rebelracewriter Posted April 4, 2010 Report Share Posted April 4, 2010 I-37 Raceway, 4/3/10 By J M Hallas Pleasanton, Tx.,(April 3rd, 2010) I-37 Raceway celebrated the Easter weekend Saturday night with several attractions including Ryan Newman's Tornados sponsored NASCAR Sprint Cup car and dozens of goody bags given away to the kids during intermission. Racing action included the IMCA Modified and IMCA Southern Sportmods, both of which saw new winners, the Tator Plumbing Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Front Runners and a return visit from the Brazos Mini Sprints in action on the semi-banked, ¼ mile clay oval. Green Gold in Modified Main Liberty Hill's Rick Green put an end the early streak of Greg Dinsmore in the IMCA Modified class. Green got out front early but gave way to Mike McCarthy on a botched restart. Green got the top spot back after McCarthy and Dinsmore got together while fighting for the lead. From there Green pulled away from Darin Leonard to take the checkers. As green waved on the 20-lap main event Green shot from row 2 for the lead with Leonard and Dinsmore moving up to second and third. McCarthy, Matt Fox and Bob Lienweber were three wide for fourth, with McCarthy getting the position. Dinsmore got by Leonard for second on lap 2 with both coming away with sheet metal damage. Dinsmore had just started working on Green for lead when Marlin Sanford, Fox and Robert Liese jr. tangled in turn 4 to bring out a yellow. Under caution Dinsmore was sent to the pits to remove loose body panels and restarted at the tail. Once back to green Dinsmore shed more parts, while Cody Tidwell, in his first ever Modified ride, spun in turn 1. On the next restart, McCarthy got past Leonard and Green for the lead after a mistake in the flagstand with the lights. Bill Pittaway moved in to battle with Green for second as they ran side by side, while Dinsmore worked his way back to fifth. Lap 7 saw Dinsmore get under Leonard, then Pittaway for third until he spun to bring out a caution. Once back to racing Dinsmore got along side Green for second in turn 2 then by in turn 4. Dinsmore closed on McCarthy and was looking inside on lap 9 when the two made contact sending McCarthy around. Both McCarthy and Dinsmore were forced to pit with flats, putting Green back on the point. Leonard gave Green a quick look low in turn 1, but Tidwell looped his ride to bring the yellow back out. Green got a good jump on the final restart and coming to the crossed flags it was Green, Leonard, Pittaway, Lienweber and Liese in the top five. Green then put some distance on Leonard and Pittaway while Tidwell made his way past Liese for fifth. Greens biggest scare came on lap 16 when Liese did a 360 in turn 4 directly in front the leader. Green, in the Green Construction, Qwik/Green Chassis continued to increase his lead on the final circuits to grab the victory. “Surprisingly, the motor laying down the final laps helped me,” replied Green. “That's when I started pulling away. I like coming down here to run at an IMCA track. It makes the competition a little more even and there's not as much cheating going on.” “The track was pretty good tonight. It was dry slick from the low to middle groove, then up top there was a little cushion. The flagman came up and apologized for the one restart saying it was his mistake with the lights.” “This started out as a Qwik Chassis but over the winter I completely cut it up and redid it. My brother, Randy, and I primarily build the motors.” IMCA Modifieds 82 Rick Green 26 Darin Leonard 37 Bill Pittaway 12 Bob Lienweber 17 Cody Tidwell 53x Matt Fox 67 Robert Liese jr 20 Mike McCarthy 8g Greg Dinsmore c31 Marlin Sanford 24 Tracy Fink IMCA Modified heats Heat #1 26 Darin Leonard 82 Rick Green 20 Mike McCarthy 53x Matt Fox c31 Marlin Sanford Heat #2 8g Greg Dinsmore 37 Bill Pittaway 12 Bob Lienweber 67 Robert Liese jr 17 Cody Tidwell 24 Tracy Fink---DNS Livingston Lands First Ever Sportmod Win When the checkers waved on the 20-lap IMCA Southern Sportmod main, San Antonio's Doug Livingston found himself in a somewhat unfamiliar place, the Winners Circle. Livingston, shopmate of last years track champ, Mark McGahey got by early leader David Routen and never looked back taking his first ever IMCA SSM victory in the Douglas Glass, Struthoff Company, Alamo Bolt & Screw, Mark Warner powered, Smiley's Chassis At the start of the 12-car feature Routen beat Clark Warren out of