Texas Speedzone - Whiteaker shows his stuff again at I-37 Raceway 4/11/08

Pleasanton, Tx., (April 1th, 2008) After a week's scheduled hiatus, I-37 Raceway's Ľ mile dirt track hosted their fourth race race of the season. The hotter, dryer weather played havoc with track prep for the new track owners, as dry, dusty conditions faced drivers come feature time.

I-37 Raceway, 4/11/08 By J M Hallas Pleasanton, Tx., (April 1th, 2008) After a week's scheduled hiatus, I-37 Raceway's Ľ mile dirt track hosted their fourth race race of the season. The hotter, dryer weather played havoc with track prep for the new track owners, as dry, dusty conditions faced drivers come feature time. This week saw repeat winners and three new faces find their way to victory lane for the first time this year. Another Win for Whiteaker for the fourth week in a row, the Corpus Christi young gun, Steve Whiteaker jr. outran the IMCA Modified field. A new player, Danny Brown didn't make it easy as Whiteaker was forced to fight harder than ever for the win. Whiteaker only lead a lap and a half, but the most important one, the final lap. As the field roared into turn 1, Bill Pittaway was out front, with Greg Dinsmore charging his way up to second. Brown moved in to battle with Dinsmore as the pair ran side by side for two laps before Brown finally secured the spot. In the pack, Whiteaker was carefully picking his way up getting by Patrick Kelly for fifth on lap 3, then taking fourth from Curt Clegg. Brown caught the leader on lap 4, while Whiteaker reeled in Dinsmore for third. Just as Whiteaker took third, Dinsmore slowed and pulled off. With the fight for the lead heating up, Whiteaker began closing the top two, while Randy Yount took fifth from Kelly. Brown began sticking the nose inside Pittaway with the duo side by side at halfway, with Whiteaker, Clegg and Yount rounding out the top five. Brown was able to wrestle the lead away and hold the point on lap 11 with a brief wheel to wheel battle as Whiteaker followed into second. The next seven laps saw Whiteaker try every line, every groove and every trick to get by Brown. Whiteaker as able to get along side Brown on a couple tries and finally, using the edge of the infield, get the top spot on lap 18. From their it was Whiteaker in the B&W Motorsports, Access Chevrolet, Texas Service Industries, WW Bodies, Swenson Race Products, Randy Youngs Auto Repair, Holdsclaw and Hermann, T Roberts Optical, Hughes Chassis grabbing his fourth track trophy. “Danny(Brown) was tough competition tonight,” said Whiteaker. “The track was bad. It was dusty, you couldn't see, I don't know what the track is going to do. They aren't going make it like this. Everyone was complaining about it. It's just going to go downhill if they don't try to fix it.” “With the track like this it's hard to put a set up on it,” added the outspoken Whiteaker.” You just say let's try this when you go into every corner. It's hard to be consistent, you can't see, it's really dangerous. That's the main thing. Having a dry track, or heavy track or bumpy track is one thing, but this was dangerous. We'd have probably run one lap an pulled off if this had been a full field. You're just guessing every lap.” “I've already mentioned to the track about putting tires around the infield. Maybe they will see they need them. Maybe after me running the infield tonight, they'll change that now.” Another one of this years top contenders, Greg Dinsmore stated, “We finally just threw in the towel. I want to be able to see my kids graduate. When Stevie(Whiteaker) passed me and I got hit by his dust rooster-tail, I thought about just rolling around the top until the finish, but decided to just pull of.” “We used the same amount of water we did last race,” replied track manager Jim Knudtson.” I was out on Wednesday watering, but the sun and wind were just sucking it up as fast as we put it down. The last time we prepped the track it still had moisture the next day, this week it was dried out. We thought it would be enough after watering today, it still had moisture when we packed it in.” It's going to be a steep learning curve for the new track owners and prep crew as they figure what it will take to keep a smooth, track surface at the same time keeping dust to a minimum as warmer weather sets in. I plan on putting them in touch with track prep guru, Richard Snider from Kennedale Speedway Park, who also does track prep for several of the big Texas race shows. IMCA Modified 1. 