I-37 Speedway Stock classes, results 1/31/04

[rebelracewriter]

Shannon Parsons and MK Wallace paced the 15 car IMCA Stock main to green, with the inside row moving quickly forward. This moved Thomas Earl and Duain Pritchett up to second and third. Pritchett made quick work of Earl and moved along side Parsons on lap 2 as they raced door to door at the line. Pritchett was able to secure the lead in turn one and had a slight lead on lap 3.

 

Benji Kirkpatrick moved into fourth on lap 4 from his fourth row start as the top four started to edge away from the pack. Charlie Wilson, from row six, made his way up to sixth on lap 5. Just before halfway, Pritchett held a car length “Advantage” on Parsons, who was eight cars ahead of Earl. Shad Stevens brought out the caution on lap 9 as he rolled to a stop between turns 3-4.

 

On the restart, Earl took a look inside on Parsons, but Parson was able to hold him off. As the crossed flags were shown it was Pritchett, Parsons, Earl, Kirkpatrick and James Hyde in the top five. By lap 12 the top five had spread out with several car lengths between each. Pritchett was still inching away with five to go, as Earl closed in on Parsons for second. The final caution flew with three to go when Matthew Bagley stopped on track.

 

As green flew for the three lap shootout, Hyde looked low on Kirkpatrick in turns 1-2, Kirkpatrick hung on and took his own look inside Earl in turns 3-4. In the meanwhile Pritchett and Parsons were pulling ahead. On the final lap Kirkpatrick, Wilson and Hyde were three wide in turn three, with Wilson and Hyde getting the worst of it, losing several spots.

 

As the checkers fell it was Pritchett in his Jeffs Performance Automotive/TMM Fabrication/Wise County Detailing/Bilstien Shocks/Metro Colors/Murty Farms/Brads Transmissions/CA’s Auto Supply/Toms Auto Glass/Arty & Son Paint & Body/Midwest Motorsports/Parsons Roofing/Stan Hopkins Co./Aero Race Wheels/Rickys Welding/Hobby Horse Custom Embroidery/We Got Your Number Graphics & Lettering/ Advantage Race Car taking his second win of the I-37 Winter Series.

 

IMCA Stock

pos/car#/driver/start

1 22 Duain Pritchett (5)

2 13 Shannon Parsons (1)

3 47 Thomas Earl (3)

4 47x Benji Kirkpatrick (8)

5 25 Toby Miller (14)

6 4 Jason Honey (4)

7 79 Justin McGehee (12)

8 9 James Hyde (7)

9 55 Charlie Wilson (9)

10 51 Donald Lewis (6)

11 32 Matthew Bagley (11)

12 77 Robin Lutholtz (15)

13 580 MK Wallace (2)

14 23 Shad Stevens (10)

15 424 Chris McDougal? (13)

 

The 20 lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature was led to green by Ben Anderlich and Dustin Lemaster. Ted Thomas moved up to battle side by side with Lemaster at the line for lap 1, with Thomas getting the edge on lap 2. Chris Ater got past Lemaster for second on lap 3, bringing Allen Montgomery along to third on lap 4. By lap 5 Thomas was trying to move away, while R.O.Y. contender Dillon Smith moved around Lemaster for fourth.

 

Ater closed in on Thomas and was trying the high groove on laps 6 and 7, but Thomas fought off the challenge. At the halfway point it was Thomas, Ater, Montgomery, Smith and Lemaster holding the front five spots. Lap 11 saw Smith get around Montgomery to grab third. With five to go, Thomas had three cars over Ater, who had a full straight back to Smith in third.

 

Thomas, who has had trouble with lap cars in past races, was overly cautious as he came up on traffic allowing Ater to close the gap with three to go. Once by Thomas gained a few car lengths back over Ater. As the white flew, Thomas slowed in turns 1-2 and Ater shot by for the lead. Thomas continued to lose spots as he coasted to the line, while Ater piloting the North Texas Angel Plumbing/Ace Tire Repair/Destroyer Chassis grabbed the win.

 

IMCA Hobby Stocks

pos/car#/driver/start

1 7 Chris Ater (5)

2 03 Dillon Smith (6)

3 38 Allen Montgomery (7)

4 74 Ted Thomas (3)

5 53 Carl Woods (8)

6 36 Dustin Lemaster (2)

7 04 Carlos Rangel (9)

8 8 Barry Tuttle (4)

9 08 Ben Anderlich (1)

10 96 Charlie Henley--DNS, Flipped in hot laps