: Top - Aidan “Action man” Freeman has a knack for capturing those hot action shots and has done so again, this time at Darwin’s Chariots of Thunder event where Tasmanian Adrian Redpath had a bit of a confla gration going on. Thankfully he was okay. Bottom - Donny Schatz celebrates his 11th Knoxville Nationals Championship after a coupe of lean years both at the Nationals and on the Outlaws trail. Knox ville resident Craig Mobley was there to capture this image for Highline. Inside cover - An atmospheric shot from the famed Eldora Speedway captured by Shayne Andrews. What is it with Firemen and fireworks? Editor: Brett Swanson Artist/Layout; Andy Ticehurst Contributors; Kaylene Oliver, Grant Woodhams, Andy Ticehurst, Shaun BrettPhotographers:McDonaldSwanson– Pirate Media Kieran Swanson – Pirate Media Andy Ticehurst – Andy Ticehurst Media Brett Williams – Lone Wolf Photography Anthony Loxley / Full Throttle Publishing Geoff Gracie (SA) Racing Fix (QLD) Shayne T Wright (VIC) Josh Cochrane (WA) Craig Mobley (USA) www.HighlineMagazine.com.au
Cover
Who is Highline Magazine
Editorial
This issue is our annual USA edition with exclusive coverage and photos from both the awesome Indiana Sprint Week (ISW) and, of course the Knoxville Nationals.
Welcome to edition 33.
HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | EDITION 33 |4
Tasmanian Shayne Andrews was the man to cover the ISW for us as he was finally able to get back over to the USA on another tour. Shayne is a true fan of the sport constantly giving back to the competitors. Shayne is a professional 33-year veteran of the Tasmanian Firefighter Service, but his contribution to our sport is even longer, as for 35 years he has been part of the Fire & Rescue Crew at both Latrobe and Carrick Speedways, the last 30 of those as the Fire Chief. He is also the Fire/ Rescue co-ordinator for Targa Tasmania for 29 years, the High-Country Rally for 8 years, Targa Barrier Reef for 4 years, the Australian World Rally Rounds for 10 years, Fire Marshall at the Australian Grand Prix for 10 years as well as doing various Tasmanian and Aus tralian Rally rounds for two decades.
Shayne’s wife of 20 years and his two adult children are very understanding of Shayne’s passion for motorsport as he has just returned from a near two-month American tour.
As you’ll see Shayne is pretty good with a camera and a drone and in fact used to photograph at all three Tasmanian tracks in the 80’s before joining the fire crew in 1987.
ISW and Touring the USA.
And how good is it to have Scott Kernahan back on the NT Speedway scene. Scott was a staple
Highline would sincerely like to thank Shayne for his photos and contributions and are sure you’ll enjoy his efforts.
Knoxville
CraigFamily.is
This is not the first time Shayne has supported Highline by sup pyling American photos but this is the first time we’ve been able to give them a decent spread.
Highline magazine is pleased to introduce American photogra pher Craig Mobley to the Highline
Chariots of Thunder
Shayne has also penned a piece on the benefits of first time Aussies touring the US by taking a guided tour despite this being his fifth tour. Shayne has supplied many great photos of the many sights to be seen between races.
And while the Knoxville Nation als signifies to a great section of America’s Mid-West that the season is all but done, it also suggests that the Aussie season is not far away with the Darwin based Chariots of Thunder in between as a bit of a teaser.
course the Big One – the Nationals. Thanks Craig, we are very jealous.
Relative newcomer Aidan Freeman ventured North and has cap tured the Chariots event for us and as he seems to have a happy knack of doing, was able to cap ture some exception drama filed Aidanshots.
5HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | PIRATES POINT OF VIEW
one of those lucky speedway fans who actually-lives in the township of Knoxville Iowa and has the chance to photograph at the world’s most famous dirt track. Craig has agreed to supply Highline with photos from Knox ville and has kicked it off with coverage from the 360 Nationals, The Capitani Classic and of
is a great young talent with a great eye who captured what we believe was the photo of the year as featured in our last issue with racing rivals assisting Grant Anderson from his burning wreck at Premier speedway. I’m sure Aidan will be part of our sport for many years to come.
Vale - Gerry Hoekstra
sadly killing both. The event was cancelled shortly after.
As he prepared to shift house from his Geelong home to his new War rnambool base, Highline had the chance to have a quick chat with new Premier Speedway General Manager Mick Parry.
In sad news we noticed recently the death of Gerry Hoekstra and his passenger Ede Taric in an of road racing event recently. The pair were competing in an event based out of the town of Rainbow when their buggy hit a tree and burst into flames
raced occasionally in Victoria at the big events such as the Classic and Easter Trail before more recently moving to the big island and running with the VSC (Victorian Speedway Council) LS powered Sprintcars. Hoekstra was a well liked and popu lar competitor. Highline extends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of both men.
of the sport for many years but had stepped away a few years back but has returned and is loving it. Scott gracefully accepted our request to provide our readers with an overview of the event and also threw in a few awesome pics as well – welcome back Scott.
Premier’s 50th Classic.
that it has been hectic and he has his head down working hard with the committee and board to implement some new asWhilepects. he was unable to give names at this time he was fairly sure of at least 5 or 6 Americans that will definitely be contesting the 50th Classic
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One brick bat for the chariots event however is their broader media cov erage - there isn’t any. Merely posting finishing results on a facebook page is not media.
Hoekstra was better known as a Tasmanian Sprintcar Racer who
Parry has taken over from long time GM David Mills and seems to be settling in to the new role despite the added pressure of trying to find your feet while at the same time preparing the club for its hallmark 50th Anniversary Grand Annual Sprintcar ParryClassic.confessed
Thesic.
Congratulations to Brooke Tatnell and the Dewall 16 team on winning the Huset’s Speedway Track Championship. The team scored a couple of wins during the season and a 3rd place finish on the final night was enough to secure the title, Brooke’s first at Huset’s.
“I can’t confirm any names at this stage, but there’ll be driver announcements from the various teams soon I would expect.” He teased.
Parry did confirm that despite two motels being recently demolished there is still some limited motel ac commodation available. Contact the Warrnambool travel bureau who are always excellent at finding any available options.
but expected that to rise to around 10 or 12 as the pieces fell into place.
club has a couple of practice days planned very soon should the track dry out before the season starts with the Eureka Series round on November 5th.
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50 Classic Classic’s
The old boy bags another one.
A famous Australian name now goes on the famous speedways list of track champions.
He did confirm that which Highline already knew that James McFadden will be contesting the Classic in the Damian and Jack Lee owned entry. It also looks likely that J-Mac will contest the Speedweek and other local races in the lead up to the Clas
Pre-publication copies of Geoff Rounds’ and Full Throttle Publishing’s upcoming 600 page book “50 Classic Classics” will be on view at the Fan Appreciation day with discounted pre-orders available.
Publisher Tony Loxley explained that with the increased international shipping demands the printer couldn’t guarantee the book could be delivered in time for sale at the classic. So the decision has been made to complete the book immediately after the 50th event with delivery expect ed before seasons end.
HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | EDITION 33 |8 360 Knoxville Nationals CompetitorsTheBest360ciOnThePlanet All photos by Craig Mobley USA
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A Handful of Aussies contested this years’ 360 Knoxville Nationals but not former Champion James McFadden for some reason, but at the end of three nights of tough competition it was Aussie ex-pat Lynton Jeffrey who stood as the only Aussie to make the final, starting from a career best pole position before fading slightly to finish 4th.
Former Aussie tourist Aaron Reutzel dominated the final leading all 30 laps after starting from position 2 alongside Jeffrey and pocketing the $30,000 winners
Thursdaycheque.
nights preliminary feature winner Sam Hafertepe Jr pushed hard closing in on Reutzel towards races end but was unable to unseat Reutzel.
“I knew someone was probably coming, but that’s how I wanted the race to play out. I just wanted to go green-to-chequered, so I could run in lapped traffic and try to hide a little bit.”
near the race’s mid-point, Aaron was unphased as the race through the top five focused on Sam Hafertepe, Jr. Taking the green seventh, the five-time Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series National Tour Champion worked to third on Lap 14. Throwing the slide on Clint Garner, the pair tapped tires but were able to save and keep
Local ace Clint Garner completed the podium ahead of Jeffrey and veteran Terry McCarl while Friday’s preliminary feature winner Brian Brown finished 6th.
It was Reutzel’s fourth career 360 win at Knoxville Raceway.
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“It was early, it wasn’t at the end. We were struggling,” commented Aaron of the car’s speed as the race went on.