89 Steve Whiteaker jr 2. 55 Danny Brown 3. 37 Bill Pittaway 4. 35 Curt Clegg 5. 84 Patrick Kelly 6. 85 Jeff Nick 7.8g Greg Dinsmore 66 Randy Yount---DQ(Weight) 12 Bob Leinweber---DNS Heat winners, 89 Steve Whiteaker jr., 8g Greg Dinsmore Torres Tops in Sportmod Scramble There will be new dinner table bragging rights in the Torres household this week, as Johnny Torres took the lead a little before halfway. J. Torres was then able to fend off Dustin Butcher, who was forced to pit with a flat tire late, giving J. Torres smooth sailing to the checkers. A field of fifteen IMCA Southern Sportmods took the green for the their 20-lap main event. Rene Mares got the lead from the pole on the front stretch, but Steve Grantz got by coming out of turn 2. Coming out of turn 4, Mares got into the back of Grantz sending him into a half-spin and losing positions. Grantz continued until turn 2, when he rolled to a stop to bring out a caution. The restart saw Allen Torres look inside James Lee for second, while Dustin Butcher took a side trip through the infield losing several spots. Unrelated spins by Mike Finkel on the back straight and Keith Cockrell on the front stretch brought the caution back out. Once back to green the two Torres brother began to battle among themselves, and with Lee for second. Mares slid too high in turn 2, with Lee, J. Torres and A. Torres getting past and Lee leading lap 4. Bill Pittaway was able to get by Mares on lap 5 for fourth followed by Butcher, who worked his way back up to fifth. J. Torres then got inside Lee on lap 6 with the two running side by side until J. Torres took the lead on lap 7. Butcher then moved in on Lee taking second just before halfway. At the crossed flags it was J. Torres, Butcher, Lee, A. Torres and Pittaway in the top five. J. Torres ran up on traffic allowing Butcher to close in, while Lee, A. Torres and Pittaway battled for third with A. Torres getting the spot in traffic. Pittaway and Lee continued to fight and went three wide splitting a lapped car on lap 16. A. Torres then caught a slowing Butcher and got second, with Pittaway getting third before Butcher pitted with a flat right front tire. As the white flag waved, J. Torres had a fifteen car advantage over brother A. Torres, a previous winner. At the checkers, J. Torres who holds a top ten spot in IMCA SSM points, grabbed the win in 24/7 Towing, Pro Image Graphics, Cen-Tex Motorsports, Moser Chassis. “Once I got to the front it was smooth sailing,” replied J. Torres. “Out of turn 2 you couldn't see a thing. So I knew they probably couldn't pass me once I got out front. It as just luck, I guess. I don't know.” “I can't tell you what set up we put on he car,” Torres adding jokingly.”We didn't really do much, just guess at it when the track is like this. A slick track is really my kind of track.” “We'll give Allen a break because tomorrow is prom night, but after that he' going to have clean the house, then clear my car on Sunday after Corpus(Saturday night).” “I'm going to keep chasing points until t becomes a job. If we keep on having fun, we'll keep on chasing points.” IMCA Southern Sportmod 1.66 Johnny Torres 2. 94 Allen Torres 3. 37 Bill Pittaway 4.56 James Lee 5. 20 Danny Norvell 6.11 Chris McLendon 7. 60 Pat Lyon 8. 751 Mark McGahey 9. 11f Mike Finkel 10. 22 Rene Mares 11. 90 Dustin Butcher 12. 89 Doug Livingston 13. 5 Jordan Lueck 14. 21g Steve Grantz 15. 