Hodges Hammers But Stewart Storms Home
Wade Aunger posted Sunday November 14, 2004.

Darrell Hodges was a stand out but it was American Shane Stewart who banked the $5000 winner’s cheque in Round One of the 2004/2005 Proton World Series Sprintcars Championship at Titan Garages Archerfield Speedway on November 13.

The Bixby Bullet from Oklahoma drove a faultless race in the Bill Mann owned Speedflow / Comp Cams / V Mac Maxim to run down the early lead duo of Hodges and Robbie Farr.

Stewart paid immediate tribute to crew chief Dave Sharman and Bill Mann after the race.

“I can’t say enough about the work load that Dave has put into this deal, he and Ian and the guys have worked so hard to get us to this race track with this car it’s a tribute to them that we could win tonight. Bill Mann has just provided us with a car that hasn’t got a single second hand part on it; he’s given me an incredible car to drive.”

Despite several aborted attempts at a start the 30 lap main got off to a shaky start but turned into a fantastic duel as the lead bunch swapped positions through lapped traffic.

Hodges was the high point’s man in the Baron Media / HMS Maxim after a solid run in qualifying and the heats before he eventually claimed the win in the A-Dash to set up an outside pole position start.

The Bracken Ridge based Queenslander was clearly the crowd favourite throughout the night and he appeared destined for a fairy tale finish before Stewart started to wind him in as they encountered traffic.

On his way to the win however Stewart clocked the fastest time of the event with a 12.358 pass late in the race.

The likeable American flashed across the line to claim the opening round win ahead of Hodges, Farr, Jason Johnson, Andrew Scheuerle, Max Dumesny, Nathan MacDonald, John Shore, Darren Jensen and Mike Van Bremen rounding out the top ten.

“I thought we might have been able to run him back down,” conceded Hodges, “but we couldn’t get it done. To top it all off we had oil on my boots from a leaky rear main seal and that made it hard to keep my foot on the gas. I’m happy to run second to a guy like Shane Stewart who runs over a hundred races a year.”

Robbie Farr is never happy with anything less than a win but the new Aussie champ’s third place in the Titan Garages Maxim was none the less a good points haul and a promising start to the Championship.

”We’re not happy but we’re not completely unhappy either,” he said, “any time you can come away from Archerfield at a World Series round with a podium finish it gives you a good points position and you keep your car straight.”

The remaining three cars running were B-Main winner Mark Wells (11th) Terry Bracken (12th) and Allan Woods (13th) but the trail of broken hearts in the infield included the hapless Brooke Tatnell (race accident), Victorian Ken Veal (flat right rear) Clem Hoffmans and Ben Atkinson (roll over in turn one).

Tatnell had struggled from hot laps with an engine that refused to fire on all cylinders and he missed both heat appearances before eventually finding the problem in the now blue Shell Helix Maxim just in time to take up his last position starting spot in the B-Main.

“We’ve changed everything, including the motor, the fuel lines, the tail tank and the magneto and I still can’t work out what’s wrong with the damn thing,” frowned the Sydneysider.

In typical fashion though he blazed to second position to make the transfer, along the way perhaps having a bit of fortune go his way when stewards ruled him an innocent party in a tangle with then second placed Craig Stevenson that saw Stevenson spin to a stop and bring on the yellows.

After starting from position 14 in the A-Main Tatnell had the Shell Helix machine sizzling up to 5th and working on Andrew Scheuerle’s Motorguard Maxim when the two made contact and Tatnell slammed the main straight concrete wall sadly breaking his right rear wheel in the process.

It was a disappointing end to what had been a very disappointing night for the four times WSS Champ and there was an animated discussion between him and Scheuerle after the event.

Andrew Scheuerle though must have been very pleased with his final result, placing the car he sold to John Wetherill but will still drive for a couple of shows still in fifth. It was the second year in a row ‘Shirls’ had managed a top five spot at home against the WSS big dogs.

American Jason Johnson got off to a slow start in the Supaloc / STP / Aussiefast Eagle but he came home with flying colours late in the main event, using the highline to awesome effect.

The Louisiana lead foot came home in fourth place despite being caught up in a mid-race skirmish with local racer Allan Woods when “Woodsy” ran over JJ’s left rear and spun them both to a stop.

Mark Wells was also involved in the melee though he did an outstanding job all night to avoid some potentially disastrous situations in the Toyota Genuine Parts / Valvoline Cool Chassis and despite a flat left front tyre he limped home in 11th.

His excellent time trial in the face of a #2 qualifying marble was a testimony to his smooth style.

Defending champ Max Dumesny never really got going in the #5 Valvoline / GKR Transport Maxim and wound up a disappointing 6th behind Scheuerle.

“We missed it,” conceded crew chief Mouse Green in a Motel car park later that night, “we had one of those nights and we were awful. I was really worried at one point that Shane (Stewart) was going to put a lap on us. We’ve got some work to do before Toowoomba.”

Cheetah constructor and sporadic racer Nathan MacDonald put in a workmanlike performance to place seventh in the A-Main and earlier in the night recorded what was for some time the fastest time of the night before Farr sped past to pick up the Aussiefast Transport Quick Time honours. MacDonald picked up the QA1 Motorsport Shock for his trouble for finishing the feature in the seventh spot.

