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Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
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Topic: Australian sprint car racers- are those guys all crazy? Email this topic to a friend | Subscribe to this TopicReport this Topic to Moderator
Page 1 of 2   of  22 replies
Murphy
December 02, 2017 at 10:00:50 PM
Joined: 05/26/2005
Posts: 3261
Reply

     Going back as far as Gary Rush, I don't believe I've seen any of the Australian drivers that weren't what they used to refer to as "wild and wooly" when they raced (or just plain crazy). A racer I only saw a couple times, Gary Brazier is representitive of what I've seen. In a heat race at Husets Speedway (S.D.), I saw the bottom of his car a couple times during his heat race and thought sure he was going over. Then for the feature he turned up the wick. Wow! 

     When I win the lottery I'm going to Australia. I want to see what a whole bunch of Australian sprint car racers on a shorttrack looks like. (OK, so I'd want to see if they really do have topless beaches in Australia, but that would just be the icing on the cake.) How many Australians are currently racing in the USA? Are they mostly in the midwest?




Oppermanfan
December 03, 2017 at 07:01:42 AM
Joined: 08/06/2008
Posts: 439
Reply

Skip Jackson was very smooth and very clean, but yes, other than Skip they are all bat shit crazy!! 



Aces&Eights
December 03, 2017 at 01:52:56 PM
Joined: 04/02/2016
Posts: 61
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: Murphy on December 02 2017 at 10:00:50 PM

     Going back as far as Gary Rush, I don't believe I've seen any of the Australian drivers that weren't what they used to refer to as "wild and wooly" when they raced (or just plain crazy). A racer I only saw a couple times, Gary Brazier is representitive of what I've seen. In a heat race at Husets Speedway (S.D.), I saw the bottom of his car a couple times during his heat race and thought sure he was going over. Then for the feature he turned up the wick. Wow! 

     When I win the lottery I'm going to Australia. I want to see what a whole bunch of Australian sprint car racers on a shorttrack looks like. (OK, so I'd want to see if they really do have topless beaches in Australia, but that would just be the icing on the cake.) How many Australians are currently racing in the USA? Are they mostly in the midwest?



They cover the Aussie Sprints on Lucas oil TV, might be cheaper than plane fair, but less the beaches.


Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—	
I took the one less traveled by,	
And that has made all the difference.


nzsprint
December 03, 2017 at 08:40:24 PM
Joined: 11/27/2012
Posts: 44
Reply

Its probably a result of racing on almost exclusively narrow, semi banked, quarter mile sized tracks. These guys like Veal and McFadden make their living running elbows up on the wall at 100% or trading sliders wheel to wheel. You want proof, look at McFadden in the Willie Kahne FK shocks car, he showed up at Tulare first time seeing the track and won a KWS race.



turn4guy
December 03, 2017 at 09:15:44 PM
Joined: 04/23/2015
Posts: 881
Reply

Had the pleasure of meeting  JMAC at Eldora this year. Actually spent quite a bit of time hanging out with a few Aussies that week.  They are fun guys. They can drink. They are VERY knowledgeable guys and well respected in the sprint car world. And James drives it the way its supposed to be driven imo. After Saturday night we were drinking back at camp and just shootin the shit and I mentioned to James about getting into the wall a few times during the feature, and his response was: I was trying to get some drive outta the thing..  At ELDORA. That tells you all you need to know about the guy.  Fearless. The guys are GOOD, and like I said very well respected. Couple of the mechanics I met that week were all intelligent guys.  Hell of a fun week and I'm glad I got to see what some of the aussies are all about.  Cheers boys. 



linbob
December 04, 2017 at 05:08:00 PM
Joined: 03/12/2011
Posts: 1649
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: Oppermanfan on December 03 2017 at 07:01:42 AM

Skip Jackson was very smooth and very clean, but yes, other than Skip they are all bat shit crazy!! 



If you want to see something crazy go to NEW ZEALAND f 1  STOCK CARS.