Jumping to the point through the first and second turns, Aaron quickly put distance on the field. Non-stop as traffic loomed
Movingrolling.hisline
around the Knoxville Raceway, Sam began entering low and driving across the turns to the cushion to reel in Lynton Jeffrey to take second on Lap 16, Sam trailed Reutzel by 2.824-seconds. Keeping his line the same as Reutzel worked the top at all points, Hafertepe closed a second over the next six laps. Down to under a second with four laps to run, Aaron had company as the pair raced to the white flag. Giving it a shot through
Heat Races (Top 4 to A, Next 4 to B, Next 2 to HeatC)1 (8 Laps): 6. 75AU-Tyler Blank[5] Heat 4 (8 Laps): 7. 26HScott Bogucki[7] Heat 5 (8 Laps): 7. 45-Rusty Hickman[8]
A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[4]; 2. GaretReutzel[7];Scelzi[3];18-Giovanni3.8-Aaron4.24W-Williamson[2]; 5. 21K-Thomas Kenne dy[1]; 6. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[6]; 7. 9-Chase Randall[11]; 8. 09-Matt Juhl[10]; 9. 71-Cory Eliason[5]; 10. 11M-Parker Price Miller[16]; 11. 20-Anthony Macri[13]; 12. 88-Austin McCarl[21]; 13. 83H-Justin Henderson[8]; 14. 26-Zeb Wise[15]; 15. 14-Corey Day[12]; 16. 36-Jason Martin[9]; 17. 22XRiley Goodno[24]; 18. 44-Chris Martin[18]; 19. 95-Matt Covington[22]; 20. 91-Kyle Reinhardt[19]; 21. 7C-Devin Kline[20]; 22. 55T-McKenna Haase[14]; 23. 53D-Jack Dover[23]; 24. 5A-Alex Vande Voort[17] Lap Leader(s): Thomas Kennedy 1-6; Sam Hafertepe, Jr, 7-20
B Feature (12 Laps): 6. 75AU-Tyler Blank[1]; 9. 45-Rusty Hickman[16]; 19. (DNF) 26H-Scott Bogucki[11
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Night Qualifying:1
6. 75AU-Tyler Blank, 16.657[1]; 34. 26H-Scott Bogucki, 17.259[48]; 40. 45-Rusty Hickman, 17.494[29]
B Feature (12 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[3]; 2. 21H-Brady Bacon[6]; 6. 14T-Brooke Tatnell[9]
sponsors and crew, Aaron made a point to thank his car owners, “I have to put all the attention on Brian and Lisa Ridge. This is a huge, huge, win for them and they deserve it giving me the opportunity to stay home and race the schedule that I want to race. It’s been a fun year for Aussiesure.”
Night Qualifying:2
results:
4. 2K-Lynton Jeffrey, 16.560[33]; 30. 64-Ian Madsen, 17.079[21]; 31. 14T-Brooke Tatnell, 17.079[32 Heat 1 (8 Laps): 16. 14T-Brooke Tatnell[7] Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 2K-Lynton Jeffrey[6] Heat 5 (8 Laps): 1. 64-Ian Madsen[1] B-Feature (Top 4 advance to the A-Fea ture)
BMRS B-Feature (Top 4 advance to the AFeature)
A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown[3]; 2. 24-Terry McCarl[4]; 3. 2K-Lynton Jef frey[6]; 12. 64-Ian Madsen[19]; With both preliminary nights in the books, Lynton Jeffrey amassed enough points to earn the pole in Saturday’s A-Feature for the first time in his third event appearance.
turns one and two, the momentum wasn’t enough to deny Aaron Reutzel his just Thankingrewards.
HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | EDITION 33 |12 Race LucasResults:OilASCS National Tour Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, Iowa) 32nd annual 360 Knoxville Nationals Saturday, August 6, 2022 SCE Gaskets E-Feature (Top 9 advance to the D-Feature) E Feature (8 Laps): 1. 6J-Jett Carney[2]; 2. 1CC-Clayton Christensen[1]; 3. 42-Sye Lynch[4]; 4. 5T-Ryan Timms[6]; 5. 19-Wes Wofford[5]; 6. 83JR-Sam Henderson[12]; 7. 6CLogan Calderwood[3]; 8. 199-Ryan Bowers[8]; 9. 1A-John Anderson[7]; 10. 4D-Charles Davis Jr[9]; 11. 3M-Mike
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D Feature (10 Laps): 1. 16A-Colby Cope land[1]; 2. 26H-Scott Bogucki[8]; 3. 5MCollin Moyle[4]; 4. 21G-Gunner Ramey[2]; 5. 53-Joe Beaver[14]; 6. 50Z-Zach Chap pell[12]; 7. 55B-Brandon Anderson[10]; 8. 42-Sye Lynch[18]; 9. 28-Luke Verardi[13]; 10. 5T-Ryan Timms[19]; 11. 1A-John Anderson[24]; 12. 6C-Logan Calderwood[22]; 13. 22W-Aaron Werner[15]; 14. 6J-Jett Carney[16]; 15. (DNF) 19-Wes Wofford[20]; 16. (DNF) 45-Rusty Hickman[3]; 17. (DNF) 2JR-Kelly Miller[5]; 18. (DNF) 99-Tony Rost[6]; 19. (DNF) 7B-Ben Brown[9]; 20. (DNF) 1CC-Clayton Christensen[17]; 21. (DNF) 83JR-Sam Henderson[21]; 22. (DNF) 22-Ryan Leavitt[11]; 23. (DNF) 13V-Seth Brahmer[7]; 24. (DNF) 199-Ryan Bowers[23] Superior Steering Wheel C-Feature (Top 4 advance to the B-Feature)
BMRS B-Feature (Top 4 advance to the A-Feature)
C Feature (12 Laps): 1. 22K-Kaleb Johnson[1]; 2. 4-Cameron Martin[2]; 3. 91-Kyle Reinhardt[4]; 4. 55T-McKenna Haase[3]; 5. 27B-Jake Bubak[8]; 6. 14T-Brooke Tatnell[10]; 7. 35-Skylar Prochaska[15]; 8. 16A-Colby Copeland[16]; 9. 7M-Chance Morton[13]; 10. 26H-Scott Bogucki[17]; 11. 94-Jeff Swindell[6]; 12. 53-Joe Beaver[20]; 13. 45X-Kyler Johnson[9]; 14. 50Z-Zach Chappell[21]; 15. 10P-Dylan Postier[14]; 16. 42-Sye Lynch[23]; 17. 55B-Brandon Anderson[22]; 18. 23-Devon Dobie[12]; 19. 21G-Gunner Ramey[19]; 20. 28-Luke Verardi[24]; 21. 5M-Collin Moyle[18]; 22. (DNF) 5A-Alex Vande Voort[7]; 23. (DNF) 83-Austin Miller[5]; 24. (DNF) 8M-Kade Morton[11]
B Feature (18 Laps): 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[1]; 2. 11M-Parker Price Miller[8]; 3. 5-Brady Forbrook[2]; 4. 49X-Cale Thomas[5]; 5. 18R-Ryan Roberts[3]; 6. 20-Anthony Macri[13]; 7. 27-Carson McCarl[4]; 8. 88-Austin McCarl[6]; 9. 14-Corey Day[10]; 10. 95-Matt Covington[7]; 11. 39-Justin Sanders[9]; 12. 64-Ian Madsen[16]; 13. 26-Zeb Wise[14]; 14. 21H-Brady Bacon[15]; 15. 2M-Davey Heskin[19]; 16. 36-Jason Martin[11]; 17. 22K-Kaleb Johnson[21]; 18. 44-Chris Martin[20]; 19. 11N-Harli White[17]; 20. 4-Cameron Martin[22]; 21. 91-Kyle Reinhardt[23]; 22. 75AU-Tyler Blank[18]; 23. 22X-Riley Goodno[12]; 24. 55T-McKenna Haase[24]
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 8-Aaron Reutzel[2]; 2. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[7]; 3. 40-Clint Garner[3]; 4. 2K-Lynton Jeffrey[1]; 5. 24-Terry McCarl[4]; 6. 21-Brian Brown[5]; 7. 71-Cory Eliason[12]; 8. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[6]; 9. 9-Chase Randall[18]; 10. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[8]; 11. 57-Kyle Larson[16]; 12. 83H-Justin Henderson[14]; 13. 11M-Parker Price Miller[22]; 14. 24W-Garet Williamson[13]; 15. 09-Matt Juhl[19]; 16. 21K-Thomas Kennedy[11]; 17. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips[15]; 18. 49X-Cale Thomas[24]; 19. 5-Brady Forbrook[23]; 20. 52-Blake Hahn[17]; 21. 24T-Christopher Thram[9]; 22. (DNF) 6-Kelby Watt[20]; 23. (DNF) 2C-Wayne Johnson[10]; 24. (DNF) 7BC-Tyler Courtney[21] Provisional(s): N/A
Pennel[13]; 12. 4S-Adam Speckman[14]; 13. 4H-Cody Hansen[11]; 14. (DNS) 8HJacob HoosierHughesTireD-Feature (Top 9 advance to the C-Feature)
Zeb Wise powers the famous Rudeen Racing #26 down the straight at Knoxville in what is finishing 13th in the B-Main.
is becoming known as Craig Mobley’s signature shot. Wise failed to make the 360 feature
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Texan Chase Randall in the number 9 finished 9th in the 360 Nationals big dance.
17HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | dance. Here he is early in the evening in the neat Bush’s Chicken Mobile.
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Veteran Brooke Tatnell and Harli White talk racing in the late afternoon Knoxville light
19HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | light as fellow teams and crews await kick-off.
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The “Law Firm” PPM, aka Parker Price-Miller, was captures at speed in front of the PPM’s 13th place 360 finish was possibly an omen for the rest of his week as a wreck
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National Sprintcar Hall of Fame and Museum. wreck in the 410 Nationals saw him taken to hospital.
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Pennsylvania’s Garet Williamson (24W) chases down Matt Covington (95) in some early would bow out 10th in the B-Main.
23HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | early action. Williamson would score 14th in the main while Oklahoma’s Covington
The Texas Two Step sees Sam Hafertepe (left & 2nd) share the podium with winner racer Clint Garner (right) completed 3rd. Just off the podium was expat Aussie Lynton
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and state-mate Aaron Reutzel (Centre) while South Dakota’s Knoxville regular Lynton Jeffrey.
For any Australian speedway fan when you mention the United States what’s the first thing you think of?
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For most it’s sprint car racing and in particular the Knoxville nationals and the World of Outlaws (WoO) Dig a little deeper and you may hear about the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway. Dig deeper again and you will prob-
Now imagine if you removed the top wing which helps get these fire breathing monsters around a dirt track without tipping over. Then imagine also removing the front wing that keeps the front wheels on the track to
ably hear about the Ironman 55 at I-55 Speedway. The common factor with any of these is naturally they are all winged sprint cars.
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All Images - Shayne Andrews
After a 4-year break im back in the United States thanks to Global Speedway Tours who run yearly trips to the US to take in 1-2 months of racing across the mid states.
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These cars race all across the United States and the equivalent to WoO is the United States Auto Club, otherwise known as USAC. Each July USAC runs a series of races over about 10 nights at 8 tracks in the state of Indiana. Most
steer them around the track. What you are left with is…. Non winged Sprint cars… Remove the wings and suddenly you have a sprint car that at no time has more than two wheels in contact with the
This year ISW again started in Gas City on Friday 23rd July some 126
track surface. They are totally sideways well before the corners while at full noise and by the time they are halfway through the corner they are wheel standing and you wonder how in the hell they are steering these rocket ships.
would agree that this is the blueribbon event for non-winged sprint cars in the US. Welcome to Indiana Sprint Week (ISW).
since 2009 and from the very first event I attended at Gas City in 2009 I was hooked. I can guarantee that after you’ve watched an ISW event you will put them in front of any WoO event in the future.
Personally, I’ve attended five ISW’s
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Indiana born Shane Cottle took the win tonight after a barnstorming drive from 10th on the grid. Second home was Justin Grant, followed by Mitchel Moles. Saturday July 24th was supposed to be night 2 at Cottle’s home city of Kokomo, just 46 kilometres West of Gas City. This is always my favourite night as I and many others rate Kokomo as the best ¼ mile track in the entire United States. Unfortunately, weather intervened, and racing was rescheduled to the vacant
kilometres North of Indianapolis on I-69. 52 cars were in the pits tonight ready to put on a show to the packed grandstands along the front straight. The backstraight has no fence as the corn fields will soon hide any car that strays off the cirKokomo,cuit.
Come Sunday 25th July we are now at Lawrenceburg Speedway, about 157 kilometres South of Indianapolis. For anyone on their first visit to the “Burg” as it’s known the first thing you notice are the massive high banks, next you ask yourself how the hell any car will get anywhere near the top. Come heat 1 that’s all answered for you. Years ago, a casino wanted to move into Lawrenceburg but to do so they had to put money into a local sporting organization. Luckily for us fans they chose the local speedway.
Tuesday night.
(Prior to the Casino investment the Burg was an almost identical copy of Parramatta – Ed.)
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Logan Seavey (5) who has plenty of ISW wins and a championship went winless this
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HIGHLINE this year as he leads Tri-State round winner Kyle Cummins (3R) here at Gas City.
42 cars have entered tonight and after all the heats are run the A main top 4 line up is ...Jake Swanson, Justin Grant, Emerson Axsom and Robert Ballou. During the course of the evening storms have been looming and they decide to dump their contents just as the A main cars are being wheeled out. We wait for over an hour, but mother nature wins out!!!
It’s a late night by the time the feature is complete and its another different winner again tonight in Mitchel Moles. He is followed home by Jadon Rogers and Brady Bacon.
Tuesday July 27th and were back at Kokomo replacing Saturdays washed out show. It’s the usual big crowd on hand to watch 44 cars race for a spot in the A main. Just to prove that Kokomo provides the best racing Justin Grant and Kyle Cummins put on a masterclass passing and re passing each other for lap after lap. Grant wins followed by Cummins in what many journalists describe as one of the best ever
races seen at any dirt track in the States. Third home was Robert Ballou.
Monday night July 26th and we’re at a new track for many, Circle City Speedway in the grounds of the Marion County Fairgrounds beside the ring road that circles Indian apolis. This track has only been in operation for a couple of years and it’s a feather in their cap to pick up a round of ISW. Again, a good field of 43 cars are in attendance and tonight the man holding the chequered flag at the end of the feature is CJ Leary. Filling the minor placings are Justin Grant and Brady Bacon.
28th and just 40 km up the road from Terre Haute is the picturesque Puttnamville Speed way, also known as Lincoln Park. 52 cars have turned up tonight and while they are qualifying, stormy skies start to appear. With just 3 left to qualify the drizzle arrives and after a 2-hour rain delay the entire field has to re qualify.
Wednesday July 27th and its round 5 at the only half mile track in Sprint Week at Terre Haute, some 124 km south of Indianapolis. Only problem is that last night they had 4 inches of rain and despite it being a very warm and sunny day the pits are a bog hole, and the track is waterlogged. The promotor has no choice but to cancel the event as there are no more spare days available. (The same thing happened to myself in 2016 when it poured rain just as we headed into the track but thankfully it was rescheduled to the following Sunday for an Afternoon/evening show. No luck this year with team commitments for most on the Sun day –ThursdayEd).July
HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | EDITION 33 |32
ent winner such is the talent in attendance and tonight is no different with Kyle Cummins taking the spoils from Brady Bacon and Justin Grant. Saturday July 30th and it’s the final round at Haubstadt way down in the south of Indiana at Tri-State Speedway and 44 cars are again in attendance. Local driver Kyle Cummins is the red-hot favourite to win but is not in contention to win the series even if he wins tonight. He
Once again, it’s been a fantastic Sprint Week and if you are ever
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Friday July 29th and this time 95 km East of Terre haute and we’re at Bloomington Speedway, home of Speedways most famous family, the Kinsers. 44 cars are signed in tonight to race on the bright red dirt track that has no fences around the corners, just a big drop off that will hide any car that ventures offline. Most years during the running of ISW each round provides a differ
does come in second though in the A main with Robert Ballou taking the winner’s flag. Third home is Justin Grant and his consistency over the 7 races means that he is the 2022 Indiana Sprint Week Champi on and takes his place on the winners rocking chair.
thinking of heading over to see some races, really consider Sprint Week as a must-see series. Give Peter Physick a call at Global Speedway Tours, he will sort you out.
Travis Berryhill (77S) enjoys some early laps at the near new Circle City Speedway.
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35HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | Speedway.
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Matt McDonald wasn’t the only one to get some air time at Circle City but he probably
37HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | probably got it up higher than the rest.
The beautiful and historic Bloomington Speedway is actually relatively simple when
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seen in this Shayne Andrews drone shot.
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Hunter Maddox (24M) had a bit of a moment at Bloomington and left the track on the
41HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | the back of a wrecker (tow truck).
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Kyle Shipley (17GP) rolls the right rear under powering off Bloomington’s turn 4 which
43HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | which at times can have a cushion, more like a clay wall, up to three feet (1 metre) tall.
Former ISW champion Kevin Thomas Jr spreads some clay around the neat Lincoln from nearby Terre Haute.
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Lincoln Park (Putnamville) speedway which amazingly sits only about 20 a minute drive
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Michael Clark (8) lifts a wheel chasing a competitor at the other end of Putnamville.
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A panoramic view from the Putnamville terracing. Watch out for the racoons in the rubbish
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49HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | rubbish bins.
