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| Valley Grass Farms Modified Nationals 12/1/05 Thursday night
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| Rio Grande Speedway
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Posted Sunday, December 04, 2005 |
Valley Grass Farms Modified Nationals @ Rio Grande Speedway 12/1-3/05
By J M Hallas
McAllen, Tx., For the 15th Annual Valley Grass Farms Modified Nationals, Everyone was treated to much better weather than last year when rain and fog forced postponement of the show which finished on Sunday. Sunny skies and warm temperatures were welcomed by all as over 140 modified rolled through the gates for their chance at the big money. Six states were represented including Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, as well as Texas.
Qualifying would start with heat races in both the Limited and Modified classes to set the line up for the qualifiers. The top five from each Modified and seven from the Limited would move to qualifying A-main. Sixth through tenth in the Modifieds and 7th-14th in Limiteds would go to a B-main taking the top four to the tail of the A-qualifier. The top six from A-qualifiers would be secured in the field for the Saturday’s big finale.
Hughes Hot in Mod main
Scotty Brown and Howard Willis led the 24 car, 25 lap Modified field to green with Willis out-diving Brown into turn 1. Jason Hughes got inside Brown coming out of turn 2 and was challenging Willis for the lead in turns 3-4. Willis beat Hughes to the line, but a spin in mid-pack brought the yellow out for a complete restart. On the next try, Willis again got out front going into turn 1 with Hughes, David Trauernicht and Lawrence Mikulencak three wide for third.
Mikulencak, using the high side, then got by Brown for second and was challenging Willis for the lead. Lap 2 saw Mikulencak make his move and get by Willis to lead lap 2, while Bobby Maupin and Brown ran side by side for third. Maupin and Hughes the swapped spots for two laps as Mikulencak eased away from Willis, who had a gap back to Brown.
Robbie Starnes and Johno Whittington had their own scrap going on lap 6 as the ran wheel to wheel for sixth. Farther back in the field, Randy Timms, Steve Majek and David Grigg were swapping the eighth position corner for corner. Hughes began quickly closing on Willis by lap 10 and when Willis slid over the back stretch berm, Hughes took the spot.
At the crossed flags the top five were Mikulencak, Hughes, Willis, Brown and Maupin. Hughes reeled in Mikulencak for the lead on lap 12 as the lead duo ran into lap traffic. With the crowd on its feet, Mikulencak and Hughes ran three wide around a slower car on lap 14. The lead duet were still going at it when Hughes slid too high in turn 1 and lost a little ground.
The top five had just strung out when caution was out for debris on the track on lap 18. Hughes quickly capitalized on the restart as he got along side Mikulencak on the restart. Mikulencak fought back and still held the lead on lap 19, but Hughes kept the pressure on and wrestled the point away on lap 20. Willis also got by Mikulencak who looked to be fading slightly.
Willis closed the gap on Hughes in the final laps and was close enough to take a peek inside on the last lap. But at the checkers it was the two-time defending Modified Nationals champion, Hughes taking the win in his West Siloam Pawn, Deleon Racing Engines, Rainbow Graphics, Deleon Auto Accessories, Aero Racing Wheels, Maxwell Oil, Mert’s Truck Center, Pro Blend Motorsports Products, SAEF Custom Finish, Zamora Racing Heads, Hughes Chassis.
“It’s not real easy,” said Hughes. “There’s always a bunch of good cars down here. We had a good car Thursday night and things just went our way. We come here with about the same set-up we go everywhere with. We ran the same stuff we’ve run here before and made only a few adjustments.”
“ We’re down here to have fun in both cars. The full modified is our business so if we come down and do good it helps the business”
Modified A-main top 6 to Sat A-main (Unofficial after top six)
Pos/Car#/Driver/Start
1 12H Jason Hughes (3)
2 1 Howard Willis (2)
3 87 Lawrence Mikulencak (8)
4 4B Robbie Starnes (6)
5 5w Johno Whittington (7)
6 5T Randy Timms (13)
7 144 Scotty Brown (1)
8 82 Steve Majek (20)
9 91 Bobby Maupin (10)
10 44 David Grigg (5)
11 55 Danny Brown (17)
12 89 Steve Whiteaker jr (12)
13 45 David Trauernicht (4)
14 98TD Tracy Denby (11)
15 51 Eddie Martin (23)
16 19 John Armstrong (15)
17 56 David Horner (18)
18 9H Brent Nicholas (9)
19 31 Elias Anderson (14)
20 21w Greg Waugh (16)
21 96 Justin Raybourn (19)
22 98 TJ Huston (24)
23 210 Brandon Smith (21)
24 715 JP Dowell (22)
Gould is Gold In LimitedsIn the Limited Modified qualifying A-main, Ronny Gould and Howard Willis paced the 25 car field to green. Before green was shown, Jason Hughes was forced to give up his fourth row starting spot and make repairs to his transponder, sending him to the tail for the start. As green waved R. Gould was into turn 1 ahead of Willis, who was trying to make the high side work. The top five quickly sorted out with 2-3 wide racing back in the pack.
Johno Whittington had just made the move around Willis for second when Jeff Turner spun after contact with Jamie Burford. Turner stopped on track to bring out the yellow and both were placed at the rear for the restart. Willis was able to retake his spot in second. R. Gould was quickly off again as the race resumed and didn't waste any time in putting some distance on the Willis, Whittington battle. Lap 8 saw Hughes, working his way up, fighting three wide with David Kulhanek and Ben Haddox.
Whittington was again putting the heat on Willis when Bobby Fehring spun in turn 4 for a caution. On the restart, Adam Schach, D. Kulhanek and Haddox went three wide as R. Gould lengthened his lead. Rick Rogers moved into the top five getting by Ray Kulhanek on lap12. At halfway the top five were R. Gould, Willis, Whittington, Travis Evans and Rogers, with R. Kulhanek right on his bumper.
