San Antonio Speedway recap, 3/22/06

[NickHolt]

For Immediate Release – April 23, 2006

Contact: Nick Holt, USRA Media Director

(210) 415-1251

(210) 690-8564

cnholt@sbcglobal.net

nick@texasspeedzone.com

 

Aramendia Makes it Five-in-a-Row at San Antonio Speedway

 

San Antonio, TX (April 23, 2006) – NASCAR Late Model driver Joe Aramendia of San Antonio drove to victory lane once again – his fifth time this season - at San Antonio Speedway Saturday night in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series 40-lap stock car race at the half-mile oval located near the new Toyota production facility.

 

“What can I say?” Aramendia replied when asked about his success on the San Antonio Speedway high-banks. “I have a great team and we all work together really well. I think we have our car handling better than the other guys right now and we spend a lot of time making sure everything is right before we ever show up at the track. And besides that, tomorrow’s my birthday.”

 

All that preparation paid off once again as Aramendia set fast time in qualifying (18.990 seconds), passed early race-leader Justin Oates of La Vernia only five laps into the 40-lap event and held off two late challenges from Danny Garcia of San Antonio to take the win by almost two seconds.

 

The race was slowed by only two caution periods late in the race, both for spins down the front straightaway by Taylor’s Bill Miller. Both caution periods bunched the 11-car field up on Aramendia’s back bumper, but in both cases Aramendia was able to withstand Garcia’s attempts to get by.

 

Some of the best racing of the evening was provided by Boerne’s Robert Barker, San Antonio’s Brian Moczygemba and veteran Larry Bendele of Adkins. The trio raced bumper-to-bumper and often side-by-side for third place for much of the race with Bendele and Moczygemba swapping positions more than once.

 

Following Aramendia and Garcia to the finish line were Barker, Moczygemba, Bendele Donny Horelka of Jourdanton and San Antonio’s Jim Creech, all on the lead lap.

 

As usual, the SAS Sportsman race was full of action and featured some very competitive racing in spite of the fact that Jamie Fuller of led all 25 laps. The San Antonio driver sat on the pole and drove a very consistent race to squeak out a win over Mark Mathias of San Antonio who was wheel-to-wheel with Fuller for much of the last lap.

 

Following the lead pair to the checkered flag on the lead lap were Keith Garrett of New Braunfels, Robert Mayberry, Jason Stanley, Craig Crowley, Tator Mason and Tom Casey, all of San Antonio.

 

“I just drove the wheels of it,” Fuller said after the race. “I was able to hammer it to the floor coming of the turns. When Mark got under me I just gave him some room and drove my line. I thought he was going to get me there at the end, but I had just enough there at the end to hold him off.”

 

Sixteen year-old Cody Smith of La Vernia – making his first ever San Antonio Speedway appearance – won both of the SAS Road Runner Twin 20-lap feature events.

 

Smith, who has a Thunder Hill Raceway Hobby Stock championship under his belt, didn’t have it easy during the first 20-lapper. Randy Frautschi of Von Ormy saw to that. With only a couple of laps remaining, Frautschi got his car under Smith going into the third turn, but the pair made solid contact with Smith spinning to a stop. Race officials determined that Frautschi was at fault for bringing out the yellow flag and reinstated Smith to the lead with Frautschi being sent to the rear. Frautschi then roared through the field to finish second.

 

In the second Road Runner 20-lapper, Smith again led wire-to-wire beating Devine’s Richard Curtis to the finish line by 1.8 seconds.

 

In the 8-lap Grand Stock event, Jody Wayne Stuart of San Antonio prevailed but was disqualified during the post-race technical inspection for having wheels that were not permitted under the Grand Stock rules. Second-place finisher Byron Reed of Kyle was awarded the win.

 

San Antonio Speedway is located 3.5 miles south of Loop 410 on Texas Highway 16 towards Poteet. The San Antonio Speedway website can be found at http://www.sanantoniospeedway.com.

 

San Antonio Speedway Results - April 22, 2006

 

Position, Car Number, Driver, Hometown, Laps Completed

 

NASCAR Late Model Feature

 

1. (79) Joe Aramendia, San Antonio, 40 Laps

2. (97) Danny Garcia, San Antonio, 40

3. (17) Robert Barker, Boerne, 40

4. (50) Brian Moczygemba, San Antonio, 40

5. (23) Larry Bendele, Adkins, 40

6. (41) Donny Horelka, Jourdanton, 40

7. (2) Jim Creech, San Antonio, 40

8. (16) Donald Pogue, Jourdanton, 39

9. (07) Bill Miller, Taylor, 32

10. (0) Justin Oates, La Vernia, 15

11. (7) Eric Knudtson, Boerne, 3

 

SAS Sportsman Feature

 

1. (93) Jamie Fuller, San Antonio, 26 Laps

2. (20) Mark Mathias, San Antonio, 26

3. (31) Keith Garrett, New Braunfels, 26

4. (21) Robert Mayberry, San Antonio, 26

5. (92) Jason Stanley, San Antonio, 26

6. (6) Craig Crawley, San Antonio, 26

7. (12) Tator Mason, San Antonio, 26

8. (15) Tom Casey, San Antonio, 26

9. (09) Clint Montanio, Cibolo, 26

10. (29) Jamie Evans, Cuero, 22

11. (27) Eric Knudtson, Boerne, 19

12. (50) Billy Roebuck, DNS

 

Road Runner 1st 20-lap Feature

 

1. (15) Cody Smith, La Vernia, 21 Laps

2. (00) Randy Frautschi, Von Ormy, 21

3. (18) Richard Curtis, Devine, 21

4. (83) Paul Lipp, San Antonio, 21

5. (19) Mona Turner, Live Oak, 20

6. (1) J.R. Eichelberger, III, San Antonio, 19

7. (92) Steven Stanley, San Antonio, 4

8. (21) Leland Frautschi, Von Ormy, 4

9. (29) Daniel Pierce, Bandera, DNS

 

Road Runner 2nd 20-lap Feature

 

1. (15) Cody Smith, La Vernia, 20 Laps

2. (18) Richard Curtis, Devine, 20

3. (19) Mona Turner, Live Oak, 20

4. (00) Ken Jones, 20

5. (83) Paul Lipp, San Antonio, 18

6. (29) Daniel Pierce, 14

7. (1) J.R. Eichelberger, III, San Antonio, 12

8. (21) Leland Frautschi, Von Ormy, 9

9. (92) Steven Stanley, San Antonio, DNS

 

Grand Stock Feature

 

1. (83) Bryan Reed, Kyle, 12 laps

2. (65) Floyd Reed, 12

3. (68) Mike Farish, Copperas Cove, 12

4. (11) Missy Jones, San Antonio, 11

5. (77) Jamie Draper, San Antonio, 10

6. (12) Jody Wayne Stuart, San Antonio, DQ