Texas Speedzone - Ja Lane notches his first Texas Pro Sedan win at Thunder Hill Raceway

Ja Lane notches first Texas Pro Sedan win at Thunder Hill Raceway

By Neil Upchurch

Kyle, TX (June 10, 2007) - Rookie Texas Pro Sedan (TPS) driver Ja Lane won his first TPS feature race Saturday night, June 9, 2007, at Thunder Hill Raceway. Lane, who started from the fourth starting position in his Ford Focus, completed a daring pass of early-race leader Bill LaBarge on the sixth lap of the 20-lap TPS feature and never looked back.

Lane's winning car is crewed by veteran San Antonio Speedway (SAS) driver and Pan American Speedway standout Pat Lane (Ja’s dad), former SAS champion Mike Balzer and veteran crew chief Vernon Burke.

2005 TPS Champion Sergio Hexsel started sixth in the 15-car TPS field and finished second in his #20 VW Rabbit. Only one second separated Hexsel and Lane at the checkered flag.

Six-time TPS Champion Bill LaBarge, driving a BMW, lead the first six laps after winning his qualifying heat race.

Lane's win is one of the few ever accomplished by a rookie driver in 32 years of Texas Pro Sedan four-cylinder stock car racing.

The event ran all green without the need for a yellow flag

Four TPS drivers completed the Feature race on the lead lap.

The third-place car was driven by LaBarge while fourth place went to Mike Knotts in his #48 VW Scirocco. Turning in a fifth-place performance was another TPS rookie, Rick Dawdy, in his #50 VW Rabbit. This was Dawdy's best 2007 finish.

Defending TPS Champion Donnie Moore won the first qualifying heat race in the brand-new #10 George Merrell VW Scirocco. However, the car began to experience engine failure on the last lap of the heat and was unable to grid for the feature race.

With one win and two runner-up finishes, Hexsel extended his lead for the TPS championship points title to nine markers over Lane who, with his win, moved into second place in the standings.

The San Antonio-based Texas Pro Sedans touring series is conducting it’s 32nd consecutive year of four-cylinder stock car racing in Texas and the Southwest. Five more races remain to be run with the possibility of the addition of one more race.

TPS will return to Thunder Hill Raceway on Saturday night, June 23. That race format will partially invert both qualifying heat grids and will be announced to all TPS members in the pre Race Bulletin for the event. Buggy Warehouse of San Antonio - through Steve Foster - will be the exclusive sponsor the event and has posted increased purse awards for the event.

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