Sandoval wins TPS at SAS

[NeilTPS]

Jesse Sandoval wins TPS race at San Antonio Speedway

 

San Antonio, Texas

 

Jesse Sandoval of Corpus Christi, Texas won the Texas Pro Sedans return race at San Antonio Speedway. The win was Sandoval’s first in nine seasons of TPS racing. Jesse Sandoval’s margin of victory in his Ford Pinto was a mere 0.08 seconds at the finish line over Bill LaBarge who led for 11 of the 20 laps. LaBarge finished in second place in a near tie at the finish line. Sandoval barely led each of the last 4 laps. It was the closest TPS Feature Race finish in it’s 30 years of four cylinder stock car racing.

 

The first qualifying heat was won by Lalo Leal in his Ford Mustang. With his win, Leal won the Feature Race pole position. Victorious in the second heat race was Bill LaBarge driving the 2004 TPS Championship winning #27 BMW which earned him a front row outside starting slot.

 

Lalo Leal takes the TPS points lead and now has 40 markers. With the SAS win, Sandoval moves up to second place in the hotly contested points chase for the 2005 Texas Pro Sedans drivers championship. He has 35 points. Both lead six time champion Bill LaBarge who has 34 points.

 

The Feature race began with pole sitter Leal taking the lead for the first three laps. He placed third closely following Sandoval and LaBarge to the checkered flag. The race was slowed by two yellow flag caution periods. The most serious incident came on lap fifteen when Jack Dishman’s #2 Mustang lost a right front wheel while he was running in second place and came to rest against the turn three wall. He was not hurt. His car will require extensive repair work.

 

The fourth and fifth place finishing positions went to two drivers from Kingsland, Texas,

Tom Johnson in his VW Rabbit and Lanny Young in a VW Karmen Ghia. Bryce Dishman was the last car on lead lap 20. He finished sixth in his Ford Mustang.

 

Donnie Moore has lost his TPS points lead by not competing in the San Antonio race. Last week his George Merrell VW Scirocco turned over in a spectacular three car crash at Thunder Hill Raceway. His pit crew worked all week in their Kingsland and Hutto, Texas race shops, but couldn’t complete repairs on the primary or the back up car in time to participate in the race at San Antonio Speedway. It is probably best they didn’t finish repairs on the #70 car in time because Moore had received advise from his doctor to rest for a week. Moore slids to 4th in points.

 

With this race, the San Antonio based Texas Pro Sedans touring series completes their last race for this season at San Antonio Speedway since the TPS schedule currently shows no remaining visits to the Alamo City during the 2005 racing season.

 

The next Texas Pro Sedans race will be at Thunder Hill Raceway on Saturday night, May 28.

 

Official TPS Results Certified by Neil Upchurch - Race & Administrative Director

San Antonio Speedway, Race # 3 - May 14, 2005

 

Position Car # Driver/Hometown Car Type/Engine/CC Heat 1 Heat 2 Laps Points

1 7 Jesse Sandoval/ Corpus Christi, TX Ford Pinto/2338 2 20 35

2 27 Bill Labarge/Bryan, TX BMW/2085 1 20 34

3 26 Lalo Leal/Corpus Christi, TX Ford Mustang/2338 1 20 40

4 15 r Tom Johnson/Kingsland, TX VW Rabbit/1825 4 20 18

5 18 Lanny Young/Kingsland, TX VW Karmen Ghia/2275 4 20 10

6 1 Bryce Dishman/Devine, TX Ford Mustang/2349 6 20 20

7 20 Sergio Hexsel/San Antonio, TX VW Rabbit/2042 3 19 27

8 19 r Lloyd Hart/San Antonio Honda CRX/1834/4Valve 5 19 13

9 29 Rico Guiterrez/Corpus Christi, TX Ford Mustang/2338 7 17 12

10 O1 r Eddie Orr/Weatherford, TX Ford T Bird/2030 5 4 16 8

11 38 Dave Parks/San Antonio, TX Datsun 510/1800 8 16 14

12 2 Jack Dishman/Devine, TX Ford Mustang/2338 2 15 28

13 O7 r Mike O'Connor/Weatherford, TX Ford Taurus/2030 8 10 14

14 78 Harlon Hatcher/Converse, TX VW Sedan/1835 7 9 12

15 33 Jamie Garner/San Antonio, TX 2005 VW Sedan/2008 3 8 23

16 30 r Chip Harmon/Portland, TX Ford Pinto/2300 6 8 16

17 70 Donnie Moore/ Hutto, TX VW Scirocco/1710 dna 30

18 48 Mike Knotts/Universal City, TX VW Scirocco/1648 dna 19

19 22 r Harry Osburn Jr/San Antonio, TX Ford Mustang/2338 dna 8

20 71 Bruce Mabrito/San Antonio, TX VW Scirocco/1648 dna 7

21 72 Candi Hogan/Cedar Park, TX VW Sedan/2160 dna 7

22 28 r Lisa Avalos/Corpus Christi, TX Ford Pinto/2030 dna 3

23 8 Pete Arce/Corpus Christi, TX VW Rabbit PU/1780 dna 3

24 66 Ariel Arredondo/Corpus Christi, TX Ford Probe/2338 dna 3

25 52 Randy Larsen/Wimberley, TX VW Karmen Ghia/1776 dna 1

26 14 r Joshua Tuttle/San Antonio, TX Chevrolet Cobalt/2000 dna 0

27 6 Tony Johnson/Schertz, TX Ford Mustang/2338 dna 0

28 3 r Jesse Sandoval Jr/Corpus Christi,TX Ford Pinto/2030 dna 0

29 89 John Leonard/Universal City, TX VW Rabbit IT/1800 dna 0

30 97 Kevin Hallman/Cibolo, TX Ford Mustang/2338 dna 0

 

Margin of Feature Race Victory 0.08 seconds. Feature Race leaders: #26 led laps 1-3, #27 led laps 4-15, #7 led laps 16-20. Note: Heat inversion suspended, dna-did not arrive, r-eligible for 2005 TPS "Rookie Of The Year" Award

TPS thanks sponsors of Race # 3: Buggy Warehouse of San Antonio thru Steve Foster, Nelson Skinner, Attorney at Law of San Antonio and Double A Wrecker Service of Weatherford, Texas thru Mike O'Connor, for a Hoosier tire to the winner.