| Alan Webmaster Hit Counters ![]() You Tube Video Links Masport Cup Clip 1 Masport Cup Clip 2 USA GNH Boat Race Snonuff Video Clip |
News Welcome
To The Little Cracker Hydroplane Racing Website, Catch up on the latest
News for the Little Cracker Race Team Here. 5th January
2010 - Testing 1st September
2009 - A3 Shonuff 27th
August 2009 - John Shewbrooks
On land or water, veteran driver having time of his life By RON WARE Classic Motorsports INDIANAPOLIS – John Shewbrooks Jr. might be the only race driver who wouldn’t mind seeing a puddle of water on the track. If nothing else, it might make him feel at home. For more than 35 years, Shewbrooks has competed in the rough and tumble world of hydroplane racing, capturing five American Power Boat Association national championships. But that’s nothing, he quickly discovered, compared to wrestling a UMRA three-quarter midget car around the bullrings of Indiana. The 54-year-old Ohio resident fulfilled a lifetime dream two years ago when he purchased one of the open-wheel, open-cockpit cars, intending to drive it a couple of times, then sell it. Instead, as the United Midget Racing Association visits the Indianapolis Speedrome on Sunday {Aug. 30}, he’s still behind the wheel of his yellow No. 7, gamely trying to master a sport that never seemed so difficult from the grandstands. “I’ve had a lot of fun racing,” Shewbrooks said from his home in Waverly, Ohio. “But I found that driving a three-quarter midget is a lot more difficult than driving a hydroplane. A hydroplane is very difficult to drive at 75-90 percent throttle, because they want to blow over. “Midgets are difficult at about any speed. Even when you’re driving around on a yellow-flag lap, you have to pay attention to what you’re doing. They’re hard to drive on a short track. They’re hard to drive on a long track. It’s a very big challenge on any kind of track. “I get out of the car, and I’m soaking wet. I’m worn out. Then I look over at these 20-something kids, and they’re like, ‘Let’s go again.’ “I’m not complaining. I’m having the time of my life.” Shewbrooks, whose late father, “Capt. Jack,” raced both hydroplanes and midgets, owns five national championships and more than 60 wins in the APBA’s 2.5-liter modified inboard class. He still races three or four times a year in his 18-foot boat, “Sho nuff III,” and is planning to compete in New Zealand and Australia in early 2010. He’s still looking for his first UMRA feature victory, although he’s a career-high 12th in points heading into Sunday’s race at the Speedrome, a nearly flat, fifth-mile paved track whose tight confines require a combination of patience and aggressiveness. “I find the dirt is a bit like driving a hydroplane,” he said. “The pavement seems really foreign to me. That’s where I struggle the most.” Shewbrooks has been upside down a time or two in his midget, but he’s shown an ability to avoid serious accidents – perhaps a carryover from his day job. He’s a quality assurance audit manager at the nuclear power plant in Piketon, Ohio. He became interested in TQs through his next-door neighbor, Roger Ramsey, who owns the car that Tate Martz has atop the standings in the new Midwest TQ Racing League. After ruefully discovering he couldn’t squeeze into Ramsey’s car, Shewbrooks bought one for himself before the 2007 season and quickly embraced the sport. He’s a member of the UMRA Board of Directors and a goodwill ambassador for the organization, whose alumni include NASCAR star Tony Stewart. “My regret in this thing is I didn’t start racing cars when I was a lot younger,” Shewbrooks said. “At 54, it’s hard to contend with these kids who are starting out in their 20s.” Shewbrooks plans to turn his car over to one of those youngsters next season. Jon Steed, a 17-year-old high school senior from Milroy, Ind., is scheduled to run for UMRA rookie honors while he takes the year off. “At my age and the nature of this sport,” he said, “I think we’re going to have a whole lot more success with a younger driver.” Not that Shewbrooks is ready for an easy chair … or inner tube. He’s eying USAC Ford Focus midgets or even winged sprint cars for 2011. 5th
April 2009 - News
