Texas Speedzone - South Texas Speedway Season Opener Recap and Results

South Texas Speedway 2/18/06
By J. M. Hallas

Corpus Christi, TX (February 19, 2006) - South Texas Speedway’s grand re-opening kicked off on the ¼ mile semi-banked oval Saturday night. Despite less than Chamber of Commerce weather, over 50 race teams braved the cold, damp, windy conditions and put on a show for the even heartier fans as on and off drizzle fell on the speedway. Owen Pittman and his crew had the track in good condition and kept the show running at a brisk pace. Despite the less than ideal conditions, opening night came off without a hitch and the future looks sunny for the renewed efforts at the track for 2006.

Carter Captures Modified Checkers
In the 19-car Modified feature, Austin Carter and Danny Brown led the field to green for the 20 lap main event. Carter quickly jumped into the lead as green waved, with Brown falling into second. Clay Huston clipped an infield tire on lap 1 bringing out the first caution and sending Huston to the trailer for the night. On the restart, Bobby Maupin moved into third getting by James Schach. Maupin then moved in ob Brown for second getting along side on lap 3. Schach slid up in turn 3 and stalled collecting Dale Flanagan to bring out the yellow.

Carter held the point on green, while young hotshoe, Steve Whiteaker jr., who started at the tail, moved past Brett McBride for sixth. It wasn’t long until Maupin was challenging Carter for the lead on lap 5. Just as Maupin began his charge, McBride expired a motor and rolled to a stop on the front stretch for a caution. When green waved again Darin Leonard and Joe Barnec ran side by side for fifth, with Barnec holding the spot. Brown got Maupin to retake second as Maupin slowed and pulled off.

Whiteaker jr. got by both Barnec and Leonard on lap 7 to move to fourth, with Leonard following him to fifth. Whiteaker jr. slid high in turn 2 on lap 8 giving the spot to Leonard. At the race came to halfway the top five were Carter, Brown, Neal Flanagan, Leonard and Schach coming back to front after his earlier incident. Whiteaker jr. would pull off after breaking an axle.

By lap 15, Carter had started to put some distance on Brown, who had a big gap back to N. Flanagan in third. Carter caught slower traffic on lap 17, but continued to hold his advantage. Lap 18 saw the final caution, as Brown would spin in turn 2 Steve Whiteaker Sr would spin behind him and stop on track. This would set up a green, white checker finish. Carter inched ahead as the green waved while in the pack Chuck Perry spun in turn 2. As the race resumed the white and green were waved together for one final lap. Carter, driving the Young’s Automotive Repair, Ace Transmissions, HOT Chassis would hang on to grab the first modified checkered of the season

Modifieds
1 87x Austin Carter
2 5 Neal Flanagan
3 26 Darin Leonard
4 8 Mike Riley
5 57 Dale Flanagan
6 1 James Schach
7 37 Bill Pittaway
8 55 Danny Brown
9 128 Steve Whiteaker sr.
10 15 Chuck Perry
11 87 Lawrence Mikulencak
12 89 Steve Whiteaker jr.
13 60 Steve Tomlinson
14 91 Bobby Maupin
15 97 Joe Barnec
16 14 Brett Mcbride
17 174 Mickey Helms
18 35 Eddy Ross
19 98 Clay Huston
Heat race winners, Austin Carter, Danny Brown, James Schach

Shrimp Sweeps Limited Modifieds
Steve Grantz, affectionately known as “Shrimp” for his trademark white shrimp boots, scored the sweep in the limited modifieds taking both the heat race and 12 lap feature wins. Grantz started on the pole of the four-car feature and held off Dustin Brandl in the first half of the race before pulling away to take his first dirt track win.

Limited Modifieds
1 91 Steve Grantz
2 00 Dustin Brandl
3 3B David Boggs
4 11 Steve Tomlinson

In the Super Stocks, Steve Whiteaker sr., piloting the car of Ed Forsythe, took the double win posting the heat and feature wins. Whiteaker sr. quickly jumped into the top spot as green waved leaving Curtis King and Abe Mares to battle for second. That duo swapped the position lap for lap and nearly corner for corner throughout the 12-lap event.

Super Stocks
1 Steve Whiteaker sr.
2 44 Curtis King
3 3 Abe Mares
4 2x Dennis Hilla
5 18 Kirk Loos

David Routon led flag to flag in the 12-lap Street Stock feature pulling away from Richard Bartosh for the easy win

Street Stock
1 7 David Routon
2 11 Richard Bartosh
3 35 Eddy Ross
4 43 Nathan Hight
Heat winner, Richard Bartosh

The Pure Stock, 12-lap feature ran first after a short intermission. The field tip-toed into turn 1 at the start of the race with Bobby Jack getting the point. James Myers pressured Jack throughout the feature with the duo running door to door and making occasional, casual contact. As the white waved, Jack still held the top spot, but J. Myers got inside going into turn 1 and snagged the lead coming out of turn 2. J. Myers would hold on the final half lap for the victory

Pure Stock
1 47 James Myers
2 88 Bobby Jack
3 22 Keith Harris
4 45 Joey Hienaman
5 19 Darryl Prosak
6 4 Abe Mares IV
7 44 Gene Hyde
8 46 Sam Myers
9 74 James Starry
Heat winners, Bobby Jack, James Myers

The seven-car Thunder Stock feature saw the crafty veteran, GB Carter hold off the charges of Pete Arce to grab the win in the night’s final race.

Thunder Stock
1 77 GB Carter
2 18 Pete Arce
3 46 Todd Evans
4 14 Will Robertson
5 22 Brandon Skinner
6 9 Carl Lee
7 17 Bubba Ford