Alvarado, Berry score opening wins in Wild West Tour

[rebelracewriter]

Alvarado, Berry score opening wins

in EQ Cylinder Heads Wild West Tour

 

VERNAL, Utah (April 11-12) – Impressive runs to the front took Ricky

Alvarado and Jeep Berry to victory lane during the series-opening EQ

Cylinder Heads Wild West Tour doubleheader for IMCA Modifieds.

 

Alvarado, the defending series champion, charged through the field

Friday night at Diamond Mountain Speed way after being sent to the

back of the pack following a three-car tangle just before midway of

the 30-lapper.

 

Berry qualified for Saturday’s main event at Vernal through his “B”

feature, moving into second with seven laps to go and slipped past

race-long leader Derek Kopp out of the final turn.

 

Both checkers paid $1,000. Alvarado and Berry were already on the

ballot for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, Alvarado

as the 2007 tour champ and Berry as the winner on the special series

Shootout event held last November at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

 

Jeff Hunter, Chase Hansen and Regan Tafoya split time leading the

Friday show before the unlucky lap 13 fracas that put Hansen,

Alvarado and Craig Russom to the tail.

 

Hunter passed Tafoya to regain the point on lap 17 while Alvarado

began his own move. Alvarado took charge on the 21st circuit and led

the rest of the way, taking the win ahead of Hunter and “B” qualifier

Troy McElroy.

 

Completing the top five were Michael Hale and Kevin Wright.

 

Kopp started from the pole in Saturday’s main event, running in front

while the second spot changed hands a dozen times.

 

Wade Taylor, McElroy, Alvarado and Cory Sample chased Kopp before

Berry moved into the runner-up position and began to reel in the leader.

 

Kopp and Berry were side-by-side heading into the third turn. Berry

pulled ahead coming out of four to win by less than a car length.

 

Justen Yeager, McElroy and Ryan Dimick followed. Yeager and Dimick

also came from the “B” races.

 

The EQ Cylinder Heads Wild West Tour travels next to Fairgrounds Speedway in Cortez, Colo., for a Friday and Saturday, May 2-3 twinbill.

 

More than 60 drivers were on hand for the first two series dates and

seven states were represented in the features.

 

Results

April 11 feature –

1. Ricky Alvarado, Delta, Colo.;

2. Jeff Hunter, Henderson, Colo.;

3. Troy McElroy, Grand Junction, Colo.;

4. Michael Hale, West Valley;

5. Kevin Wright, Rock Springs, Wyo.;

6. Cory Simoneau, Mohave Valley, Ariz.;

7. Richard Anderson, Shelley, Idaho;

8. Chad Farstveet, Winnemucca, Nev.;

9. Butch Vernon, Idaho Falls, Idaho;

10. Ed Mangum, Farmington, N.M.;

11. Robert Gallegos, Cory, Colo.;

12. Joe Hood, Spring Creek, Nev.;

13. Trevor Arnold, Idaho Falls, Idaho;

14. Levi Pummell, Vernal;

15. Regan Tafoya, Farmington, N.M.;

16. Chase Hansen, Myton;

17. Craig Russom, Idaho Falls, Idaho;

18. Jon Stringfellow, Helper;

19. Don Baisch, Rigby, Idaho;

20. Dave Jurist, Bullhead City, Ariz.;

21. Ray Laird, Montrose, Colo.;

22. Jeep Berry, Grand Junction, Colo.;

23. Justen Yeager, Green River, Wyo.;

24. Harvey Howard, Price.

1st heat (top two) – 1. Berry; 2. Hunter. 2nd heat – 1. Yeager; 2.

Hale. 3rd heat – 1. Pummell; 2. Howard; 4th heat – 1. Stringfellow;

2. Hansen. 5th heat – 1. Alvarado; 2. Baisch. 6th heat – 1. Russom;

2. Wright.

1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Tafoya; 2. Laird; 3. McElroy; 4.

Mangum. 2nd “B” – 1. Vernon; 2. Anderson; 3. Hood; 4. Jurist. 3rd “B”

– 1. Gallegos; 2. Simoneau; 3. Farstveet; 4. Arnold.

 

April 12 feature –

1. Berry;

2. Derek Kopp, Montrose, Colo.;

3. Yeager;

4. McElroy;

5. Ryan Dimick, Price;6. Laird;

7. Hansen;

8. Hood;

9. Alvarado;

10. Russom;

11. Mangum;

12. Colton Vanderherp, Ferron;

13. Wade Taylor, Spring Creek, Nev.;

14. Farstveet;

15. Arnold;

16. Kelly Smith, Roosevelt;

17. Cory Sample, Winnemucca, Nev.;

18. Anderson;

19. Jason Haug, Salida, Colo.;

20. Rod White, Vernal;

21. Simoneau;

22. J.R. Herrera, Price;

23. Gallegos;

24. Dusty Safley, Helper;

25. Cody Malcom, Shelley, Idaho.

1st heat (top two) – 1. Hansen; 2. Russom. 2nd heat – 1. Gallegos; 2.

Safely. 3rd heat – 1. McElroy; 2. Vander herp. 4th heat – 1. Kopp; 2.

Malcom. 5th heat – 1. Alvarado; 2. Taylor. 6th heat – 1. Farstveet;

2. Sam ple. 1st “B” feature (top four) – 1. Laird; 2. Berry; 3. Hood;

4. White. 2nd “B” – 1. Yeager; 2. Dimick; 3. Haug; 4. Herrera. 3rd

“B” – 1. Anderson; 2. Mangum; 3. Arnold; 4. Smith.

 

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