Texas Speedzone - Bicycle Gieaway Night @ Texana Raceway Park, 7/19/08

Bike Giveaway Night @ Texana Raceway Park, 7/19/08

By J M Hallas

Edna, Tx., (July 19th, 2008) A full night of racing at Texana Raceway Park's 1/4 black gumbo track, with all six regular classes in competition. The evening's event's featured the Modifieds, Limited Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hot Stock Trucks, Bombers, Texana Classic Dwarf Cars , and Mini Stocks, under a full moon.

It was also bicycle giveaway night with over 60 bikes donated by race teams and sponsors to be given away at intermission. As the fill in announcer for the night, I was proud to be part of the festivities. I can't recall seeing that many smiling children's faces in one place, except for maybe the Santa Claus waiting line in the local mall at Christmas time.

Manning Masters Modified Main
Brazoria's Jesse Manning proved to be best of the bunch as he led flag to flag in Modified 20-lap main event. Manning's road to Victory Lane wasn't easy as he was forced to hold off charges from touring pro Steve Miller, as well as former USAC Silver Crown champion Paul White as the trio diced through lapped traffic in the final laps.

When green waved on the 17-car Modified field Manning worked his way to the point coming out of urn 4, with Miller second, Vince Kacir third, White fourth and current points leader Nick Hardcastle fifth. White was able to use the high side to grab third from Kacir on lap 2, with Tommy Stanley getting sixth from Dale Flanagan.

Steve Fite brought out a yellow on lap 3 when he spun in turn 4. On the restart White got around Miller on the side for only a moment as Miller fought back on the low side to maintain the spot. By lap 5 the top four had put some distance on the pack. Hardcastle began to loose touch with the lead trio in the next laps until caution came out for debris on lap 9.

Once back to green, Hardcastle took a quick shot at White for third, but White came back to keep third. At halfway the top five were still Manning, Miller, White, Hardcastle and Kacir with Joshua Majek taking sixth from Flanagan. Flanagan charged back past Majek on lap 11, then snagged fifth from Kacir on lap 12.

With five to go, Manning, Miller and White had broken away from Hardcastle who was visibly smoking the left rear tire off. Flanagan caught Hardcastle, whose tires had gone away, and took fourth on lap 17. Up front the lead trio was hitting lapped traffic. Manning in the Auto Repair Unlimited, The Driving School, JTC Motors, Hall Machine powered, Dirt Works Genesis Chassis was able to pick his way cleanly through and hold off Miller and White for the win.

“There's some tough drivers out there,” replied Manning. “There's four or five guys that run up front every week. My hat's off to them, they're all good guys. We've got a real good race track here. Bruce(Tesch) always put on a good show. The bicycle giveaway was great. I'm just glad to be a part of this. It's been a real good year”

“You have to keep your guard up at all times with these guys wondering when they're coming. At any given time they're liable to come around you. They don't leave you an inch, nor do they take an inch. It's some good racing out there.”

“This new series Dirt Works Genesis is the 12th car built. Dirt Works, Andy Claiborne, Russell Moore and Howard Willis all work real close with me on the set up.”

Modifieds
1. 76 Jesse Manning
2. 2. 8 Steve Miler
3. 2w Paul White
4. 57 Dale Flanagan
5. 94 Nick Hardcastle
6. 82 Joshua Majek
7. 22 Art Rodriguez
8. 155 Vince Kacir
9. 29 Mickey Helms
10. 37 Brian Spindleman
11. 96 Foster Ellison
12. 24 Tommy Stanley
13. 70 Tom Parten
14. 77 Robert Carson
15. 4 Stew Savage
16. 52 A J Dancer
17. 40f Steve Fite

Modified heat winners, 76 Jesse Manning, 8 Steve Miller, 155 Vince Kacir

Limited Modified Honors go to Hudgeons
Racing in memory of his sister Eva, who recently lost her battle with cancer, Cuero's Aaron Hudgeons added another win to his season's total. To accomplish this feat Hudgeons pulled off something few can brag about, passing Paul White for the lead. Hudgeons then had to hold off the hard charging ace in the final laps as they negotiated through lapped traffic.

