I-37 Speedway 1-18-03

[rebelracewriter]

IMCA Winter Series I-37 Speedway 1-18-03

By J M Hallas

Red Flag, Time limit bring Modified feature to premature finish

Controversy brought the IMCA modified feature to a conclusion, with Adan Arambula in the Amigos Aviation/Matt Brown Auto Body/Arambula motor/Homemade chassis taking the win. And that's all anyone was sure of! The situation started when GW Egbert, running fourth pounded the front stretch wall hard on the final lap. A red flag was thrown and as cars rolled back around to a stop the checkers were thrown because of the tracks time limit on features.

 

19 of the 20 cars started with Randy Yount and Arambula on the front row. Arambula got the lead on green and got out to a good lead, with Rick Green and Glen Hibbard battling for second. Henry Witt and Glen Allen were on the move up to 4th and 7th respectively from their 5th row starts. The yellow flew for a spin by Max Helm jr. on lap 4 to slow the action. Arambula again got out to a slight lead while Glen Hibbard, Green and Henry Witt slugged it out for second. Helm jr. again spun on lap 7 and on the restart Witt was able to pass Green for second. One lap later Helm jr. looped again evoking the three spin rule. Back under green, Witt had moved up to challenge Arambula, running side by side on lap 9.

 

At halfway the top 5 were Arambula, Witt, G. Hibbard, Egbert and Allen just as a caution flew for debris. On the restart Egbert got by G. Hibbard, while Witt was challenging Arambula for the lead. The top two again ran wheel to wheel on lap 15, while Chris Swenson moved around Allen for 4th. Just as Swenson, clearly the fastest car after halfway, got by Egbert, the yellow came out for a spin by Danny Brown on lap 16. On the restart Swenson finally completed the pass, while Allen and G. Hibbard battled it out for 5th. Swenson ran down Witt and was able to get along side him on lap 18. Just as the white flag flew Egbert slapped the wall and spun stopping just past the flagstand. At some point the red was thrown and as cars rolled to a stop the checkers were shown together. The was no green, white, checker finish because of the tracks 30 minute time limit.

Heat race winners were the Hibbard brothers, Glen and Doug, Adan Arambula and Henry Witt.

 

ADAN ARAMBULA 17 HARLINGEN

HENRY WITT JR. 701 WACO

CHRIS SWENSON 48 BOERNE

GLEN ALLEN 68 AUSTIN

GLEN HIBBARD 127 EULESS

RICK TALLEY 41 PFLUGERVILLE

MICKEY HELMS 174 VICTORIA

RANDY YOUNT 38 BOERNE

CURT CLEGG 35 SAN ANTONIO

GARY CHAMBLESS 23 ELKHART

G.W. EGBERT 717 SALADO

EUGENE PAINTER 2P

DANNY BROWN 555 SANDIA JOHN TALLEY 42 PFLUGERVILLE

DOUG HIBBARD 007 COLLEYVILLE

RICK GREEN 82 LIBERTY HILLS

MAX HELM JR. 000 VICTORIA

MARK WHITELY 51 JOSHUA

JASON BORLACE 125 SAN ANTONIO

JAMIE CAMPBELL 20 ADKINS

 

Two in a row for Pritchett

The full moon must have been lucky for Duain Pritchett as he was in the right spot at the right time to take the win as race long leader, Kevin Sustaire broke on the last lap. Pritchett driving the Arty &Sons Paint and Body/Advantage Race Cars/Southwest Engines/CA’s Auto Supply/Brads Transmissions/Tom Auto Glass/Destroyer Chassis IMCA stock took a big step in the points chase when fellow hot shoes Jeff Turner and Kevin Sustaire both suffered problems.

 

The 12 car field was paced to geen by Sustaire and Robert Jones, but the moon intervened. On the first try Shannon Parsons and Pritchett got together with Pritchett spinning, and being forced to pit with a flat right front. The second attempt saw Joe Horne spin to bring out the caution. Third time was no charm either as this time Horne ended up on the tires in turn three. During the yellow Jeff Turner also had to pit with a flat. After three tries, Sustaire and Jason Gore, after Jones pitted with overheating trouble, took the green with Pritchett and Turner starting in the back. Sustaire got the lead and began to ease away from Jason Batt. Turner pulled his smoking car off on lap three, while Pritchett was working his way forward using the high groove to pick off cars one by one.

 

As the crossed flags were shown it was Sustaire, Batt and Pritchett battling for second, Gore and Billy Garza rounding out the top five. Lap 12 saw Gore go up in smoke and roll to stop on track to bring out a yellow. Sustaire got the jump on the restart, while Batt got caught napping allowing Pritchett to get by. Pritchett closed a seven car length lead by Sustaire bringing Batt along for the ride. As The white flag flew Pritchett had closed to Sustaire's bumper. Just as Sustaire started out of turn two the car died due a broken distributor. Pritchett and Batt scattered and split the slowing car of Sustaire with Pritchett holding Batt off to grab the victory.

Sustaire, Pritchett and Randy Miller took the heat race honors

 

 

1 DUAN PRITCHETT 22 COMBINE

2 JASON BATT 34 KILLEEN

3 SHANNON PARSONS 13 GOLINDA

4 BILLY GARZA 45

5 CHET CHAMBERS 71 KAUFMAN

6 KEVIN SUSTAINE 87 EMORY7 JASON GORE 021 COMBINE

8 FRANK TORRESS 66T SAN ANTONIO

9 RANDY MILLER 66 DALLAS

10 JOE HORNE 67 SAN ANTONIO

11 JEFF TURNER 44 BULLARD

12 ROBERT JONES 74 CANTON

13 CHARLIE HENLEY I-37 LEMING DNS

 

Only two sprints showed up and again the feature was shortened to 10 laps. Max Kern got the lead on green but after sliding off track on lap 2 handed the lead over to Chip Godfredson. Godfredson ran off the last seven laps to take the victory in the Cougar Trucking/Klingler sprinter.

 

Chip Godfredson

Max Kern