JDSprinter
December 05, 2017 at 03:55:58 AM
Joined: 11/19/2014
Posts: 19
Reply

You should really come down Murphy ! Late December through the end of January is a great time.  It's summer down here and there are lots of races capped off by The Classic at Warrnambool.

Gary Brazier is still racing regularly in Sydney but he has probably calmed down a little. His son Jordyn is driving a 410 and Jordyn is progressing very well. I attend all of the shows at Sydney Speedway (aka Parramatta City Raceway) and we normally have 50 to 60 '410' sprint cars at each event. This makes for a great 'B' Feature and an excellent 'A' Feature. Kind of like double features at every show !



19 Posse
December 05, 2017 at 05:31:53 AM
Joined: 12/24/2012
Posts: 364
Reply

Aussie Aussie Aussie. Love them aussies!!!

We met a aussie at speedweek a few years ago...he had a rental car he had somehow wrecked...bumper in his back seat...said he bought the insurance and he wasnt worried!!! Lol...funny guy...



race bannon
December 05, 2017 at 07:37:18 PM
Joined: 12/03/2004
Posts: 67
Reply

The racing is awesome in Australia, the people are awesome, the beaches are awesome, go to Bondi Beach! Can't wait to go back!




Murphy
December 05, 2017 at 08:14:26 PM
Joined: 05/26/2005
Posts: 3261
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: JDSprinter on December 05 2017 at 03:55:58 AM

You should really come down Murphy ! Late December through the end of January is a great time.  It's summer down here and there are lots of races capped off by The Classic at Warrnambool.

Gary Brazier is still racing regularly in Sydney but he has probably calmed down a little. His son Jordyn is driving a 410 and Jordyn is progressing very well. I attend all of the shows at Sydney Speedway (aka Parramatta City Raceway) and we normally have 50 to 60 '410' sprint cars at each event. This makes for a great 'B' Feature and an excellent 'A' Feature. Kind of like double features at every show !



50 to 60? Now I have to buy lottery tickets! What is a typical Australian track like?



fiXXXer
December 05, 2017 at 08:53:38 PM
Joined: 10/26/2014
Posts: 2475
Reply

Was a big fan of Garry Brazier ever since he first came to Central PA. I was just a young kid back then but I've been a fan of him and just about every other Aussie who I've seen race since then. In fact, overall, I'd say I'm a bigger fan of the Aussie drivers than I am of the Posse guys. They're all super nice and you never hear them bitch and whine if the track surface has some moisture in it and a nice big curb up top. They LOVE to gas it.



RodinCanada
MyWebsite
December 05, 2017 at 11:20:42 PM
Joined: 07/24/2016
Posts: 1720
Reply

I am guessing sprint cars started in the US and were "introduced" to Australia. Anyone know when or how that happened?


Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!


JDSprinter
December 06, 2017 at 05:41:12 AM
Joined: 11/19/2014
Posts: 19
Reply
This message was edited on December 06, 2017 at 05:42:22 AM by JDSprinter

Sprint car racing started in Australia a long time ago.  I attended the 55th running of the Australian Sprint Car Championship back in January,2017 at Valvoline Raceway (aka Syney Speedway & Parramatta City Raceway).  That puts the start of spint car racing back to 1962. Those early sprint cars looked more like modifieds or supermodifieds.  Over time the car design evolved and some sprint cars were brought in from USA.  

Midget racing goes back much further.  We call midgets 'speedcars' here and the first races were held in 1934.  



MSPN
December 06, 2017 at 12:15:52 PM
Joined: 11/23/2004
Posts: 3943
Reply

I have talked enough in this forum about my two winters spent Down Under but suffice it to say that you won't have a better time and the racing for the most part is exceptional.  Heck, they have nicer paint jobs more often than not and yes they do 'gas it' and most of it is happening on bull rings which makes it even more exciting.  They have PPV (Clays I think) and a great site which escapes me now but wouldn't be too hard to find on Google, go for it or better still go Down Under you won't regret it at all....



