Heart O' Texas Speedway 8-29-03

[rebelracewriter]

Heart O’ Texas Speedway 8-29-03

By J M Hallas

Sprint Championship Goes Down to Final Race

Waco Texas. Coming into the IMCA Sprint car’s last race of season, the points chase was still up for grabs. Brad Welborn held a slim five point lead over 2002 IMCA National Champion, Elmer Morgan. Unfortunately the battle took a turn for the worse when Morgan was unable to start the 11 car A-main due to a mechanical failure in the rear end. This secured the track championship for Welborn in his Century 21/Keel Recovery, Auto Repossession/Big G Auto Supply sprinter.

David Doyle and Matt Porter led the field to green, with Porter getting the early lead. Claude Estes closed quickly on Porter, while Welborn, Ray Welnack and Donald Schoeck battled three wide for 5th. On lap 6 C. Estes powered by Porter for the lead and began to run away. Benny Cordell began a charge to the front after falling back on the start and was challenging Doyle for 5th , running wheel to wheel on lap 10.

At the mid point the top five were C. Estes, Porter, Doyle, Ryan Hall and Cordell. By lap 15 C. Estes had nearly a ½ track lead over Porter, while Hall, Cordell and Welborn scrapped for fourth. Cordell made the pass on Hall two laps later, and took off after Doyle for third. As Estes continued to pull away, Cordell got around Doyle on lap 19.

Cordell tried to run down Porter in the final laps, but ran out of laps. As the checkers flew it C. Estes taking the win by a huge margin in his S & S Used Furniture/Pennzoil/Decals by Missy/Wilson Chassis Co./Eagle Chassis.

 

Feature Finish:

 

1. #74 Claude Estes

2. #85 Matt Porter

3. #12 Benny Cordell

4. #17 Brad Welborn

5. #55 David Doyle

6. #9 Ryan Hall

7. #15 Sam Hafertepe

8. #99 Donald Schoeck

9. #16 Ray Welnack

10. #38 Kim Wilke

11. #71 Daniel Estes

12. #8 Elmer Morgan [DNS]

13. #14 Robert Byrom [DNS]

14. #57 Jim Gracy [DNS]

 

Points Leader Pastes Field

Seventeen cars started the IMCA Modified main, with Mike Hanusch and David Cureton leading the field to green. Going into turn 1 Paul Hanusch and Russ Reed made contact after pack stacked up in front of them. Chris Glick jumped someone’s tire and sailed off the turn as Ronnie Warren, Ben Ketteman, Mac Harmon, and Ben Pidgeon all got caught up in the melee.

On the second start, Cureton jumped out into the lead as points leader Keith Green quickly moved up from his 14th starting spot to fifth by lap 3. By lap 5 Cureton had ½ straightaway lead over M. Hanusch, David Hanusch and Green. On lap 6 National Championship contender Henry Witt pulled to the infield along with Chr. Glick.

Green got past D. Hanusch, along with M. Hanusch began to reel in Cureton for the top spot. Just before halfway, Green made his way around M. Hanusch for second. As the mid point the top five were Cureton, Green, M. Hanusch, D. Hanusch and Paul Hanusch.

On lap 11 Green used the high side to grab the lead from Cureton and quickly moved away. The only yellow flew on lap 14 when Matt Hood spun. On the restart Green jumped out to another good lead as Cureton and M. Hanusch battled it out for second. With two to go Green had built another great lead going on to grab his second win in a row by a comfortable margin in his Harvey Cox Racing prepared Harris Chassis powered by Performance Automotive Machine, McBride Automotive, Lambs Muffler, KG Collectibles, FinishLine Restoration, and Stewart Stainless.

 

IMCA MODIFIED

FEATURE-1. #52-Keith Green, Robinson; 2. #20E-David Cureton, Bruceville; 3. #5-Paul Hanusch, Belton; 4. #18-Cody Williamson, Waco; 5. #4-David Hanusch, Belton; 6. #6-Michael Hanusch, Temple; 7. #37-Ben Ketteman, Pflugerville; 8. #02-Chase Glick, Buffalo; 9. #70-George Egbert, Salado; 10. #28-Russ Reed, Waco; 11. #3A-Matt Hood, McGregor; 12. #011-Malcolm Harmon, Clifton; 13. #01-Chris Glick, Buffalo; 14. #701-Henry Witt, Jr.; 15. #10-Greg Wade, China Spring; 16. #34-Ronnie Warren, Oglesby; 17. #09-Ben Pigeon, Abilene.