This is one of the best kept and best run speedways anywhere. This is Tri-State speedway produces exciting racing maybe just a shade off that of Kokomo.
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51HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | speedway in the south-west corner of Indiana, hence the name. It also nearly always
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Veteran Shane Cottle may have stolen the win on opening night at Gas City but he was of the chassis. Put that one in the bin!
53HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | was clear out of luck here at Tri-State in the 74X. Check out the damage to the nose
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Justin Grant is always a contender for a win and fought out a titanic battle with Kyle home the lollies.
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Cummins for the win at Kokomo but on this night at Tri-State Robert Ballou took
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Heat Races were shared amongst Steven Lines, Lachlan McHugh, Kale Quinlan, Brock Hallett and Cody Maroske. Jake Smith took out the C-Main whilst Adrian Redpath claimed the BFeatureMain. race saw Lachlan McHugh maintain his dominance to win ahead of Adrian Redpath and Matt Dumesny.
Speedcars – Fantastic to see the Mighty Midgets back in action at North line Speedway after two decades in the wilderness. WA’s Tom Payet began his campaign well with two Heat Race wins along with fellow Heat Race win ner and also taking out dual wins in Rusty Whittaker.
The four hectic nights began on Friday 19th ChariotsAugust:ofThunder – Round 1 Sprintcars – Queenslands Lachlan McHugh, fresh back from his racing stint in the USA fired the first shot with Quick Time in the time trials and then taking out the Top 10 Dash as well.
• Crowd of 20,645 over the 2 week ends (up 4,000 on the 2021 series)
Payet was to continue his winning streak to take out the Feature Race ahead of Matt Jackson and Tyson Bryden.
•Stocks)$10,000 to win each night
• Current V8 Supercars 2nd place star Cameron Waters climbing behind the wheel of the Chief Racing team car.
month of August 2022 saw Darwin’s Northline Speedway roar into action with 6 nights of Sprintcar action over three weekends, preceding the COT Series was the Darwin Sprintcar Title on Friday 12th August and then the Scardifields Smash Repair NT Sprintcar Title on Saturday 13th AuTuninggust.
What better way to escape the gloom of winter and lack of racing in the Southern States than by heading to 7 Darwin Northline Speedway for the running of the 2022 Ostojic Group Chariots of Thunder SeTheries.
• Speedcars for the first time in 20 years at Northline Speedway
• Activations – Mitchell Street Motorcade, Knoxville Viewing Party and Fan Appreciation Night at Darwin Wa•terfrontPope Challenge – additional
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If you have ever doubted the rising popularity of the Chariots of Thunder Series here in Darwin, have a look at some of these figures coming out of this year’s Series:
• 128,000 views via live stream on the COT Facebook page
up well for this was Tasmania’s Jock Goodyer who claimed both Titles in a dominant two-night stanza.
• 100 competitors entered over 3 classes (Sprintcars, Speedcars, Street
$25,000 to win for starting Rear of Field in the A-Main (Sprintcars)
opening up a handy lead in the Street Stocks Series Points.
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Speedcars – Backing up from night 1 hostilities it was Daniel Harding showing
Heat wins were shared amongst a host of stars including McHugh, Veal, Matt Dumesny, Egel and Hallett driving the G & W Erhardt Q5.
continued his impressive form to record the Feature Race win ahead of the consistent Matt Jackson with Kaleb Currie flying home in 3rd place.
Nathan Thorne recorded the first Heat Race win whilst Lenny Bates, Jack Yates and reigning Aust #1 Anthony Beare also recorded Heat Race wins. Nathan Thorne recorded the win in the Top 8 Dash to start from Pole Position in the Feature Race. However, it was Beare who greeted the chequered flag first ahead of Bates and Jason Duell.
Sprintcars – McHugh was displaying the benefits of his campaign in America to set quick time in Time Trials with a
showing ominous form to lead the Sprintcar Series Points after the first two rounds, whilst Payet was holding on to a slender lead in the Speedcars Series
Saturday 20th August:
BearePointscore.washowever
Former National Champion Jamie Veal set quick time in the Time Trials with a slippery lap of 11.792
It was the reigning series champ who first greeted the chequered flag in the 30 lap feature to win ahead of Veal and Hallett rounding out 3rd place with an impressive drive.
a clean set of heels to the Midget field taking out heat races along with Tom HardingPayet.
Beare was to return to the top step in the Feature Race to lead home from Duell and Bates.
Friday 26th August: Chariots of Thunder – Round 3 Sprintcars
Chariots of Thunder – Round 2
Sprintcars – Round 2 was to see the resurgence of the reigning COT Series Champion for 2021, Matt Egel.
McHugh reigned supreme in the Top 10 Dash and then it was Jake Smith who captured the win in the C-Main. Maroske followed this up chiming in to se cure the win in the B-main.
Street Stocks – A stellar field of 28 Street Stocks was set to battle the se ries out over the fortnight of racing.
Street Stocks – Australian Champion Beare was sending an ominous warn ing to the rampaging pack of Streeties, taking out a Heat Race win, with Duell, Thorne and the NT’s Justin Brumfield also recording heat Race wins.
At the halfway stage of the 2022 Chariots of Thunder Series the expectations were high for all. Supercar Star Cam eron Waters returned to the Series following duties at Sandown Raceway in EgelVictoria.was
Street Stocks – Honors were spread in the Heat Races with wins recorded to Duell, Beare and Bates.
It was then all on display as McHugh stamped his authority with a classy win ahead of a barnstorming Veal and Hallett again showing a consistent run home in third place.
lap of 11.961. Heat Race wins were spread between Ryan Jones, Hallett, Lines, Egel and McHugh.
Lines returned to form with a resounding win the Top 10 Dash. Daniel Pestka took out the C-Main win whilst Goodyer claimed the B-Main win.
Sprintcars – Much pressure was on Goodyer to maintain and increase his lead for a potential Series Win (to back up his Darwin and NT Titles in early EgelAugust).signalled
Saturday 27th August: Chariots of Thunder – Round 4
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It was to be Harding who held out the flying Payet in the Feature Race with Matt Jackson again on the Podium in third place.
recorded a much-needed win for his confidence in the C-Main whilst Lines prevailed to win the BFormerMain.
Heat Races wins went to Egel, Callum Williamson, Ben Atkinson Jr, Veal and ToddMaroske.Moule
National Champ Veal set the crowd alight to announce after the Pole Shuffle that he would accept the Pope Challenge (starting rear of field to go for the $25,000 bonus).
The Feature Race saw the resurgence of the NT’s top gun, Brumfield, who as much as he tried could not reel in the indominable Beare who made it a hattrick of Feature Race wins in the Series for 2022. Bates was to follow home in third place.
Speedcars –Harding was again show ing improving form, but still had Payet snapping at his heels with both recording Heat Race wins.
A major disappointment for Goodyer, who saw his Series win chances disappear after the Pole Shuffle due to a minor back injury, for which his night of racing was now over. After an early restart to the Feature, Veal had climbed up half the field at the
The stage was now set for a major upset in the Sprintcars with Tasmanian Goodyer leading the Series Pointscore going into the last round with 420 points. Payet was leading the Speecars with 886 points and Beare was uncatchable on 977 points.
his intentions to hold on to his 2021 crown by recording fast time in the Time Trials with a 12.236
Thedar.
What an epic month at Darwin’s North line Speedway for August 2022, culminating in an absorbing Chariots of Thunder Series.
Heat Races were won by Duell, Beare with two wins and Brumfield claiming a win also.
Ostojic Group Chariots of Thunder Series 2022 – Wrap Up
the drive of the Series was that of Darwin young gun, Ben At kinson Jr who came from the clouds to record an impressive win in the Feature Race, ahead of Grant Anderson and Williamson.
The Feature Race saw Payet go on to record an emphatic win ahead of Currie and Mr Consistency, Jackson finishing in third place.
midway point only to cut a rear tyre and pull infield. A shame as his progress was Quitestunning.possibly
Speedcars –Payet 1203, Jackson 1111, Currie 1071
Street Stocks –Beare 1306, Duell 1145, Bates 1129
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Final Series Pointscore winners and Series Champs for 2022:
Speedcars – After a fortnight of excit ing racing with the Midgets, it was down to Payet to hold his lead in the Series, with a rapidly finishing Jackson snapping away at his heels.
With a record number of contestants through the three sections over the fortnight’s racing, ensures that the Series is only going to grow bigger each year.
Sprintcars –McHugh 552, Egel 538, Ryan Jones 530
Next year’s dates are set, with the Series to go ahead on 18, 19, 25 and 26 August 2023.
Payet was looking comfortable early with a Heat Race win followed by Kaleb Currie taking out Heat 2.
In fine form it was Beare who made it 4 Feature Race wins in a row over the two week campaign with Duell and Bates rounding out the podium.
Street Stocks – Nothing it seemed, was going to stop National Champ Beare from going all the way in the Street Stock section.
From the Activations around town, re cord crowds and live streaming numbers, the COT Series is becoming one of the “must-do” events on the calen-
return of Speedcar racing to Dar win was outstanding and revived memories of the rise to stardom of Darwin’s own Warrenne Ekins. Congratulations go to the entire COT team and Commit tee of the DSRDA for putting together a quality, first class event.
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The calm before a tropical storm. Aidan Freeman photo.
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HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | EDITION 33 |64 (rightdoubt,top(Left) (rightnearly Beare’s Aidan
(Left) Mt Gambier’s race anywhere, anytime Anthony Beare continually travels side to side and to bottom across Australia just to race, and more importantly for him, to win. He will, no doubt, go down in the record books as this country’s best ever Street Stock racer.
(right – top) Jason Duell is another Mt Gambian Streetie racer who puts in a lot of miles but like nearly everyone else, finds it hard to topple Beare but always gives it a good crack (right – bottom) I wouldn’t mind betting #51 was paid a few bucks to smear enough oil on Beare’s visor so that someone else could win a race. It didn’t work! Aidan Freeman photos.
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WA’s Kris Coyle has a moment while Atkinson sneaks past behind. Aidan Freeman photo.
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“Buddah” aka Tom Payet was the dominant force in the return of Speedcars to the NT Aidan Freeman photo.
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NT but Matt Jackson never made it easy for him as seen here.
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This Aidan Freeman image captures Victorian Domain Ramsey up on the wheel and
71HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | and focused hard on getting some speed from the C&H Trucking V2.
A newer and even stronger affiliation with Queensland’s GW Racing should elevate with and beating the sports best and is a totally classy racer to boot. While this night sults from the Portland Peddler this season. Aidan Freeman photo.
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Brock Hallett’s racing to a consistently higher level. Hallett is capable of running night didn’t work out well for him, or Jamie Veal for that matter, look for more great re
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As this shot was taken Darwin’s Ben Atkinson Jr had no idea what was ahead for him.
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him. Aidan Freeman photo. Aidan Freeman photo.
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Black Gold. Aidan Freeman photo.
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The emotion and excitement is evident on young Ben Atkinson Jr’s face as he scored Aussie talent. Aidan Freeman photo.
79HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | scored his first Sprintcar feature win, and what a win it was, against some very stout
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What’s not to love about a clay cushion? Aidan Freeman photo.
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Kale Quinlan was another young local to step up at this years Chariots tour. Aidan Freeman
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Freeman photo.
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Jamie McHugh, Nick Speed and Barry Waldron make a near unbeatable team of driver, the teams trophy cabinet. Aidan Freeman photo.
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85HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | driver, spanner and cheque book/owner. CoT is yet another prestigious trophy to go in
It would be fair to say when it was launched that the concept of Clay Per View (CPV) was a game changer to the speedway “live and on demand” content market.
Roll around 2022 and the game has changed again BUT this time for the better. CPV owners have reinvested into the business with a raft of new ideas, concepts and importantly a new world class app-based platform.
Today the all-new Clay Per View has been launched and it’s outstanding. World class infrastructure and a huge back catalogue of historic content for monthly subscribers.
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It leapt onto the stage creating the ability to watch speedway, primarily from the now defunct Parramatta City Raceway or Sydney Speedway, straight into your home.
Ladies and Gentlemen, you will not be disappointed.
Please visit www.ClayPerView.com for more information and to subscribe to live and on demand content.
The first LIVE event will be the second running of the Thunder on the Downs for Sprintcars from Toowoomba with a massive $10,000 winners’ cheque on offer.
The internet as a whole wasn’t ready and the administrators of CPV were naive to say the least. The original platform was “average” at best. It had issues and customer satisfaction was a constant bugbear.
One thing desperately needed was a duly qualified industry expert to oversee customer communications, growth and “executive producing” control of content. Experienced broadcaster Jarred Ash has been recruited to fill this roll. Ash comes with a wealth of knowledge and was instrumental in raising the profile of National Championship events for Speedway Sedans Australia for many years. He also successfully ran his own platform “Ash Media” for numerous other clients and tracks.
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& Zag Racing was not a racing team made up by the famous, but now tainted pairing of Victorian television clowns Zig and Zag, but rather a couple of mates each with rather unique physical attributes.
The pairing in question will not be well known to the greater speedway community, but were a very competitive couple of Victorian Limited Sprintcar Racers in the 80’s and early 90’s.
The two clubs were made up of mostly older style, often homebuilt chassis with Toyota Dyna Diffs or even ancient Morris J-Van Diffs and all manner of suspension geometry and engines but the biggest difference was the engine
rules. For example, my own VOSC car had a transverse leaf front end with parallel Valiant Torsion bars on the rear suspending a J-Van diff and powered by a Holden 308 through a dog box. Most of the VOSC cars were Chev 350 powered through the
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The two types were known as the VOSC and LSAV Sprintcars: - VOSC – Victorian Ovaltrack Sprintcar Club (later VOSA when incorporated as an Association) and LSAV – Limited Sprintcar Association of Victoria.
Zig
But first some history.
For many years before 360ci Sprint cars evolved, Victoria had not one, but two divisions of “Limited” Sprintcars. FYI - Over time the “Limited’s” mor phed into mainstream 360ci Sprint cars.
allowed engines up to 372ci (no fuel injection or turbos) while the LSAV were restricted to 320ci. Steve Muller from the LSAV crew even proposed an all turbo charged Valiant 265 slant six hemi class while Ron Donaldson had a rocket-ship fast 283 chev.
With this knowledge, you could actu ally notice this occurring as he slowed marginally and momentarily to grab an old school tear-off, usually while flat out on the huge Granite Park (Sey mour - 5/8ths mile) or Bendigo Show grounds (1/2 mile) tracks.
was not one to let his handi cap deter him or slow him down and was one of the guns amongst the VOSC. Having said that though, the “Clear Rear” electronic visor system was a real bonus for Nugent. I once asked John before he went to the new technology, “how do you do your tearoffs?”
He answered with his crooked cheeky grin, “I just plonk my right arm on the steering wheel (as a dead weight - he didn’t run power steering in the early days) grab a tear off and quickly get my (left) hand back on the wheel.”
Don’t discount this pairing however as jointly and individually they won quite a few races including numerous state Nugenttiles.
Theetc.VOSC
But back to Zig & Zag. Who were they?
stronger Dyna diffs and in the later years were often fairly recent four bar and hi bar OTR’s, Gamblers, Gardiners
The driver was John Nugent and the car owner and occasional driver was Graham Merrett who later on would have a memorial race named in his honour at Avalon for the 360 division.
John was a fierce and funny racer who was physically handicapped by a stunted and mostly useless right arm thanks to thalidomide.
Graham on the other hand was hin
For most of his Sprintcar career Mer rett restricted himself to the car owner role, leaving the driving duties to Nu gent, Ray Maloney and Jerry Brown all quick drivers in their own right and along with these drivers came race wins and state titles.
It would be fair to say that mostly the two clubs did not like each other as largely they both competed for the same tracks to race at. The VSOC did however have an affiliation with the VIctorian Speedway Council (VSC) designed to protect them as the offi cial VSC Sprintcar class.
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dered by a prosthetic leg as a result of a car Sadly,accident.bothhave since passed on due to varying Collectivelycancers.theyjokingly called them selves Zig & Zag racing.
Both clubs spawned drivers that went on to cut laps in open and/or 360ci Sprintcar competition such as Adrian Parr, Fred Edwards and Jerry Brown from the VOSC and Butch Hunter, Grant Middleton and Dave Palmer from the LSAV to name a few.
This shot of Nugent on the Seymour Superspeedway clearly shows a limp right arm Pirate Media Group Photo.
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93HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | hanging as he muscles the Sprintcar at speed one handed.
At Seymour, the home track of the VOSC and Australia’s biggest and fastest dirt track speedway, we were contesting a Victorian Championship and were out front leading hand ily. Nugent, who we must have been about to lap had a moment and a col lision occurred which pushed the front axle off the torsion arm on the left front corner of our #78.
Merrett had a couple of runs himself but called it quits after he rolled up the embankment in turn one at Seymour and got his fake leg hooked up on the brake pedal while hanging upside down and couldn’t get himself out
Onequickly.of
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Still in the lead for the restart, Cald well gritted his teeth and was deter mined not to let this title slip away but eventually after a few laps he had to give up the fight and retire. Driv ing a Sprintcar around the superfast Seymour with a perfect car was a big enough and risky task let along with a damaged car. From the high of lead ing and looking unbeatable to win a State Championship to the shattering low of being taken out and deflated in a heartbeat! Damn! And who went on to win that Title – none other than Mr Nugent. How’s the irony?
