ROMCO Results from Thunder Hill

[rebelracewriter]

ROMCO 125 @ Thunder Hill Raceway 4-5-03

By J M Hallas

Pass for lead in final laps, puts Wallace in winners circle.

Kyle, Texas. In qualification, former two-time NASCAR Sunbelt Series Champion, Brandon Bendele set fast time, turning the 3/8 mile D-shaped asphalt track, at 14.472 seconds. With the four car invert Bendele would start outside row two, putting John David and Eddy Wallace on the front row. David grabbed the lead on green, while the pack stayed side by side from fourth on back through the pack. The pack quickly sorted out into single file racing on the always tricky track, with Bendele falling all the way back to eighth.

 

The top five started to ease ahead by lap 5, with Tommy Grimes battling with Wallace for second. John Kelly ran down the top five just before a caution came out on lap 22 for debris. During the yellow, Houston race winner, Doug Hooks pitted with a blunted up nose after contact. Hooks visited the pits several times, shedding body parts with each stop. On the restart David continued to hold the lead, the first race he’s led since 1999, a race that he won.

 

Caution flew again on lap 31 when Stevie Foster scattered the wall protecting tires in turn four. Bendele got around Kelly on the restart to move up another spot to sixth, while the top three of David, Wallace and Grimes began to pull away. A big tangle on lap 46 slowed the action again, when Colt James, Joey Schillings and a host of others gathered in turn one. Top ten runners, Mark Chrudimsky and Heath Stewart both pitted during the yellow, Stewart returned, Chrudimsky parked it.

 

The top eight stayed nose to tail once back under green, and at halfway the top five were David, Wallace, Grimes, T Wade Welch and Bendele. Greg Davidson got by his son and 2002 ROMCO champ Chris Davidson on lap 63, only to slow a couple laps later. G. Davidson pitted during a caution for spins by Clay Huckaby and Schillings on lap 65. The green wasn’t out long when Jay Watson spun at one end of the track and John Meyer spun at the other on lap 72.

 

Once back under green, the top six inched ahead until Huickaby spun again on lap 90 with flat left rear. On the restart, the top six separated out with a car length or two between them, but Wallace closed back in on David by lap 100. Bendele got around Welch on lap 112 for forth as the top three pulled out to a slight advantage. With 15 to go Wallace was challenging hard on David, who was getting a little loose coming out of the corners.

 

At 10 laps to go David had only ½ car over Wallace, who had a car length back to Grimes, with Bendele five back of Grimes. Traffic stacked up the top runners allowing Bendele to close on Grimes with 7 to go. Wallace tried inside a couple times until he was finally able to get the nose under David with 3 to go. Wallace got the point going into turn one as David got hung out on the high side and fell back to fourth. Wallace held off Grimes the final laps to take the victory in the MATCO Tolls/Henna Chevrolet/Longneck Wrench/Leroy Porter/Monte Carlo.

 

 

Eddy Wallace

Tommy Grimes

Brandon Bendele

John David

T Wade Welch

John Kelly

Chris Davidson

Matt Brune

HE Naumann

John Meyer

Jay Watson

Ronnie Hall

Joey Schillings

Eddie Butt

Robert Richardson

Josh Trees

Clay Huckaby

Chris Comalander

Heath Stewart

Greg Davidson

Mark Chrudimsky

Colt James

Bradley Riethmeyer

Stevie Foster

Doug Hooks

 

J M Hallas

RAT Traxx racing paper

[NickHolt]

Official Results of the ROMCO SLM 125-lap feature at Thunder Hill Raceway, 4-5-03

 

Position, Number, Name, Hometown, Laps, Green laps led, Fastest race lap, Start position, Qual time, Money won, and Points

 

1. 55, Eddy Wallace, Round Rock, TX, 125, 4, 15.026, 2, 14.558, $3,600, 90

2. 22, Tommy Grimes, San Antonio, TX, 125, 0, 14.961, 3, 14.515, $2,000 , 87

3. 8, Brandon Bendele, Adkins, TX, 125, 0, 15.045, 4, 14.472, $1,600 , 89

4. 90, John David, Odessa, TX, 125, 85, 15.081, 1, 14.610, $1,400, 81

5. 13, T Wade Welch, Houston, TX, 125, 0, 15.055, 7, 14.677, $1,200 , 78

6. 57, John Kelly, San Antonio, TX, 125, 0, 15.074, 9, 14.722, $1,000 , 75

7. 14, Chris Davidson, Pearland, TX, 125, 1, 15.160, 11, 14.739, $800 , 72

8. 71, Matt Brune, Sheridan, TX, 125, 0, 15.114, 18, 14.866, $850 , 69

9. 44, H.E. Naumann, Austin, TX, 125, 0, 15.186, 17, 14.864, $700 , 66

10. 79, John Meyer, Floresville, TX, 125, 0, 15.319, 19, 14.868, $600, 63

11. 48, Jay Watson, Midland, TX, 125, 0, 15.269, 16, 14.815, $600, 60

12. 144, Ronnie Hall, Unknown Home Town , TX, 124, 0, 15.120, 21, 15.148, $500 , 57

13. 7, Joey Shillings, Thorndale, TX, 124, 0, 15.220, 15, 14.812, $450, 54

14. 41, Eddie Butt, Corpus Christi, TX, 122, 0, 15.389, 22, 15.301, $400 , 51

15. 33, Robert Richardson, Mc Kinney, TX, 122, 0, 15.319, 20, 14.917, $375, 48

16. 5, Josh Trees, Red Oak, TX, 121, 0, 15.601, 25, 15.603, $350, 45

17. 17, Clay Huckaby, Buda, TX, 120, 0, 15.337, 14, 14.785, $325, 42

18. 69, Chris Comalander, Beaumont, TX, 119, 0, 15.433, 24, 15.423, $300, 39

19. 32, Heath Stewart, Del Valle, TX, 106, 0, 15.292, 13, 14.778, $250, 36

20. 96, Greg Davidson, Pearland, TX, 66, 0, 15.161, 12, 14.746, $200, 33

21. 39, Mark Chrudimsky, Hutto, TX, 51, 0, 15.201, 5, 14.621, $175, 30

22. 15, Colt James, Buda, TX, 47, 0, 15.069, 8, 14.715, $150, 27

23. 49, Bradley Riethmeyer, Hutto, TX, 44, 0, 15.169, 10, 14.728, $125 , 24

24. 4, Stevie Foster, Adkins, TX, 31, 0, 15.387, 23, 15.414, $100 , 21

25. 99, Doug Hooks, Dripping Springs, TX, 30, 0, 15.328, 6, 14.667, $75, 18

 

Did not start race: Tuffy Hudson # 0, engine problems.

Registered for race, did not show: Tommy Grothues # 11, Kent Baltzell #19, Cory Lovell #91

Fastest four qualifying positions were inverted.

Brandon Bendele was fast qualifer at 14.472, picks up 5 extra points and 4qts Mobile One Racing Oil from American Performance Products and Services.

Crew Chief award, Ringers Glove, to the winning vehicle # 55, sponsored by American Performance Products and Services.

Matt Brune wins $100 for most improved position sponsored by American Radio, Robbie and Becky Davidson.

Eddy Wallace wins Radius Rod Measurement Tool from Precision Measurements, Joe Cantrell.