich did not finish the event.

Peter Lack and Brent Kratzmann led the field to the green for the start of the thirty-lap A-Main, with Lack getting the better start and quickly securing the lead, leaving Kratzmann in second. Kratzmann challenged Lack for the lead, the pair opening a small margin on Lachlan McHugh in third, while mid-field Jayden Peacock and Luke Oldfield were trying to move forward, working the top side to try and get around their rivals. Kratzmann hit a rut in turn two on the second lap and surrendered positions to McHugh and Steven Lines, before settling in fourth with Allan Woods right on his tail and challenging hard. Contact between Mark Pholi and Brett Minett three laps in brought the race to a sudden stop as Minett rolled end-to-end into turn three. Minett walked away from the wreck, while Pholi was able to restart at the rear of the field.

Peter Lack led the restart from Lachlan McHugh, Steven Lines, Brent Kratzmann and Allan Woods and while Woods continued to challenge Kratzmann, deeper in the field Brock Dean was trying to keep Andrew Scheuerle and Kevin Titman at bay, while Darren Jensen challenged on the high line. Woods got the better of Kratzmann and then Lines, before setting his sights on McHugh. Ryan McNamara spun in turn two, leaving Kevin Britten nowhere to go, and brought the race under caution with twenty-one laps left to run.

Peter Lack again led the restart from Lachlan McHugh, with Allan Woods now up to third. Jayden Peacock began running the high side, searching for a way past Brent Kratzmann, all with Luke Oldfield on his tail, while Kratzmann quickly raced underneath Steven Lines to regain fourth. Lines got back around Kratzmann, the pair trading places back and forth, while in front of them things were just heating up between McHugh and Woods. Woods was all over the back of McHugh and seemed to have the faster car, he just needed to find the right way through. McHugh ran a strong race withstanding the pressure and blocking Woods for several laps, but Woods was fearless and absolutely relentless, never easing and working the high line beautifully. Woods had several looks before actually making his move around the top side and racing past McHugh, into second, and setting his sights on Lack and the race lead. Kevin Titman spun the Q59 racer in turn two, leaving Dave Whell nowhere to go, the pair bringing the race under caution just as Oldfield got the better of Kratzmann.

On the restart with fifteen laps left to run, it was Peter Lack who led them to the green, with Allan Woods on his tail and Lachlan McHugh sitting in third ahead of Steven Lines and Brent Kratzmann. Kratzmann committed to the bottom, racing underneath both Lines and McHugh in just over a lap, and then set out after Woods and Lack, leaving McHugh and Lines to negotiate over the minor positions, and defend those positions from Luke Oldfield. At the front of the field Woods was all over the back of Lack, searching, relentlessly, for a way around the race leader, only for Lack to deny him every single time. The battle between the leading pair was breath-taking and captivated the crowd, with Woods periodically looking around the top side and getting side-by-side with Lack, only for Lack to surge ahead and maintain the advantage. Behind them Kratzmann came under pressure from Lines, with Lines eventually getting around the outside of Kratzmann to steal third with only a handful of laps left to run. Unfortunately for Lines, contact with a lapped car a couple of laps later saw him spin the Q83 racer to the infield and, consequently, out of the race. Peter Lack went on to take a hard fought and well deserved win ahead of Allan Woods with Brent Kratzmann coming home in third to round out the final podium. Lachlan McHugh came in fourth with Luke Oldfield completing the top five. Jayden Peacock finished sixth and led Andrew Scheuerle, Brock Dean, Darren Jensen, Tim Farrell, Mitch Gowland, Dave Whell, Kevin Britten and Mark Pholi across the line. Steven Lines, Kevin Titman, Ryan McNamara and Brett Minett did not finish the event.

Sprintcars Queensland will head back to Hi-Tec Oils Speedway in Toowoomba next Saturday night, 03 November 2018, for another round of USC Sprintcars. It is going to be a MASSIVE night of Sprintcar action so get yourself trackside and see it all for yourself!