Thunder Hill Raceway recap, 8/14/04

[NickHolt]

GORDON WINS AGAIN AT THUNDER HILL RACEWAY

 

By Jon Sagester

 

KYLE--Earning his second win in three weeks Jay Gordon (San Marcos) started on the pole and led the 10-car field through 20 laps in the Capital City Trade and Technical School Hobby Stock feature race at Thunder Hill Raceway Saturday night.

 

Pressured by Kyle’s Matt Hodge for most of the race, Gordon set the pace and kept Hodge behind him. Halfway through Gary Chancellor (Bastrop) moved up from his eighth-place starting position and made his bid on Gordon, passing Hodge and settling in second place on lap 17. They finished the race in that order with Gordon taking the win, Chancellor second and Hodge third. Gordon also won the first Hobby Stock heat race.

 

That makes the third week in a row the construction worker with King and Gordon Construction has started on the pole, and the second time he’s led all 20 laps for the win. Sponsored by Pullin Racing Engines, King and Gordon Construction, and Roadrunner Recycling, Gordon has guided his ’82 Chevy Camaro to five top five finishes in the six races he’s entered this season.

 

Finishing fifth Saturday night, Kyle’s David Hassinger has a comfortable 186 point lead with 1,611 points in the Hobby Stock points race. Joey Tschoerner (Bartlett) has 1,425 points for second place and Kevin Bowen (Hutto) is third with 1,422.

 

Winning his first A-Line Auto Parts Street Stock feature this year was Terry Tschoerner, (Taylor) who also started on the pole and stayed in front of the 16 other cars through the 30 lap race.

 

There were actually two races in one as Bruce Hinson (Marble Falls) and Tschoerner ran bumper-to-bumper throughout the evening. The two cars got out to a five or six car length lead over the rest of the pack and Hinson was able to get alongside Tschoerner a couple of times, but just didn’t have the extra push needed to take over the lead.

 

Meanwhile, Jim Teague (Dale) and Duane Toyne (Leander) were creating their own race for the third spot. They fought each other through half the race before Teague was able to get inside Toyne on lap 14 and secure a third place finish. Although he’s fifth in the Street Stock points race Teague has 10 top five finishes, with four wins. So far he is the only driver at Thunder Hill with three straight wins.

 

San Marcos’ Cary Stapp started ninth and finished fourth to maintain his second place position in the points race, just 58 points behind Bobby Teer, Jr. (Dale) with 1,414 points. Third place is held by Bobby LaFont (Volente) with 1,312.

 

The Grand Stocks put on their regular exciting show spinning and banging around the track, with Mike Davis (San Marcos) picking up his second win in a row and his fourth of the season. Jim “Cooter” Lynch (Austin) finished second with Kyle’s Daniel Hassinger coming in third.

 

Walt Carpenter leads in Grand Stock points with 1,075, and Marcia Moore follows with 965. Jim Lynch is third with 895 points.

 

Fun was the name of the game during intermission, highlighted by an entertaining “Celebrity Race” featuring San Marcos Daily Record Sports Editor Randy Stevens, Digitz from MIX 94.7, KVET AM’s Erin Hogan, and Mike Barnes from KVUE TV. Randy Stevens started at the back of the pack and worked his way up to the lead spot before Digitz passed him with two laps to go and took the win. Stevens posted second, followed by Hogan and then Barnes.

 

A Creeper Cone race was the feature of the THR Games, and that was followed by a children’s bicycle race, with the youngsters entered in different age groups. The night of fun and excitement was capped when several drivers brought their cars back onto the track after the races, and gave rides around the 3/8 mile banked oval to all the young people in the stands.

 

The topic of conversation at THR was the planned appearance of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver David Starr this Saturday night. David finished second in last weekend's CTS race, and has one win and 8 top-ten finishes this year. David moved up to 10th place in the CTS points with his second-place finish last weekend. Fans can learn more about David before Saturday on his web site, davidstarr.com.

 

Starr has agreed to appear as Grand Marshal at Thunder Hill Raceway on the only non-racing August weekend in the NASCAR CTS schedule. His appearance is being sponsored by AMSOIL, locally by David and Carol Bell (dcbell.com), and they will be giving away several items.

 

Starr will be available to talk with the fans and sign autographs and will most likely attend the THR drivers' meeting before the racing begins. Rebecca Cooper, CPA, who sponsors the track and "The Motorsports Zone" radio show on KVET-AM 1300 (Sundays at 10 a.m.) will hold a charity raffle during the evening, featuring many NASCAR collectibles, including David Starr memorabilia.

 

Along that line, race fans will have an opportunity to meet and talk with two San Marcos drivers Saturday morning. Cary Stapp and Jay Gordon are slated to have their cars on display at McDonalds Restaurant, 1105 IH35 North, at the intersection of Hopkins Street, Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.

 

Coincidental with Starr’s appearance at Thunder Hill Raceway, the AllStar Race Trucks series is scheduled to run that night, featuring Bryan Meredith, who is sponsored by AMSOIL. Meredith has won three of his last four appearances at Thunder Hill and leads the nation in points in the AllStar Race Truck Series.

 

The racing card will also feature the Texas Dwarf Car Association, along with Thunder Hill regulars, the THR Late Models, A-Line Auto Parts Street Stocks, Capital City Trade and Technical School Hobby Stocks and the THR Grand Stocks.

 

Gates open at Thunder Hill Raceway at 5:30 p.m. and racing begins following the opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. For information, call (512) 252-1352, or visit the website at www.thunderhillraceway.com.