by Daniel Beard - Dec 3, 2009

Kerry Madsen was always going to be on a hiding to nothing should his report card show anything but straight wins upon returning to race Down Under this summer. After all, he raced with the World Of Outlaws last year in America and was joining the potent Geoff Kendrick stable, one of the most professional outfits in the land.

Add to that a record of three wins and a third in feature races in the past two seasons at the Perth Motorplex alone, many pundits thought it a mere formality ‘The Madman’ would clean up all and sundry on the West Coast.

Despite not having straight A’s to date, Madsen hasn’t exactly been underachieving to the level that some murmurs circulating would suggest.

“It’s kind of weird. Whilst we have copped a bit of flack for not winning everything like some people think we should be, we have two wins and two podiums out of six starts with the other two results DNF’s.” explained Madsen.

“I don’t think we have got 100% out of the 92.9FM/Melville Holden Maxim just yet.”

Madsen has also been privy to his fair share of bad luck so far, and he knows full well the sport of Sprintcar racing is often a cruel sport.

“I put two shocking laps together at Brisbane and that was totally my fault and I wasn’t happy timing in 11th quick.”

“Then we had a wreck in the second heat when someone spun out in front of us before getting tangled up in another crash at the start of the feature.”

“We broke a drag link and that was our night.”

Returning to Perth last weekend, Madsen felt the intensity of the team lift that little bit ahead of the 48th running of the Western Australia Sprintcar Title at the Motorplex.

“Geoff puts in a big effort each week we go racing and he wants to win every week as much as I do!”

“We would have dearly loved to have added the WA Championship to the team portfolio no doubt.”

Things ran to plan right up until the Shootout, which was a World Series Sprintcars style time trial shootout to lineup the top ten cars in the nights feature race.

“They gave us two hotlaps to warm up the tyres, then they threw the yellows, before returning to green for our two timed laps.”

“Under the yellows I had a tyre go down and all I could do was simply hang on as tight as I could and just make a lap.”

“We qualified last in the shootout and that put us well back on the grid for the main race.”

Madsen would eventually soldier forward on a heavy track to claim third place behind David Priolo and Jamie Maiolo.

“David done a great job and thoroughly deserved the win. He started in the right spot and made no mistakes and got through traffic very well.”

As much as the wise pundits would assume that Madsen would be extremely disappointed with his start thus far, the truth is vastly different.

“I am pretty happy with how we are going.”

“We are not running for points or anything so those DNF’s don’t mean anything and apart from those two nights we haven’t been off the podium yet.”

“Obviously we haven’t won everything, but I never think I am simply going to do that, I never have been like that in my life.”

“If we had of started like that we would be sitting here with beers in our hands thinking it's all going to be easy.”

Madsen is certainly not sitting back enjoying the high life on the West Coast.

He lives a mere two kilometres from the world famous beaches but as yet has spent little more than 20 minutes enjoying the sunshine and sand.

“I have spent pretty much every day at either the track or the race shop!”

The team look forward to another run this weekend at Northam and one more shakedown before heading East for the grueling ‘SpeedWeek’ competition of World Series Sprintcars.

“I am reasonably confident and think we have as good a shot as anyone at Speedweek.”

“I believe I am driving as good as I have in my career right now and I am as fit as I have ever been.”

“We have the motor program, we have the car program and if we get it nailed in the next two weeks lookout!”

That warning from Madsen is an ominous one, because a hungry MadMan is one that sends shivers through the ranks of Sprintcar racing anywhere. ... read more

by Daniel Beard - Nov 18, 2009

Welcome to the inaugural 'Mad Monday' where we catch up with the MadMan Kerry Madsen for an informal chat on how things are progressing in his break neck career in Sprintcar racing.

To open the series we caught up with Kerry soon after his first win in the seat of the Geoff Kendrick owned Melville Holden / 92.9PM #92 Maxim at the Manjimup Speedway in Perth.

The chat includes a look back, some briefs on life with the Outlaws and also touches on the upcoming World Series Sprintcars event at Brisbane International Speedway this weekend.

Click Here to listen to the opening Mad Monday with Kerry Madsen

Note : The audio of Kerry is a little hard to make out but we will ensure that the future editions of 'Mad Monday' will be fully audible. ... read more

by Daniel Beard - Nov 3, 2009

Former World Of Outlaws driver Kerry Madsen has wasted no time settling into racing rythym back home in Australia. The Iowa domiciled Madsen started his summer campaign driving for team owner Geoff Kendrick in the opening round of the AHG Sprintcar series at the Perth Motorplex in Western Australia.

Kendrick operates one of the most professional outfits in the country which in recent years has seen the likes of Mark Dobmeier, Chad Blonde and Tim Shaffer behind the wheel of the potent 92.9FM #W92 Maxim.

