NickHolt Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 20, 2006 Contact: Nick Holt, Media Director (210) 690-8564 (office) (210) 415-1251 (cell) cnholt@sbcglobal.net Beddoe Bests Becka in USRA Modified Main at San Antonio Speedway by Nick Holt and JM Hallas San Antonio, TX (August 20, 2006) - Defending United States Racing Association (USRA) Modified champion, Bruce Beddoe, won his first Modified feature of the season – the “TexasSpeedZone.Com Triple Threat Challenge” - Saturday night, August 19, 2006, at San Antonio Speedway. USRA points leader Billy Becka, driving the Rays Auto & Truck, Insurance Auto Salvage, R&B Fleet Service, Victoria Auto Auction, Radcon Radiator Warehouse, Heil Chassis, Benker Race Engines Modified, rebounded after blowing his engine during the Friday practice session to set fast time touring the half-mile, paved oval with a 19.331-second timing. "It feels pretty good to set fast time after we've been through.” Becka said. “I owe it all to (veteran Texas stock car driver) John Heil. He let us borrow a motor or we wouldn't be here. Not only that, but John has (worked on the setup) and made the car real easy to drive. Even he could drive it," Becka joked. Beddoe, who timed in fourth (19.652 seconds) fastest, drew the outside pole starting spot next to Newton Barta, who had qualified second (19.400 seconds). Rookie Trey Mitchell (19.763 seconds) started third next to the Becka who drew the four spot. At the start, Barta and Beddoe – the same duo that tangled while fighting for the lead the last time the USRA Modifieds raced the high-banked speed plant - ran wheel to wheel through turns 1-2. This time Beddoe was able to eke out a slight advantage through turns 3-4 and secured the lead as the pair crossed the line. Becka maintained third while Mark Chrudimsky, who started fifth, outgunned Mitchell for fourth. Beddoe’s lead was short-lived, however, as Barta ducked inside the champ on lap 4 going into the first turn and grabbed the point. Beddoe gamely tried a crossover move to retake the lead but was unable to make it stick. At the same time Chrudimsky, clearly the fastest low-slung modified on the track, snared the third spot from Becka. Chrudimsky then put the heat on Beddoe for second and after a brief side-by-side run on the back stretch took that position as well. Becka, meanwhile, closed in on Beddoe and made a clean pass after the pair ran wheel-to-wheel through turns 1-2 and down the back stretch on the tenth circuit. Up front, Chrudimsky had run down Barta for the lead. Chrudimsky took a good look on the back stretch on lap 13 and was all over Barta through the turns 3 and 4. Barta was able to gain a slight advantage down the front straight, but as the two diced for the lead through turns 1 and 2, Chrudimsky and Barta made solid contact with Chrudimsky sailing airborne over the hood of Barta who then slapped the wall. Both drivers were able to walk away from their mangled race cars, but were done for the night. After a brief red flag period for the ensuing clean up, Becka, who had inherited the lead, was able to get away from Beddoe, Mitchell, Bobby Teer, Jr. and John Paul Kliewer as the race resumed. But as the laps clicked off, Beddoe was making up ground as the top two pulled ahead. While the battle up front was taking shape, Mitchell and Teer had an ongoing battle of their own in third and fourth while Kliewer and Slezinsky began to fade. Beddoe closed two within two car lengths on lap 35 and was on Becka’s back bumper by lap 38. On the next lap, Beddoe ducked inside Becka and retook the lead at the very same spot where Chrudimsky had tried to pass Barta earlier. Becka then had his try at the crossover move, but he too fell short. In the final laps Beddoe inched away from Becka and captured his first win of the 2006 season in the Aramendia Motorsports, AAA House Leveling, B&S Racing, HOG Chassis with a Bruce Sanders motor. Mitchell was able to hold off clean-driving Teer for third. "I had some motor problems and the 29 (Billy Becka) had some handling problems, but he realized I was faster in the corners and was gentleman enough to move up," Beddoe said after the race. “Right out of the box we were down power. I don't know what it was yet. But I just kept digging. The oil pressure was good and water temperature was alright, so I kept going." Beddoe was quick to credit SAS Late Model driver Joe Aramendia for some of his success. "As competitive as some of these guys are, we're always looking for an edge,” Beddoe said. “We changed trailing-arm angles and had Joe Aramendia helping us out just to get a different perspective. It worked pretty well. You're always looking for something." "Not winning yet this year hasn't been too disappointing,” continued Beddoe. “If I finish second or third and push it on the trailer, not wrecked, I'm fairly happy.” Becka was very happy with his race, at least until his right front tire started loosing air in the latter stages. “We had the car to beat tonight,” Becka said, standing next to the now completely-flat tire. “I don’t think Bruce could have got by me, but when I felt the tire going soft, I just moved up and let him have the inside. I know he would have done the same for me if the tables were turned.” The sixteen year-old Mitchell, who finished third and has surprised many with his strong showings in his rookie USRA Modified season, had nothing but praise for fourth-place finisher Bobby Teer, Jr. “I really have to say thank you to Bobby for really driving me clean,” Mitchell said. “My car had a slight push going into the turns and was a bit loose coming off the turns. Bobby could have punted me whenever he wanted to, but he didn’t. But, the car’s in one piece and that’s always a plus when your race some place as fast as San Antonio.” The next appearance for the USRA Modified Series will be at San Antonio Speedway on October 8, 2006, for the annual SAS OktoberFAST event. Results of USRA Modified Series “TexasSpeedZone.Com Triple Threat Challenge 50” at San Antonio Speedway, 8/19/06 Finish, Car Number, Name, Hometown, Qualifying Time, Laps Completed 1. (18) Bruce Beddoe, Robstown, TX, 19.652, 50 Laps 2. (29) Billy Becka, La Vernia, TX, 19.331, 50 3. (47) Trey Mitchell, Wimberley, TX, 19.763, 50 4. (2) Bobby Teer, Jr., Comfort, TX, 19.821, 50 5. (22) John Paul Kliewer, Boerne, TX, 20.044, 50 6. (26) Bob Slezinsky, Beeville, TX, 19.877, 50 7. (97) John Witzsche, Corpus Christi, TX, NT, 50 8. (78) Greg "Doc" Baber, Uvalde, TX, 20.202, 49 9. (96) Milton Krauss, Bulverde, TX, 20.234, 49 10. (39) Mark Chrudimsky, Hutto, TX, 19.555, 15 11. (89) Newton Barta, Jr., Lytle, TX, 19.400, 14 12. (88) Larry Hughes, Arlington, TX, NT, 3 Lap Leaders: Beddoe led 1-4; Barta led 5-14; Becka led 15-37; Beddoe led 38-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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