Hughes picked off a top ten spot on lap 13, but was still a ways out of the final transfer spot. With ten to go, R. Gould was increasing his margin over the battle still raging between long time Houston area combatants, Willis and Whittington. Aaron Hudgeons picked off a position as he got by Jeff Wood for eighth on lap 21. The top six transfers spots had pretty much been decided in the final laps despite the leader R. Gould running into traffic. At the checkers it was, R. Gould driving the Discount Kolors, Acme Performance Engines, V & H Paint & Body, HOT Chassis, taking the victory by a comfortable margin.
“We came down here last year, so we knew how to set up the car,” stated Gould. “ That’s always a big advantage because you don’t have to chase anything. We can go out and were pretty close right off the bat.”
“This car I’m running is in it’s first race,” added Gould. “It’s brand new. I’ve never sat in it until this weekend. New car, old car, doesn’t really matter. There’s a bunch of good guys out there, and Jason’s(Hughes) a heck of a racer. You know that he will be good. Tyhe track’s changing every night. I don’t know what to expect(on Saturday) I Hope it’s one lane around the bottom since I’m starting on the pole.”
Limited Mod Qualifier top 6 to Sat. A-main (unofficial after top 6)
1 1 Ronny Gould (1)
2 83 Howard Willis (2)
3 87 Johno Whittington (4)
4 4E Travis Evans (3)
5 02 Rick Rogers (13)
6 56 Ray Kulhanek (6)
7 7 Aaron Hudgeons (17)
8 C02 Jason Hughes (7)
9 98 Ben Haddox (19)
10 07 Adam Schach (20)
11 12 Art Rodriguez (18)
12 119 Jamie Burford (10)
13 86 Justin Collins (15)
14 27 Roger Faulkner (9)
15 57 Jensen Pray (22)
16 333 Jeff Wood (11)
17 562 David Kulhanek (14)
18 44T Jeff Turner (5)
19 31 David Karikoff (21)
20 24 Dennie Geiber (12)
21 6 Vince Louden (16)
22 33A Gary Rollo (8)
23 50 Greg Tillison (23)
24 21S Trent Sousa (25)
25 4 Tim Heatherly (24)
Heat races---finish determines line up for B-main
Modified Heat winners
1 144 Scotty Brown
2 44 David Grigg
3 454 Shane Killingsworth
4 91 Bobby Maupin
5 98TD Tracy Denby
6 12H Jason Hughes
7 50 Barney Solis
8 4 Ronnie Barbee
Limited Modified Heat winners
1 1 Ronny Gould
2 302 Jason Hughes
3 33 Bobby Fehring
4 83 Howard Willis
5 56 Ray Kulhanek
6 4E Travis Evans
Mod Qualifiers top 4 to A-main, 5-8 to B-main
Mod Qualifier 1 top five
1 144 Scotty Brown
2 44 David Grigg
3 9H Brent Nicholas
4 55 Danny Brown
5 5T Randy Timms
6 21o Brandon Smith
7 17A Adan Arambula
8 98 TJ Huston
Mod Qualifier 2
1 1 Howard Willis
2 4B Robbie Starnes
3 91 Bobby Maupin
4 31 Elias Anderson
5 56 David Horner
6 715 JP Dowell
7 7 Jamie Schach
8 42 Bud Longpine
Mod Qualifier 3
1 12 Jason Hughes
2 5W Johno Whittington
3 98TD Tracy Denby
4 19 John Armstrong
5 96 Justin Raybourn
6 148 Russell Moore
7 A1 Phil Dixon
8 36 Mike Wickham
Mod Qualifier 4
1 45 David Trauernicht
2 87 Lawrence Mikulencak
3 89 Steve Whiteaker jr
4 21w Greg Waugh
5 82 Steve Majek
6 51 Eddie Martin
7 99 Clay Huston
8 4 Ronnie Barbee
Limited Mod Qualifier 1
1 1 Ronny Gould
2 87 Johno Whittington
3 C02 Jason Hughes
4 119 Jamie Burford
5 02 Rick Rogers
6 6 Vince Louden
7 98 Ben Haddox
8 21s Trent Sousa
9 50 Greg Tillison
10 4 Tim Heatherly
Limited Mod Qualifier 2
1 83 Howard Willis
2 44T Jeff Turner
3 33A Bobby Fehring
4 333 Jeff Wood
5 562 David Kulhanek
6 7 Aaron Hudgeons
7 07 Adam Schach
8 45 Bobby Craft
9 57 Jensen Pray
10 22 Brad Ball
Limited Mod Qualifier 3
1 4E Travis Evans
2 56 Ray Kulhanek
3 27 Roger Faulkner
4 24 Dennie Geiber
5 86 Justin Collins
6 12 Art Rodriguez
7 31 David Karikoff
8 8M Michael Tennison
9 56 Michael Walker
10 33 Bobby Fehring
Mod B-main---top 4 to A-main
1 210 Brandon Smith
2 715 JP Dowell
3 51 Eddie Martin
4 98 TJ Huston
5 17A Adan Arambula
6 99 Clay Huston
7 7 Jamie Schach
8 2 Jarod Herring
9 12 Rollie Rodriguez
10 148 Russell Moore
Mod B-main---top 4 to A-main
1 210 Brandon Smith
2 715 JP Dowell
3 51 Eddie Martin
4 98 TJ Huston
5 17A Adan Arambula
6 99 Clay Huston
7 7 Jamie Schach
8 2 Jarod Herring
9 12 Rollie Rodriguez
10 148 Russell Moore
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