Harrisville Winged Thunder 2 Author : Russell Harris The Harrisville Family Speedway on SH1 adjacent to RNZAF Base Ohakea will host its second major event on Easter Sunday, April 12th. Encouraged by the outstanding success of last year’s inaugural WINGED THUNDER 1, track owners and promoters Brent and Denise Harris have continued with the development of their outstanding facility that will benefit both competitors and spectators. WINGED THUNDER 1 was greeted with great enthusiasm by all the teams that participated and the 20-lap Feature race was hailed as one of the best of the entire season with many lead changes before Skinny Colson took the chequered flag after arguably the best drive of his career. Colson immediately indicated that he would return to defend the Winged Thunder Challenge Trophy and was the first to lodge his entry for this year’s event. Colson says - “The event was so wicked last year we had to be there again.. The facility is superb with lots of room, it’s a stunning sprintcar track because it’s wide and we can use all the dirt. The event is novel and has real character because the track is only used once a year for this meeting, the atmosphere is like a Sunday afternoon picnic but gets serious when your hat goes on”. Harrisville has scored a coup by signing newly crowned New Zealand champion Dean Brindle for the meet and the Aucklander is certain to extend the defending champion despite not having raced at the track. Another favourite for a podium result is veteran Ian Easton who has been enjoying considerable success in his 40th year of motorsport and leads the season’s points chase at Palmerston North. The man dubbed “Mr Spectacular” claimed the outright lap record last year with a time of 16.635 seconds in the Hot Laps, more than half a second quicker than Colson who was second fastest, with his unmatched experience Easton should be even more competitive with his new car. Drivers of the proven calibre of Peter Huijs, together with the teams from the lower North Island tracks, will ensure that the field will have great depth. The wild card in the pack is likely to be 23 year old Palmerston North driver Nelson Hartley who has been very impressive in his first full season running in the class after switching from circuit racing where he was contesting the single-seat Toyota Racing Series. Often sensationally fast in qualifying, Hartley showed his potential in the International Series and followed that up in the New Zealand Championship, heading Carl Wilson after the pair had duelled throughout the race and repassing the defending champion on the final lap to clinch 4th place. Like the inaugural meet, WINGED THUNDER 2 will be run to the American World-of-Outlaws format that will see drivers running Hot Laps, Heats and a 4-lap Shootout to set the grid for the Feature with prizemoney totalling $10,000. Racing commences at 1pm and a full support programme will compliment the Sprintcars, including the increasingly popular classic and vintage midgets that will run on the short track inside the main oval. The Harrisville Speedway offers full catering with souvenirs available from the “Track Shack”. Admission Prices are as follows: $20 Adults $5 Children (5-15 years) $40 Family (2 Adults / 4 Children) Entry List 96a Kevin McGreal 4p Bryan Menefy 4a Glenn Torpey 6p Nelson Hartley 7p Graham Standring 11m Alan Lewis 11p Ian Easton 12v Brent Huijs 12m Greg Jones 15p Rob Garratt 16m Dean OReilly 21a Mark Browne 21v Peter Huijs 1nz Dean Brindle 22v Donny Hopkinson 24w Martin Halcrow 28p Chris Uhlenberg 35a Hans Boere 41m Mark Weal 43w Chris Mulvena 52m Ben Quin 57m Aaron McConachy 66m Skinny Colson 75c Kevin Freeman Further Information : Denise Harris 06 329 3464 027 248 3598 25th
March 2009 - News
![]() Ran good all night, scored a 7th, 2nd (put back to 4th for jumping start) and 8th feature, started from pole in heat two and held lead for 3 laps before Rodney Wood 51m slipped past down the outside, held on to Wood for remainder of the race to finnish 2nd. Skinny Colson won the Feature. ![]() ![]() Next Race @ Baypark March 28 7th
March 2009 - News
Tonight's Meeting at Baypark was Postponed to March 14th due the rain over the last 48 Hours making Track Preparations next to Impossible. Remaining Dates March 14th @ Baypark for Demo Derby March 28th @ Baypark (closing night) for BOP Champs Easter Sunday @ Harrisville Speedway Bulls for World Of Outlaws 1st
March 2009 - News
Last Nights Baypark Race Meeting was Cancelled due to the Weather. Remaining Races Dates for the Season are: March 7th @ Baypark for Demo Derby March 28th @ Baypark (closing night) for BOP Champs Easter Sunday @ Harrisville Speedway Bulls for World Of Outlaws 22nd
February 2009 - New Zealand Sprintcar Championship 13th
February 2009 - 2009 Sprintcar Nationals 26th
January 2009 - Baypark 24th January 2009 23rd
January 2009 - Indiana Rose Completes Downunder Tour With A Double 9th January
2009 - Sprintcar Grand Prix 31st
December 2008 - Sprintcar News 21st
December 2008 - World of Outlaws Palmerston North 15th
December 2008 - December 13th Baypark Round 5 3rd December
2008 - November 29th Baypark Round 4 20th
November 2008 - Baypark 22nd Meeting Cancelled 16th
