Dinsmore, Torres Still On Win Streaks at I-37

[tqj3]

Dinsmore, Torres Still On Win Streaks at I-37 Raceway; Danielson, Sowder Get First Wins

 

Pleasanton – It may have been sweetness and light among the fans at I-37 Raceway at Newsome Motor Park on Saturday, May 7 as the mothers in the stands were honored with flowers on the eve of Mothers' Day, but there was a bit of chaos on the track with two drivers getting upside down in the IMCA Modified feature, fortunately without injury to anything but their pride and their pocketbooks.

The Modified race itself was a study in yellow as caution flags flew seemingly every lap, but all the extra laundry meant to Greg Dinsmore was that many more opportunities to demonstrate his mastery of the field as he blew them away at every green flag restart on the way to winning his sixth race, chased to the line by Darin Leonard, Bill Pittaway and Dennis Taylor. A good field of a dozen cars took the green for the feature, the best showing for the class this season.

Johnny Torres hasn't lost this year, either, but he has had to work very hard to kept that record in the IMCA Southern Sport Mods as he's been pressured at various times by Michael Hernandez, Larry Jernigan, Mickey Helms, Kris Rye, Greg Rohmer, Moe VanKirk, Tom Grothues and Randy Yount, among others. Three cars didn't make the start of the sport Mod race, but there were still 17 cars on the track when the green flag fell on the sports Mod feature.

This time the field got scattered and reformed several times as cars dropped out or spun and had to make up the time, or try to make it up. At the end it was Torres out front with Hernandez second, Rye third and the ageless Larry Jernigan fourth.

A class that began a comeback last season with the help of Tator Mason of Tator Plumbing as a class sponsor, the Limited Late Models have been growing rapidly and 11 cars took the green Saturday night. Former pavement racer Matt Hodge from Kyle was again a contender in the "Limited Lates," leading the first four or five laps before eventual winner Trey Votion managed to catch him and get by, but Hodge is probably going to win won before the season is over. Richard Bartosh had a hard run to finish second with Hodge battling him all the way.

The Street Stocks, which a couple of times last year saw only three cars take the green, this season has been fielding more cars nearly every race and this week a baker's dozen made the start and produced one of the two new winners at I-37 last Saturday as Stephan Danielson won one heat race and then out fought the usual front runners to take his first win ahead of A. J. Dancer, Mike Lyon, Wade Jones and the other heat race winner, Dennis Hilla. Some of the faster Street Stock drivers had problems, including A. J. Wernette and Tommy Casey.

The Pure Stock race is usually one of the best of the night, in part because the cars are evenly matched and well driven and in part because the "Pures" usually bring the most cars, as they did on Saturday when 19 cars took the green flag for the feature. The leading pack at nearly every race this year has included Frank Okruhlik, Brandy Ramzinski, Justin Henley, Jarrett Payton and Janel Hilla, who won her fifth heat race in a row this week.

But the feature was another win for Okruhlik, who had to fight past Hilla, Ramzinski, Payton and Henley to get this one with Henley second, last week's first time winner Payton third and Hilla fourth. This battle just gets better every week.

The Front Runners had ten cars on the track and one left in the pits as the green flag fell on a race that saw another first time winner, Landon Sowder, stay in the mix and then get lucky at the end to lead the only lap that matters, the last. That put him ahead of the Earnhardt

brothers, Cody and Charlie III, who had been having problems. Jimmy Carroll would end up second ahead of Cody Earnhardt. Hailee Marcx was also fast, but her car broke early in the race.

I-37 Raceway will race again on May 14. The track is not just an inexpensive night of entertainment; it is also within inexpensive driving distance of Pleasanton, Atascosa County and South San Antonio. Gates open at 5:00 pm and racing starts at 7:00, usually ending before 11:00 pm, and there is almost always a breeze blowing from behind the grandstand even on warm nights.

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T. Q. Jones, Media Director, P. O. Box 341706, Austin, TX 78734

PH: (512) 261-5236 Email: tqjones13@earthlink.net

[matt5858]

Thanks for the positve comment T.Q! It is going to be tough to beat these guys but with time I think I can get me a win too!

[drew]

Thanks for the positve comment T.Q! It is going to be tough to beat these guys but with time I think I can get me a win too!

 

 

Matt---your car is good n fast bro.. Your right up there with em...Your time is commin soon! Taliwhacker style