Nugent finished his career back in Se dans behind the wheel of the #54 Su per Sedan running Avalon and Nyora and other tracks including with the National Super Sedan Series when in OnVictoria.Merrett’s
Okay, Nugent got lucky in that one, but his other wins were no gift.
Here’s to Zig & Zag.
the titles won by Nugent was a bitter-sweet memory for me personally. After selling my car to Craig Howell in Tasmania, Barry Caldwell who was helping me bought a car and we continued on with him driving an ex-Barry Guy chassis with Chev power.
Before their time was over Graeme would also give young gun Blair Jones a crack at the class on some of the states higher profile tracks. Jones too, like those before him was very quick and talented but the budget for this working-class team just wasn’t there for them to truly shine.
Zig & Zag - A couple of big fish in a small pond? Maybe, but they wouldn’t see themselves as big fish, just two blokes racing and having fun. Our sport is not built on winners only, I mean who would turn up to watch a field of only 3 or 4 champions, no it’s about the thrill of the speed, the com petition, conquering ones’ individual fears and often times physical disad vantages and having a red hot crack.
passing, Avalon Speed way instigated the Graham Merrett Perpetual Trophy, a race that has been won by some of the state’s best including Ian Lewis, John Vogels and Stephen Bell to name a few.
In the Merrett owned car with power steering and an electric Clear Rear visor Nugent Pirate Media Group Photo.
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Nugent backs it in on the Goulbourn Valley Auto Clubs Rushworth Speedway.
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Turn 1-2 at Seymour was always tricky as you swooped down hill off the long front straight of work to do after this little oops. Pirate Media Group Photo.
99HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | straight and sometimes it would catch you out. Nugent gave the Merrett team plenty
Nugents final racing days were spent in this Pontiac Super Sedan as seen here at speed to muscle around single handedly than a Sprintcar that wings into the corner. Pirate
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speed at Avalon. When you think about it, this would probably be even more difficult Media Group Photo.
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The lucky ones have been there, if not you may know someone who knows someone who has. Or you’ve probably talked to someone who has. What are we talking about? ….the trip of a lifetime as the adds portray it. The answer… a United States speedway trip. I first started like most, seeing adds in the newspaper based speedway publications back in the 80’s advertising trips to the US promising a smorgasbord of racing, usually over 2-4 Likeweeks.most
I just dreamed about it while reading through Open Wheel magazine to get an idea of the racing scene over there. Fast forward to 2022 and I’ve just come back from my 5th trip Stateside since 2009 and im here to tell you it’s a lot more than just a trek from track to track,. it’s a tour of what I tell people is “the real ThereAmerica”.are
several ways to do a speedway tour, one is a guided tour with one of several Australian based companies. A lot of first-time travellers choose this option as the trips are pre planned and everything is arranged for you. Others may go with a few mates and others will go by themselves. I travelled with Speedway Star Tours in 2009 & 2012 and with Global Speedway Tours firstly in 2015 and again this year. In 2018 I travelled by myself as over the years I’d seen the attractions that both tours offer and wanted to have a look at new things. This year Global Speedway Tours was heading over in mid-June and was going to a lot of tracks I’d never been to before and as an added attraction was spending 4 days in NYC in the first week, so I happily went down the guided tour route again.
Take our time in NYC for instance. With no racing commitments for 5 days we were able to spend a full 3 days exploring this chaotic city. I’d been there before and apart from the crowds being down due to the borders just starting to reopen it was still a city that never sleeps and con stant sirens and car horns. While visiting the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Wall Street, Central Park, Manhatten, Times Square and Brooklyn you can completely forget that you’re on a speedway trip. Once back on the road and back in a racing mode you get to see some fantastic little towns and scenic roads if you avoid the Interstate Highways.
This years’ itinerary for me had some 38 nights of racing over 54 days which sounds intense but remember all races are at night and you have all day to fill in each day, this is where the tourist component comes in.
Tour groups have detailed itineraries each day so you know where you will be on any particular day. Mates and solo travellers may just - wing it!!
If you have all day to get from one track to another and only have to travel, say 200km, then take the time to study Google maps and look at taking some backroads to your destination. I did this in 2018 when I would look at a map and decide on my route and write down about 10 town names along this route and then set the Navman for the first town. Once there, enter the next town and so on and so on. As a result, I’ve visited some great diners, seen some spectacular waterfalls, seen many impressive lookouts, rivers, large gorges, bridges, and the list goes on.
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in the US Shayne – Ed) surrounding the complex, it’s a sight to behold, especially from above.
On a few occasions this year we did have to use the Interstates as we had to travel some ten hours through several States just to get to another race and each time it was well worth it. Some of the States, particularly Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio have Sprint Weeks for either Midgets, Sprintcars or Non-Winged (Traditional) Sprintcars.
When you arrive at any racetrack in Amer ica you quickly discover that there is a big pre-race tradition…tailgating. The smell of BBQ’s will quickly fill your nostrils and regardless of where you park and once the locals realize you’re Australian you will be soon invited to join the local lads for beers and food. You will be inundated with more locals all wanting to listen to you talk and they almost all say, “I’d love to visit Australia one day”.
I’ve got to visit Niagara Falls on 3 occasions over the years (An awesome place to visit especially on the Canadian side –Ed), Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC and NYC. The small towns and other large cities ive visited or travelled through would be in the thousands.
These are all things you miss when travel ling on the Interstate highways.
Then there are the race museums, from the Indianapolis Speedway Museum to Bill Smiths Museum and the Eastern Museum of Motorsports. Add the Midget Museum in Bellville and the Knoxville Museum and you quickly discover that the history of speedway in the US has been well preserved for the future fans to visit.
The other thing you will see at all tracks are all the people camping at the track, mainly in massive RV’s. Go to Eldora for the Kings Royal and you will see over 5000 RV’s spread over many hectares (Acres
These are between 7 to 10 nights each within their particular State and usually only involve 1 or 2 hours travelling between tracks. This allows for plenty of sightsee ing each day on your way to the next track. How many times have you heard ”why would I go to the US when all Americans are so loud and obnoxious!”? First time visitors quickly discover the exact opposite.
If you’re prepared to clock up a few kays, or miles as you will soon be calling them you can find a race meeting almost any night of the week somewhere especially in the Mid States which are the hot bed of speedway racing.
some things are strange for Aussies, driving on the wrong side of the road for a start. Paper money all the same size and colour is a challenge then there’s
With the contacts that the tours provide Ive visited Tony Stewarts race shop, Mel Ke nyons race Shop, Keith Kunz race shop, Steve and Randy Kinser’s race Shops, and many others ive forgotten about.
Away from the big cities Americans are very polite and will always address you as sir or madam and apologise if they think they have walked in front of you for exam ple. Shop staff are super polite, something we could take a leaf out of their book. You quickly feel welcome no matter where you Obviously,go.
the tax!!! You have absolutely no idea how much you are paying for an item or food until you get to the register thanks to the tax being added then (To make it worse each state has different rates of tax – Ed). Then there is the required tipping at most eating establishments, you get the hang of it eventually, its all part of the adventure.
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Many regular Australian travellers make their starting point in the US Indian apolis as there are literally 30-40 tracks within ten hours in any direction, be it Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin or Missouri, hope this helps.
So, if this has sparked some interest and you want to escape an Australian win ter and don’t mind 14 hours in a plane, then you will find racing anywhere in the States between February and November. The big months are June, July and August. If you want to go with a group check out Peter Physick at Global Speedway Tours, he will sort you out.
If you prefer to do it alone or with a couple of mates rental cars are cheap, and accommodation options are endless and cheap. You can also go down the avenue of hiring a RV and staying at the race-tracks or at one of the hundreds of WalMarts that allow free overnight camping.
If you want to get more insight into the happenings on these tours just look up the tour blogs from either Global Speed way Tours or Shanye Andrews and you’ll get the feeling that you missed out on a special time with new and old friends at some very special places.
on a guided tour it’s so much easier. Your flights are arranged, the motels are arranged, the hire cars or buses so you don’t even have to drive are arranged and you don’t need to worry about which way to go to get there. The track entry is arranged, the workshop tours are ar ranged, the tailgating is arranged and even the sightseeing and shopping op portunities are arranged. You will make lifelong friends and have a blast. And most importantly it will give you an insight into the fabulous American people and the confidence to do it on your own with your own agenda next time.
What Shanye has described here is absolutely spot-on. Go the first time
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Take me out to the ball game! Americans consider this slower than watching paint dry.
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109HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | dry. I think for the adults it’s more about the beer than the game sometimes.