After a couple false starts, White jumped out front beating Tom Parten back to the line by a bumper. Caution was quickly back out when points leader Vince Louden, Mathew Konvicka and Joseph Penny tangled in turn 2. On the restart Hudgeons, in the high groove, took second away from Parten then got along side White for the lead. Hudgeons completed the pass to lead lap 2.

By lap 5 Hudgeons had put some distance on White, while Joshua Majek closed in on Parten for third. Coming to the crossed flags Hudgeons and White had pulled away from Parten, Majek and Philip Cantu rounding out the top five. The lead duo caught the back of the field on lap 11 giving White the chance to close the gap. White took a look low on lap 12, but fell back in line. White kept the heat on Hudgeons taking an occasional peek inside. As they cleared traffic with two to go, Hudgeons had a mere two car lengths on White. Hudgeons held that advantage the final two circuits to take the victory in the Hudgeons Paint & Body, Pflugerville Machine, KAM Engines, Rush Chassis.

“I found a lane around the outside that was rubbered up,” said Hudgeons. “I figured I only had one shot and I took it. I know he(Paul White) was all over me after that. I just tried to hold a lane in the middle so he couldn't get back around me. It feels good to be able to race with and beat someone like Paul”

“I just tried to go as fast as I could and not think about it being Paul back there. Under cautions you might think about it. While you're racing you try to do all you can to go fast and stay smooth.”

Limited Modifieds
1. 10 Aaron Hudgeons
2. 216 Paul White
3. 87 Tom Parten
4. 82 Joshua Majek
5. 3 Philip Cantu
6. 9 David Meredith
7. 21 Victor Lindsey
8. 12 Adam Perks
9. 25 Brian Brooks
10. 888 Aaron Lunsford
11. 6 Vince Louden
12. 12w Matthew Konvicka
13. 4P Joseph Penny
14. 175 Brian McDevit

Limited Modified heat winners, 87 Tom Parten, 216 Paul White

Randy Stevenson grabbed the lead in the Super Stock feature until debris brought out caution on lap 1. On the restart Jed Rollins and Scott Adair made contact coming to green stacking up the pack going into turn turn 1 that resulted in a multi-car tangle. Adair secured second on the restart while Rollins was forced to pit with a flat right front.

Stevenson had just started to pull away when Adair broke and rolled to a stop in turn 4. Once back to green Eric Floyd got by G W Hessong for second and was challenging Stevenson until yellow waved for a spin by Lucky Gilbert. On the restart Adam Perks spun and collected Andrew Mann, Mike Davenport and Pete Herrschaft. Once back to racing Hessong retook second from Floyd but gave it back a lap later. Dale Caswell and Gilbert brought out a yellow as they were turned around in turn 1.

As the race resumed the top three of Stevenson, Floyd and Hessong broke away. The last yellow waved for debris on the last lap setting up a one lap shootout to the checkers..under a full moon. Floyd kept the pressure on Stevenson and going into turn 3 Stevenson left the bottom open, and Floyd took it. The two made contact sending Stevenson up the track to the wall. Behind them the pack scattered causing a huge melee. Floyd was able to make it to the checkers first, while the rest of the field scrambled to get through or moving again causing a major shake up in the final run down.

Super Stocks
1. 26 Eric Floyd
2. 49 Robert Danielson
3. 47 G W Hessong
4. 1 Dale Caswell
5. 36 Lucky Gilbert
6. 17p Nic Priem
7. 57 Jed Rollins
8. 33 Adam Perks
9. 3 Pete Herrschaft
10. 70 Mike Davenport
11. 17 Scott Adair
12. 44 Bobby Coe
13. 00 Andrew Mann
83 Randy Stevenson---DQ, unsportsmanlike conduct

Super Stock heat winers, 5 Jed Rollins, 83 Randy Stevenson

Track points leader, Bob Ort grabbed the point as green waved on the Hot Stock Truck feature, while Russell and Justin Bloom ran side by side for third. Chris Shafer used the high groove to get along side Ort on lap 1 as they fought for the lead. Shafer was able to get the bumper ahead for the lead on lap 4, while R. Bloom finally secured third.