turn 2 for the lead. Livingston then got by Warren for second and began working on Routen for the lead. Routen and Livingston were side by side, with Ray Doyon III getting by Warren for third when the race's only caution came out on lap 2 for a spin by Leland Frautchi in turn 2. Livingston ducked low on Routen and got the top spot on lap 3, with Doyon repassing Warren for third. Johnny Torres was next to put Warren back a spot taking fourth on lap 3. Doyon moved into second going by Routen on lap 4. Torres then closed in on Routen taking third on lap 5. Robby Minten was next in line to pass Routen leaving him three wide with Bill Pittaway and Jason Stanley for fifth. Pittaway did a small lap in the infield after spinning on the back stretch giving fifth to Stanley. At halfway the top five were Livingston, Doyon, Torres, Minten and Stanley, with Torres pressuring Doyon for the spot. Torres got by Doyon on lap 12, but Livingston was nearly a full straightaway ahead. Livingston caught the back of the pack on lap 14 and cleared traffic without giving up any ground to Torres. Stanley worked his way past Minten for fourth in the waning laps. Up front it was Livingston easily cruising to his inaugural Sportmod win. “It was a lot of luck out there tonight,” commented Livingston on his first win. “The track and the car were just right. It would go anywhere I wanted it to go. This is my first ever feature win anywhere. I've won some heat races, but this is my biggest win.” “Mark(McGahey) and I don't really talk much about our different set-ups. Johnny(Torres) helps me out. We talked today about it. I just do what I think my car needs. On a tacky track this car is usually pretty fast. I thought if I broke out front I'd be able to hold them off.” “ I found myself overdriving the car a couple times because I didn't know where they were or how hard to push the car. I just to find my mark. I knew they were coming, just didn't know how close they were. I feel real comfortable racing with all these guys locally. I got kind of nervous up in Abilene where there were 92 cars.” IMCA Southern Sportmods 89 Doug Livingston 66 Johnny Torres 92 Jason Stanley 4 Robby Minten 09 David Routen 989 Clark Warren 2x Dennis Hilla 37 Bill Pittaway 11 Chris McLendon 00 Leland Frautchi D9 Ray Doyon III---DQ, Tech(Carb) 18 Larry Jernigan---DNS IMCA SSM Heats Heat #1 89 Doug Livingston D9 Ray Doyon III 37 Bill Pittaway 989 Clark Warren 11 Chris McLendon 18 Larry Jernigan SSM Heat #2 92 Jason Stanley 2x Dennis Hilla 66 Johnny Torres 4 Robby Minten 09 David Routen 00 Leland Frautchi It didn't take long in the 15-lap Limited Late Model feature for Wesley Skains to show his dominance again. On green Shannon Moore led the way into turn 1, but Skains swept by in turn 3 to lead the first lap. Richard Bartosh and Gary Hunter both got by Moore on lap 2 for second and third respectively. By lap 5 Skains had run away from Bartosh and Hunter easily cruising to his third victory of the season. Tator Plumbing Limited Late Models 25 Wesley Skains 7 Richard Bartosh 14 Gary Hunter 18 Shannon Moore 33 Barry Major---DNS 12 Kody Hardage---DNS Limited Late Model heat winner, 7 Richard Bartosh Despite a short field of cars the 15-lap Street Stock event didn't lack for excitement. Dennis Jasik grabbed the early lead with Tommy Casey, Wade Jones and AJ Wernette in pursuit. Jasik went high to lap Steve Mireles and almost ran off the back stretch. Going into to turn 3 Jasik spun and broke an axle. This handed the lead to Wernette briefly as Casey got the top spot. Yellow finally waved for Jasik who couldn't get completely off the racing surface. On the restart, Jones got second from Wernette who tried to fight back only to spin himself out in turn 4. Jones then turned up the heat on Casey as they scrapped it out for the lead. Allen Torres brought out the red when he blew a motor and erupted in flames. Torres bailed out of his still moving car as it continued to the infield. Once back to green the fight for the lead continued between Casey and Jones with Jones sticking the nose inside. After a bumper shot on lap 13 Jones got around Casey to lead the white flag lap. Casey came back to dive inside Jones in turns 1-2. The two made contact with Casey retaking the lead. Jones returned the favor in turns 3-4 sending Casey around in turn 4. Jones crossed the line ahead of Wernette, but was black flagged for spinning Casey, handing the win to Wernette. Street