Texas Speedzone - NASCAR Champions Crowned at San Antonio Speedway

NASCAR Champions crowned at San Antonio Speedway

By Carolyn Oefinger

San Antonio, TX (September 17, 2006) - If you rode into "Dodge Night at the Races" this past Saturday at San Antonio Speedway looking for some wild, wild west...shoot ‘em up and bang ‘em up action, then you were not disappointed. AND when all the dust settled, it was Joe Aramendia, Robert Mayberry, Paul Lipp and Ray Riley standing in winner’s circle with first-place trophies in their hands.

No show Joe...NO WAY! Leading into the last NASCAR Late Model feature event of the 2006 season, Joe Aramendia had already clinched the championship. He didn’t even have to saddle up and climb into the cockpit of his #79 racecar, but he did. Starting on the pole was Mark Ackerman, followed by Donny Horelka, Aramendia and Lloyd Alexander. Horelka held the initial lead before L. Alexander roped him in and passed him on Lap 2. One lap later, Aramendia raced into the second spot. Some of the best racing on the track was behind the lead duo, as Brian Moczygemba, Robert Barker and Horelka were battling for positions 3-5. L. Alexander was in a zone of his own, and Aramendia couldn’t ever get close enough to mount a challenge. During this caution-free feature, L. Alexander was the first one to cross the stripe. During post-race technical inspections, L. Alexander’s car was found to be too light. Unfortunately, being underweight is outlawed at SAS, and L. Alexander was disqualified. Aramendia was declared the winner, followed by Moczygemba, Barker, Horelka and Donald Pogue.

The NASCAR Sportsman division was ready to "head ‘em up and move ‘em out" onto the track for their 25-lap feature event. As the field of 14 stampeded to Turn 1, contact was made between Chad Menard and Tommy Casey. Both were able to continue after repairs. The second attempt to get the race started resulted in a red flag as Tator Mason and Aaron Leddy got together and spun near Turn 4. Keith Garrett, Craig Crawley and John Benker were also caught up in the melee. Leddy, Crawley and Benker were corralled in the pits with too much damage to continue. The third try was a single-file start, and Allen Alexander was showing the way. It didn’t take very long for Mark Mathias to be sitting right on A. Alexander’s back bumper. Just shy of the halfway marker, the yellow flag waved when Mark Rahn came to a stop in Turn 4. On the restart, A. Alexander and Mathias were both fast...and by the time they got to Turn 4, one of them was furious. The pair tangled, with A. Alexander on the receiving end of the most damage. Jamie Evans was also on the scene, but was able to rejoin the pack after he and Mathias made a pit stop. A. Alexander also returned to the action, though several laps down. Robert Mayberry inherited the lead, with Mason in hot pursuit. With ten laps remaining, there was a quick caution to check for debris after Casey hit the wall. From that point on, it was the "M" show with "M"ayberry, "M"ason, "M"athias and Clint "M"ontanio running 1-2-3-4...AND that’s exactly how they finished, with Evans rounding out the top five. Mark Mathias captured the 2006 Sportsman championship.

In the NASCAR Road Runner division, JR Eichelberger and Paul Lipp were gunning for the championship. Lipp has been on a hot streak, and hoped to close the gap between himself and Eichelberger. As the race got underway, pole-sitter Gary May jumped into the lead. On Lap 4, the action slowed when Jerry Thomas hit the wall near Turn 1. Pit row became very busy as Jody Wayne Stuart went in for a tire changed, and Eichelberger attempted to get his front-end damage repaired. May was still on the point, with Mona Turner and Lipp lined up right behind him. Lipp began to dig in his spurs, passing both Turner and May to secure the No. 1 position. Chris Foster spun out right in front of the leader with a handful of laps remaining. During this caution period, Eichelberger who had been running in the third position was docked two spots for jump starting the prior restart. One lap later, May’s great run came to an end when he exited into the pits with mechanical woes, and Jay Mrazek spun out possibly from liquid laid down by May’s ailing racer. As the race concluded, Lipp won the battle, but lost the war. Stuart finished in the runner-up position followed by Eichelberger, Mrazek and Foster. JR Eichelberger claimed the championship by a mere four points over Lipp.

Ray Riley prevailed in the 15-lap NASCAR Grand Stock feature event. He was handed the lead when the top two contenders - Richard Fitch and Floyd Reed - got a bit too rowdy. After much contact throughout the race, track officials were about to throw a yellow flag to summon both drivers to the pits when the pair tangled in Turn 4 with six laps remaining. Law and order was restored between the two drivers after a consultation with track officials. F. Reed and Fitch blazed a trail back towards the front, and finished right behind the winner Riley. Jody Wayne Stuart was crowned the champion in this division.