BRUCE YACKEY TAKES LINCOLN WELDERS SATURDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN

Source: gb
Date: 04/23/2007

The Lincoln Welders Saturday Night Showdown at Colorado National Speedway featured many cars and some great racing action. Bruce Yackey took the Wright Group Event Services main event over Joe James Jr. In the Suss.net Sportsman division, Davin Fisbeck held off John Baker for the win. Ric Lothert claimed the Loveland Goodyear Super Stocks feature, while Kyle Ray claimed the RMMRA Midget feature and Al Duran claimed the Aamco Trainsmission Figure 8 main event.

The Figure 8 main event was first out with Phil Taylor and Doc Floyd on the front row. At the drop of the green, John Johnson shot to the lead bringing Al Duran and Jared Wall with him. On lap 9, Tammy Totos stopped at the X to let faster cars cross and Johnson slammed into the back of her. Johnson’s hood went flying off the car bringing out a caution and he was sent off the track for more loose bodywork. Duran was the new leader over Wall, Dennis Stepanich, Dave Smith and Joe Martinez. On lap 11, Mike Steward, Tammy Totos and John Martello tangled by the track exit, with Totos and Martello becoming stuck together. After track officials, precisely got the cars unstuck, they continued racing. On lap 13, Eddy Garcia and Shirley Thompson tangled resulting in a caution for Garcia spinning. The field was given a green-white-checkered and Duran held on for the win over Wall, Stepanich, Smith and Martinez.

Next to hit the track were a group of 32 Super Stocks that saw Damon Dickey and Chris Vieth on the front row. When the green waved, Vieth took off into the lead over Ric Lothert, Dennis Edwards, Sandy Thompson, and AJ Grasso. Caution flew for a spun car on lap 3 bunching up the field. Darrell Smith and Mike Cox exited the track and returned. Vieth continued to lead on the restart with Lothert and Edwards battling behind. Lothert and Edwards took over the top spots on lap 13, putting Vieth back to third. On lap 18, caution flew after Jack Malick spun out along with Shirley Nichols tangling with Steve Hull. Nichols front end was destroyed and she was towed off. Brent Cave slowed on the restart for another attempt, and then racing resumed. Grasso took fourth from Thompson on lap 20 and the two were by Vieth on lap 24 as Lothert won over Edwards, Grasso, Thompson and Vieth.

Butch Middleton and Rick Ellis were on the front row for the Midget feature. Middleton jumped into the early lead with Kyle Ray flying up to second over Greg Schaefer, Chris Sheil and Ellis. Sheil took third on lap 7 from Schaefer and on lap 15 Ray took over the lead from Midleton. Sheil was catching the leaders, but ran out of laps as Ray won over Middleton, Sheil, Schaefer and Kyle Rayburn.

The Sportsman main was next and Frankie Estes was on the pole with Daniel Martinez to the outside. Estes took off into the lead at the start with Martinez falling into second over Tommy Roe, Rick Hunt and Davin Fisbeck. Baker got by Roe for third on lap 5 and then Craig Holmes drove on top of the backstretch wall and continued. Martinez got freight-trained on lap 9 with Fisbeck moving into third over Roe and Hunt. On lap 10, Holmes spun for a caution flag. Stan Griffin and Hunt had an awesome battle for fifth going on for several laps. On lap 16, Baker and Fisbeck took over the top spots from Estes as he started sliding back. By lap 21, Estes was out of the top 5, and Eric Blackard was fifth. Blackard took fourth from Hunt on lap 23 and then took third on lap 27. Fisbeck held on for the win over Baker, Blackard, Roe and Hunt.

One last main event was needed to end the evening and it was for the Late Models. Rick Runkle and PJ Mottorano were on the front row. Caution flew twice before 1 lap was even scored. The first caution was for Anthony Yattaw loosing the rear of his body down the back-stretch and spinning. The second caution was for Barney Visser and Mike Bowen tangling. Finally a lap was scored and Runkle led over Darren Bucklen, Chris Eggleston, Scotty Backman and Ronnie Hults. By lap 13, Backman moved up to challenge the lead and Darren Robertson moved into the mix. Caution flew on lap 14, when contact sent Bucklen spinning into the turn 1 wall and collecting Rick Smith. Backman took over the lead on lap 18 over Hults, Runkle, Eggleston and Robertson. Runkle slid back on lap 19 and Mottorano was fifth now before a caution flew on lap 21 for contact sending Roger Avants spinning in turn 2. Mottorano was real slow on the restart and pulled off moving Bruce Yackey into fifth. On lap 24, Avants and Runkle tangled again and both cars were sent off the track. Another caution on lap 24 saw Bowen tag the front wall sending paint flying and then a third lap 24 caution saw several spun cars including Brian Pacheco and John Luck. Hults took the top spot on lap 26 before getting loose on lap 27 allowing Backman and Eggleston by. On lap 28, Eggleston took over the lead and Yackey was up to second over Backman, Joe James Jr and Hults. James and Hults shuffles Backman to fifth. On lap 33 contact sent Eggleston spinning and caution flew. Eggleston restarted in the back as Yackey led James, Hults, Robertson and Backman. The next time by, Robertson was second challenging Yackey. James took second on lap 38 and Yackey won over James, Hults, Robertson and Backman.

