rebelracewriter Posted January 4, 2004 Report Share Posted January 4, 2004 I-37 Speedway Winter Series race #1 1/3/04 By J M Hallas Pleasanton, Texas. The 2004 IMCA points season kicked off at I-37 Speedway on Saturday afternoon, with Chamber of Commerce weather. Drivers from the panhandle to the valley were on hand as the 1/4 mile clay oval started its Winter Series for IMCA points chasers, and some just ready to go racing again. Looking to add additional titles to their resumes, were past IMCA Modified Champion Henry Witt, and 2003 IMCA Stock Champion Duain Pritchett. Twenty-Five of the 27 cars started the 20 lap IMCA Modified A-main with Elias Anderson and Blake Pigeon on the front row. Anderson grabbed the lead as the green flew, with Glen Hibbard using the high groove to move into second. Caution came quickly when Shannon Parsons and John Talley got together with Parsons spinning. On the restart G. Hibbard again used the high side to get by Anderson for the point. Henry Witt moved into fourth on lap 3 and grabbed third a lap later when Gary Chambless slid high. The caution flew again as Joe Barnec rolled to a stop on the front stretch. As the green flew, Anderson tried to get back by G. Hibbard, but ended up losing second to Witt as they ran three wide down the front straightaway. Robert Hale and Glen Derks got tangled on lap 5 to slow the action and move Witt back. Lawrence Mikulencak began his run towards the front, getting by Joey Whitehead for fifth on the restart. The top five were just starting to inch away when Mickey Helms took the first of his three spins. Back under green, Witt had just gotten by Anderson a second time when Helms looped it again on lap 6. Finally back to green, with Mikulencak moving inside Chambless to get fourth on lap 7. Lap 8 saw Witt take the first of his serious looks inside G. Hibbard for the lead, But G. Hibbard held the spot. At the crossed flags the top five were G. Hibbard, Witt, Anderson, Mikulencak and Chambless. Trevor Egbert would spin on lap 11 to bring out the yellow hankie. Brad Bolin suffered the same fate on the restart. The next try had Steven Whitaker and Bill Pittaway both spin and collect Brad Jordan. As the race resumed the top four stayed glued at the bumpers, while Tanner Whitmire was creeping up into the top ten on the high side. Witt again took a big look inside G. Hibbard, but G. Hibbard slammed the door in turn 1 to hang on to the lead. Mikulencak had just passed Anderson for third when yellow flew for another spin by Parsons on lap 14. Mikulencak repassed Anderson on the restart for good as G. Hibbard and Witt got a little breathing room. M. Helms took his final spin on lap 15 and was towed to the pits. At the start of the five lap shootout to the finish, Whitmire and Whitehead were side by side for sixth, as the top three got some distance on Anderson. Witt continued to pressure G. Hibbard for the lead with Mikulencak lurking and waiting in third for one or both to make a mistake. With two to go Witt gave G. Hibbard a rap on the bumper and lost a little momentum. Mikulencak pounced on the opportunity and somehow squeezed inside Witt to grab second as the white flag flew. Mikulencak closed quickly on G. Hibbard but was never able to mount a serious challenge as G. Hibbard grabbed the checkers in his Kosiski Racing Products/Sparco/Kyle Signs/Dallas Coring & Concrete Sawing/ Jeffs Performance Automotive/K-Mod Chassis. IMCA Modified 1 127 Glen Hibbard 2 87 Lawrence Mikulencak 3 701 Henry Witt 4 31 Elias Anderson 5 23 Gary Chambless 6 25 Bobby Grobe 7 711 Joey Whitehead 8 01 Tanner Whitmire 9 37 Bill Pittaway 10 0 Brad Jordan 11 09 Blake Pigeon 12 76 Michael Carlock 13 35 Curt Clegg 14 71 Glen Derks 15 05 Brad Bolin 16 42 John Talley 17 13 Shannon Parsons 18 174 Mickey Helms 19 168 Michael Rothehammer 20 89 Steven Whitaker 21 21 Jamie Campbell 22 78 Trevor Egbert 23 8 Robert Hale 24 97 Joe Barnec 25 Danny Brown Max