1c Keith Cockrell Heat winners, 90 Dustin Butcher, 21g Steve Grantz In the Super Stock feature, Richard Bartosh got out front early and was then challenged by Howie Marcx. Bartosh would spin himself from the lead handing the point to Marcx. Gary Hunter caught Marcx on lap 6 and on lap 7 when Marcx drifted to high, Hunter took the lead. Marcx fought back staying on Hunter's bumper then getting along side on lap 9. Marcx retook the top spot from the former, multi-time class champion, Hunter on lap 10. In the field, last race winner, David Boudreau was getting third from Harlin Covert. Up front it Marcx holding off Hunter to grab his first win of the new season. Super Stock 1. 13 Howie Marcx 2. 14 Gary Hunter 3. 29 David Boudreau 4. 60 Harlin Covert 5. 7 Richard Bartosh 6. 21 Chico Cox 7. 58 Moe VanKirk Heat winner, 13 Howie Marcx Craig Crawley led lap 1 of the Street Stock feature, when yellow waved for debris on the front stretch. On the restart, Tommy Casey got by Crawley, while Austin Wernette got loose in treacherous turn 2 scattering the field. Randy Guzman and Donald Lewis made their way to the top five on lap 2. Shawn Moore got along side Crawley for second lap 5, with Guzman joining the battle. Both Moore and Guzman got by Crawley on lap 6, with Guzman taking second from Moore on lap 7. Wade Jones brought out a yellow on lap 7 with a spin in turn 3. On the restart, Guzman looked inside Casey for the lead and kept the heat on until getting the lead on lap 10. Casey tried to retake the spot, but ended up spinning on lap 11 to bring the yellow out. Once back to green, Lewis got past Moore for second as Guzman began pulling away. Lewis, Moore, Sonny Mares and Eric Knudtson ran nose to tail as they fought it out for second. Moore slid high on lap 18 giving way to Mares and Knutson. Moore's problems continued as he and Knudtson spun in turn 2 on lap 19 setting up a one lap shootout to the checkers. Guzman got a good jump on green leaving Mares putting pressure on Lewis for second. At the checkers it was Guzman taking his second victory of the year. Street Stock 1. 021 Randy Guzman 2. 51 Donald Lewis 3. 3 Sonny Mares 4. 41 Wade Jones 5. 42 Tommy Casey 6. 6 Craig Crawley 7. 37 Austin Wernette 8. 27 Eric Knudtson 9. 18 Shawn Moore 10. 08 Alton Fambru Heat winners, 021 Randy Guzman, 41 Wade Jones The Pure Stock feature, scheduled to go 20 laps was reduced to fifteen after multiple spins and dusty conditions forced race director Owen Pittman to cut the race short. Dubba Hawkins got the early lead, while Robert Williams, Sonny Jones and Justin Henley quickly charged up into the top five. Williams got second from Trevor Hilla on lap 2 leaving T. Hilla three wide with Jones and Henley, with Henley getting third. Hawkins and Williams went three abreast around a slower car with Williams getting the lead and Hawkins spinning. On the restart, Henley looked inside and got the top spot when Williams slowed, moving Adam Torres and Janel Hilla into the top five. A multi-car tangle in turn 2 brought out the caution on lap 6. Once back to green Henley, Jones and Torres began to pull away from former class champ, J. Hilla. Torres got inside Jones on lap 9 to take over second just as Henley was stopping on the back stretch to bring out another yellow. Under caution, Jones pulled off with what looked to be overheating problems. With Torres now on the point, Brian Terry put the pressure on J. Hilla once racing resumed. B. Terry had just taken the spot when George Lowt jr. spun to bring out the caution. Once back to green, B. Terry again tried to get by J. Hilla, but a spin by T. Hilla slowed the action again. In the final laps, B. Terry tried high and low to get by J. Hilla, while Torres was putting distance on the two to take what he thought was the win. Post-race tech found Torres to be illegal giving the victory to J. Hilla Pure Stock 1. 7x Janel Hilla 2. 22 Brian Terry 3. 07 Nathan Lorenz 4. 63 J D Reynolds 5. 3x Trevor Hilla 6. 15 William Cavender 7. 79 George Lowt jr 8. 55 Sonny Jones 9. 96 Justin Henley 10. 64k Pat Kelly 11. 23 Sean Terry 12. 57 Robert Williams 13. 29p Daniel Pierce 14. 55x Gaylon Schenk 15.68 Dubba Hawkins 66 Adam Torres---DQ Heat winners, 23 Sean Terry, 57 Robert Williams, 96 Justin Henley