Texas Speedzone - USRA Super Late Models @ Houston Motorsports Park, 5/28/05

United States Racing Association @ Houston Motorsports Park, 5/28/05
By J M Hallas

Houston, TX (March 30, 2005) - Coming into the Memorial Day weekend race at the 3/8 semi-banked oval at Houston Motorsports Park, the big story would have been the continued close points battle in the Super Late Model class, between two former (ROMCO) series champions. After the previous race in Corpus Christi that saw 2000 Champion Tommy Grimes go into the event leading 2003 Champion, Brandon Bendele by a mere point, and end the night with just two points separating the duo, with the series headed to Houston. But, conspicuous in his absence was Bendele, who has chosen to sit out this race and possibly the remainder of the season.

With Bendele not making the show, Grimes nearest competitor is now Heath Stewart, who trails Grimes by 30 markers, followed by Michael Crofford and T Wade Welch. After some engine failures in Friday practice, 21 Super Late Models, 22 All Star Race Trucks and 10 Houston Late Models, racing under the USRA banner, and making their full series debut, signed in for qualifying.

After Super Late Model qualifying, defending champion Bradley Reithmeyer, found himself on top the speed charts with a time of 13.981(the only car in 13 second range). Reithmeyer who drives the Port City Chassis, Chevy Monte Carlo, sponsored by SelecTranspotation Resources, CC Freightliner, Houston Freightliner, Western Star, Royal Purple, Thomes Bus and American LaFrance, powered by a KAM Race Engine. Reithmeyer said, " I just pretty much took it smooth. My dad said that the track was real slick and everyone was trying to overdrive it. I just tried to make a good, smooth lap and it worked out."
" We had trouble trouble in practice and found a hole in the block that we repaired with epoxy, hopefully it will hold up for the race."
"I pretty much just am going to try to stay bout of trouble and finish a race. That's my goal, to just finish. I just try to do my best and hopefully we'll get a couple of top finishes and get on a roll."
" I've got to thank my whole crew and my dad, we worked our tail off on the car today and got very few laps of practice."

It’s Wallace in Wire to Wire Win
After the hat draw for top six invert, Thad Felton was on the pole with Eddy Wallace along side and fast qualifier Bradley Reithmeyer outside row two. Felton and Wallace were still side by side through turns 1-2 with Wallace grabbing the advantage on the back stretch and the lap 1 lead. Jason Young got into the back of Reithmeyer in turn 4 sending Reithmeyer around and both to the tail on the restart. Kent Baltzell made several pit stops under caution for repairs to his damaged ride.

The top seven stayed glued together as the green waved again. Michael Crofford began his charge to the front getting by Jason Smith for sixth on lap 12, just as caution came out for Tom Grotheus spin after contact with Casey Smith. Back under green the top five were getting away from the field, while Crofford was repassing J. Smith for sixth. J. Smith got hung out to dry as he fell like a rock from seventh to sixteenth.

Crofford caught the lead quintet on lap 24, just as they were about to run up on a side by side battle in traffic. Wallace cleared lap cars quickly and moved out to a three car lead over the five car pack. Crofford was putting the pressure on Tommy Grimes for fifth on lap 33. Last races winner, Cory Roper was door to door with Doug Hooks for ninth on lap 36, with Reithmeyer and Young working their way back up and getting by Hooks as well.

Wallace had increased his lead to five car lengths over Felton only to see it erased when yellow came for Danny Pike. Pike had his car erupt in flames after blowing off the power steering hose spraying fluid on the hot motor and brakes. The fire put itself out, and Pike was uninjured. Grimes pitted from fifth under yellow with the first of his flat tire problems.

Wallace and Felton crept away from from Davidson as the race resumed, while Crofford was now working on Heath Stewart for fourth. After slight contact on lap 58 Crofford was able to get under Stewart for the position. Coming to the crossed flags the top five were Wallace, Felton, Davidson, Crofford amd Stewart, with Wallace building a nice eight car lead.

Lap 62 saw C. Smith take eighth from Young, and Grimes pit again with another flat tire. Felton cut Wallaces lead down to five cars on lap 70 and the top five were nearly nose to tail on lap 73. C. Smith and Young reeled in Welch for sixth on lap 75, with C. Smith taking the spot on lap 77. Caution came out on lap 80 after Reithmeyer and Mann got together sending Reithmeyer around. C. Smith would pull out of the race during the yellow.

Davidson got the jumpon Felton once the green waved again to snag second. Wallace then was forced to try to hold off the track veteran Davidson, while Crofford looked for a way past Felton for third. The top four were nose to tail on lap 90 when Mann looped his ride in turns 1-2 to bring out yellow.

The race resumed with 25 laps remaining and Wallace getting a good jump on the restart. Wallace continued to ease away as Crofford started a three lap challenge of Felton until he finally wrestled the spot away on lap 108. With ten to go, the top three were separated by car lengths each, with a big gap back Felton, Stewart and Young. The final yellow waved on lap 117 for Welch who blew out the right front and was unable to make it down to the pits.

The final eight lap shootout would line up with the top seven lead lap cars in order when the green flew. Davidson tried unsuccessfully to jump Wallace on the restart, losing ground instead. Stewart got past Felton for fourth as Wallace ran out to five car edge. By lap 120, Wallace was still inching away from Davidson and Crofford. Crofford tried to challenge Davidson in the final laps giving Wallace the chance to move ahead even farther.

As the white flag was shown, Wallacw was still marching away and easily scored the victory in his Henna Chevrolet/Nancy Wren/Austin Performamce Plus Machine/Longneck Wrench/Hamke Chassis Chevy Monte Carlo with an in-house motor built by his dad.

Wallace commented, “ It was the luck of the draw more than anything. I’ve started on the outside front row here before and got a really good start. We’ve made a lot of changes since the last race in Kyle, mainly on the front end geometry. A lot of hard work and testing more than anything.”
“The year before last we won three races, more than anyone else that year. Last year we didn’t do very good. We were one of the first to use the new ABC body and I think it hurt us last year. But I think it gave us a jump on this year and we’ve learned more about the aerodynamics of this car.”
“During the last runs the tires would get a little hot and greasy. I could get a real good start von the restarts that I learned from my go-kart days. I set up in high gear, I found that when the tires get a lot of stuff built up that starting in high gear is a lot safer.”

Super Late Models
Pos/Car#/Driver/Start
1 5 Eddy Wallace (2)
2 96 Greg Davidson (5)
3 51 Michael Crofford (11)
4 14 Heath Stewart (7)
5 29 Thad Felton (1)
6 27 Jason Young (3)
7 7 Tuffy Hudson (14)
8 13 T Wade Welch (12)
9 6 Bradley Reithmeyer (4)
10 19 Kent Baltzell (6)
11 28 Jason Smith (9)
12 22 Tommy Grimes (8)
13 47 Ed Mann (13)
14 99 Casey Smith (19)
15 04 Cory Roper (17)
16 11 Tom Grotheus (16)
17 61 Cory Lovell (18)
18 16 Danny Pike (20)
19 199 Doug Hooks (15)
20 10 Kirby Honeycutt (10)
21 54 Todd McLemore (21)