21 DIRT LATE MODELS CHALLENGE THE
PRESCOTT CLAY!
By-Sandy Combs
5-15-10
21 Southwest Dirt Late Models took the green in their 25 lap feature for their
first race at PVR in 2010. It started with a restart as Justin Thornton spun and
the pack lined up for a second start. After only one lap was in the books two
yellows appeared. Keith Noyes brought out the first yellow, they lined up and
then before another green lap was in the books the yellow flew again as Jimmy
Jelvin made an unscheduled stop. Anthony Madrid led the first lap but his car
then developed some kind of problem after the yellow and lap two went to Brad
Whitfield. Whitfield had Ricky Thornton right on his rear bumper and at lap four
Thornton was in the lead putting Whitfield to second with Joey Moriarty in
third. Laps 6 & 7 were slowed by spins but the trio kept up the leadership. By
lap ten they were lapping cars and threading their way cautiously in and out of
the slower cars. With four laps to go Jerry Fincher brought out the yellow and
it bunched up the back for a trophy dash to the win. One lap later another
yellow followed as Moriarty got tangled up with a lapped car and needed
assistance. This gave third to Cory Hemphill. It was now a three lap dash to the
win. Thronton held on and took home the big win ahead of Whitfield, Hemphill,
Lonnie Parker Jr. and Mike Tahtinen. Team Speed Motorsports sponsored the
trophies. Finishing out the top ten were Tommy Hussak, John Romero, Brad
Williams, James Chavez Jr. and J. Thornton. Those ten cars all finished on the
lead lap.
The Arizona Mini Sprints also made their first trip to PVR and brought 15 cars
to do battle. 14 cars were able to make the call in the feature. Ashley Robella
took the lead for the initial round and then Kenny Brewer of New Mexico took
over in his bright colored machine. Lap six the leaders hit lapped traffic and
their first yellow. Josh Castros car died and he stopped. Brewer had Austin
Quick and MIke Visser right behind him and that trio took it to the next yellow
at lap ten when again Castro needed assistance. Brewer was looking strong but
with six laps to go he found himself to be the yellow as he spun in front of the
pack. This gave the lead to Quick and he took advantage of this as he went in to
take the win. Second to Visser ahead of Paul Martin, Kenny Brewer, who set a new
6 lap record in his heat, and Ryan Walters. Rounding out the top ten were Dennis
Parks, Kara Visser, Brewer, Jacob Hawkins and Robella.
The Pure Stock count is growing with each race and they have had three different
winners in as many races. The level of competition is really stiff in this
class. Tri City Towing provided their trophies and 15 cars took the green in
their 20 lap feature. Unfortunately only eight were left at the checkered as
attrition took its ugly toll. A restart greeted the group as Pappy Ricketts,
John Romero and John Hough piled together in turn one of the very first lap. All
could continue. Derek Huggins led the first lap and then Scott Kleintop took
over at lap two. Two yellows slowed the pace at this point of the race and two
cars hit the pits. Lap three saw George Fronsman going for the lead but smoke
billowed and he blew up his engine and he had to hit the pits. Kleintop
continued to lead and lap five saw yet another yellow as Jason Parks had spun.
Ron Hull took over second at lap four and headed for Kleintop while holding off
all the competitiors behind him. Mike Colclasure took third at lap seven but lap
eight he also visited the pits. One lap later Mike Hough overtook Hull for
second. With so many yellows their time ran out as a two car tangle at lap 12
between Amy Edwards and Dillon Markley slowed the field. The white flew for
Kleintop and he took home the hardware. Hough finished second ahead of Hull,
John Hough and Josh Stoks.. Romero, Colclasure, Markley, Edwards and Bogan
completed the top ten.
Even though the AMA Modlites had two hard heat races all eleven cars were able
to take the green in their feature and eight of them were still running at the
checkered and the top three received trophies from D & O Contractors-Dan & Susan
Olson. John Priest sped off at the green from his pole starting spot and never
looked back. Only two quick yellows showed in their 20 laps of action. One at
lap two as Troy Korkosz spun and then not until lap eleven when both Korkosz's
got together. Anthony Platt trailed Priest to lap nine when Clayton Echols took
over the runner up spot. Those top three took the white that way but Platt snuck
by Echols to grab the second spot at the checkered behind Priest. Echols settled
for third ahead of Steve Bender and Rick Gamble, who had worked hard at getting
his car driveable after flipping in his heat. Hayden Bender, Bryan Dervage, Gary
Mooney, Korkosz and Korkosz finished out the top ten.
The Challenge Cup Sprints were the only main of the night to go green to
checkered and almost in record time. Art Mankel III led the first three rounds
and then Rookie Fritz Croy took over the lead. He held off Mankel and then Chris
Beal all the way to the checkered for his very first feature win. It was only
his second race in a sprint car. Beal second ahead of Bryan Swinehart, Mankel
and Johnny Shelton. Their trophies were sponsored by Gecko Automotive Glass.