Stocks 37 AJ Wernette 15 Tommy Casey 41 Wade Jones---BF Rough Driving 94 Allen Torres 8 Dennis Jasik 74x Steve Mireles Street Stock heat winner, 15 Tommy Casey Heat winners Patrick White and Freddie Gierisch stayed side by side through turns 1-2 at the start of the Pure Stock feature. White got sideways coming out of turn 4, half spun and clipped Gierisch who held on to lead lap 1. Kevin Hyland gave Gierisch an early challenge with Frank Okruhlik, Jarret Payton. Anna Major and Brandy Ramzinski ran door to door for sixth until Ramzinski spun, with defending track champ, Marc Roy moving up to fifth. Roy then took over fourth from Major and third from Payton on lap 6. Gierisch's rein out front ended with a flat right front on lap 7 and brought out the caution. This put Hyland in the lead for the restart, but that didn't last long as Roy shot by as green waved again for the lead on lap 8. Back in the back, Rick Snyder and William Cavender had their own personal battle going for fourth. After three laps of nearly side by side racing, Snyder got the position. Roy was increasing his margin over Hyland, while White worked his way back up to fifth after his earlier spin. Snyder's night ended in a plume of smoke with his car losing parts to bring out a yellow on lap 16. Roy got away quickly on the restart while Major got past James Watson and Cavender for fourth. At the checkers it was Roy taking the victory with a comfortable margin over Hyland. Pure Stocks 24 Mark Roy 72 Kevin Hyland 33 Anna Major 44 James Watson 15 William Cavender 66R Rick Snyder 19 Freddie Gierisch 9 Jarret Payton 99 Frank Okruhlik 88 Brandy Ramzinski 25 Chance Skains 17 Patrick White---DQ, Tech(Vacuum) Pure Stock heat winners, 17 Patrick White, 19 Freddie Gierisch Cody Earnhardt got the best of the three wide battle for the lead as green waved on th 15-lap Front Runner feature. As Earnhardt, James Sanford and Jerry Jones ran nose to tail, they quickly put distance on Alec Jasik and Brent Bouchillion. By lap 3 the lead trio were already up to the back of the pack. Earnhardt tangled with a lapped car giving the lead to Sanford on lap 7 with Jones taking second. Jasik, Bouchillion and Cameron Smith were three wide for fourth coming up on the same traffic. Smith and Bouchillion got together with Bouchilion going around to bring out a caution on lap 8. The top three broke away clean on the restart with Jones giving Sanford a little pressure. Sanford was able to hold off the charge, while Jones fell back into the clutches of Earnhardt. Earnhardt got past Jones on the last lap, but Sanford was well out front and taking the checkers. Front Runners 35 James Sanford 33 Cody Earnhardt 95 Jerry Jones 13 Cameron Smith 8jr Alec Jasik 20 Brent Bouchillion T30 Chad Thrush 98 Amber Clay 113 Hailie Marcx 7x Streling Goyett 911 Nick Hencey 96 Steve Stanley 66R Cindy Snider Front Runner heat winners, 911 Nick Hencey, 33 Cody Earnhardt The two Wren brothers were the class of the field in the 20-lap Brazos Mini Sprint feature. Ralph Wren beat Troy Wren into turn 1 for lead, with Kyle Thompson, Hunter Montgomery, Trevor Reed and Anthony Smith falling in line. The top six separated out and began pulling away from the second pack early. Nearing halfway, the top three had began to put some space on Thompson, who had Montgomery, coming back from last week's flip, closing, while Smith began to fade. Thompson spun on lap 9 in between turns 1-2, got over on the left side tires and tipped over easily, bringing out a red. The top four got a good jump on green, while Ken Pearson began pressuring Smith for fifth. Smith and Pearson ran wheel to wheel for several laps until caution waved for Reagan Reed, who lost a motor on lap 14. Once back to green, R. Wren go a huge jump with T. Wren, Montgomery and T. Reed battling nose to tail for second. At the checkers it was R. Wren by a half straightaway taking the victory. Brazos Mini Sprints 4w Ralph Wren(S) 44w Troy Wren 5 Hunter Montgomery 28 Trevor Reed 337 Anthony Smith 17 Ken Pearson 84 Trevor Barr(O) 42 Scott Blakely 14 Jacob Gilliam 7 Reagan Reed® 87 Kyle Thompson Brazos Mini Sprint heat winners, 44w Troy Wren, 4w Ralph Wren Kids Go-Karts 9-under, 22 Cameron Migura 9 Caitlin Leonard 37 Aaron Trevino 5 Tyler Barr 8g Logan Dinsmore 10-up, 33j Jacob Franke 9 Cody Leonard 13 Cody Smith 37 Alex Trevino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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