In the afternoon qualifying sessions, a new record was written in the Figure 8 record book as Al Duran shattered the track record with a 27.501 lap. Joe Matlock was second quick over John Johnson. Ric Lothert timed in quickest for the Super Stocks with a 20.264 lap. Sandy Thompson was second quick over AJ Grasso. Kyle Ray was quickest in the midgets with a 16.145 lap. Todd Plemmons was second quick over Chris Sheil. Davin Fisbeck circled the track in 17.802 seconds to earn quick time for the Sportsman division. John Backer was second over Rick Hunt. Last out to qualify were the Late Models and Rick Smith was quickest with a 16.146 lap. Darren Robertson was second quickest over Scotty Backman.

The first Super Stock B-Main got off to a tough start as Mark Logan clobbered the back wall hard after contact with another car. Upon impact, all of Logan’s tires were in the air, fortunately he was ok, but the car is totaled. Eric Ramsey was also collected. When racing resumed, Mario Garramone took off with Ric Lothert and Dennis Edwards following. Lothert was first across the line over a photo finish between Garramone and Edwards.

Bob Foster and Damon Dickey were on the front row for the second Super Stock B-Main and Foster took off at the start. Mike Cox took over on lap 5, and Sandy Thompson took the lead on lap 6 and never looked back. Thompson won over Cox, and Dave Neff.

The Sportsman dash was next to run and Eric Blackard along with Dennis Pobanz were the front row. Pobanz led the first lap and Tommy Roe took over on lap 4. Roe held off the challengers for the win over Rick Hunt and John Baker.

Jeff Philpott and Tim Weaver were the front row for the third Super Stock B-Main. Philpott led early until Darrell Smith got by on lap 4 5 and took off. Philpott faded back and spun on the last lap as Smith won over Jason Rahmig and AJ Grasso.

Davey McCray and Adam Gastineau were on the front row for the first Sportsman B-Main. Gastineau led the first three laps before Holmes got by and Gastineau spun for a lap 5 caution. As the field came for the white flag, Gastineau broke in turn 2 and slowed for a caution, then he caught on fire. Holmes led the rest of the way over Alan Carter and Frankie Estes.

Eric Potts and Jerry Borquez lined up on the front row for the second Sportsman B-Main with Potts leading early. Daniel Martinez took command on lap 3 then Scott Estes took over on lap 6. Estes held on for the win over Lee Kemmit, and Martinez.

Rick Runkle and Joe James Jr lined up on the front row for the first Late Model B-Main. James led early and caution flew on lap for a spun Brian Pacheco. Back underway, James continued to lead and won over a photo finish between Scotty Backman and Ronnie Hults.

The second Late Model B-Main had Roger Avants and Frank Denning III on the front row. Bruce Yackey led early and caution flew on lap 2 for a spun Denning. Denning spun again on the next lap and pulled off on lap 6. Yackey held on for the win over Avants and a photo finish between Mike Hannah and Chris Eggleston.

Harry Livermore Jr and Shirley Thompson started on the front row for the first Figure 8 B-Main. Thompson and Al Duran tangled for a restart. Dennis Stepanich Jr led the first lap, with Duran taking the lead on lap 2. On lap 6, Thompson started stripping body panels through the X for a caution to clean up the debris. Duran held on for the win over Johnson and Stepanich.

Before the second Figure 8 B-Main even got started there was excitement as Doc Floyd got lost coming on the track and has to ask for directions. Nick Martinez and Floyd were on the front row. Dennis Stepanich led the first 2 laps before Joe Matlock went charging by. Jereme Wall pulled off on lap 4 and Matlock held on for the win over Stepanich and Joe Martinez.

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