Short Track Saturday Racing.
08/31/2008
Short Track Saturday Racing.
I headed out to the local track yesterday evening. The Texas Super Racing Series (TSRS) was in for a run. I got there in time for the Super Stock qualifying: two heat races 8 laps of pushing their way to the front. Next was the Grand Stock heats the fist set went off with some good racing but the second heat put the 47 of Bradley Burke on the turn one fence, touching the trailer for the pit up on a 45 degree angle. It looked like the throttle hung as he tired to make the corner. The driver got out OK, but the car was stuck there all night. After trying to figure out how to dislodge it failed, the extra large truck tires were brought out to surround the car and it waited there until the racing ended.
The Texas Pro Sedans put 18 cars on the track to start and the #15 was smoking the whole race. He took the checkered flag and then the engine let go. They say the engines are the strongest just before they die. He left oil all over the track.
There was a bit of a line up hiccup with the Super Stocks but once that got figured out it was 18 cars to start and 11 finished the race after an exciting 40 laps of racing. Carry Stapp took the checkers followed by Brent Reeves and Clint LaFont.
The TSRS took the track and there was an out of car introduction. A local HEB Grocery from Slaughter lane donated a bunch of back packs for the kids. The drivers brought them down through the stands and handed them out on the way to the cars for the Back to School 75.
This class mixes up the age and experience of the drivers: there are the young guns: Jake Kruger, Adam Hall, Dillon Spreen and Cody Smith. All these young, are trying to enhance their racing careers.
After a full restart for a jumped start the action these 17 cars got to racing action. The 01 of Allen Alexander had won the pole, but due to the invert of the field he started a little further back. The 7 of Chris Schild ran the race with out a radio. The 1 of Heath Stewart, 05 of Cody Smith, 7 of Chris Shild and the 17 of Robert Barker were fighting it out for the lead and the points.
There were a couple of cautions then on #3 there was a chain reaction collision. The 51 of Chad Menard checked up and the 81 of Dillon Spreen ran into him and then the 84 of Mike Reininger hit Spreen under the caution flag. It sure wasn’t pretty. It took a bit for the restart due to a light issue, they had to do it again. I watched as the 17 of Robert Barker passed the 14 of Jake Kruger with a bit of a bumper, in the last 10 laps of the race. It was clean, but it was defiantly a forced move.
The finish was: the 05 of Cody Smith, the 1 of Heath Stewart, the 17 of Robert Barker then the 14 of Jake Kruger followed by the 7 of Chris Schild. Cody Smith did a nice burnout on the front stretch after the victory lap.
The Grand Stocks were up next with 17 cars starting and a few driver changes due to equipment and illness. The 65 of Floyd Reed, followed by the 97 of James Aramendia then of Michael Weaver and the 12 of Art Ganss.
The last race of the night ended up being a timed event: the Thunder Stocks hit the track with 13 cars and 4 cautions to bring out the green/white checkered finish due to time. The 8 of David Savilla jr. and the 92 of Jason Stanley were battling for the lead. When the 92 took his line and made the pass, the 8 went spinning The 92 of Stanley got sent to the pits: not for driving, but for transmission fluid. He got black flagged and warned when he got back on the track for a restart and sent to the pits again. The finish ended up: 4 Gary Chancellor, 14 of Joey Tschoerner, 50 of Aaron Brungot, 8 of Brian Sevilla Jr. and then the of one of the Smith Brothers. (Jeff was the listed driver, but I heard there was a drive change to his brother.)
All in all it was a great night of racing, lots of on track action. Lots of exciting passing and a stands full of fans.
I will head down next week, for an added race, I am looking forward to that already. Nascar is on California time so it will be an evening race for me tonight.