Ort came back on lap 5 to get the lead again with the two running a dead heat for the lead on lap 8. Shafer then began to fade with a burned up right rear, giving up second to R. Bloom on lap 9. R. Bloom the moved in on Ort and got by on lap 12 again using the top groove. After a late yellow for debris, Ort gave it one last try to get back by R. Bloom but came up short as R. Bloom held steady to snag the win.

Hot Stock Truck
1. 55 Russell Bloom
2. 43 Bob Ort
3. 84 Justin Bloom
4. 76 Justin Airhart
5. 8 Lary Paris
6. 3 Greg Turner
7. 38 Chris Shafer

Hot Stuck Truck heat winner, 43 Bob Ort

Danny Bennett added to his track points lead taking the heat/feature sweep in the Bombers. D. Bennett grabbed the lead on lap 1 while Monty Chamberlain and Sandra Hudgeons battled for second. Chamberlain got the spot on a restart, with Randy Kacir getting third from Hudgeons on lap 5.

Coming through the field was Chris Jewell getting by both Hudgeons and Kacir by lap 7. Jewell then caught Chamberlain as they diced through traffic going three wide at one point by a lapped car. Jewell finally got the spot on lap 12, but D. Bennett too far out front to rundown in the closing laps as he easily cruised to the checkers.

Bombers
1. R4J Danny Bennett
2. 2x Chris Jewell
3. 55 Monty Chamberlain
4. 36 Randy Kacir
5. 27 Lloyd Williams
6. 88 Sandra Hudgeons
7. 33 Charlie Mills
8. 40 Stan Eastty
9. 25 Mike Bennett
10. 89 Ricky Konvicka
11. 5 Jackie Burnett
12. 01 Lane Tipton
13. 52 Robert Bartosh
14. 76 Gary Wright
15. 77 Chris Shafer

Bomber heat winners, 88 Sandra Hudgeons, R4J Danny Bennett

On the second start of the 18-car Dwarf Car feature, heat winners Andrew Cline jr, Ryan Watkins and Greg Sexton sr. raced three wide into turn 1 for the lead with Cline getting the spot followed by Sexton sr. Watkins lost ground on lap 2 when slid high giving up third and fourth to Mike Christians and Stew Savage. Sexton sr. grabbed the lead on lap 5 as the top two pulled away from the field.

On lap 11 Cline spun while trying to avoid Sexton sr. who appeared to slow briefly coming out of turn 4. Sexton sr. built a huge lead as racing resumed only to see it disappear after separate spins by Watkins and Savage brought out the caution with one to go. On the final lap shootout Robert Smith got a god run on Sexton coming to the green/white. Smith shot by Sexton jr. on the back stretch then held on to snatch the win away.

Texana Classic Dwarf Cars
1. 21 Robert Smith
2. 1 Greg Sexton sr.
3. 3x Frank Fruia
4. 24 Victor Vargas
5. 13 Mike Christians
6. 54 Gary Hanson
7. 15 Gary Faris
8. 40 Ryan Watkins
9. 79 Douglas Schmidt
10. 1jr Greg Sexton jr.
11. 07 Michael Dion
12. 5 Jason Campbell
13. 8 Don Hunt
14. 4 Stew Savage
15. 19 Andrew Cline jr.
16. 74 Tom Thomlin
17. 2ez Easy Casey
18. 01s Joseph Snow

Dwarf Car heat winners, 19 Andrew Cline jr., 40 Ryan Watkins, 1 Greg Sexton sr.

Garett Hayes swept the night in the Mini Stock class taking both the heat and feature wins. In the feature Hayes jumped out front early while Jacob Burnett and Jason Bloom battled for second. Zachary Tesch closed in on Bloom for third and got the spot until the two made contact sending Tesch around to bring out the yellow. Once back to racing Bloom got by Burnett for second as Hayes was running unchallenged to the victory.

Mini Stocks
1. 9 Garett Hayes
2. 49 Jason Bloom
3. 04 Jacob Burnett
4. 55 Lauren Chamberlain
5. 0 Dakota Taylor
6. 63 Chase Sanchez
7. 5 Zachary Bennett
8. 72 Zachary Tesch
9. 8 Travis Manning

Mini Stock heat winner, 9 Garett Hayes