 

 

SIMS/ULMA

With most of the Limited Modifieds running the SIMS/ULMA Championship in Many, La. a short field of only eight cars started the feature. Rick McDaniel got out to lead on green and was challenged by Shannon Dulock. The top three of McDaniel, Dulock and Lee Harris put some distance on the rest of the field, with Sid Kiphen and David Sawyer rounding out the top five at halfway. In the final laps Dulock gave McDaniel couple little bumper shots as they ran through traffic. McDaniel was able to hang on and grab the win in his Lambs Muffler/McBride Auto/Cottons Fina/Race Engine Solutions/Hornet Graphics/Skillet Racing limited modified.

 

A-Main

1st 52 Mark McDaniel

2nd 47 Shannon Dulock

3rd 17X Lee Harris

4th 58 Sid Kiphen

5th 4 David Sawyer

6th 55 TJ Green

7th 18 Steven Carter

8th 61 Rick Poteet

 

IMCA Stock

It was a short IMCA Stock field as only 9 cars took the green flag. Steve Spoonts grabbed the lead as he, Kenny Weir and Joe Mathias began to pull away. As Weir and Mathias battled side by side the field closed back in. Mathias got by Weir just before halfway, with Spoonts, Mathias, Weir, Eric Jones and Tim Ezell showing in the top five spots at midway. Mathias closed in on Spoonts with five to go, and was finally able to make the pass as he got inside in turns 1-2 to grab the lead on the final lap. Mathias would go on to take the checkers, while Jones got Spoonts on the final lap.

 

A-Main

1st 4 Joe Mathias

2nd 84X Eric Jones

3rd 30 Steve Spoonts

4th 73 Tim Ezell

5th 47 Benji Kirkpatrick

6th 11 Kenny Weir

7th 118 Andrew Simmerman

8th 181 Eddie Thompson

9th 83 Chad Estes

10th 9J Jason Batt

 

 

 

 

In the Street Stock feature Merwin Balz led lap one challenged by David Khoury and Charlie Goodnight. The trio went three wide on lap two, with Goodnight getting the point. As the leaders caught lap traffic, Goodnight had to move Larry Moore. Moore spun to the infield and almost rolled over when he dug in. Mark Guerin charged up through the field but it was Goodnight taking the win.

 

Street Stock

A-Main

1st 05 Charlie Goodnight

2nd 42 Mark Geurin

3rd 1 Doug Andrews

4th 73 David Khoury

5th 100 Darrell Dawson

6th 71 Tommy Kirkpatrick

7th 00 Merwin Balz

8th 34 Larry Moore

9th 32 Bill Eller

10th 29 Bob Barkley

11th 181 Eddie Thompson-DQ Rough Driving

 

 

The 15 lap Pure Stock main saw Bryan Harcrow lead early. Mike Robertson and Harcrow ran side by side for lead on lap 4, with Robertson getting the advantage. Harcrow took a couple shots at Robertson as they battled for the lead. Despite being turned sideways at one point, Robertson was able to hang on for the victory.

 

Pure Stock

A-Main1st 17 Mike Robertson

2nd 18K Tommy Honey

3rd 57 Kevin Smith

4th 26 Corky Coffer

5th 18 Steven Carter

6th 5R Jimmy Reid

7th 48H Brian Harcrow

8th 48T Kurt Tidwell

9th 1 Timmy Kemp

10th 24 Dewayne Wills

11th 13 Russell Carter

 

 

Cruiser Main

1st 44 Chad Barber

2nd 87 Mark Bolfing

3rd 07 Michael Haisler

4th 24 Chris Wills

5th 80 Jeremy Knight

6th 41 Jerry Maracle

7th 04 Michael George

8th 96 Jeff Woodruff

9th 77 Chris Guy

10th 10 Heckel

11th 75 Joey Foote-DQ Rough Driving

 

Junior Mini Stock

Feature-

1. #1B-Brandon Hood

2 #03-Dillon Smith

3. #02-Preston Ellis

4. #60-Nathan Sodek

5. #69-Racin' Mason Ellis

6. #33-Jay Symm