John Shore picked up one of his best WSS results to date in the Caltex Delo 400 Eagle coming home in 8th ahead of local charger and former WSS racer Darren Jensen.

Mike Van Bremen’s new sponsor Action Blast Cleaning obviously brought him a change of fortune for the new season with a first up top ten on a track that hasn’t always been kind to him.

Warrnambool racer Ken Veal had a standout night to begin with in the PRC Cheetah starting from an amazing second row position in the A-Main before sadly cutting down a right rear tyre and having to pull infield in the dying laps.

Heat race wins went to:

*John Shore from Terry Bracken in second and Shane Stewart third.
*Allan Woods from Tony Michelle (who drilled the wall in qualifying) in second and Ken Veal in third.
*Tony Moule from Darrell Hodges in second and Daniel Morton in third.
*John Shore again from Terry Bracken in second and Ben Atkinson third.
*Tony Moule again from Craig Stevenson in second and Andrew Scheuerle third.
*Allan Woods again from Kenny Griffey in second and Clem Hoffmans third.
*The B-Main went to Mark Wells from Brooke Tatnell.
*Robbie Farr claimed the Aussiefast Transport Solutions Quick Time award in qualifying.

WSS FAST FACTS

Victorian Ian Lewis didn’t have the best of nights in his #18 Adtrans / Camden Neon Signs J&J but that didn’t stop ever optimistic car owner Dave Challons from having a grin on his face. Challons greatly assists World Series with its entire sign writing needs and his contribution is certainly significant.

Max Dumesny drew the first Hoffwel lightweight racing jack from a random draw conducted at the driver’s meeting, earning a groan from the collective throng (Dumesny had won four similar awards last series).

Brooke Tatnell showed uncanny accuracy with the right arm when he pegged a piece of rolled up clay at Andrew Scheuerle’s Maxim as it rolled by after the two tangled on the main straight in the A-Main. The two are normally friends, but that association was strained somewhat in Round One.

Rookie racer Kenny Griffey did a pretty reasonable job on debut in his #54 D&M Plaster Transport Eagle despite the fact it was one of his very first races. The 17 year old ran a creditable second in his second heat and generally adapted well to the tricky BIS line-up.

Kiwi racer Alan Wakeling had engine trouble sideline him in the Smorgon Steel Recyclers #7 car that effectively curtailed the evening. The likeable Kiwi was showing some good form until the engine went sour.

An excellent Round One crowd turned out to see the action at BIS.

An interested spectator was Queensland Minister for Industrial Relations the Hon. Tom Barton MP. Mr. Barton officially opened the WSS Series the day before when he cut the ribbon with Max Dumesny at the public display in King George Square. The hands on Polly even went for a spin in the Hot Wheels F150 Pace Truck together with racing legend and BIS Director Ron Wanless to help pace the A-Dash.

Victorian WSS rookie Wayne Nicholls had a spectacular introduction to BIS when he flipped savagely in turns three and four in the Stegbar sprinter in his second heat. Nicholls was OK but the motor revved hard as he reached some significant altitude.

30 cars, slightly down on the expected 36, took part in Round One.

Without a doubt one of the best presented cars and crew is that of Darwin youngster Ben Atkinson in the Century #21 Real Estate Eagle. Atkinson qualified strongly for the A-Main (fourth row) but sadly caught a wheel in turn one and rolled heavily before a lap could be recorded. Provided he can knock the racing edges off (it will come in time) Atkinson will be a very marketable commodity.

Disbury Family Racing boss Darren Disbury is very much hands on with the promotion of his sponsors; even handing out STP shirts to fans himself when he ventured into the main grandstand area during the B-Main. By all reports, the team’s major sponsor Supaloc is very impressed with the way that the team is presented and it’s no wonder.

The Hollywood Racing mantle has to go to Cresta Australia boss Wally Muir. If you can get past the Gator (the spare parts vehicle) complete with checker plate and DVD unit, you have to see the inside of the hauler. Unbelievable to say the least. With the amount of mirrors inside that hauler it could be registered as a nightclub!

Points after Round One (contracted teams only)

Shane Stewart Speedflow / Comp Cams Maxim USA 1127
Darrell Hodges Baron Media / HMS Maxim QLD 1023
Robbie Farr Titan Garages Maxim NSW 918
Jason Johnson Supaloc / STP / Aussiefast Eagle USA 822
Max Dumesny Valvoline / GKR Transport Maxim NSW 671
John Shore Caltex Delo 400 Eagle NSW 558
Mike Van Bremen Action Blast Cleaning / CSR Foster VIC 472
Mark Wells Toyota Genuine Parts / Valvoline Cool WA 457
Terry Bracken Cresta Australia Cheetah QLD 445
Ken Veal PRC / Rentschs Auto Cheetah VIC 407
Ben Atkinson Century 21 Real Estate Eagle NT 376
Brooke Tatnell Shell Helix Maxim NSW 357
Tony Moule D&M Plaster Transport Eagle VIC 346
Danny Reidy Danny Orr Earthmoving Eagle NT 346
Ian Lewis Adtrans / Camden Neon Signs J&J VIC 298
Kenny Griffey MCF Trailers Eagle VIC 274
Wayne Nicholls Stegbar Eagle VIC 75

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