RodinCanada
MyWebsite
December 07, 2017 at 08:50:41 AM
Joined: 07/24/2016
Posts: 1720
Reply

Did you mean that sprints as we know them today started in Australia and was brought to the US? If someone has a little more history and detail on how both countries share such a similar sport i would be interested. 

Also dont Aussies drive on the left side of the road? But they race turning right... Right?


Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!


Rick Eaton
December 07, 2017 at 09:19:42 AM
Joined: 12/02/2004
Posts: 77
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: Murphy on December 02 2017 at 10:00:50 PM

     Going back as far as Gary Rush, I don't believe I've seen any of the Australian drivers that weren't what they used to refer to as "wild and wooly" when they raced (or just plain crazy). A racer I only saw a couple times, Gary Brazier is representitive of what I've seen. In a heat race at Husets Speedway (S.D.), I saw the bottom of his car a couple times during his heat race and thought sure he was going over. Then for the feature he turned up the wick. Wow! 

     When I win the lottery I'm going to Australia. I want to see what a whole bunch of Australian sprint car racers on a shorttrack looks like. (OK, so I'd want to see if they really do have topless beaches in Australia, but that would just be the icing on the cake.) How many Australians are currently racing in the USA? Are they mostly in the midwest?



I've worked with several Australians thru the years and it seems that they all believe in "work hard, play hard."

I remember reading a columnist when Clinton was being impeached for lying about his sex life who wrote "Aren't you glad that America got the Puritans and we got the criminals?"



flip63
December 10, 2017 at 07:44:17 PM
Joined: 11/12/2006
Posts: 62
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: RodinCanada on December 07 2017 at 08:50:41 AM

Did you mean that sprints as we know them today started in Australia and was brought to the US? If someone has a little more history and detail on how both countries share such a similar sport i would be interested. 

Also dont Aussies drive on the left side of the road? But they race turning right... Right?



They started in Australia as "Super modifieds". The first Australian Title was run in the 1963/64 season and then yes, over the years followed the look and technolgy of the cars in America. This was helped by people like Bob Trostle bringing his touring teams to Australia which exposed better equipement to the locals and in turn made everyone update the gear so they had a chance to complete with the Americans. The last major item that was brought into line with America was the 410ci engines. We had previously had 372ci which was difficult if you wanted to purchase an engine and ship to Australia. When Brian Heely took over Parramatta in the late 2000's he had the balls to change his track to 410ci and in no time the rest of the country followed. Today the equipment is as equal to anywhere in the world. Most, if not all of the major manufactures in America have an alliance with a distrubutor in Australia and within 5-10 business days you can have whatever you need.

Brief, but that covers in a nustshell. Hope that helps

First car to win the Australian title in 1963/64 season



gotarace
December 13, 2017 at 06:27:59 AM
Joined: 04/30/2009
Posts: 23
Reply

Years ago at Canton Illinois Garry Brazier was leading the feature with a flat left rear tire, and was pulling away. A yellow came out, the flag man black flagged him. He finely stoped got out of the car and threw the steering wheel up at the flag man. Be got screwed he had the race won.




MSPN
December 13, 2017 at 09:59:42 AM
Joined: 11/23/2004
Posts: 3943
Reply

Garry once got black flagged during the A-Main at a race in Wagga Wagga, Australia but refused to get off the track.  They eventually threw the red but he kept on driving and wouldn't stop, lol.  The curfew came and Peter Murphy was declared the winner, true story I was there.  He got black flagged for crashing Joey Saldana (I think)....Garry was unbelievably talented but marched to a much different drummer....



Cobra
December 13, 2017 at 08:08:57 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 155
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: MSPN on December 13 2017 at 09:59:42 AM

Garry once got black flagged during the A-Main at a race in Wagga Wagga, Australia but refused to get off the track.  They eventually threw the red but he kept on driving and wouldn't stop, lol.  The curfew came and Peter Murphy was declared the winner, true story I was there.  He got black flagged for crashing Joey Saldana (I think)....Garry was unbelievably talented but marched to a much different drummer....



I was there that night Mike.. Small world.. I was also in a Adelaide when Brazier cut through the infield under caution to take out Murcott.. 





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