The Lucas Oils Stadium in downtown Indiana. Image - Shayne Andrews
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Um! Is this New Yorks version of Priscilla, Queen of the desert? As they say. …. Only
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Only in America. Image - Shayne Andrews
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Patriotism and remembrance is never far from the American heart. This is the 911 memorial
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memorial in Shanksville, PA. Image - Shayne Andrews
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The town of LeClaire Iowa is famous as the home of “American Pickers” but is a beautiful a visit in its own right. Image - Shayne Andrews
117HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | beautiful town in its own right sitting alongside the mighty Mississippi River and worth
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Bass Pro Shops are huge and one even has a motel inside, and this one in Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania welcomes all Fishermen, Hunters and other Liars. Image - Shayne Andrews
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A beautiful image of the Chicago Skyline. Image - Shayne Andrews
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Part of the Eastern Museum of Motorsports in Pennsylvania. Not too far from Lincoln side the door. Image - Shayne Andrews
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Lincoln Speedway and even closer to Lattimer Valley Speedway which is almost just out
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125HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | usually 25 degrees (f) cooler than it is in the rest of California due to the breeze blow
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Re-enactors at the famous and bloody Gettysburg. A poignant site to tour especially and buildings easily identifiable. Image - Shayne Andrews
127HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | if you have done some reading on the battle and the landscape with specific icons
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Iowa 80 – The worlds largest truck stop complete with a cinema, a dentists and other
other facilities. Image - Shayne Andrews
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The Lady with the lamp – New York. Image - Shayne Andrews
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This is an especially poignant memorial for any first responder like Shayne. Image -
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Shayne Andrews
If you think this is a bit out there, you should see the one with all of this and a NASCAR
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NASCAR and a steam train on the roof. Image - Shayne Andrews
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A covered bridge tour is a nice way to spend an afternoon or two driving around Indiana. Image - Shayne Andrews
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Indiana. Some of these bridges, occasionally no longer in use, date back to the 1800’s.
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If Harley’s are your thing, then a tour of the Harley factory in York PA is a must. Image
Image - Shayne Andrews
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Some people find the array of vintage Harley’s truly gobsmacking. Image - Shayne
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This is part of the awesome Niagara Falls on the US side of the river. Only 10% of the which can be seen in the back ground as can the Canadian town of Niagara falls which and behind the actual waterfall via a lift and tunnels, than the American side. Image
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the water flows over this part with the majority cascading down the horseshoe falls which has far more features to see, including getting right up to the edge of the falls Image - Shayne Andrews
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The famous Eldora front straight covered grandstand and commentary and officials
145HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | box with a huge crowd in attendance. Image - Shayne Andrews
This drone shot highlights the old rollercoaster which was part of an amusement park Image - Shayne Andrews
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147HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | park that sits just over the armco in turn 1and 2 of Williams Grove Speedway
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The signature San Fransisco Cable Cars in action. These cars run wooden brake blocks Image - Shayne Andrews
149HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | blocks and believe it or not this is one of the least steep parts of San Fran.
The Aussie tour bus on a Bison Farm in Pennsylvania. Image - Shayne Andrews
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Tailgating, if you can call it that (looks more like back dooring to me – lol), at Lincoln
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Speedway. Image - Shayne Andrews
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Schatz gained momentum low and caught Gravel with four to go. He slid across turn three to take the point and never looked back. Gravel held on for an $80,000 score in
Donny
Kyle Larson entered the top five on lap six, before Courtney entered lapped traffic on the eleventh cir cuit. Larson was running fifth when he blew his right rear tire on lap 12. Courtney led McCarl, Gravel, Macedo and Brad Sweet. Gio Scelzi got into the wall on the restart, slowing
Courtney had built a 2.1 second lead before the break, but the restart put Gravel on his tail. Gravel made a bid for the lead immediately, but Courtney fought back. A slider in turn three on lap 27 gave him the point. Schatz gained fifth, took fourth from Macedo with 20 to go, and two laps later, passed McCarl for third on the low side. McCarl would suffer a flat of his own shortly after, surrendering his fourth-place Gravelrun.
things yet again. Gravel captured second on the re start, but things slowed again four laps later when Justin Sanders came to a rest on the front stretch. It was Kings Royal winner Brent Marks turn to roll when the green fell again, as he jumped from sev enth to fifth, took fourth from Mac edo on lap 19, and has a pass for third negated when the mandatory pit stop came at the halfway mark.
led Courtney, Schatz, Macedo and a charging Logan Schuchart back to green flag racing. Schatz worked under Courtney to gain second before Macedo suffered a flat right rear on lap 39. Gravel took off again, but Schatz closed late, while Shark Racing teammates, Schuchart and Jacob Allen battled each other for the fourth spot.
Schatz made a late charge after looking very ordinary in the first half of the race to record his eleventh Knoxville Nationals championship back on August 13, and for the Fargo, North Dakota native who had re cently lost his father Danny to cancer, the $175,000 triumph was an emotional one to say the least. The winning ride came aboard the Tony Stewart Racing #15 and marks the twelfth owner championship for Stewart, who is second on the all-time list behind Karl Kinser’s 14 triumphs. Donny’s eleventh title also ranks second, just behind Ste ve Kinser’s twelve.
The 50-lap championship event got off to a rocky start when JJ Hickle flipped wildly in turn one after the green flag fell, and collected Parker Price-Miller, who was transported by ambulance for observation.
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Once things went green, pole-sitter Austin McCarl led lap one, but Tyler Courtney showed his strength on lap two, taking the lead and driving away. David Gravel worked by Donny Schatz into the third spot early on, and Carson Macedo would move into the top four on lap three.
second, while Schuchart took third and $40,000 with two to go. Courtney was fourth and Allen was fifth. Larson, Marks, hard-charger Sheldon Haudenschild, Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman rounded out the top ten. Schuchart had earlier won the B main, Kyle Reinhardt took the C, Blake Hahn claimed the D, and Dylan Westbrook won the E main.
“How can’t you be thrilled at what this team accomplished this week?” asked Schuchart, the night 1 Feature winner, after his run from 17th to third. “Not just this team, but the #1a (teammate Jacob Allen who won the night 2 feature) too. I’m very proud of Shark Racing as a whole. We just made some small changes (at the break). I felt I could do what I needed to do with the wing. I didn’t want to make too many changes, because I was scared of going a little bit too far. The last five or ten laps, I felt like I had nothing to lose and I just went for it. I could just run the bottom wide open. In hindsight, you wish you could do things better or differently, but to start 17th and get up to third was great.”
This years’ Nationals was not as successful for the Aussie contingent as it has been previously with the Denis & Teresa Roth team of Kerry Madsen (83JR) and James McFadden (83) in their Toyota powered cars being the only two Aussies to make the feature finishing 15th and 19th from 22nd and 20th respecMadsentively.
“We had a great car,” said Gravel. “I was a little aggressive early, but I wanted to put a couple guys behind us. Sometimes, it’s better running second. I felt so good on the top and didn’t want to get off it, and didn’t have to all race. The last couple laps I was spinning a little bit down the straightaways. I heard Donny going into three and I figured he was coming. In hindsight, I should have tried running low in
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one and two, but when you’re leading and feeling pretty good, you don’t want to change it up.”
Aussie aspect.
“I didn’t drive like I should have at the beginning,” said Schatz in Victory Lane. “We’ve been working so hard on getting the tires caught up. I could hear him (his father) telling me to ‘gather it up and settle down.’ It worked. Hat’s off to my guys and all our partners. I didn’t know if we were going to get there. We fell back to seventh early. I just couldn’t control the wheel spin. It was do or die on the bottom. As the race went on, I kept getting better and better there. It’s pretty surreal. It feels like the first one, really. I had a couple good runs (at Gravel), and I knew if he saw me, he might change his race. I was really getting off the bottom of turn four pretty decent.”
had been forced to run the Hard Knox night to make his way into the final field while J-Mac had come from the B-Main (4th) to qual-
Son of a gun – Sheldon Haudenschild at speed during the Nationals. Craig Mobley Photo.
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Photo.
Further back in the D-Main was Scott Bogucki in 20th after starting All5th.but
For winner Rico Abreau, Shewldon Haudenschild, Brian Brown and Kerry Madsen it worked as their top four finishes in the Hard Knox final guaranteed them a spot in the main McFaddenevent.
Lyntonify.
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Jeffrey, who’d sat on pole for the 360 Nationals before finishng just off the podium, just missed a transfer finishing behind McFadden in the B-Main. Ian Madsen was 16th with Brooke Tatnell just behind him. The C-Main saw Marcus Dumesny just miss the jump to the B-Main with 5th, while Rusty Hickman on debut finally settled into some speed for 14th from 22nd with Lachlan McHugh 18th from 23rd. Hickman and McHugh had both graduated from, the D-Main after 3rd and 4th place results. Hick man had started the D in 9th while McHugh was on pole.
would rather take his chances, successfully as it turned out, from a guaranteed 5th place start in Saturdays B-Main.
chance at a possibly better starting spot on Saturday through the Hard Knox program.