Whilst the decision by Vermeer Motorsports to leave the World Of Outlaws trail mid year was tough for 'The Madman' to swallow, it has paved the way for Madsen to commit to a fully fledged summer of racing across Australia.

"Geoff and I started talking after we pulled off the Outlaws deal and things just fell into place from there." explained Madsen.

"I have been impressed with everything so far."

"Geoff is a lot like me in that he just wants to go racing and he wants to win."

"No-one puts more pressure on me winning than I do myself so we should work out pretty well together I think!"

In the majority of his recent whirlwind trips Down Under, Madsen has had to not only race, but put together the deal himself which comes with it the added financial burden.

"When you run your own deal you know your only that one night away from disaster."

That fear factor involved in that situation is now long forgotten as Madsen peruses the inventory at his disposal under Kendrick.

"Geoff has plenty of equipment and plenty of motors."

Whilst the equipment and financial concerns were considered, the major attraction for Madsen to join the Kendrick Racing Team was the schedule that was put forward.

"Geoff wanted to run pretty much everywhere that I have been running including all the big shows over East so to me it was a no-brainer!" announced Madsen.

The team immediately sent an omminous warning to the rest of the country when after only a handful of hotlaps went quick time amongst a field of 25 stout competitors stopping the clock at 14.130 seconds around the Perth Motorplex.

In the heats the Madman was again dialled in moving from 8th to 4th in Heat 1 and from 9th to 3rd in his second heat.

Madsen started the feature on the front row alongside local hotshot Ryan Farrell and led for most of the race before eventually being overtaken late by the current West Australian champion.

"We ran second on our opening night and we were both pretty happy to start out with that."

"We missed the setup pretty badly in the feature and to still lead for a large portion of the race and finish second is pretty encouraging for the team!"

With a weekend off following the opening meeting, a chance post race conversation with journeyman Todd Wanless led to the offer to pedal one of the Wanless owned cars this past weekend on the East Coast at Queensland's Brisbane Speedway.

"I said you bet. At the end of the day I just want to race and the chance to drive another good car was one you just can't say no to." explained Madsen.

A deal was then struck between Wanless and track owner John Kelly and Madsen was on the plane to fly the breadth of Australia to run at B.I.S.

"I hadn't raced at Brisbane for 6 years and if anything it felt like that place had gotten even smaller!" joked Madsen.

Not that it had any effect as once again Kerry's Outlaws experience in adapting to new tracks shone immediately as he moved from position four to take victory in the first heat race of the night.

Madsen repeated the effort in the nights A-Feature race as he powered the #Q2 machine straight to victory lane after starting from position four on the grid.

"It was a really fun race actually."

"The track was a bit rough and got quite sticky but I ended up actually enjoying it!"

The victory, coupled with the opening night's runner up, has Kerry chock full of confidence of a massive summer ahead.

Madsen, who is backed by VRP Shocks and GoodYear Tyres, now returns to Perth and will concentrate his immediate attention on meetings up and down the West Coast over the next few weeks.

Please stay tuned to www.kerrymadsen.com for all the latest schedule changes as well as news and information about 'The MadMan'.

** photo courtesy of Jason Sutton. ... read more

by Kendrick PR - Oct 8, 2009

PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA (Oct 06) - Kendrick Racing has confirmed that Kerry Madsen will be driving for the high-profile WA outfit this summer.
Team principal Geoff Kendrick has struck a deal with the former national champion that will see him compete in most of the WA meetings along with select big races on the east coast.

"I am pleased to confirm that Kerry will be driving with us in a pretty busy schedule that starts with the opening meeting of the AHG Sprintcar Series at the Perth Motorplex on October 24," Kendrick said.

"As well as an all-out assault on the WA rounds we will also be going on the road together and doing 15 shows in the east including Speedweek and other World Series Sprintcars rounds, some big shows at Parramatta City Raceway and the Warrnambool Classic."
The reason behind the Madsen deal was pretty simple.

"I was looking at bringing over another American and we were talking to a few of them, but figured that Kerry was the best option at the end of the day.

"He is an Aussie and I believe he is the best Australian driver going around at the moment.

"He lives in America and races against the Outlaws and he obviously wins a lot of shows."

Going in their favour is the fact that Madsen has previously won some of the big races on offer.

Apart from having success with the Mad Man Kendrick believes the new deal will also help the development of his son and second team driver Jason.

"They already know each other so that is a bonus and his knowledge and experience will help Jason with the third year of his five-year apprenticeship."

The young Kendrick has been sharpening his skills in the off-season with practice sessions at Northam and he competed in the Bonza Bradford Memorial at Pithara on Saturday night where he put in a very impressive performance and finished second.

"With the driver line-up locked in and the cars and spares package ready to go the team and our corporate partners are looking to having a successful season both on and off the track. ... read more