IAN Madsen believes he has the best chance of his career to create Lucas Oil Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic history.
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The 30-year-old from Sydney’s western suburbs is aiming to join older brother Kerry as a Classic champion this weekend. Never in the race’s 43-year history have members from the same family won the famous race at Allansford’s Premier Speedway.
Madsen was unaware he could elevate his family into Classic folklore with a victory on Sunday.
“It would be pretty cool,” he said.
“It’s the biggest race we have in Australia and it’s in the top five in the world. It’s everyone’s goal before the Australian season to take out the Warrnambool Classic.”
He said Launceston team owner Darren Goodyer had been targeting the Classic for some time. Goodyer and crew chief Dave Sharman have second place finishes to their credits — Goodyer with American Craig Dollansky in 2012 and Sharman with American Shane Stewart in 2005, coincidentally, behind Kerry Madsen.
Ian Madsen said he was keen to take them to the top spot on the podium, especially after Goodyer had modelled the cars on his American set-up.
“I feel like it’s my best shot to have a shot at winning the Classic,” he said.
“There’s 107 cars. It’s a surety some guys are going to have a bad weekend.
“I think this will be my fifth or sixth Classic and it’s only been the last couple of years that I’ve felt that I’m at my best and I could be competitive. The first couple of years I was pretty much learning.”
Part of that confidence comes from basing himself in the United State, gaining experience as well as having a strong package.
Madsen said Des Moines, Iowa, had become his home, spending more than nine months a year there. He won the Knoxville Raceway track championship in the Australian winter and has mixed it with the best on the World of Outlaws tour.
He said winning a Classic would fulfil a dream. But he isn’t motivated by beating his accomplished sibling.
“I don’t go out to beat him any more than anyone else,” he said.
“I hope we are both in the A feature on Sunday. That would be pretty cool.”
But that is a long way off with the big field.
“Getting locked into the feature is probably harder than winning it,” he said.
“If you get to the A, the game plan has to change.”
Madsen and his team have spent the past three days and nights building a new KPC chassis for the Classic after he trashed his car in a heat race on Saturday at Sydney Speedway.
“I was trying to make it through. They only took the top four and I was in a battle to get there. I took a chance I probably wouldn’t have and got too close to (American) Jason Sides’ right rear tyre and rode it (and rolled).”
He said the crash would not change their plans to race at Avalon tonight and Mount Gambier tomorrow, before lining up at Premier Speedway on Friday night. Three-time winner Kerry Madsen has been drawn to contest Saturday night’s qualifying, ruling out a match race between the brothers until Sunday.