ROBBIE FARR WINS KNOXVILLE WORLD CHALLENGE QUALIFIER IN NEW ZEALAND
by: Thomas J Schmeh

KNOXVILLE, IA (Dec. 19, 2006) - Robbie Farr of Australia won Saturday night’s Powerbuilt International Sprint Car Classic in Ruapuna, South Island, New Zealand, thus qualifying himself for the Knoxville World Challenge during the 2007 SuperClean Knoxville Nationals. Others qualifying at Ruapuna for the $10,000-to-win international invitational to be held at the Knoxville Raceway on August 10, 2007, are fellow Australian Trevor Green, New Zealanders Allan Wakeling, Kerry Jones, Jamie McDonald, Michael Pickens and Brad Mosen, and Americans Ricky Logan and Craig Dollansky. The next qualifier will be the January 26-27, 2007, Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at Sungold Stadium at Premier Speedway in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia.

Those eligible for the ’07 Knoxville World Challenge after the first two qualifying events at Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada, and Ruapuna, South Island, New Zealand, are:

AUS: Robbie Farr, Trevor Green.

CAN: Alain Bergeron, John Burbridge, Fred Cade, Jamie Collard, Ryan Coniam, Bob Crawford, Jeff Daniels, Jim Davies, Keith Dempster, Gary Evans, Mike Ferrell, Tom Huppunen, Kevin Job, Dick Mahoney, Warren Mahoney, Joe Middlemiss, Rob Middlemiss, Mike Parent, Kyle Patrick, Fred Pigeon, Steve Poirier, Jim Price, John Riegling, Glenn Styres, Daryl Turford, Adam West, James Whittaker, April Wilson, Rick Wilson, Tim Zack, Stan Zanchin.

NZ: Dean Brindle, Greg Clemence, Glen Everett, Karen Forsey, Jim Fortune, Kevin Freeman, Lindsay Gilbert, Kerry Jones, Jamie McDonald, Brad Mosen, Michael Pickens, Greg Pickerill, Tom Rusher, Ron Salter, Allan Wakeling, Carl Wilson.

USA: Craig Dollansky, Ricky Logan.

In addition to Warrnambool, qualifiers will be held on February 24 at Blue Chip Speedway in Mount Maunganui, North Island, New Zealand, and on June 9 at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. According to Knoxville director of racing Ralph Capitani, “Drivers who compete in one of these qualifiers and are invited to race in the fourteenth annual World Challenge at Knoxville will be inversion-eligible. However, any international drivers that enter and compete at the SuperClean Knoxville Nationals will be invited to race in the $10,000-to-win event, they just won’t start up front if they haven’t competed in one of these five official qualifiers. Americans can qualify for the Knoxville World Challenge by competing in one of the three overseas qualifiers in Australia or New Zealand.”

Those interested in learning more about the Knoxville World Challenge, SuperClean Knoxville Nationals or Knoxville Raceway are urged to visit the track’s web site at www.knoxvilleraceway.com.