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‘Australian Invasion’ Planned for $10,000-to-win Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge!

‘Australian Invasion’ Planned for $10,000-to-win Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge!
Kerry Madsen
Monday, July 23, 2012
‘Australian Invasion’ Planned for $10,000-to-win Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (July 20, 2012) - “The Aussies are coming! The Aussies are coming!” Those might very well be the words of a modern-day Paul Revere as eight Australians have now filed official entries for the nineteenth annual Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge, to be held on Friday, August 10, during the 52nd annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals at south central Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway.

The eight Aussies are Lynton Jeffrey (New South Wales), Ian Madsen (New South Wales), Kerry Madsen (New South Wales), Marty Perovich (New South Wales), Domain Ramsey (Victoria), Glen Saville (New South Wales), Jamie Veal (Victoria) and Bruce White (New South Wales). The record for the number of Australians competing in the Knoxville World Challenge is twelve and that was set in 2010, which was the fiftieth edition of the sport’s richest and most prestigious event. Kerry Madsen won the $10,000-to-win event in 2008 and Lynton Jeffrey won it a year later. New South Welshman Brooke Tatnell, the 2006 titlist, has yet to enter the 2012 edition.

According to Tom Schmeh, who co-founded the World Challenge back in 1994 with Jon Evans, Ralph Capitani and the late Ian Sheppard, “We started the Australian/American Challenge Cup, which is now the World Challenge, for this exact reason… to encourage teams to cross the ocean and compete in each country’s biggest international events – the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic in Warrnambool (Victoria) and the Knoxville Nationals. I think it has encouraged fans to follow those teams and spectate at both multi-day shows, too. The Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge, and what it represents, really is great for true sprint car fans from the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.”

The Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge is a points-paying round of the Cox Design & Metal Fabrication Iowa Speed Week, August 2-11, which awards the Jesse Hockett “Mr. Sprint Car” title. Those seeking more information on the Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge or the World of Outlaws-sanctioned 52nd Goodyear Knoxville Nationals are encouraged to visit the Knoxville Raceway web site at www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Speed Sport’s web site can be viewed at www.nationalspeedsportnews.com.