San Antonio Speedway Oktober'FAST' Race Recap

[GoGirl]

Kicking off the action for the 8th Annual Oktober'FAST' were the Allison Legacy Series. Sitting on the pole for this 25 lap event was Kyle Sirizzotti. As the green flag waved, Mel Krauss took the early lead. On Lap 2, Sirizzotti blitzed past Krauss to assume the top spot. Kyle Sirizzotti had the entire field covered and scored the BIG WIN. Young Kyle is only 13 years-old, but he certainly drives like an old pro. Krauss finished in the second position followed by James Lee, Kirby Honeycutt and Bill Boecker. Boecker's fifth place effort gave him enough points to win the Lone Star Legacy Regional title.

 

Next on the slate were the All Star Race Truck Series (ARTS). The top five starters for this 50 lap event were Robert Walton, Bryan Meredith, Todd McLemore, Jon Garrett and Larry Latham. As the race got underway, Walton jumped into the lead. The caution lights lit up on Lap 3, when Jeff Rosenbeck and Shawn Paul Lehman tackled each other in Turn 1. Five laps later, McLemore who was running in the second spot, was briefly sidelined in the pits after hitting the wall. Walton was still showing the way with Garrett, Meredith and Colt James tucked in tightly on his bumper for the restart. The leading rusher in this race was James, who went from worst (rear of the field) to first on Lap 16. The final yellow flag flew when Walton slowed for a lap truck. Garrett was also on the binders, getting into Walton when he was hit from behind by Meredith. Bill Hamilton was also caught up in this incident. When the race ended, the checkered flag was in Colt James' possession. Meredith, Garrett, Latham and Keith Patrick filled out the top five finishing positions.

 

There were 22 racers on tap for the 35 lap Road Runner event. This race featured drivers from I-37 Dirt Track, Thunder Hill Raceway, Corpus Christi Motor Speedway and San Antonio Speedway. It didn't take very long for the action to heat up. On Lap 4, there was a big melee in Turn 2 with Larry Jackson and Steven Osborne receiving the most damage. On the restart, David Hassinger was leading followed by Gary Chancellor, Matt Hodge and Mark Mathias. By Lap 10, Charlie Henley who had started shotgun on the field was in the fifth spot. With 8 laps remaining, John Hendricks and Jackson mixed it up in Turn 2 which brought out the yellow flag. The leader, Hassinger, was forced to pit with a flat right front tire. Chancellor took control and when green flag racing resumed, Henley was all over him. A quick yellow flag flew when Mathias spun out. By this time, Hassinger had gained significant yardage and was sitting in the fourth spot for the restart. But was there enough time left on the clock? Hassinger had exactly 6 laps.....could he pull off the win? As the laps wound down, every racefan was on their feet. Last lap, last turn and Hassinger did what was thought to be the impossible. He successfully completed a Hail Mary Pass on the high side to take the HUGE, HUGE win over Chancellor and Henley. Matt Hodge and John Hendricks were the next contenders to cross the goal line.

 

WOW.....after that race everyone needed a time-out (intermission) to catch their breath.....a wedding.....and the Kids' Bike Races.

 

Hut.....Hut....The Texas Asphalt Modified Series got off to a bad start which caused Gary Junco and John Witzsche to collide on Lap 1. The field quickly received another yellow flag when Schild spun and collected others in the process. It was third down with 25 miles to go when the race finally got underway. Schild soared into the lead. On Lap 15, Jimbo Myers blew his engine and Chris Swenson surrendered his third position to pit with mechanical problems. James Cole, Bruce Beddoe, Joey Heinaman and Billy Becka all had their eyes of Schild. As the laps clicked off the scoreboard, something went awry with Beddoe's racer which ended his great run. With 6 laps remaining, Schild left the low groove wide open and Cole maneuvered his modified into the #1 position. A very late flag was thrown for that play.....a checkered one, right over Cole's head. Finishing 2nd - 5th were Schild, Becka, Matt Brune and Heinaman. Cole also won the 10 lap Dynomite Buildings Allstar Shootout.

 

Twelve late model drivers were huddled on the track AND you could bet they were not discussing the plays they planned to execute to score a win in this 100 lap event. The crafty veteran, Larry Bendele quickly established himself as the man to beat. However, just past the halfway marker, a blown engine spelled SUDDEN DEATH for him. This handed the lead to Robert Barker, who in turn handed it to Brandon Bendele due to a flat tire. Lurking behind in the second spot was Donnie Horelka followed by Danny Garcia and Joe Aramendia. Unfortunately, Garcia's night ended just two laps later when he hit the wall. B. Bendele held the point until Lap 65 when Aramendia overtook him in Turn 2. James Cole was signaled into the pits via the black flag for a smoking racecar. When Lap 100 arrived, Joe Aramendia was not on artificial turf, but he was on some familiar turf.....winner's circle. The next opponent to cross the stripe was B. Bendele followed by Barker, Horelka and Rob Ferguson.

 

Half-time has officially arrived and SAS would like to say, "CONGRATULATIONS" to all of the winners. Tune in next week when ROMCO, Texas Super Racing Series, Sportsman, Women On Wheels and the Texas Pro Sedans put in their appearance.