Veteran Minnesota Sprint Car driver Jerry Richert Jr. to race in Australia during the month of January 2010
Forest Lake, Minnesota (December 20, 2009)
Jerry Richert Jr. aka Sonny, will escape the snow and cold of Forest Lake, Minnesota, and make the longest haul of his racing career as he travels to Australia to have a crack at racing down under in January of 2010. Richert will be driving a Craft brothers Maxim powered by Walker Racing Engines with sponsorship from Craft Differentials, Locked Drive Systems and Des Hargraves Refrigerated Transport. Scheduled events will include races at Parramatta City Raceway during the rounds of World Series and The Famous " Warnabool Classic" which attracts many big USA names and is similar to our Knoxville Nationals. Sonny will join a USA contingent that includes Donny Schatz, fellow Minnesotan Craig Dollansky, and Tim Kaeding, in their effort to prove that Americans come to win. Australian fans are in for a treat as they will get the opportunity to watch a veteran second generation driver who is a great ambassador for the sport of Sprint Car racing. Jerry will be accompanied on the trip by his wife Lori.
Jerry Richert Jr's career accomplishments include ten Knoxville Feature wins, four appearances in the Knoxville Nationals A Main, and track titles at the Jackson and Husets Speedways during a career that has spanned three decades. When asked for his observations on the tracks in Australia Sonny said "from what I have seen it looks like they have mostly what we would consider short tracks down there. They're flat like Knoxville or a lot like Owatonna (Minnesota) and Spencer (Iowa) used to be but they tell me our tracks tend to get slicker whereas theirs are more tacky. I'm looking forward to trying the tracks out down there and meeting the Australian Sprint Car fans. The Aussies are tough but I am not just going to Australia to have a holiday I am going there to win!"
Sonny has shown no sign of slowing down and continues to win in Interstate Racing Association and 360 competition. Jerry competed with the Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series (UMSS) during the 2009 season and scored an unprecedented seven Feature wins with the club in it's inaugural season including the prestigious Kouba Memorial at the North Central Speedway and the UMSS season finale at Cedar Lake's Legendary 100. Jerry's brother-in-law, Brooke Tatnell, a native Australian who also comes from a famous racing family, will be looking forward to going wheel to wheel with Sonny on his home tracks. Brooke is married to Jerry's sister Amy, makes his summer home in Forest Lake, Minnesota, and competes against Jerry during the American season. The two drivers have developed a friendly family rivalry that entitles the winner to bragging rights. Australian fans will have the opportunity to follow the continuation of this battle for family supremacy on Tatnell's home turf. Tatnell sends a sound of warning to JR "better get your elbows up and sit in the saddle as I have not forgotten about you spinning me out last summer."
Jerry Richert Jr. is the son of the late Jerry Richert Sr., winner of the 1962 Knoxville Nationals, four IMCA National titles and a member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa.
Jerry Richert Jr's website can be found at jerryrichertjr.com
Brooke Tatnell's website can be found at brooketatnell.com
Fans in the United States can keep up-to-date on Jerry Richert Jr's progress in Australia by logging onto worldseriessprintcars.com, sprintcarworld.com.au and sprintcardaily.com
Find out more about the Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series at umsprints.com
For more information about the Interstate Racing Association log onto irasprints.com and irasprints.org
Stan Meissner
gotomn.com
midwestracingtalk.com
