Texas Speedzone - Pro Cuts Texas Dirt Track Championship @ Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Friday

Pro Cuts Texas World Dirt Track Championship @ Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track 3/4-5/05
By J M Hallas

Ft Worth, TX ( Mar7, 2005) - Over 200 cars from twelve state filled the pits to overflowing on the opening night for the 2nd Annual Pro Cuts Texas World Dirt Track Championship on the 4/10 mile dirt track outside Texas Motor Speedway. Modified drivers came from eight states, with the SUPR field filled by drivers from 10 states, and included, NASCAR Nextel driver, Kenny Schrader.

The list of modified drivers was virtual who’s who in the midwest, topped by touring pros like, Gary Clark, Jerry Hoffman, Randy Timms, Scott Drake and Chad Wheeler. Local hot shoes included 2001 IMCA National Champion/seven time Regional Champion Henry Witt jr., 2004 preliminary feature winner, Jared Webb, Troy Taylor, Sean Jones, Howard Willis and last years A-main runner-up, Casey Jordan.

Merrill Masters Main
In the 22 car, 25 lap, $2000 to win SUPR Late Model A-main, Raymond Merrill and Jeff Chandler paced the field to green. Merrill eased out front, but in the pack NASCAR driver, Kenny Schrader got squeezed down into the infield berm and spun, tearing off half the nose piece. On the next try, Chandler got the jump on Merrill and was first through turns 1-2 to take the point.

Kenny Merchant moved up to fourth from his mid-pack start by lap 2, followed by Kelly Boen who was scrapping with Alan Vaughan for fifth. Merchant snared another position on lap 4 passing David Ashley for third, while D. Ingalls and Skip O'Neal ran door to door for tenth. Merchant's luck took a turn for the worse when he started smoking and pulled off on lap 6.

By lap 8, Chandler beginning to run away from Merrill. Just before halfway Ray Moore II was trying to inside 2004 SUPR Champion, Rob Litton for sixth. As the crossed flags were shown it was Chandler, catching traffic, Merrill, Ashley, Vaughan and Boen in the front five positions, while D. Ingalls and O'Neal were still at it, running side by side.

Chandler was stretching out his lead despite having to dodge his way through traffic until lap 15 when he got tangled with a slower car and spun from the lead. This handed the top spot over to ones of last years winner, Merrill as the race resumed. As the green was shown, Ashley tried to jump Merrill, but was having to hold off Vaughan at the same time. Vaughan would half spin and loose a few spots, but not bring out a caution.

The final yellow was thrown on lap 16, when Delbert Smith slowed and stopped on track. Merrill pulled out to a good lead on the restart, while Vaughan, Litton and Boen struggled for fifth. Ricky Ingalls and Garrett Durrett caught that threesome on lap 19. Boen clipped the infield berm on lap 21 sending him airborne, but he kept on trucking and never lost a spot.
As the white flag waved it was Merrill keeping a six car length cushion over Ashley. On the last lap Boen and Litton made contact, with Boen falling back and Litton fining the turn 4 wall. At the checkers it was the nights most successful driver, in both classes(literally), as Merrill in the Merrills Self Storage/Merrills Bail Bonds/Merrills Check Cashing/GRT Chassis took the checkers.

A-main official finish
1 12r Raymond Merrill (1) Sallisaw, Okla.
2 14A David Ashley (2) Zachary, La.
3 93 Ray Moore (6) Shreveport, La.
4 22 Alan Vaughan (3) Belton, Mo.
5 58 Garrett Durrett (13) Simsboro, La.
6 L8 Kyle Taylor (8) Longview, Tx.
7 90 Larry Lambeth (12) Flomaton, Ala.
8 07 Kelly Boen (10) Denver, Colo.
9 75 Patrick Daniel (18) Wills Points, La.
10 81 Ricky Ingalls (11) Longview, Tx.
11 8c Keith Craft (14) Arkadelphia, Ark.
12 28 Doug Ingalls (17) Longview, Tx.
13 21g Jimmy Gaylor (20) Lutherville, Ga.
14 15g Odie Green (Prov) Fouke, Ark.
15 10 Jody Prince(19) Sibley, La.
16 6x Rob Litton (7) Alexandria, La.
17 92 Delbert Smith (16) Wichita, Kan.
18 11c Jeff Chandler (4) Minden, La.
19 c10 Bubba Mullins (Prov) West Monroe, La.
20 c28 Kenny Merchant (9) Rusten, La.
21 8 Skip O'Neal (15) Red Oak, Tx.
22 99 Ken Schrader (5) Concord, NC.

SUPR Late Models
Heat 1 C28 Kenny Merchant, Rusten, La.
Heat 2 22 Alan Vaugan, Belton, Mo.
Heat 3 11c Jeff Chandler, Minden, La.
Heat 4 07 Kelly Boen, Denver, Colo.
Heat 5 14 David Ashley, Zachary, La.
Heat 6 Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw, Okla.

Two big crashes slowed the pace in SUPR Last Chance #1. While Doug Ingalls and Jody Prince ran side by side through turns 1-2, Wayman McMillan got clipped and sent over, landing on his side against the turn 2 wall. On the restart Prince took the lead on lap 1. D. Ingalls got inside Prince as the duo battled door to door on lap, with D. Ingalls inching into the top spot.
On lap Robbie Stuart got turned and dug into the infield berm sending him end-over-end, while doing a twist in mid air and landung on his roof in turn 4. Despite the spectacular looking crash, Stuart was able to walk away uninjured. As green waved again, Prince tried to get back by D. Ingalls as they fought side by side. D. Ingalls was able to hold the spot.

