Sensational Win To Steve Kinser In Scott Darley $50,000 Memorial

Posted Sunday, 4 January 2009
By Dennis Newlyn

The King of world sprintcar racing Steve Kinser took out the $50,000 to win Scott Darley Memorial International in one of the best races witnessed in the history of the event.

It was the world’s two leading sprintcar drivers Kinser and Donny Schatz who made this race so memorable when it all came down to the last two laps.

Schatz, who was shooting for his sixth consecutive $50,000 payout and the eighth of his career, got to the lead when Kinser rode the cushion in turn one.

Kinser, driving for Barry Waldron’s East Coast Pipeline team, regained the front running with an inside pass as they lined up for turn three. Kinser and Schatz dragged it out for the final circuit and suddenly the $50,000 was a one-lap dash!

Schatz tried valiantly entering turns one and two on the inside line as Kinser was slightly further up track. Schatz drew alongside Kinser but Kinser had the speed off turn two and shot clear on the back straight.

Schatz failed to make up the distance and Kinser took the chequered flag to record his first-ever $50,000 win but also continue the American domination of “the great race.”

In a great night for the East Coast Pipeline team, Robbie Farr took third placing ahead of Kerry Madsen.

But it was Steve Kinser’s night and Steve Kinser’s $50,000 as he shut down the incredible winning sequence of the great Donny Schatz.

“I had to change my lines a little bit, but then jumped the cushion and Donny got by me on the inside. He (Donny) runs the middle of this track so good. It all came down to turn three and the final lap and I ran as hard as I could,” Kinser said.

Kinser then acknowledged the role East Coast Pipeline company executive Barry Waldron played in this latest Australian visit.

“He’s a great race man,” Kinser said of Waldron.

“It’s thanks to him and without him I would not have been able to be here and win this race.

“I am also very honoured to be the first winner of the Scott Darley memorial trophy,” Kinser said in respect for the driver who the race was named in honour.

Kinser, who started from pole position, led from the outset. 

The race settled into a pattern in the early laps as Kinser led from Sides and Schatz.

The first red light of the race occurred 14 laps into the event when Ian Madsen spun in turn two and was collected on the way through by Sides.

Both cars rolled and for Sides it was a tough break after running so strongly near the head of the field in the first part of the event.

Madsen was out but Sides went to the work area where his crew attempted to get him back on the track before the re-start. 

Sides had a deflated left rear tyre and a broken shock absorber, however the crew had him back out on the track in time for the green light.

Trevor Green, who ultimately finished seventh after he started out of position 15 in a herculean effort, was locked in a titanic battle with Danny Smith a few laps before the Sides-Madsen crash.

When the race resumed Farr was on the move and got under Meyers for third.
Several laps later Madsen also charged up to Farr as the two Aussies took the challenge to the Americans.

Then with 19 laps to go a yellow occurred after Meyers and Kraig Kinser tangled in turn two.

At this point the top ten running order was Steve Kinser, Donny Schatz, Farr, Madsen, Jonathan Allard, Brad Sweet, Max Dumesny, Jason Johnson, Darin Pittman and Green.

Just a couple of laps later another red light occurred after Mitch Dumesny rolled his #77 car in turn two.

At the restart Kinser had Schatz right on his tail as the race entered its final stages.
Kinser reeled off the laps but Schatz was ready to mount his most serious challenge of the race. He had a couple of “looks” on the inside of Kinser in lapped traffic, but then with just two laps to go he got the break he needed when Kinser went high in turn one and jumped the cushion.

Schatz had the lead entering the back straight on the second-last lap. By turn three it was Kinser back in front in a sensational race.

The last lap was as dramatic as anything in the illustrious history of this race.
Kinser held on for the win as the big crowd went up as one!

It was a great night in the long history of Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway.

The four sprint car heats were virtually a high speed dress parade as three of the four events ran flag-to-flag. The only interruption for a yellow came in heat three for a spin by Andrew Wright.

The heats were quickly raced off on superb track conditions with Kerry Madsen (heat one), Max Dumesny (heat two), Robbie far (heat three) and Kraig Kinser (heat four) the respective winners. 

The cut throat C-Main, where only the first two placegetters progressed through to the B-Main, was won by Martin Lawes who led from start to finish.

Interest in this race concentrated on the battle for the runner-up position between Gary Rooke and Queenslander Brodie Tulloch in the battle for the final transfer spot.

At the finish it was Rooke who clinched the second placing and progression to the B-Main.

The first dash was one of the best races of the international season as Steve Kinser and Schatz raced for the win and pole position in the Scott Darley Memorial.

The two ran in close company for the first few laps as Kinser blocked every Schatz bid for the lead.

In the latter stages Kinser drew away and ultimately won convincingly as he grabbed pole position for the $50-000-To-Win event.

Jason Meyers took out the second dash in another exciting flag-to-flag race. The battle for the minor positions was the highlight as Sides and Kraig Kinser ran side-by-side.

They ran like this for the second half of the race before Sides finally got the advantage and took the runner-up spot to winner Meyers at the chequered flag. Third-placed Kraig Kinser was followed by Farr, Johnson, Maher and Loudoun. 

The B-Main progressed to only the first corner before the red light appeared after James Thompson got upside down.

Peter Lack and Danny Reidy also were involved. Both Thompson and Lack were sidelined from the complete restart. 

When the race got underway Jackson took full advantage of his position two front row starting spot and raced into the lead. In the early stages Madsen held second from Doherty and Mitch Dumesny.

Dumesny was the big mover as he pressured Doherty and later made a pass stick as he garnered third.

Then he had Ian Madsen in his sights and moved into second.

Nobody could catch Jackson, but further back Roddy-Bell Bowen also ran strongly and relegated Doherty to fifth.

At the finish it was Jackson, Mitch Dumesny, Ian Madsen and Bell-Bowen the top four B-Main qualifiers to the 40-lapper. 

Meanwhile the AMCA A-main was won by John Cartwright from Terry Pankhurst and Michael Xureb.

Cartwright trailed Pankhurst for most of the race before he made his successful bid for victory in the last few laps.

:checkered::thumb

He, for sure will always be the "KING":respect: