Smee smacks down the field in World Midget Opener

The Preliminary night of the World Midget Championship in Brisbane was a Smee affair after the former Australian Champion took the field apart in the opening contest for the World Midget Championship in Brisbane’s Archerfield Speedway.

The field featured four of the best Americans Rico Abreu, Brady Bacon, Zach Daum and Andrew Felker..Current Australian Champion New Zealander Michael Pickens and Chris Gwilliam rounded off the powerful field of imports.

Both Abreu and Bacon started their nights off ending upside down in their heats while both would find trouble later during the feature. Michael Pickens was fastest during the time trials ahead of Sydney’s Troy Jenkins but had motor problem during the Feature .

Smee and Daum shared the front row and it was the Australian who set the early pace .Daum managed to sneak into the race lead momentarily but Smee soon regain the lead and was never headed,

Sydney’s Troy Jenkins was spectacularly fast all night and closed fast on Daum with two laps to runthen  took advantage of a Daum error to grab second. Jenkins deserved his second place after a stirring drive.

Although Smee took the Preliminary Feature it was Zach Daum who left the Speedway on top of points after consistent performances in his heat race.

The top five in points after night one Daum 155,Smee144,Jenkins 130,Gwilliam(NZ) 120 Doyle 113

Racing continues tonight at Archerfield .

Photo credit Archerfield Speedway

McAllan Motorsports and Kaiden Manders part Company

Only recently announced by Keith and Peta McAllen is the news that young Kaiden Manders will not be returning to the Team in 2017.The seat of the McAllen Mobil 1 Mac 21m KRE Eagle will be taken over by Dwayne Kingshot..

Kingshot’s first outing with the Team will be  at the Kwinana Motorplex on 14th January, 2017 to contest the New Year Speedcar Derby.The Team will then move up to Queensland to contest the big Speedcar events against many of the best Speedcar/Midget drivers from the US, New Zealand.

With recent USAC and Powri experience last year Kingshot will be a strong contender. The McAllen race cars are proven winners .Who can forget the fantastic performance put in by Adam Clarke holding every State Title in the one year. After Clarke young Kaiden set the Speedcar World alight and along the way in a short career behind the wheel  won 15 feature races, numerous heat races, State Title, Kaiden was the youngest ever winner of the Michael Figliomeni Memorial the Magic Man 34 .Stunning performance by any reckoning .

Kaiden’s commitments with the J&S drilling team 360 Sprintcar program made it difficult to meet the schedules and commitments the McAllen Team required .On 12 December Kaiden won his first 360 Sprintcar race, the first of many I would suggest.

The McAllen Team could not have made a better choice and the combination will certainly continue the success of the McAllen Motorsports Team.

2017 a new year and a new beginning for the Team.

More problems for Pickens while Clauson dominates POWRi

The two shows of round 8 in Lismore for the POWRI World Midget Championship finally got underway after storms with heavy rain threatened the final rounds of the Australian and New Zealand legs of the POWR Championship. There were lots of questions to be answered at Lismore, could Clauson continue his stunning recent form, would luck play into Pickens hands after recent runner up performances to Clauson. The final question was how the Australian drivers would fare in this their last encounter with the visiting International drivers.

Bryan Clauson and the winning Team at Lismore POWRi

The recent performances of Clauson this tour has been simply stunning with only Rico Abreu Brad Mosen achieving the wins in the series other than for Clauson. Clauson has been great, Michael Pickens has been closed to winning over the past 4 shows and the last night in Lismore the luck and recent gremlins appeared to have been washed away with the recent rain. Pickens was fast all night and.

The Vernon and Vazey mounted Pickens along with team mate Darren Hagan and Brad Mosen looked the likely challengers to Clauson.
The 40 lap decider and the top six positions were decided by the Gold Shoot out and the results were : Bryan Clauson , Michael Pickens, Darren Hagan, Kaiden Manders , Hayden Williams, Matt Smith , Brad Mosen and Nathan Smee .
During the Gold Shoot out Bryan Clauson set a new one lap track record .Clauson stopped the clock at 12.789sec

Bryan Clauson at Lismore before the start to the last race at Lismore

..A field of 20 cars were despatched by the green as they race away for the first lap around the Lucas Oils Lismore Bull Ring. The start was perfect for Pickens leading Clauson. The two New Zealand based teams raced at the head of the field with Pickens punching out lap after lap with a comfortable gap to Indiana’s former USAC Midget Champion.

