Icebreaker @ Abilene Speedway Sat 2/28/04

[rebelracewriter]

Icebreaker @ Abilene Speedway 2/28/04

By J M Hallas

Former Abilene Track Champ, Ends Drought With Icebreaker Win

Tommy Fain and Josh McGaha led the 20 car IMCA Modified 20 lap A-Main to green. As the green flew, Gary Underwood got sideways in front of nearly the entire field. Somehow everyone was able to avoid any major contact. On the second try, Fain jumped out front but hit the rut in turn 1, stacking up the field, letting Robert Gallegos get into second and McGaha falling back.

 

Bo Briley rolled to stop on the next lap to slow the action. On the restart Trent Crawford, Vince Ogle and Robby Edwards all moved around Joe Colyer. By lap 5 Fain had put a little distance on Gallegos, while Edwards was getting by Ogle for fourth. Edwards would spin himself out a half lap later and retire.

 

Back under green Fain got a five car edge over Gallegos, with Ogle trying McGaha for third, while Scotty Cook and Crawford were wheel to wheel for fifth. McGaha was side by side with Ogle on lap 9 as Tony Kegley moved into fifth. At halfway the top five were Fain, Gallegos, McGaha, Ogle and Kegley.

 

Ogle then began his march to the front disposing of McGaha on lap 13, then Gallegos on lap 14 to grab second. The top six had just started to gap the field when caution flew for an infield tire on the track. On the restart Ogle took a look inside Fain, but fell back in line. Cook got around Kegley on lap 14 only to break a couple laps later.

 

Fain and Ogle began to inch away from the pack when Kegley got into McGaha. McGaha was trying to hit the back pit exit and collected Mark Patterson to bring out yellow on lap 17. Ogle again tried Fain as the green flew, but Fain slammed the door. Fain then hit the rut in turn 1 and was still loose down the back stretch. Ogle jumped on the chance and slipped by Fain for lead on lap 19. Ogle, the 2000 and 2001 Abilene Speedway track Champion would go on to grab the checkers and break his long dry spell, in his unsponsored Big Dog Chassis. Ogle gets help from his wife, Heather, Kelly Allen and Jeff Valamont.

 

 

Pos/Car#/Driver/Start

1 49 Vince Ogle (7)

2 90 Tommy Fain (1)

3 11 Robert Gallegos (8)

4 44 Trent Crawford (5)

5 0 Bo Briley (14)

6 167 Bob Sikes (15)

7 8 Dale Sudberry (16)

8 21 Joe Colyer (6)

9 02 David Davis (19)

10 763 Tony Kegley (10)

11 71 Charles Lamb (20)

12 911 Josh McGaha (2)

13 2 Allen Colyer (13)

14 9 Mark Patterson (18)

15 18 Scotty Cook ( 9)

16 69 Danny Hogue (3)

17 34 Chance Kimberling (17)

18 43 Robby Edwards (12)

19 99 Gary Underwood (4)

20 47 Josh Truman (11)

 

 

Fletcher Goes Two For Two

Once again only 10 cars started the Sprint Car feature, with Larry Crenshaw and Jim Gracy on row one. Crenshaw got out into turn 1 first, with Russ Fletcher pulling along side in turn 3. Before the completion of lap 1 Benjamin Broyles flipped his ride in turn 4, Broyles was alright but done for the night. Crenshaw again got out first on the restart, with Kolt Walker looking inside. Lap 2 saw Fletcher get around Gracy for third. Both Walker and Fletcher made the pass on Crenshaw during lap 3.

 

Walker got a slight advantage on lap 4 when Fletcher hit a rut in turn 1. Fletcher quickly ran Walker back down and got a caution on lap 6 when Crenshaw rolled to a stop. Walker and Fletcher started to check out on the restart only to yellow fly again when John Muhleman stopped on track.

 

Walker caught the infamous turn 1 rut on the restart allowing Fletcher to sail on past for the lead on lap 8. Once out front Fletcher began pull ahead until Muhleman brought out the yellow after a spin in turn 2. On the restart Fletcher jumped out, while Sam Hafetepe tried to get under Gracy for third. At the mid-point it was Fletcher, Walker, Gracy, Morgan, Haffertepe, Brad Welborn and Robert Byrom.

 

With Fletcher running away, Walker put some distance on Gracy,who had Morgan closing in. With five to go Fletcher had nearly a 1/2 track lead over Walker. Morgan caught Gracy on lap 17 and got by for third on lap 18. But it was clear sailing for Fletcher who grabbed his second win in two nights, piloting the Hanner Chevrolet/WTSSE/Sullivans Powder Coating/ RingoDrilling/Danz Designs/Sanford Race Engines/ J&J Chassis.

 

Sprint Cars

Pos/Car#/Driver/Start

1 46 Russ Fletcher (4)

2 45 Kolt Walker (3)

3 8 Elmer Morgan (9)

4 57 Jim Gracy (2)

5 15 Sam Hafertepe (6)

6 17 Brad Welborn (7)

7 14 Robert Byrom (5)

8 3 John Muhleman (8)

9 11 Larry Crenshaw (1)

10 99 Benjamin Broyles (10)

 

 

Mini Modifieds

1 22 Bill Brezezinski

2 71 AC Urbanowsky

3 46 John Anderson

4 9 Joe Flenner

5 12 Robert Barnett

6 175 Terry Owen

7 68 Doyle Tennison

8 75 Bob Eshleman

9 31 Steve Huse