In an almost replay of the previous Sunday’s Capitani Classic at the Knoxville Raceway, Logan Schuchart outlasted Donny Schatz to win Night #1 of the 61st Knox ville Nationals. The win was worth $12,000 to the Hanover, Pennsylvania, native and came aboard the Shark Racing #1s.
Before a lap could be completed, Brandon Wimmer came to a stop and retired. Schuchart led at the outset of the 25-lap main event from the pole position, ahead of Gio Scelzi, James McFadden, Cole Macedo and Justin Peck.
Ian Madsen likewise would not give up his 8th place B-Main start for a
Davey Heskin slowed six laps in to bring the second cushion. On the restart, McFadden gained sec ond from Scelzi, while Macedo re took fourth from Peck. Schatz also entered the top five at that point. Macedo’s momentum continued when he gained third from Scelzi on lap eight. Aaron Reutzel went by Schatz for fifth at that point.
Ian Madsen slowed to a stop to bring the final caution on lap nine. Schuchart led McFadden, Macedo, Scelzi, Reutzel and Schatz back to green. The track really got racy at that point, with Scelzi regaining third, and then moving by McFadden for second on lap 11. Schatz
McFadden and Ian Madsen took their chances through the Hard Knox last chance night after various dramas on their respective qualify ing nights.
Night 1
Sweet reeled in Allen in traffic and passed him briefly on the 21st lap. Allen was back in front at the line, however and continued his pace. Macedo entered the battle late, but Allen was too strong, and raced across the line for his first victory Sweethere.
Night 2
Jacob Allen realized a dream by adding his name to the winner’s list at Knoxville Raceway on Night #2 of the 61st Knoxville Nationals. The win was worth $12,000 to the Hanover, Pennsylvania resident and came aboard the Shark Racing #1a. Jacob joined his teammate, and nephew Logan Schuchart, and his father Bobby as a Knoxville win ner. Austin McCarl emerged as the high point man, and earned the pole for Saturday’s finale.
Allen shot by pole-sitter Zeb Wise to lead early in the 25-lap main event, ahead of Brad Sweet, Lynton Jeffrey and Austin McCarl. McCarl used the low side to get by Jeffrey for fourth on lap three. Kyle Larson, who had to transfer through the B,
was regaining momentum as well and was up to fourth.
made quick work of the backside of the feature line-up and was tenth by lap Sweetsix.passed
Wise for second, and started his pursuit of Allen on lap seven. Carson Macedo entered the top five by lap eight. He passed McCarl for fourth on lap 14, and two circuits later, disposed of Wise for the third spot. McCarl would work by Wise himself with seven laps to go and secure fourth.
Rico Abreu won on “Hard Knox” Night for the third time in his career Friday at the Knoxville Raceway. The event locked Abreu, second place Kerry Madsen, Sheldon Haudenschild and Brian Brown into Saturday night’s $175,000 to win finale. All drivers earned $4,000 and their starting spot in tomorrow’s championship. Abreu’s fifth career win here came aboard the Rico
On lap 13, Schatz worked by McFadden for third. He took second from Scelzi four laps later and set his sights on the leader. They hit lapped traffic with seven to go, and Schatz gained ground. On lap 22, he appeared to be gaining on Schuchart, but a lapper on the bot tom of turn three, slowed his proIngress.the
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held down second, ahead of Macedo, high point-getter McCarl and hard-charger Larson. Wise, Tyler Courtney, Kasey Kahne, Jef frey and JJ Hickle completed the top ten.
end, Schuchart beat Schatz, a late charging David Gravel, Scelzi and McFadden to the line. Reutzel, Peck, Macedo, Corey Day and Roger Crockett rounded out the top ten.
Night 3 – Hard Knox
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Logan Schuchart, with grand pappy Bobby Allen and crew after the opening nights feature tani Classic the previous weekend. Craig Mobley Photo.
feature win. The “2” gesture signifies his second straight win having won the Capi-
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Mobley’s musings
Abreu Racing #24R. Abreu took off immediately from his outside row one starting spot in the 25-lap main event. Madsen followed, with Spencer Bayston, Corey Day and Haudenschild in tow. By lap two, Haudenschild had passed Day for fourth. Shortly after, Day jumped the berm inside turn three and backed hard into the wall, tipping over. He was unhurt, and returned to action after a visit to the work Abreuarea.ledMadsen, Bayston, Haudenschild and Ayrton Gennetten back to green. Marcus Dumesny and Genetten exchanged the fifth spot three times in four laps at that point, while the leaders approached lapped traffic. Haudenschild got by Bayston, but the move was negated when Brock Zearfoss got into the back bumper of Gennetten, turning him into the backstretch wall. Zearfoss helicoptered down the track, but amazingly did not turn over. He would return to action, but Gennetten was done.
First there was Tasker Phillips, the local farmer and weekly racer, from nearby Pleasantville, Iowa, that set quick time in his qualifying night, battled Nascar star Kyle Larson neck and neck for second place in the B-main on his qualifying night, eventually solidifying a 15th starting spot in the “Granddaddy of Them All” on Saturday night.
Then there was Austin McCarl, the local, weekly racer from Altoona, Iowa, that put his hot rod in the pole position for the big dance on Saturday night. A solid, complete night of good qualifying, making it out of his heat race, and a good finish in the feature is what Austin needed and delivered in his qualifying night ef-
As I sit back and think about all of the amazing storylines that came out of the 61st annual Knoxville Nationals I can’t help but gravitate to all of the amazing stories of the small low-budget teams that had great success.
cruised to the win with Mad sen, Haudenschild and Brown in tow. Macri, Bayston, Day, Henderson, Brady Bacon and Dylan Cisney rounded out the top ten.
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Brown was advancing from his row six starting spot and went from eighth to sixth on the restart. The final caution came out for the fifth place car of Dumesny when he came to a stop in turn four with eight laps to go. Brown restarted fifth and put a slide job up to third. The result was Haudenschild actually diving back under to reclaim the spot, and Bayston regaining fourth. Lap 19 would see Brown get under
Bayston for the final transfer spot, however. Shortly after, Bayston made heavy contact with the turn one wall, but kept it going. Anthony Macri claimed fifth from him at that Abreupoint.
Neitherfort.
Saturday night rolled around and at the end of the day it ended up
with an emotional win for Donny Schatz, who recently lost his father to cancer.
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of these two teams have the resources of the travelling series teams but they stood on the gas, raced hard, and ended up right up there with the big money teams at the end of the Whenday.
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Eventual Nationals pole sitter Austin McCarl (88) and Ryan Roberts (18R) race it out
out in qualifying action. Craig Mobley Photo.
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Jacob Allen kept the family’s win streak going by winning night two of the nationals after Craig Mobley Photo.
169HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | after his older than himself nephew Logan Schuchart’s win the night before.
No Transporters are allowed on the infield during the Nationals. Whatever you need starts. Craig Mobley Photo.
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171HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | or think you may need has to be taken out earlier in the evening before racing
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Local resident Riley Goodno (22) leads a couple of dualling Aussies in Kerry Madsen
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Madsen (Roth 83jr) and Brooke Tatnell (Dewall 16). Craig Mobley Photo.
Rowdy Rico Abreu took the Hard Knox Feature win again to qualify for the main event
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event the hard way. Craig Mobley Photo.
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The steely gaze of legendary Sammy Swindell. Craig Mobley Photo.
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Zeb Wise’s stack hat. Craig Mobley Photo.
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If he’s not in the car Kasey Kahne often escapes to the roof of the hauler to get away
away and just relax. Craig Mobley Photo.
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Our won J-Mac, James McFadden. Craig Mobley Photo.
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A focused Brooke Tatnell deep in though about how he’s going to have to drive the wheels the big dance. Craig Mobley Photo.
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wheels off the Dewall16 after a hub failure significantly hurt his chances of making
The darling of Knoxville, Brian Brown had a reasonable 360Nationals campaign but weeks later he would take yet another feature win at the hallowed grounds and secure
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187HIGHLINE MAGAZINE | 2022 | that luck didn’t transfer over to the open event. All was not lost however as a few secure yet another Knoxville track championship. Craig Mobley Photo.
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Donny Schatz celebrates yet another Nationals win. Craig Mobley Photo.
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David Gravel (left) led the majority of the race but an unwillingness to change his line win while Logan Schuchart (right) charged from the B-Main to the podium to round out
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line in the late going allowed Schatz (centre) to take his one shot for the lead and the out a pretty solid two weeks for the Shark Racing Team. Craig Mobley Photo.