Dan Leatherman saw his chance at a top spot end on lap 7 when he slowed from third. At the mid point it was D. Ingalls, Prince, Tom Lorenz working his way up from row 6, Jason Ingalls and Bob Ewell in the top five. D. Ingalls was creeping away from Prince when yellow waved on lap 13 for Jon Mitchell who stopped on track.Prince gave it the ol' college try as he got along side D. Ingalls on the restart in turns 1-2. D. Ingalls held off the charges of Prince and took the checkers.

SUPR Last Chance Qualifier #1, top 2 to A-main
1 Doug Ingalls
2 Jody Prince
3 Tom Lorenz
4 Jason Ingalls
5 Bob Ewell
6 John Sliney
7 Sloppy Hogg

Patrick Daniels got the jump at the start on SUPR LC #2 to lead lap 1. Jon Koucher and Jimmy Gaylor raced side by side for third on lap 2. Koucher cleared Gaylor on lap 5 and caught Rusty Cummings for second. The duet made contact in turns 1-2 knocking both out of the race. At halfway the top five were Daniel, Gaylor, Odie Green, Jerry Bell and Dewaine Hottinger, with Daniel holding a substantial lead.

Daniel caught traffic on lap 12 and had to use the chrome horn to root out Danny Mahan, who spun to bring out a yellow. Daniel snagged a big lead on the restart as the top four motored away. In the final laps, Bell took third from Green but came up one spot short at the finish. Daniel took the win by a comfortable margin.

LC qualifier #2, top 2 to A-main
1 Patrick Daniel
2 Jimmy Gaylor jr
3 Jerry Bell
4 Odie Green
5 Charles Randolph
6 Allen Tippen
7 Jimmy Quick
8 Richard Mills
9 James Longpine
10 Lyle Sheppard
11 Dwaine Hottinger 12 Elizabeth Halpin-Smith

Modified heat Winners;
Heat 1 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Tx.
Heat 2 99 Johnny Dunn, Sunnyvale, Tx.
Heat 3 31 Elias Anderson, Austin, Tx.
Heat 4 05 Michael Robertson, Minden, La.
Heat 5 55H Buddy Honaker, Davis, OK.
Heat 6 1F Jason Friesen, Friend, Nebr.
Heat 7 8 Bryan Sugg, Grand Prairie, Tx.
Heat 8 88 Clyde Dunn, Sunnyvale, Tx.
Heat 9 32 Shane Clement, Bonham, Tx.
Heat 10 12D Scott Drake, Webb City, Mo.
Heat 11 12M Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw, Okla.
Heat 12 724 David McKay, Van Alstyne, Tx.

In the J-Feature, Jimmy Littlejohn grabbed the early lead but was pressured by Morgan Bagley. Bagley got the top spot on lap 2 as the lead duo edged away from the field. Kyle Robinson and Travis Penrod had a good battle going for the fifth spot as the reached halfway. Bagley would go unchallenged to the checkers for the victory.

J-feature #1 top 6 to back of H-feature tomorrow night
1 Morgan Bagley
2 Jimmy Littlejohn
3 Gregg Herron
4 Sean Jones
5 Travis Penrod
6 Kyle Robinson
7 Pat McGuire
8 Farrel Skelton
9 Phil Forbush
10 Bud Longpine

The I-Feature saw Johnny Fennewald get out front, but was quickly run down and passed by Troy Taylor on lap 2. Brandon Watson moved all the way up to fourth on lap 4, but broke a lap later and pulled off. Nathan Sugg got past Fennewald on lap 5 to move into second. Tommy Weder, on a charge from the back moved in to battle with Scotty Brown and Jason Schniepp. With Taylor pulling away, the battle was for the runner up spot. Brown snuck into second on the last lap, passing N. Sugg.

I-Feature #2 top 6 to H-Feature tomorrow
1 Troy Taylor 2 Scotty Brown
3 Nathan Sugg
4 Tommy Weder
5 Johnny Fennewald
6 Jason Schniepp
7 Travis McGovern
8 Tommy Fain
9 Jay Sale
10 Dennis Slader

In the first dash to set the top six spots for Saturdays A-main, Clyde Dunn got the point as the field quickly strung out. Glenn Leuschner moved in on Chris Henigan and ran side by side down the back stretch with Leuschner picking up the spot. Raymond Merrill, doing double duty got around Johno Whittington in the final lap to snag fourth.

Dash #1 to set the top six for Saturdays A-main
1 Clyde Dunn
2 Glenn Leuschner
3 Chris Henigan
4 Raymond Merrill
5 Johno Whittington
6 Johnny Dunn

Bryan Sugg was first out of turn to snare the top spot. Lap two saw David McKay, Jerry Hoffman and Sam Cox try to go three wide in turn 3. McKay and Hoffman made contact, with Hoffman doing a half spin. As Hoffman started to go around, McKay drove over the hood of Hoffmans car. B. Sugg got a big jump on the restart and cruised on to the win.

Dash #2 to set positions 7-12 in Saturdays A-main
1 Bryan Sugg
2 Sam Cox
3 Shane Clement
4 PJ Egbert
5 Jerry Hoffman
6 David McKay