San Antonio Speedway July 17 Race Recap

[GoGirl]

After taking a very hard hit the previous week which left him with a broken right hand and bruised ribs, James Cole was back behind the wheel of his #14, black and orange late model racecar. AND if the bone heals as fast as he races around San Antonio Speedway, the orange cast should be off super quick.

 

Mike Balzer and Wesley McGuffin shared front row starting positions for the 40 lap Late Model main event. As the green flag waved, Balzer jumped into the early lead with Jason Smith, McGuffin, Jesse Salazar and Danny Garcia falling in place behind him. Larry Bendele who started in the seventh spot was already in the top three by Lap 5. The first yellow flag flew when Salazar and James Cole touched, which sent Cole spinning out on the front straightaway. When racing resumed, Balzer was still leading, but not for long as Smith and Bendele zipped past him on Lap 13. Three laps later the yellow flag waved when Jim Creech spun out. Smith, Bendele, McGuffin, Garcia and Robert Barker all took off when the green flag came back out. On Lap 24, as Bendele was going for the lead, he and Smith made contact. Smith bobbled a bit which sent him from first to third. Bendele took the top spot with McGuffin moving into second place. With 10 laps remaining, Mark Ackerman spun out right in front of the leaders, all made it through unscathed. Bendele grabbed the checkered flag followed by McGuffin, Smith, Barker and Cole.

 

Eighteen Sportsman racers were revved up and ready to go for their 25 lap main event. Mark Rahn and George Reyes paced the field to the green flag. Reyes took the lead followed by Jamie Evans, Tom Casey, Justin Oates and Eric Knudtson. Oates, being the fine chauffeur that he is, put his Camaro in the #1 position on Lap 5. The yellow flag came out when the spindle broke on the left front wheel of Jamie Evans' car. On the restart, Oates was leading with Casey, Knudtson, Reyes and Vince Trietch chasing him down. Marcus Bellino, who started near the rear of the field, was now in the sixth spot. The biggest melee of the race occurred when Dwayne Markgraf, Charles Earnhardt and Rodney Rodriguez tangled on the backstretch with 10 laps remaining. When racing resumed, Bellino blasted towards the front, but had to settle for the runner-up position. It was Oates adding another winning trophy to his collection. Knudtson finished in the third spot followed by Tater Mason and Casey.

 

Missy Jones and Kelly Earnhardt were the only two ladies to compete in the 6 lap Women on Wheels main event. Earnhardt won by a ton, thanks to a very heavy right foot. She is also the points leader in this division.

 

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE......well not really, but James Lee did have a $140.00 bounty on his head if anyone could beat him in the Allison Lonestar Legacy feature race. The 20 lap hunt was on and eight racers were hot on Lee's trail. Kyle Sirizzotti set fast time in qualifying which earned him the pole position. The invincible Lee started in the third spot. As the field took the green flag, Sirizzotti took the lead followed by Lee, John Riley and Bill Boeker. Sirizzotti lost Lee's scent on Lap 5 when the car got out from under him as he was approaching lap traffic. Having no place to go, Riley skidded sideways, slapping the driver's side of Sirizzotti's racer. Sirizzotti walked away under his own power. Riley was checked out in the ambulance and later left the track. Kirk Markos and Michael Rhoads were also involved in this incident and both were able to continue. When racing resumed, Lee could not be caught. He captured the win followed by Mel Krauss, Boeker, Rhoads and Markos.

 

Congratulations to all of our winners!