TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- For Randy Grubbs, last Saturday at Magic Valley Speedway was the night had had been waiting to have for years. Grubbs secured the victory in the NAPA Pony Stocks division main event race - his first main event win ever at MVS.
Grubbs started from the pole position in the field of 13 cars for the 30-lap race. At lap two a caution came out as the No. 63 car of Luis Aguilar, Jr. and the No. 21 car of Brent Abbott got together in turn four - and a the race was delayed for several minutes while the two vehicles were unhooked from each other and removed from the track. Once the show got back on the road, Grubbs once again took the lead and allowed son Kevin – whose car had been wounded in an earlier qualifying race - and Shawn Nice fight for second. Nice was sticking like a magnet to Kevin Grubbs’ bumper and gave it all he could to get around the younger Grubbs, but just could not quite make it happen. Meanwhile, Randy Grubbs began to pull away from the rest of the field and as the remainder of the race went caution-free, Grubbs was able to make the long awaited trip to Victory Lane.
Grubbs has been racing five years in the Pony Stocks division and has run well so far this season, but could not finish in the lead.
“Miracles do happen,” an exuberant Grubbs said after the win. “It was great. I know if I could start up front I might have a chance - but usually when I start up front I just lead the most laps.”
Grubbs also said the huge scoreboard in turn two gave him a hint as to whom he may have to deal with as the race went along.
“I looked at the scoreboard more than I have in the three years that it’s been up,” he said. “I was just wondering who was behind me. I kept seeing the 64 and then the seven – that’s as far as I could look. Kevin finishing second –especially after that wreck – it was cool.”
The Pepsi Premier Division race was a whole different story than last time out where collisions and yellow flags ruled the night. The main event amazingly went caution-free as Steve Jones went bell-to-bell to win the 50-lap race – his third win of the season.
Rob Vest, driving a modified, placed second but was never a threat to Jones.
“I wasn’t really sure where Rob (Vest) was but I thought I had a pretty good lead,” Jones said. “New tires really make a difference.”
Vest would have been happy to see a caution as he trailed Jones in second by nearly half the track – as long as he wasn’t the reason for the yellow.
“I was wishing hard for a caution but I new we didn’t have enough for Steve,” Vest said. “He was on new tires tonight and he just checked out and was gone.”
Bobby Latham, who won both main events May 12, placed fourth behind TJ Woodhall. Latham’s car was torn down after his wins in the previous races and was given a clean bill of health by the MVS tech officials.
It was a stellar night for the Lopez family, as Louis and his wife Renee and their son Brian were entrants in three of the five division races at the track.
Louis Lopez started from the front in the 25-lap main event race for the Budweiser Grand Nationals but it wasn’t long before Jerry McKean had Lopez on his radar screen and moved in for the pass on lap three. Kenny Hatke in the No. 50 truck was soon in the mix and the three drivers wasted no time fighting for the lead with Lopez winning the battle as he not-so-politely took back the lead position on lap eight. A caution then soon sent Jerry McKean to the rear of the field while Hatke had to exit the track to repair a flat tire. Lopez was now paired with Kris McKean for the restart, but Lopez quickly began to pull away from the group putting more and more real estate between him and the rest of the field with each lap. But as luck would have it, the yellow flag flew with five laps remaining in the race which once again set up the duel between Lopez and Jerry McKean, who at that point powered his way into the runner-up position.
As the two engaged side-by-side for control of the lead, it was Jerry McKean who made it first across the finish line for the victory – his sole win of the season.
Things went better for son Brian in the Magic Valley Pipe Thunder Stocks race, as he won his first main event of the year.
Lopez started near the rear of the field of 20 cars for the 30-lap main event and had a big task in front of him as the green flag fell for the start. John Hoogendoorn maintained the lead for the first half of the race, but had to go to the rear of the pack for the restart after spinning between turns three and four. Several more cautions played into Lopez’ hands however, and the young driver took over the lead at lap 25 and cruised toward his well-earned trip to the winner’s circle. A spin by the No. 8 car in the final lap put the leaders in a dilemma as they raced to the checkered flag, but fortunately everyone skirted disaster and made in through unscathed.
Renee Lopez assumed the lead from Ryan Jund on lap 15 of the Quale’s Electronics Hornets main event race which took place on the one-third mile track this time out. Lopez wound up crossing the finish line a little over three seconds in front of eventual runner-up in the 20-lap race Jeff Peck. In the two Hornet main event races so far this season, female drivers have made the trip to Victory Lane both times, with Alicia Gross the winner of the previous event.
RESULTS:
Pepsi Premier: 1. Steve Jones; 2. Rob Vest; 3. TJ Woodhall; 4. Bobby Latham; 5. Dan Pherson.
Budweiser Grand Nationals: 1. Jerry McKean; 2. Louis Lopez; 3. Kris McKean; 4. Kenny Hatke; 5. Jonathon Gomez.
NAPA Pony Stocks: 1. Randy Grubbs; 2. Kevin Grubbs; 3. Shawn Nice; 4. Billi Miles; 5. Jason Whited.
Magic Valley Pipe Thunder Stocks: 1. Brian Lopez; 2. Jim Howard; 3. Steve Edens; 4. Jim Shirley; 5. Craig Nuthak.
Quale’s Electronics Hornets: 1. Renee Lopez; 2. Jeff Peck; 3. Ryan Jund; 4. Justin Slocum; 5. Tim Ford.
