BOISE, Idaho-- For the third time in four years Jim Eaton of West Jordan, Utah claimed victory in the Snap-On Tools “125” at Rocky Mountain Raceway outside Salt Lake City. Eaton edged teammate Zan Sharp at the stripe for his first NAPA Auto Parts Rocky Mountain Challenge Series win of the season. Series point’s leader Craig Bell finished third with Eddy McKean and Bryan Warf rounding out the top five finishers.
Local hotshoe Nick Parker of Kearns, Utah topped the speed charts after qualifying with a quick lap of 15.322 seconds/88.109 mph around the 3/8-mile paved oval. Young Gun David Minegar was second quick followed by Zan Sharp, Dennis Wurtz Jr., and Tom Hill.
The NAPA Auto Parts Rocky Mountain challenge Series utilizes a twenty-car invert at all series races which then put Joe Miller on the front row to start the 125-lap event. With the fast cars in the back the fans will always see passing and great side-by-side action.
Miller had two chances at starting the field after the first attempt was foiled when Rick Webster looped his Chevrolet in turn four. The filed lined up for a complete restart and Miller led the first six laps as the rest of the pack sorted itself out.
Miller’s time at the front was short lived when Craig Doehling took the lead on lap seven and set a torrid pace distancing himself from the rest of the field over the next eight laps.
By the lap 15 mark, Doehling led John Wong, Wade Frey, Craig Bell, and Eddy McKean. Jim Cooksey, Warf, Jim Wulfenstein, Eaton, and moving up from the rear into tenth was Nick Parker.
The second caution came out on lap twenty when John Dillon spun in turn two. Dillon stayed on the lead lap. Over the next twelve laps two more cautions flew for incidents involving Tom Hill and Cooksey. Hill pitted with mechanical woes under the hood and ended his night while Cooksey fell to the rear after the spin.
John Wong took over the lead on lap 16 and looked to have the set up to stay up front as he led 40 laps before Eaton took the top spot on lap 58. Wong fell to second with Bell riding in third and fat timer Parker up to fourth. Doehling maintained the fifth spot.
Eaton maintained his control of the top spot working lapped traffic at lap 80. Wong held onto second searching for his first top five finish of the season. McKean moved up to third with Bell resting in fourth and sharp moving into the top five. Parker dropped to sixth after his car started to push with Warf, Wulfenstein, Minegar, Dillon, and Russell Butler rounding out the top ten in the running order.
Local hero Lyn Hardy brought out the fifth caution after debris from his mount littered turn three. Hardy was able to continue, though would never be a factor over the final laps.
Eaton paced the field on the lap 93 restart. Bell worked his way around McKean for third on lap 95 with Sharp dropping McKean to fifth on lap 98.
The final caution came on lap 101 when Wong drifted up the track in turn three and collected David Minegar. The contact ended Minegar’s night on the hook dropping the second generation driver in the point standing’s in the process.
Bell got by Eaton on the lap 110 restart but Eaton regained the point as the duo exited turn four on lap 111. Sharp maintained third with McKean and Warf rounding out the top five as the race entered the final ten laps.
Eaton would not be denied in his quest and claimed a .850 second victory over teammate Sharp who edged Bell for second on the final lap. Bell crossed the line in third with McKean and Warf rounding out the top five finishers.
“I love the race and this track,” Eaton said. “I am having a lot of fun racing the RMCS and this race has always been an important one for the team. I am also thrilled to have Zan finish second tonight. The win certainly helps in the points.”
“We made up some ground on Craig (Bell),” Sharp said. “Jim (Eaton) ran a great race and I am thrilled to finish second. We can put cars in the hauler without a mark and go onto to Chaparral.”
Collecting his series leading 14th top five finish was Kuna, Idaho’s Craig Bell. “We don’t have a good qualifying package and that is something we are working on,” Bell said. “We always race well and I am happy to finish in the top five here at RMR.”
Making a rare RMCS start was Southwest Series regular Eddy McKean. “I had to work hard to this finish,” McKean said. “These guys are a bunch of good racers and the invert makes you have to race for a good finish.”
Bell maintains the top spot in the standings but his margin is only three points after Sharp’s second place finish. Warf moved up to third, with Minegar dropping to fourth after his night ended early. Eaton moved up to fifth place after the victory. Wurtz, Retro-Design Rookie John Newhouse, Doehling, Hill, and wade Frey round out the top ten in the standings after five races of the 13-race schedule.
The next event for the NAPA Auto Parts Rocky Mountain Challenge Series is Saturday, June 18 at Idaho Motor Speedway (Chaparral). For all the latest news and information regarding the NAPA Auto Parts Rocky Mountain Challenge Series log onto www.rockymountainchallengeseries.com.
Snap-On Tools “125” Race Results
Rocky Mountain Raceway
May 30, 2005
James Eaton, 125 Zan Sharp, 125 Craig Bell, 125 Eddy McKean, 125 Bryan Warf, 125 Dennis Wurtz Jr., 125 Russell Butler, 125 Nick Parker, 125 James Wulfenstein, 125 John Wong, 125 Wade Frey, 123 Lynn Hardy, 122 Joe Miller, 121 John Dillon, 112 David Minegar, 101 Trevor Boys, 84 Craig Doehling, 80 Rick Webster, 75 Jim Cooksey, 71 Rus Ward, 56 John Newhouse, 46 Tom Hill, 29 Jeff Hillock, 4 Chad Cannon, DNS
