Floridian Wendy Mathis Takes on Dirt Sprint Cars at Parramatta Speedway in Australia
- Jan 7, 2010
Wendy Mathis is driving on dirt for the first time in her racing career at Parramatta Speedway in Australia
Wendy Mathis was amazed at how comfortable she felt driving on dirt for the first time in Craig Skene's car
K&N sponsored racer Wendy Mathis is Down Under for her first dirt wingless sprint car races
Mathis had a top ten finish at TyrePower Parramatta City Raceway in Australia during her third event
K&N helped Wendy Mathis get into the Cory Kruseman Sprint Car and Midget School just before she flew to Australia
K&N is the filter of choice for Wendy Mathis Racing, on and off the track
Mathis then moved up to Three Quarter Midgets with the Florida Midget Racing Association and picked up three feature victories with the FMRA. She also finished second in overall points for the 2000 season.
Two years later, Mathis name went into the record books when she won her first Tampa Bay Auto Racing Association Race at the Charlotte County Speedway in Punta Gorda. This race marked the first time a female won a feature event in the history of the TBARA. It was also the first time a female had won a main event race with a major sanctioning body in the state of Florida.
This year, Mathis will continue to compete in the TBARA series and in the O’Reilly Auto Parts United Sprint Car Series Asphalt Thunder Series. In the meantime, she has taken a trip to Australia to drive for Craig Skene and compete at Parramatta Speedway.
“Australia is full of firsts for me,” said Mathis. “I’m here and driving on dirt without a wing. I want to thank K&N Filters for helping me get into the Cory Kruseman Sprint Car and Midget School just before I flew over here. There was a lot of learning in a short amount of time and it really helped me out tremendously.”
Mathis made the A-Main for her first feature race at Parramatta Speedway. “I came home in 18th position,” she said. “I finished on the lead lap and the car was in one piece. Even though our night got off to a rough start it ended up being a successful night overall. I enjoy running on the dirt.”
The weather interfered with racing in Australia and two races were cancelled. “I was really looking forward to racing at Dubbo, but we were rained out and we went back to the famed TyrePower Parramatta City Raceway where the weather was better,” said Mathis. “I started 22nd and finished 16th in the A Main, not bad for a girl starting 22nd against guys that have done this for a while now.”
Racing continues to improve for Mathis during her Australian adventure. “The weather was closing in on us again this week,” she said. “Because of this we were only able to run one heat race on January 6. I ran 8th the entire race until the last lap. We had a top ten finish in my third race, not shabby for a pavement girl.”
K&N is the filter of choice for Wendy Mathis Racing. “I’ve used K&N filters for years, so I trust the reliability that they offer,” she said. “When K&N told me that we could get parts shipped over to Australia to put on Craig’s car, my mind was at ease. I knew that the engine would perform and all I have to do is focus on the driving.”
“I was really looking forward to putting the K&N products on the car,” said Craig Skene. “Especially the air box for the V6 engine we have to run over here. I could feel the difference in the throttle response of the car with K&N.”
Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.
