A record car count has been received for the 42nd Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway starting tonight.
The best in the business are among a mammoth field of 112 cars, including 21 Americans – led by reigning World of Outlaws STP Sprintcar Series Champion Daryn Pittman, and the man considered the greatest sprintcar driver in the world, Donny Schatz.
Schatz, who will race under the Crimsafe and Armor All banner, is chasing a rare ‘Grand Slam’ double – the Knoxville Nationals and Classic win in the same 12 months.
The entry list is the biggest of any event in Australian Sprintcar history and reads like the ‘who’s who’ of global dirt track action.
“We are hoping it’s going to be the biggest and the best sprintcar race ever staged in Australia,” said Premier Speedway’s General Manager David Mills.
“In a normal Classic you might have 15 to 20 chances to win the thing, but looking at this year’s field, there are 40 chances that can win it.”
For the first time, this year’s Classic will be held over three nights. The field will be split in half, with half completing their qualifying tonight, the other half tomorrow, ahead of Sunday’s finals in a format reminiscent of the Knoxville Nationals – the Classic’s sister event.
Schatz headlines tonight’s qualifiers, plus Australian champion James McFadden, and former Classic winners Garry Brazier, Trevor Green and Kerry Madsen.
Local hero Dumesny’s younger son, Matthew will make his GASC debut this weekend as well.
Tomorrow’s entry list includes defending champion Steven Lines (fresh from a victory last night in Mount Gambier’s King’s Challenge), plus local favourites Max Dumesny, Brooke Tatnell and Jamie Veal.
The quality of the field is stunning – with the American contingent ensuring this weekend is every bit a World of Outlaws show.
In addition to Schatz and Pittman, there’s dual Outlaws champion Jason Meyers, six time Classic winner Danny Smith, another former Classic winner Shane Stewart, Outlaws Rookie of the Year David Gravel, multiple Chili Bowl Midget Nationals winner Kevin Swindell, plus the likes of Randy Hannagan, Kyle Hirst, Brad Sweet and Dale Blaney.
“This is why we worked so hard at Knoxville,” Mills explained.
“We want to entice the Americans to come and try the Classic, they all know about it, so to get this quality and quantity is awesome, and obviously Donny is the icing on the cake – we’re pinching ourselves.”
Schatz, a seven-times Knoxville Nationals winner and five-times World of Outlaws champion, has returned to Warrnambool to a rock star reception as he attempts to win a third Classic crown.
“I don’t go anywhere I don’t think I can win,” Schatz told The Warrnambool Standard.
“We have our program running good, the car is running good and everything is really well.”
With the prestige of the event growing, it’s an easy sell to entice the large field of Americans down under. The prize purse topping $200,000 doesn’t hurt either.
“The Classic is why are the Americans are here,” said Pittman – the only driver ever to have won both a World of Outlaws and World Series Sprintcars Championship. “It’s got the prestige, the prizemoney, the purse. It’s a race I’ve never won, but it’s one I’d really like to cross off as having done it.”
Opening hot laps begin at 5.30 this evening.
Speedcafe.com will bring you all the action across the weekend.
VIDEO: Sprintcars big names preview The Classic:
VIDEO: Donny Schatz talks about his hopes in The Classic
