ROMCO @ THR Recap----Finally

[rebelracewriter]

Sorry but last nights power failure sure put a crimp in my getting caught up with 3 nights of IHRA and ROMCO, plus forwarding everyone elses results, etc., etc. Ya I know WAHHHHHHH WAHHHHHHH. LOL

 

In qualifying it was last years champion, Brandon Bendele in his Premier Minerals/Lone Star Light/Oval Components/KB Webdesign/Monte Carlo posting the quickest time of the 26 cars, on the reworked 3/8 mile paved oval. With the top four inverted Bendele started fourth, putting Colt James and Greg Davidson on the front row.

 

There’s an old saying that old age and experience will beat youthful exuberance, but that didn’t hold true as the 20 year old, James was first into turn one. Davidson fell in behind, while Doug Hooks and Bendele stayed side by side on the newly widened back stretch. Cautions flew early for spins by Cory Lovell on lap 2, John David on the lap 7 restart and again on lap 14 when former THR Track champ, Heath Stewart spun, with Kent Baltzell, T Wade Welch and Josh Trees spinning in the back up.

 

David would bring out the yellow again on lap 24 when his car died and rolled to a stop just off the racing surface. As racing resumed, the top four of James, Davidson, Hooks and Bendele put a little distance over fifth place and former ROMCO Champ, Tommy Grimes, who had a gap back to Mark Chrudimsky, Bradley Riethmeyer and Welch.

 

David Diel brought out the yellow hankie on lap 34 when he looped his mount in turn 2. Once back to green, with the top ten holding ranks, the car on the charge was Stewart, who was working his way back up. James and Davidson got a three car advantage over the Hooks, Bendele battle by lap 40. By lap 43 Davidson was starting to pressure the younger James for the lead.

 

Chrudimsky moved inside Grimes for fifth on lap 45 as the two ran door to door. Chrudimsky made the pass stick, with Riethmeyer jumping in the open hole to get past Grimes as well. Just as Hooks and Bendele were closing back in on the lead duo, yellow flew when Tony Jackson and Donny Nesloney spun collecting Lovell and Trees on lap 54. Stewart who had worked back into the top ten, pitted and lost a lap in the process.

 

Davidson wasted little time putting the bumper back on James as the green flew, but James held his ground. As the race came to halfway the top four of James, Davidson, Hooks and Bendele were still nose to tail, with Chrudimsky three cars back and Riethmeyer in sixth. Chrudimsky and Riethmeyer ran down the top four and were about to make it a six car fight, but caution came out when Tom Grotheus and Robert Richardson got tangled on lap 65.

 

Back under green, Davidson again was using the chrome horn as they got away from Hooks and Bendele by a few car lengths on lap 75. Davidson again the ‘bump and run’ going into turn 3, but James hung on. Three laps later Davidson got the nose inside James coming out of turn 4, but James slammed the door going into turn 1. Bendele, decided it was time to go with 45 laps to go as he got past Hooks for third, giving Chrudimsky the chance to jump inside Hooks for fourth.

 

When the lead train caught lap traffic on lap 81, James was forced to slow quickly in turn 1. Davidson had no where to go and punted James, with Bendele and others getting sideways and spinning as the field stacked up. Davidson broke clear and free, but spun on the backstretch afet contact with the lap car. Everyone was given their position back on the restart, with the lap being deemed the guilty party. Riethmeyer was forced to pit with wrinkled up, front body work rubbing a tire.

 

On the restart Hooks got turned around by Grimes, with an unhappy Hooks looking for Grimes under yellow. Both were sent to the tail on the restart. With eyes on the front and back of the pack, James got a slight lead as the race restarted. Davidson and Bendele quickly ran James back down as the pulled ahead of Chrudimsky, Welch and Eddie Wallace. Lap 98 saw Chrudimsky pull into the pit after fading to sixth.

 

The “Big One” came on lap 99, when Davidson blew up, putting moisture down on the track. Davidson, Bendele slid off turn 3 with Thad Felton and others sliding through the wet spot. In the melee Bendele got drilled and was damaged too much to continue. On the restart, Welch tried to hang with James, but James inched away from Welch and Wallace. Lap 105 saw Cory Roper get tapped and sent spinning by Riethmeyer, who had just worked his way back the front. Riethmeyer went to the back again.

 

James got a good jump on the restart and built a five car lead over Welch, Wallace and Hooks, who had made his way to the front again on lap 105. Riethmeyer took no prisoners as he worked through lap cars and back to the top ten by lap 107. James held a good lead on lap 110, while Riethmeyer moved into the top five on lap 113.

 

In the final ten laps James ran up on lap traffic, but was able to hold a three car margin over Welch, who had a gap to Wallace, Hooks and Riethmeyer. With five to go, Welch was sneaking back up on James when the final yellow flew when Baltzell, David Lehnert and Raymond Pattison made contact.

 

This set up a 5 lap shootout to the finish, but that almost never came about when James moved out to three car lengths as the green flew. Welch inched closer and closer as the final few laps ticked away. Welch got to James bumper on the last lap, but that was as close as he would get. James too the win with Welch hanging on the rear bumper.

 

This was the first ever ROMCO win for the youngster after three years of trying. James flies in from North Carolina, where he is a NASCAR Tech Student, working in Robert Yates engine shop, to run the series.

 

An elated James said in the winners circle, “Its been a long three years with no success. If I ever wanted to win one, it would be at Thunder Hill”, (his home track). “I tried to save my tires early while Greg(Davidson) was trying to pressure him into burning them off” he added. James pilots a 2003 Monte Carlo on a Left-hander chassis sponsored by Meredith Racing Engines/TRC Race Cars with support from his mom, dad and crew.