MADERA, California -- The 2006 SRL Wild West Late Model Shootout Series ended on a high note for Mike Mendenhall and his Jeff Jess Motorsports team.
Mendenhall finished a strong second behind race winner and season champion Eric Schmidt in the 100-lap season finale Saturday night at the 1/3-mile paved Madera Speedway. That run enabled Mendenhall to secure fourth place in the final point standings. Jim Courage Jr. was second in the final points rundown. Jeff Belletto was third. Troy Ermish, Mendenhall’s Jeff Jess teammate, notched sixth place in the seasonal standings.
The weekend at Madera was a tough one for Mendenhall’s Alfred Matthews GMC Pontiac Cadillac – Crower Racing Equipment - Hayward Pool Products – Newton Communications team. They fought a loose condition right up until race time. They were no better than seventh in the first practice session, 12th in the second one, and qualified only ninth best.
But a pill draw of ten put Mendenhall on the outside of the front row for the race.
“That pill draw made us go to work. We didn’t want to be on the front row and be embarrassed,” Mendenhall laughed while noting that employees of Alfred Matthews GMC, Pontiac, Cadillac were out in force for the contest. “We struggled so badly in practice. We had enough practices. But the changes we were making just weren’t fixing the car. In qualifying we still had issues. So for the race we made more changes – I just kept thinking we had nothing to lose.”
The car ended up a lot better in the race. Mendenhall jumped to the early lead, but yielded the top spot to Schmidt, who sat fourth on the starting grid, on lap 4. Schmidt led every lap thereafter except for the 27th when Mendenhall led for a single round following a yellow flag. The 43 year old former Cajon Speedway racer was able to dog Schmidt to the checkered flag. But he fell just short after some contact in turn one of the final circuit got both cars sideways.
Mendenhall attributes a lot of credit for his team’s success this year to his Jeff Jess crewmen that came on board this year. Tim Arnold, John Flanagan, and Greg “Bubba” White all had prior experience with the SRL. They joined forces with Rob Mendenhall and Ward Newton, who had supported Mendenhall for many years, to create a strong team for 2006. Others pitching in to assist during the year included Faron Collins and Greg Yarmin.
The team was particularly strong during the second half of the season. They enjoyed victory at Altamont in July, followed by a fourth at Madera in August, an 11th at Stockton on September 16, a seventh a week later at Altamont, and Saturday’s runner-up finish at Madera. The Stockton run was hampered when the car caught fire during the race after the power steering hose broke.
The SRL will hold their annual banquet in Sacramento on November 11.
