TPS recap and results at OktoberFast, 10/16/04

[NickHolt]

Texas Pro Sedan Results

 

LaBarge wins race, LaBarge & Dishman win TPS Titles at SAS

 

San Antonio, TX -- Bill LaBarge of Bryan, Texas won the race and his 6th The Texas Pro Sedans Championship. Bryce Dishman of Devine, Texas won The 2004 Texas Pro Sedans “Rookie of the Year” title.

 

It was the closest race and the closest points competition in TPS’s 29 year history, as the Texas Pro Sedans touring series visited the Alamo city for the final 2004 race on Saturday night, October 16th at San Antonio Speedway’s 9th annual “Oktoberfast”.

 

The fastest driver in Qualifying Time Trials was Bill LaBarge of Bryan, Texas in his BMW. He posted a 22.390 seconds which established a new TPS/SAS track record.

 

The Feature race began with pole sitter Bill LaBarge taking the lead on lap one. He won the race leading all 25 laps. He was trailed closely by Tony Johnson in his Ford Mustang. Johnson then fell back to third behind E.J. Gilpin’s Ford Mustang. The race was plagued by three yellowflag caution periods. The most spectacular was on lap nine when Tom Johnson’s VW Rabbit hit the turn two wall and burst into flames in the engine compartment. Johnson was unhurt.

 

Bill LaBarge appropriated the point lead on lap four when Donnie Moore lost his TPS title hopes when his George Merrell VW Scirocco lost a front wheel. His pit stop for a new wheel cost Moore the TPS Championship.

 

The third, fourth and fifth place finishers were Ford Mustang drivers Tony Johnson, Bryce Dishman’s and Jack Dishman. Rounding out the first six positions was Mike Knotts in his VW Rabbit.

 

LaBarge took the win with only a .60 seconds margin of victory over the second place, Gilpin. The win was LaBarge’s fourth of the season. He extended his point’s lead to a final seven point margin over former champion Donnie Moore who finishes second place in the standings. Lalo Leal of Corpus Christi. Leal nailed down a third place point’s position, his best ever TPS season long performance.

 

With this race, San Antonio based Texas Pro Sedans touring series completes their 29th consecutive year of four cylinder stock car racing in Texas during 2004. The San Antonio Speedway “Oktoberfast” race was the thirteenth event of the 2004 season.

 

The next Texas Pro Sedans event will be the annual Championship Awards Dinner Party. It will held in Austin on a date to-be-announced. The party will again be jointly celebrated with Thunder Hill Raceway’s annual Championship Awards Dinner Party as has been the practice at the end of several racing seasons. TPS members will be notified as soon as the date is scheduled.

 

 

1 27 Bill LaBarge, Bryan BMW, 2083 22.390 25 22 174

2 21 r E.J. Gilpin, Corpus Christi Ford Mustang, 2338 22.660 25 16 32

3 6 Tony Johnson, Marion Ford Mustang, 2338 22.480 25 13 68

4 1 r Bryce Dishman, Devine Ford Mustang, 2338 >23.970 25 11 94

5 2 Jack Dishman, Devine Ford Mustang, 2338 >23.390 25 10 29

6 48 Mike Knotts, Universal City VW Scirocco, 1648 23.930 25 9 110

7 26 Lalo Leal, Corpus Christi Ford Mustang, 2338 >22.590 25 8 120

8 7 Jesse Sandoval, Corpus Christi Ford Pinto, 2338 24.510 25 8 37

9 18 r Lanny Young, Kingsland VW Karmen Ghia, 2275 24.620 25 6 52

10 33 Jamie Garner, San Antonio 2001 VW Sedan,1870 23.710 25 5 104

11 66 r Ariel Arredondo, Corpus Christi Ford Probe, 2338 24.040 24 4 81

12 99 r Ronald DeLeon, Corpus Christi Ford Mustang, 2338 25.320 24 4 10

13 8 r Pete Arce, Corpus Christi VW Rabbit PU, 1780 25.790 24 4 24

14 72 Candy Hogan, Cedar Park VW Sedan, 1915 26.280 23 4 74

15 29 r Rico Guiterrez, Corpus Christi Ford Mustang, 2338 25.270 23 4 42

16 54m Bruce Mabrito, San Antonio VW Rabbit, 1648 >>26.670 23 4 41

17 70 Donnie Moore, Hutto VW Scirocco, 1710 22.560 23 4 167

18 24 r Jimmy Castillo/Corpus Christi Ford Mustang, 2338 27.060 21 3 3

19 38 Dave Parks, San Antonio Datsun 510, 1800 26.810 20 4 19

20 15 r Tom Johnson, Kingsland VW Rabbit ,1800 23.460 9 4 31

21 20 Sergio Hexsel, San Antonio VW Rabbit, 2041 22.980 7 4 99

22 78h r Lloyd Hart II, San Antonio VW Sedan, 1641 27.760 7 4 11

23 14 r Joshua Tuttle, San Antonio Chev Lumina, 2000 dnt 3 3

24 51 George Alton/Corpus Christi Ford Probe, 2338 dnt 0 1 1

 

 

Margin of Feature Race victory.60 sec. Car # 27 established new SAS record of 22.390. Leader # 27 - Led Laps 1-25

dnt-did not time dns-did not start r-eligible TPS "Rookie Of The Year" Award

TPS thanks sponsors: Airgas Southwest & RED-D-ARC thru Frank Smith, Nelson Skinner(attorney at law), Ray Becka, Richard & Bea Villauueva, Buggy Warehouse thru Steve Foster, Speedway Signs thru Mike & Charysse Knotts, Here's Your Signs thru Randy & Kimberley Larsen of Wimberley

> time disallowed for left side weight % infraction... >> time disallowed for driver change between quals and feature