Texas Pro Sedan Series results, 5/17/03

[NickHolt]

LaBarge Takes Texas Pro Sedan Win at San Antonio Speedway

 

Four time Texas Pro Sedan champion Bill LaBarge of Bryan won his second race of the season Saturday night at San Antonio Speedway. Last season LaBarge was winless as his team worked the bugs out of his new BMW, but this year it’s a different story as he now sits comfortably atop the TPS point standings.

 

LaBarge, who has now won two of the five TPS stock car races contested so far this season and heads the TPS point standings, finished second in his heat race behind the potent Ford Mustang driven by Jack Dishman of Devine while Sergio Hexsel of San Antonio, driving a VW Scirocco, won his heat over fellow VW Scirocco driver Donnie Moore of Hutto.

 

Dishman jumped to the early lead in the 20-lap feature race at the half-mile, high-banked oval while Hexel, LaBarge Moore and hard-charging Jamie Garner of San Antonio in a VW Scirocco enjoyed some close, intense racing a short distance behind Dishman’s rear bumper. However, on the ninth lap Dishman’s right rear tire suddenly went flat and he smacked the outside wall hard in turn four. Dishman was uninjured but his mighty Mustang was done for the night.

 

LaBarge then inherited the lead and for the next 12 laps watched a furious battle between Garner and Moore in his rear view mirror. Garner was able to get a nose under Moore on several occasions and almost nipped him at the line as the checkered flag flew.

 

Hexsel, who was third in TPS points behind LaBarge going into the race, finished fourth while veteran Mike Knotts of Universal City came home fifth in a VW Scirocco. Both were on the lead lap.

 

Results of the 20-lap Texas Pro Sedan Feature Race at Thunder Hill Raceway, showing finishing position, car number, driver’s name, hometown, car, and laps completed:

 

1. (27) Bill LaBarge, Bryan, BMW, 20 laps

2. (70) Donnie Moore, Hutto, VW Scirocco, 20

3. (33) Jamie Garner, San Antonio, VW Scirocco, 20

4. (20) Sergio Hexsel, San Antonio, VW Scirocco, 20

5. (48) Mike Knotts, Universal City, VW Scirocco, 20

6. (54) Harlan Hatcher, Converse, VW Rabbit, 19

7. (78) Bruce Mabrito, San Antonio, VW Sedan, 18

8. (72) Candy Hogan, Cedar Park, VW Sedan, 18

9. (2) Jack Dishman, Devine, Ford Mustang, 8

10. (38) Dave Parks, San Antonio, VW Rabbit, 7

11. (12) Joe Moloney, San Antonio, Honda CRX, DNS

12. (26) Lalo Leal, Corpus Christi, Ford Mustang, DNS

 

Margin of Victory 1.02 seconds

Dishman led laps 1-8

LaBarge led laps 9-20

 

 

Randy Lee led laps 1-20

Margin of victory: 3.9 seconds