Talk about being a local hero.
Ian Madsen, a local driver from Sydney Australia beat some of the best dirt racers in the world Tuesday night at the Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway in New South Wales.
Madsen was able to hold off American World Of Outlaws Champion Donny Schatz in what many are calling a race that was nothing short of legendary.
Schatz along with his owner and two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, a Sprint Car champion in his own right, have been in Australia since just before Christmas for a little vacation and racing. The Tuesday night race was the second of three on their trip.
In the 30-lap main event Schatz charged to the front in the first half of the race followed closely by Madsen with Aussie champ Garry Brazier right behind the pair. The three drivers waged a furious battle for the top three positions, with Schatz appearing to have the race sewn up as the laps wound down.
But on a restart with ten laps to go, Madsen began to threaten finally making the pass with a good old patented ‘slide-job’. His lead didn’t last long however as Brazier charged past first Schatz then Madsen with six laps to go.
Shortly after, Brazier made a rare mistake when he ran wide exiting the turn. Madsen made contact and Brazier spun ending his chances for victory.
On the restart with four laps to go, Madsen was able to hold off the hard charging Schatz for the win, his third at Parramatta.
"I can't believe it. To beat Donny Schatz like that is unbelievable, it is probably the most fun I’ve ever had in a race. I still can't believe it, I'm shaking in the legs and everything," said Madsen. "I was just praying that everything held on until the end and it did. I can't believe it, every little noise I thought was Schatz and then I just couldn't believe it.”
Not only did Madsen have the satisfaction of beating one of the best dirt racers in the world, but he also picked up a check for $10,000.
"This is the most special feature race ever,” Madsen said. “To do it with all of my mates and school mates who help me out, everyone who has stuck behind me through thick and thin. It's just awesome."
Meanwhile Schatz smiled as he congratulated Madsen in victory lane.
"It was a fun night,” Schatz said. “It obviously not the way I would have liked to have finished but Ian done one hell of a job, you've got to give him credit. He kept plugging away and got exactly what he needed.”
"That's just the way it goes, they caught me out of sync and it just took that one time and I got passed by him along with Brazier, it took me a lap or two to gather back up but once I got going I was fine but the race was over by that point."
As for his team owner, Tony Stewart continued to try and adapt to the tricky dirt track. He came home fourth.
"I’ve got a good car to drive and a great teacher with Donny here so I'm learning a little bit more each night and felt a lot more comfortable tonight compared to the first night I was here,” said Stewart.
"The track was definitely a little difficult tonight, the weather over the last couple of days has really made the track a little trickier than what I'm used to. I'm not used to them being quite as ‘ledgey’ as it was and cars kind of banging the right rear off the cushion, but it makes it fun. You have to work hard at getting into a rhythm and make consistent laps.
"I felt like over the last 15 laps of tonight's main I got a lot better and my lap times didn't fall off as much as the cars in front of me and I was making time. I've still got a little way to be as good as good as Donny, Garry and Madsen but I'm learning a lot.
"In saying that though, for a guy who only runs three or four Sprintcar races a year I've been pretty pleased with the last couple of nights."
Stewart came home seventh in his first race last Sunday night and will have a chance for improving this Saturday night as he along with Schatz and Tim Shaffer, fellow American Jason Johnson and Australian stars Brooke Tatnell, Robbie Farr, Max Dumesny and Ryan Farrell will race at Parramatta this Saturday night.
HOGS BREATH SPRINTCAR INTERNATIONAL
Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway, Sydney, NSW
1. Ian Madsen
2. Donny Schatz
3. Marty Perovich
4. Tony Stewart
5. James Thompson
6. Tim Schaffer
7. Skip Jackson
8. Glen Saville
9. Roddy Bell-Bowen
10. Adrian Maher
11. Mitchell Dumesny
12. Jeremy Cross
13. Craig Morrison
14. Darryl Campbell
15. Grant Tunks
16. Ben Atkinson
17. Warren Ferguson
18. Peter Gordon
19. David Craft
20. Mick Turner
21. Jeff Lawler
DNF Garry Brazier
DNF Ian Loudoun
DNF Paul Freeman
For more NASCAR News and NASCAR Commentary, follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
Comments