BROOKE TATNELL EARNS AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR POLL “DRIVER OF THE YEAR” AWARD… FOR THE THIRD TIME
by: Thomas J Schmeh

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (May 3, 2006) - For the third time in his career, 2005/2006 World Series Sprintcars (WSS) point champion Brooke Tatnell of Australia has earned the Australian Sprintcar Poll (ASP) “Driver of the Year” title. Tatnell claimed nine of the fifteen first-place votes cast by the select panel of Australian manufacturers, media members, promoters and sanctioning officials in the final seasonal voting, while runner-up Donny Schatz of the U.S.A. earned five blue ribbons. The only other driver to earn a first place vote was four-time and defending “Driver of the Year” Max Dumesny of Australia.

Tatnell, who hails from San Souci, New South Wales, had previously claimed the “Driver of the Year” honors in 1994/1995 and 1999/2000. The current World of Outlaws (WoO) regular is a five-time WSS champion, a two-time winner of the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic (GASC), a two-time winner of the Australian Sprintcar Championship, and now a three-time “Driver of the Year” recipient. Tatnell is closing in on the poll title mark of four held by both Australians A.J. “Skip” Jackson and Max Dumesny. Tatnell’s WSS championship-winning car owner, Shane Krikke of Western Australia, earned the “Team of the Year” honors for the third time.

Ranked second in the final driver poll for the Australian sprintcar racing season is fellow WoO regular Donny Schatz of North Dakota, U.S.A. Schatz was dominant this season in the international events at the Parramatta City Raceway in Parramatta, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney. He narrowly outpointed Aussie senior statesman Max Dumesny, a native of Victoria now living in New South Wales. Rounding out the top ten competitors in the Down Under season are Robbie Farr, American Jason Johnson, Trevor Green, Ryan Farrell, American Dean Jacobs, Troy Little and 1993/1994 “Driver of the Year” Garry Brazier, respectively.

John Cooley of Cool Chassis in Victoria earned the “Builder/Manufacturer of the Year” honors for the third time. James McFadden of the Northern Territory scored the coveted “Rookie of the Year” award following his first full season of sprintcar racing. James McFadden also received the most votes throughout the season for his exciting sprintcar performances, and thus he has been named the “Wild Card Award” recipient. Darren Shaddock of the www.sprintcarworld.com.au  web site garnered his second “Media Member of the Year” title for his efforts.

Western Australians Gary Miocevich and Gavin Migro were selected as first-time “Promoters of the Year” for their achievements at the Kwinana Motorplex outside of Perth. Fellow West Aussie Ken Brown, long-time journalist for The West Australian, will take home the “Outstanding Contribution to the Sport Award” for 2005/2006. The well-respected Brown joins such past recipients of this prestigious award as Geoff Kendrick, Mandy Searle, Max Dumesny, Con Migro, Wade Aunger, David Lander, Bill Mann, Bob Tunks, Garry Rush, Snr., Ron O'Brien, the late Bill Bates-Brownsword, Bill Barrows, and John Hughes.

The Australian Sprintcar Poll is an official awards program of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum Foundation of Knoxville, Iowa. The Australian Sprintcar Poll award recipients will receive their honors on Friday, August 11, during the 46th annual SuperClean Knoxville Nationals, presented by the Midwest Ford Dealers, in Knoxville, Iowa.

Final 2005/2006 Australian Sprintcar Poll
Rank, Driver (First Place Votes), State/Country, Points

1., Brooke Tatnell (9), New South Wales, AUS, 1075
2., Donny Schatz (5), North Dakota, USA, 753
3., Max Dumesny (1), Victoria, AUS, 740
4., Robbie Farr, New South Wales, AUS, 356
5., Jason Johnson, Louisiana, USA, 229
6., Trevor Green, South Australia, AUS, 165
7., Ryan Farrell, Western Australia, AUS, 137
8., Dean Jacobs, Ohio, USA, 135
9., Troy Little, New South Wales, AUS, 112
10., Garry Brazier, New South Wales, AUS, 98
11., Joey Saldana, Indiana, USA, 93
12., Ben Atkinson, Northern Territory, AUS, 80
13., Terry Bracken, Queensland, AUS, 74
14., David Murcott, Tasmania, AUS, 59
tie, Matthew Reed, Victoria, AUS, 59
16., Cameron Gessner, Queensland, AUS, 53
17., Danny Reidy, Northern Territory, AUS, 47
18., Luch Monte, Western Australia, AUS, 44
19., Ken Sartori, Western Australia, AUS, 40
20., Brian Brown, Missouri, USA, 37
21., Todd Wanless, Queensland, AUS, 16
22., Kerry Madsen, New South Wales, AUS, 15
23., Luke Dillon, South Australia, AUS, 13
24., Darrell Hodges, Queensland, AUS, 8
tie, Daryn Pittman, Oklahoma, USA, 8.

Also receiving multiple votes: Stephen Bell, Michael Burford, Craig Dollansky, Steve Kinser, Adrian Maher, Paul McMahan, Jason Meyers, Adrian Redpath, Andrew Scheuerle, Grant Tunks, John Vogels.