Helms---DNS Doug Hibbard---DQ'd in heat Heat race winners were Whitehead, Whitaker, Mikulencak and G. Hibbard Chad Estes and MK Wallace paced the 16 car IMCA Stock car main to green. Estes got out first, but in the pack Jeff Sustaire and Justin McGehee got hooked and spun to bring about a complete restart. On the second attempt, Ray Tinkey, driving Buck Owens Car, lost a wheel. Hopefully Tinkey has better luck in the future as he is bound for Iraq next week. Under the yellow, 2003 National Champion, Duain Pritchett would be forced to retire with a broken transmission. Finally under green with Estes and Tom Earl breaking away from the pack. Estes and Earl would then put on a great battle for the top spot. On lap 2 Earl started looking inside on Estes, drawing along side on lap 3. For two laps they ran door to door, while Charlie Wilson worked his way up to fifth after starting last due to problems in his heat. Earl gained the advantage on lap 5, but Estes crossed back over, getting inside Earl and retaking the point on lap 7. Estes and Earl were side by side again on lap 8, while Wilson got around Shannon Parsons for fourth. At halfway the top five were, Estes, Earl, Benji Kirkpatrick, Wilson and Parsons. Kirkpatricks chance for a top five finish ended when he got together with the lap car of Robin Lutholtz. Estes got a little space on the restart, but Earl slowly reeled Estes back in. With five to go, Estes and Earl had good gap back to Wilson, who had a bigger margin back to Parsons and Jason Honey. Estes was able to hold off Earl in the final laps to grab the victory in his Central Texas Auto Pool/Midwest Motorsports/Estes Racing/SCS Chassis I-Stock 1 83 Chad Estes 2 47 Tom Earl 3 55 Charlie Wilson 4 13 Shannon Parsons 5 4 Jason Honey 6 47x Benji Kirkpatrick 7 25 Toby Miller 8 87 Jeff Sustaire 9 51 Donald Lewis 10 32 Matthew Bagley 11 09 MK Wallace 12 77 Robin Lutholtz 13 79 Justin McGehee 14 22 Duain Pritchett 15 Justin Henley 16 Ray Tinkey The IMCA Hobby Stock main was led to green by Chris Ater and Ted Thomas. Thomas quickly got the lead, while Ater and Jerry West battled side by side for second. Allen Montgomery moved around Dillon Smith on lap 4 to get fourth. West and Ater were door to door again on lap 5 as Thomas was pulling away. At the mid point the top five were Thomas, West, Ater, Montgomery and Smith. Thomas’ luck ran out on lap 11, when he got together with the lap car of Darrel Prosek, and pulled to the infield. This handed the lead over to West. By lap 15 West, the 2003 Boyd Raceway, Kennedale Speedway Park, and Texas state champion had a full straightaway lead over Ater. West would go on to take an easy win in his Ace Tire Service/Performance Motors/Homemade Chassis I-Hobby 1 9T Jerry West 2 7 Chris Ater 3 38 Allen Montgomery 4 03 Dillon Smith 5 83 Gregg Godfrey 6 8 Barry Tuttle 7 719 Darrel Prosek 8 74 Ted Thomas 9 36 Dustin Lamaster West scored the daily double also taking the only heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted January 4, 2004 Report Share Posted January 4, 2004 Pretty much the way I saw it Reb One important note however: There were 11 Hobbie Stocks on hand. Only 9 lasted to start the main, but 11 were on hand so I beleive that full points will be awarded. Bill "Sarge" Masom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted January 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 Sarge, I know that there was a #4 car that broke in the heat, but I never got his name, and two others that left becuase they didn't want to pay for an IMCA License/couldn't READ the rules. LOL Txmodfan and I dicussed the numbers issue as well, whether it was total on hand or total starting the Main. We weren't sure either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLIDER Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 Thank reb! Good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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