Just when you thought Pickens was headed for a blistering race win the right front tire popped of the bead sending the Kiwi into a wild tumble into the safety fence .Once again the gremlins had hit the Pickens plan. Pickens was uninjured and the race restarted.Eight laps to run and the race had been handed to the USAC racer and his United truck Parts Team from New Zealand. .While luck plays a big part in race wins the professionalism that Clauson brings to the Team on each of his visits is clear.

Michael Pickens Vernon and Vazey #97

The final placings were Clauson, Hagan and Brad Mosen. Matt Smith was the first Australian to cross .First time tourist Oklahoma’s Tyler Thomas brought the Queensland owned USA #42 home in fifth place. The POWRi World Midget Championship will now move back across the Pacific to the USA for events later in the year.

One thing is very clear and the reaons for this is, well beyond me .The Australian teams are currently no match for the International drivers .Clauson is in a class on his own but the gap between the new Zealanders appears to growing wider. Our best Smee, Clarke, Redman and Thomas have struggled all season against the International onslaught, only Mathew Smith has looked capable of taking a podium this year against the International invaders.

At Lismore the performances of our youngsters Rusty Whittaker, Brayden Wilimgton and particularly Kaiden Manders from Western Australia were impressive.

The POWRi Management might  try to persuade Dwayne Kingsport to race in the series even though he appears to be a solid Speedcar Pro Series Contracted driver and dual Champion.. Brett Thomas ran both during this years so it is possible .

Talking Speedway is supported by Flat Out Magazine the magazine for all open wheel race fans .The current issuse now out and available on line .We will deliver to your door by Australia Post Au $7.95 – ORDER NOW !

Mosen wins preliminary feature night one POWRI Worlds Brisbane

Pickens, Mosen,Clauson on the podium at POWRi Worlds

They came across the ditch and with the Americans dominated the first leg of the 4 World POWRi Championships rounds in Australia.

On a race track that had suffered under heavy rainfall for most of the week Brad Mosen managed the hooky track perfectly to win in a flag to flag performance over Bryan Clauson.
Mosen and Clauson owned the front row of the 25 lap Preliminary Feature but as they rolled to the start the Kiwi got the better drive and stormed into the first corner lead. As the race started to settle it was clear the KIWI had the track condition mastered and increased his race lead over the United Truck Parts entry of Clauson.

Clauson was unable to close the gap between himself and Mosen; never getting close enough to be a serious threat .Clauson had posted the quick time during qualifying earlier in the night but his car speed somehow deserted the 2014 Chil Bowl Winner during the feature. The second place was enough for Clauson to consolidate his position at the top of the points as the team’s head into night two.

The visitors completely dominated the race with the first 6 positions going to the Kiwis and the Americans;

The top 7 positions were
Mosen, Clauson, Pickens, Hagen, Gwilliam and Hunnibell .Matt Smith was the first Australian to cross the stripe..The top six cars were all New Zealand owned and the Veron and Vazey Race Team would have been over the moon with the results gained by Pickens and Hagen. Michael Pickens was a perfect choice to replace the NASCAR bound Rico Abreu
The strength and power of the Kiwis was again demonstrated as they continued their recent domination of the Aussie guns.

Pickens and Hagen in the Pits

The Aussie teams have a lot of work to do to get over the visitors and night two at Archerfield gives them the perfect opportunity to reverse recent results.

The third American Tyler Thomas gained his Preliminary Feature start after winning the B main but only managed 17 laps before retiring

Track conditions should be different for tonight’s Feature. Early weather forecast suggests that a slight chance of rain around 3pm but clearing as the afternoon and early evening approaches. But as we all know Queensland weather this time of year can turn nasty very quickly.
Points after night one:

Clauson and Mosen heads the points