Grand Prairie Speedway 5-23-03

[rebelracewriter]

Grand Prairie Speedway 5-23-03

By J M Hallas

Grand Prairie Tx., Despite the robbery and vandalism that befell the track several weeks ago, Grand Prairie Speedway is still alive and kicking. Through the effort of many other tracks, drivers, fans and friends, most of the track is business as usual. During the first few weeks, Kennedale Speedway Park, Cowtown Speedway, 85 Speedway and Thunderbird Speedway all lent GPS the day to day equipment needed to run the operation. One driver donated a new water pump, better than old the old one that was stolen. Through collections, a new radio system has been purchased. Finally all the proceeds from the benefit race were all turned back in to the track.

This was my first trip back to GPS in over 8-10 years. The one thing I did remember were how close the fans were to all the action. The track is a racey little 1/4 mile bull ring, which races 6 classes nightly, with Winged modifieds on an alternating schedule. The Johnson family/crew made myself and my photographer feel right at home. Long time friend and GPS announcer Doug Rollo even gave me the chance to announce a race, while he took a break.

The SIMS/ULMA Modified main started 19 cars with Bennie Everhart and Roy Ewing on row one. Everhart got the jump into turn one on the high side, until he got hung up by lap traffic, allowing Ewing to grab the lead on lap 4. At the same time, Russell Coon spun in turn 2, while Keith Gregg had a right front flat, to trigger a caution. On the restart Everhart tried a move low but was unable to make it past. Brian Baker slid high, falling from 4th to 7th, allowing Don Pierson, Sid Kiphen and Chris Cogburn to move up. Pierson suffered the same fate a lap or so later. Lap 8 saw Richie Schwartz tap Justin McCoy , who spun and collected Richard Strain to bring out the yellow. Ewing held the lead on green with Cogburn moving up to third.

As the crossed flags were shown, it was Ewing, Everhart, Cogburn, Kiphen and Albert McCall in the top five, with Ewing and Everhart inching away. Everhart slipped high on lap 13 and lost ground to the leader, Ewing. Cogburn’s good charge came to an end on lap 15 when he broke, while running third. With two to go Ewing had a nice 10 car length advantage, as Kiphen closed in on Everhart. At the checkers it was Ewing in his K & S Backhoe/Hornet Race Graphics/R & R Fabricators/Partners Branch Office and Horseshoe Club/Qwik Race car taking the win.

28 Roy Ewing

9 Bennie Everhart

58 Sid Kiphen

30 Albert McCall

51 Brian Baker

76 Joe Findling

87 Justin McCoy

1w DL Wilson

1 Mike McCoy

707 Darby Shelby

37 Richard Strain

23 Ricky Buttery

5d Chris Cogburn

5k Keith Gregg

76L Don Pierson

32 David Cook

98 Richie Schwartz

91c Russell Coon

2 Bob Westmoreland

Only 11 cars started the UMP Modified feature with Randy Buttery and Glenn Leuschner pacing the field to green. The two stayed locked side by side for the first three quarters of a lap, until Buttery secured the spot. Troy Taylor and Eddie Prator were battling for third, until Prator slid off turn three and backed into the wall. Edward Sugg spun and ended up on top of Prator’s hood, with Ray Carrier nosing into the stack. On the restart Taylor got by Leuschner, but Leuschner got back by the next circuit. Buttery slipped on lap 6, with Taylor and Leuschner having a run out of four, the trio went three wide for the lead. Leuschner was first across the line as E. Sugg rolled to stop on lap 6. Leuschner got out to a good lead on the restart, with Buttery getting around Taylor for second.

Bobby Malchus stepped into the fight making a four car battle up front, until Taylor slid off turn four and did a bankshot off the wall. The restart saw Buttery get loose and get tagged Mark Moseley, as Leuschner built a good lead. At the halfway point it was Leuschner, Malchus, Buttery, Moseley and Carrier in the top five spots. Malchus dove low to get by Leuschner, to lead lap 11. Once out front Malchus started to edge away from the pack. With two laps remaining, Malchus had built a 10 car advantage on Leuschner. From there it was a fairly easy ride to checkers for Malchus in his Southwest Engines/Hydraulic and Truck Repair of Texas/Edge Chassis(Ohio).

UMP Modified

4 Bobby Malchus

89 Glenn Leuschner

23 Randy Buttery

49 Mark Moseley

38 Ray Carrier

21x Rayleen Greene

56 Troy Taylor

90 Zach Sugg

198 Edward Sugg

32 Eddie Prator

33 Carl Large

In the Wing Modified main The front row of Curtis Fuqua and Charles Armstrong Sr. battled wheel to wheel on lap 1 and again on lap 3 until C. Armstrong Sr. got the lead for good on lap 4. After that it was Charles Armstrong race to the finish. After a short three wide battle with Charles Conklin and Fuqua, Charles Armstrong Jr. moved in to second. Charles Armstrong III was able to move into third Making it Charles Armstrong first, second and third.(Sr., III.,Jr.)

The entire field of cars are owned by the Armstrong family who the leases them out to drivers, which helps count down on maintenence and up keep. Five drivers in the field were also related from birth or marriage. This week it was the Grandpa showing the family the fast way around, taking the win.

6 Charles Armstrong Sr

3 Charles Armstrong III

02 Charlie Armstrong Jr (Do we see a pattern here? LOL)

23 Curtis Fuqua

1 Doug Kemmener

00 Charles Conklin

26 Teresa Armstrong-Fuqua

64 Gabe Willingham

24 Cliff Ables DQ

Hot Stock

18 Levi Hodges

89 Michael Darby

12 Carver Mathis

20 Michael Villanueva

4 Chris Wilson

40 Tony Freeman

2 Gary Corbin

 

Street Stock

23 Chris Pickering

00 Darrell Dawson

23x Ricky Slack

76 Erick Lawrence

04 Marvin Cook

16 Rick Harger

10 Timothy Cashion

8 Scotty Rawlinson

18 Cody Stark

11 Jackie Hefti

12 Jimmy Farris

9 Larry Archibald

132 Mike Dougherty

07 Wes Milliorn

5x Shawn Hill

8x Jason Cook

32 Marguerite Cook

83 Ted Crone DQ

 

Bombers(Which I got to announce)

85 Tim Simmons

27 Frank Hollsinger

13 Bill McGee

21x Kevin Carter

45 Mike Marusak

45j Johnny Lowey

5 Richard Forsythe

29 Wes Milliorn

88 J D Kaye

444 David Braddy DQ

 

Mini Stock

5x Lonnie Doyle

65 Billy Doyle

67 Adam Doyle

21 Terry Tucker

5 Gary Ethridge

18 Efrian Perez