SAS Recap and Results 7/24/04

[rebelracewriter]

San Antonio Speedway 7/24/04

By J M Hallas

 

HOGS Run Wild at SAS

San Antonio, Texas., In Texas Asphalt Modified Series qualifying, Bruce Beddoe was the fastest of the 18 cars that took time in the Andrews Distributing/JL Masters & Sons Custom Homes/Alexanders House Moving/Ruud Air Conditioning/TNT Crane/Buddy’s Place/B&S Racing/HOG Chassis.

 

Beddoe and Chris Swenson held the front row of the 50 lap A-main on the ½ mile high-banked track. Beddoe was first into turn 1, with Swenson trying a crossover move to get under Beddoe coming out of turn 1. Swenson was unable to get by and fell back in line down the back stretch. By lap 5 Beddoe and Swenson had started to pull away from Matt Brune in third, when David Machen tagged the turn 4 wall and spun.

 

Beddoe and Swenson took off on green, while Joey Heinaman looked for a way around Brune. Jerry Schild got by Matthew Gardener on lap 8 to move into the top five. Heinaman and Brune were side by side on lap 9, with Heinaman finishing the pass. Beddoe built a car length lead over Swenson by lap 10, with Swenson having a big gap back to Heinaman and a six car battle for fourth, led by Brune.

 

The yellow waved on lap 14 when John Witzche spun and barely tapped the inside pit wall. Once back to green, Beddoe and Swenson were inching away from Heinaman until yellow flew again on lap 19 for a spin by Milton Krauss. Just after green waved, Witzche slowed and nearly spun to bring out a caution on lap 21.

 

As the race resumed and came to the crossed flags it was Beddoe, Swenson, Heinaman, Brune and Schild in the top five spots. A lap later Don Banker blew the motor, with Kenny Huggins spinning in the fluid and collecting Krauss. After a lengthy clean up, the lead duo of Beddoe and Swenson took off on green. Going into turn 3, Beddoe slipped going through the kitty litter, but Swenson was unable to capitalize.

 

On lap 30 Beddoe had three car lengths on Swenson, who held a good advantage over Heinaman. Witzche and Joey Shaffer made contact sending Shaffer spinning on lap 31. Gary Junco spun to miss the disabled car Shaffer. Beddoe and Swenson again eased away from the field as green came out. The field had spread itself out by six-eight car lengths as lap 35 clicked off.

 

Witzche brought his final yellow on lap 35 when he spun and was forced to retire under the three incident rule. With ten to go it looked like Beddoe and Swenson would settle things among themselves as the checked out from the pack. Beddoe started to get a slight lead on lap 42, but Swenson began to reel him back in. As Swenson closed, the points leader Beddoe expired his motor and Swenson spun in the fluid, backing into the wall.

 

During the clean up, Heinaman assumed the lead, with Brune, Schild, Jeff Smith and Larry Smith moving up to the top five. On the restart, Schild got into Brune in turn 3 sending both spinning. L. Smith, and John Paul Kliewer got collected, with Steve Clegg sliding into the pile. All drivers were alright and Schild was the only one unable to continue.

 

Heinaman got a good jump as green waved, while Swenson was charging back up after restarting at the tail. With Heinaman creeping away, Swenson grabbed fifth form Clegg, then fourth for Kliewer with three to go. As the white waved, Heinaman had a comfortable margin over Brune as the top three were separated by five car lengths.

 

As the checkers flew it was Heinaman in a second HOG Chassis, sponsored by Bill Meyers Repair Shop, Absolute Carpet Cleaning, Bartell Motorsports, Commercial Coachworks and JAKO Graphics taking the win, his fourth of the year.

 

TAMS Feature Results

Pos/Car#/Driver/Start

1 71 Joey Heinaman (3)

2 75 Matt Brune (4)

3 23 Jeff Smith (5)

4 22 John Paul Kliewer (7)

5 36 Steve Clegg (13)

6 14 Larry Smith (10)

7 55 Joey Shaffer (14)

8 78 Greg Baber (11)

9 65 Gary Junco (16)

10 18 Bruce Beddoe (1)

11 5 Jerry Schild (8)

12 97 John Witzche (17)

13 37 Don Banker (12)

14 11 Kenny Huggins (15)

15 70 Milton Krauss (18)

16 20 Matthew Gardener (6)

17 81 David Machen (9)

18 29 Billy Becka (19)

Chris Swenson (2)—DQ, Too Light

 

The local Late Model feature got off to a rough start, when outside polesitter Michael Lampton got loose coming out of the treacherous turn 2. Lampton got into polesitter Mark Ackerman with both spinning. Mike Balzer got collected in the melee, James Cole slid into the inside wall and Danny Garcia took a trip through the muddy infield grass. Cole and Ackerman were done for the night, Lampton returned late to complete a few more laps.

 

The new front row of Wesley McGuffin and Jesse Salazar then led the field to green the second time, with McGuffin getting the point in turn 1. Jason Smith and Larry Bendele both got by Salazar to move up to second and third. Bendele was looking to get inside J. Smith on lap 2, with both closing on McGuffin by lap 5.

 

By lap 10, McGuffin had began to pull away from the J. Smith, Bendele battle, while Balzer and Garcia fought for fourth. Garcia was able to grab the spot on lap 15 after several tries. At halfway the top five were McGuffin, J. Smith, Bendele, Garcia and Salazar after Balzer pitted. Bendele turned up the heat on J. Smith after halfway giving him the chrome horn on a couple occasions.

 

McGuffin continued to increase his lead to a six second advantage on lap 30, with Garcia catching the scrap for second as the trio ran nose to tail. With McGuffin sailing off into the sunset, Bendele got the nose inside J. Smith but was unable to get by. With ten to go, McGuffin had over a quarter track lead, as the war still raged for second.

 

Bendele and J. Smith made slight contact on lap 46, allowing Garcia to get along side Bendele who slid high. Garcia got third and was looking to grab second with two to go. As the white flag flew on McGuffin, who had almost a half track lead, Garcia got loose coming out of turn 4 giving Bendele the chance to get inside.

 

The two ran side by side down the front stretch into turns 1-2. In the meantime, it was the former American Race Truck Series driver, McGuffin in the Martin Cleaning Service and Lawn Maintenence/WW Shredding/JW Racing late model taking his first ever win.

 

SAS Late Models

1 31 Wesley McGuffin

2 28 Jason Smith

3 97 Danny Garcia

4 23 Larry Bendele

5 18 Jesse Salazar

6 50 Brian Mocyzgemba

7 15 Jeff Moore

8 77 Mike Balzer

9 32 Michael Lampton

10 13 Jeff Smith

11 37 Mark Ackerman

12 14 James Cole

97 Robert Barker—DNS, blew motor/crashed in practice

0 Justin Oates–-DNS, crashed in practice

 

In the Road Runner class, George Reyes got the lead on lap 1 and never looked back. Reyes built a big lead while Mark Mathias, Greg Rohmer and Irish O’Leary battled for second. Reyes lost his big lead after a caution for Ken Jones, who slapped the wall on lap 12. Reyes was able to hold off Mathias the final three laps to get the win, his first of the year.

 

Road Runners

1 73 George Reyes

2 20 Mark Mathias

3 13 Greg Rohmer

4 55 Irish O’Leary

5 10 Ken Jones

6 5 Jason Kelly jr

7 79 Randy Frautschi