November 2008 - Baypark 3rd Meeting Heat 1 the track was already looking slick down on the pole line and starting from 17 I passed a few cars plus tested the car out in lane 3 on the cushion. This was a heat to throw the car around and see where the limits were which I soon found having a spin in turn 4 however i kept it running and only lost 2 positions. Heat 2 was a nail biter we made some changes to the car, less stagger and tightened up the chassis for the slick track, again I started from the rear and made a great start, I ran up on the cushion, eased my foot down as much as I could reaching full throttle a few times, I passed a few cars on the outside and pulled the front wheels high in the air down the front straight, what a buzz it was to run up high laying the car into the turns flat out. The feature was a 20 lap-per on a slick track, the boys made some radical changes, the car was a rocket for the first 6 laps, I passed several cars around the outside, ran high on the cushion and was sitting in middle of the pack when the caution lights came on for a 2 car spin, during the caution I moved the wing, removed a tear-off and pulled my shoulder belts tight ready for the restart. Green I headed for the outside and got loose running too close for comfort to the wall, I backed out a little and settled back down on the pole line following the car in-front waiting for him to make a mistake. By half race distance the track changed and I was wheel spinning more and getting too loose, I made a dive up the inside and got pushed from the rear and came together with another car luckily I survived, the caution lights came on once again and I ran over the right rear of the car in-front damaging my front wing. OK calm down I kept telling myself remembering my crew Dave telling me to talk to myself and remember "smooth smooth smooth" on the restart I had a half spin and lost 2 or 3 positions, I decided at that point to stay down on the pole line and just bring it home in one piece, after a bunch of cautions, rubbing wheels with 2 cars, riding a rear wheel and a half spin I finished around 11th. I thoroughly enjoyed the racing and feel very comfortable in the car running up on the cushion where I had not been before. Many thanks to my crew for putting me in a fast safe car and I cant wait to race again next week. 13th
November 2008 - "Angel With Attitude"
![]() Kerri-anne James hot foots it around Baypark last Saturday in her stunning new silver and pink Cooley/Flamecrusher sponsored car, She is no stranger to dirt track racing with many years behind the wheel of Midgets and Sprintcar's. Just a few weeks back at her first outing in her brand new car she scored a heat win at Palmerston North Speedway. Off the track you will find Kerri-anne down in the pits at the Flamecrusher Truck selling race car parts and accessories to help keep her racing buddies on the track, during the week days you will find her at Flamecrusher Race Products in Tauranga along with partner Bernie Gillon making race suits for drivers Worldwide or sending out race car parts and accessories Nationwide. Both Kerri-anne and Bernie are an awesome team and always willing to help anyone at the track or race shop. Check out their website www.flamecrusher.com or call 0800-025000 9th November
2008 - Second Meeting Report 2nd
November 2008 - First Race Report
![]() Crew Members Brody Mathieson and Gavin Thomas from the Team 13 Hydroplane Race Team. My first race went very well, I had a spin during wheel packing however it was very wet and slippery, race one saw a drivey track with some ruts in turn 1 and 2. I started from pole 17 and gained 3-4 positions during the race, I stuck down on the pole line and got overtaken by 1st and 2nd place cars, they were running the high line and fast, I am still not confidant enough to run out there just yet however I am keen to get going faster. All in all it was a good race and the crew were happy with the car and my driving. The rain set in before heat 2 so we now have to wait until next week to race again. I am happy and comfortable with what I have achieved so far. Alan. 25th
October 2008 - Sprintcar News
![]() Alan follows Bernie Gillon during Practice for the Baypark opening Meeting that was to be held today but has been rained out. 24th
July 2008 - Cool Sprintcar Seminar
![]() This is Pete Caporn of WA Australia, crew chief for multi Australian Sprintcar Champion Brook Tatnel, Pete was the trainer for a recent seminar on the Cool Sprintcar Chassis. 21st
July 2008 - Flamecrusher Sprintcar Team
![]() This Season Alan will be competing in the Sprintcar Class at Speedway New Zealand Tracks. Alan will be a member of the Flamecrusher Sprintcar Team. The Team use the Cool Sprintcar Chassis. Alan is no stranger to Four Wheel Racing and will be calling on his experience in Rally Cars, Karts and Circuit Race to help get the best out of his Sprintcar. ![]() From Left to Right: John Cooley (owner of cool chassis's), Alan Lewis, Bernard Gillon (director Flamecrusher Race Products and driver 5m Sprintcar) Kerri-anne James (director Flamecrusher Race Products and driver of 23m Sprintcar) ![]() The Transporter Updates from Alan's Speedway Season will be featured here over the Summer. ©
Little Cracker Racing Team 2004 - 2010 |