Texas Speedzone - Donnie Moore Takes Texas Pro Sedan Season-Opener at SAS

Donnie Moore wins TPS Race #1 at SAS

By: Neil Upchurch, Texas Pro Sedans – Race & Administrative Director

San Antonio, Texas (March 11, 2006) - Donnie Moore of Hutto, Texas, started 4th but finished 1st in the Texas Pro Sedans 25 lap race at San Antonio Speedway. The TPS series contested their 1st TPS race of the 2006 season at the half mile high banked asphalt oval. The event marked the beginning of the 31st consecutive racing season by the Texas Pro Sedans organization.

Qualifying saw the fastest time trial lap posted by Bryce Dishman in his SVO head equipped Ford Mustang. He turned a new TPS/SAS track record of 21.910 seconds. His new record bests the previous record of 22.390 which was set by Bill LaBarge in 2004 in his BMW. Three other drivers topped the standing record. They were Bryce’s dad Jack Dishman in the 2nd fastest Ford Mustang. Todd Farris driving LaBarge’s BMW was 3rd fast. Eventual race winner Donnie Moore had the 4th fastest clock.

The Texas Pro Sedans four cylinder stock cars played to a large grandstand San Antonio Speedway crowd. The event was highlighted by a 24 TPS car entry list. The largest field of the night saw 19 TPS cars take the green flag for the 25 lap TPS Feature Race.

Both Dishmans and Farris dueled for the lead in their fast four cylinder stock cars for the entire 25 laps. Bryce Dishman lost the handle on his #1 Mustang on lap 12. His race ended when he spun across the front bumper of a lapped car and into the inside wall on the front straightaway. His dad, in the #2 Ford Mustang appropriated the lead on his sons misfortune and led for 11 laps until former TPS Champion Donnie Moore, in the George Merrell VW Scirocco made a bold outside move and passed Dishman with two laps to go and won the race .68 seconds ahead of runner-up Jack Dishman’s SVO Mustang.

A total of seven Texas Pro Sedan drivers completed the race on the lead lap. Recording 25 laps were #27 Todd Farris who placed a tight 3rd in the BMW. He was followed by Jamie Garner who finished in an impressive 4th place driving his 2005 VW Bug. 2005 TPS “Rookie of the Year Tom Johnson was 5th in his VW Rabbit. The 2005 TPS Champion Sergio Hexsel finished 6th in his carb starved VW Rabbit. 7th place went to Mike Knotts in his familiar #48 VW Scirocco.

The TPS Championship Points standings for the new season lists Donnie Moore with a four point lead over Jack Dishman with a difficult eight month 2006 race schedule yet to be run.

The next TPS race will see the four cylinder stock car series return to San Antonio Speedway for the first “Twin Features” event in 30 years of TPS racing on Saturday night, April 15th.

Results showing finishing position, car number, Name/hometown, make/engine size, qualifying time, and laps completed
1 70 Donnie Moore/Hutto, TX VW Scirocco/1690 22.310 25
2 2 Jack Dishman/Devine, TX Ford Mustang/2060 21.940 25
3 27 F Todd Farris/College Station, TX BMW/2085 22.090 25
4 33 Jamie Garner/San Antonio, TX 2005 VW Sedan/1649 23.170 25
5 15 Tom Johnson/Kingsland, TX VW Rabbit/1816 22.730 25
6 20 Sergio Hexsel/San Antonio, TX VW Rabbit/1984 25.120 25
7 48 Mike Knotts/Universal City, TX VW Scirocco/1648 23.780 25
8 53 Randy Larsen/Wimberley, TX VW Sedan/1835 24.460 24
9 29 G Rico Guiterrez/Corpus Christi, TX Ford Mustang/2338 25.400 21
10 38 Dave Parks/San Antonio, TX 2001 VW Sedan/1588 28.310 21
11 94 Harlon Hatcher/Converse, TX VW Rabbit/1784 27.430 21
12 1 Bryce Dishman/Devine, TX Ford Mustang/2349 21.910 12
13 97 Kevin Hallman/Cibolo, TX Ford Mustang/2338 24.640 10
14 19 Lloyd Hart/San Antonio, TX Honda CRX/1834/4-Valve 23.490 9
15 23 r Harry J.J. Osburn III/San Antonio, TX Ford Pinto/2338 29.160 9
16 4 r Joshua Tuttle/San Antonio, TX Chevrolet Cobalt/2000 22.900 1
17 22 Harry Osburn Jr./San Antonio, TX Ford Mustang/2338 dnt 1
18 84 r D. J. Roggenkamp/Lumberton, TX Ford Taurus/2030 dnt 0
19 71 Bruce Mabrito/San Antonio, TX VW Scirocco/1648 24.630 0

Margin of Victory .68 sec. Car #1 sets new SAS/TPS record. Race leaders: # 1 led laps 1-12, # 2 laps 13-23, # 70 laps 24-25.
Penalties: # 97 missed drivers meeting, by TPS rule, started at rear. # 19 was black flagged for 2 solo yellows.
r - eligible for 2006 TPS "Rookie Of The Year" Award
TPS thanks race sponsors: USRA, Hoosier Racing Tires, AA Wrecker Service, Weatherford, TX (added1st & 2nd), Richard & Bea Villanueva, Nelson Skinner, Buggy Warehouse, Instant Imprints all of San Antonio.
TPS thanks USRA & SAS for hosting the opening event of the 31st consecutive Texas Pro Sedan racing season.