PHILPOTT, COOKSEY COVER THE FIELD AT ALTAMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK

Source: AMP Media Relations/jd
Date: 05/27/2007

TRACY, California -- On a night where victory lane saw many new faces in multiple divisions the same could not be said for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Western Late Models where the familiar names of Ryan Philpott and Doff Cooksey finished first and second, blowing the doors off the 13 other Western Late Model racers at Altamont Motorsports Park on Saturday night.

The pace that Philpott and Cooksey set was so blistering that at the end of the 75 lap event, only Philpott and Cooksey remained on the lead lap. In fact, the race winner, Ryan Philpott, had a straight-away lead on the #57 of Brentwood's Doff Cooksey, until several late race cautions bunched up the field and drew Cooksey closer in to Philpott. Regardless, Philpott was able to master the restarts and take the checkers, earning his sixth Western Late Model victory at Altamont Motorsports Park this season.

"We are just a little to tight in the middle," said Cooksey after the race. "That is why he is beating us in the middle."

"That is pretty much the key to this race track," said Philpott. "Not necessarily the entry [to the turns] but being able to get back on the gas sooner."

Earlier in the day, Philpott ran a qualifying time of almost 1/2 second faster than the #57 of second place qualifier, Cooksey, getting around the track in 17.941 seconds or 100.329 miles per hour.

Former Modified racer, Ryan Mock, took the checkers in the Trophy Dash, piloting a race car he recently purchased from Bammer Motorsports. Mock was a non-factor in the 75 lap race after early contact damaged his "lucky" #13 racer.

Philpott and Cooksey were followed by Rod Winfree, Bret Hughes and Rudy Marquez to round out the top five in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Western Late Model division.

Chad Holman added a new face to victory lane in the American Limited Stock Car division, taking the checkers of the 30 lap event on the 1/4-mile oval by nailing a restart on lap 23.

"This is the first time I have ever finished a race in good standing and we get first place," said Holman. "You can't beat that."

"I got into a few people in the middle of that race and messed up the handling," said Holman. "I had to fight it the rest of the race."

Holman took advantage of a poor restart by Richard Harper who had led the most laps up to that point.

Jim Earl finished in the second position with Zachary Huffman rounding out the top three. The third place finish for Huffman was his first podium appearance in the ALSC division.

"We started out [this season] with one of the slowest cars and now here we are in third place." said Huffman.

"All the Philpotts have helped me," said Huffman. "I wouldn't be where I am right now without those guys."

The #68 of ALSC points leader Jim Dulla was a contender early in the race until contact on a lap 16 restart retired Dulla's Hayward Chevrolet racer for a few laps.

The Grand American Modified's also saw a new face in victory lane with the #47 of Thomas Leiby taking the checkers. Leiby negotiated a lap 29 pass of the two top runners in the 30 lap event on the 1/2-mile oval.

With points leader Tony Noceti retired early from the race due to engine problems, the pack of Todd Lewis, Jamie Jackson and Leiby raced nose to tail until Jackson tried to pass Lewis on lap 29. Slight contact on the pass opened the door up for Leiby to move from the third to the first position.

"I figured I'd lay back and when I saw Jackson try to make his move I figured I'd try to take advantage of it." said Leiby.

"I went into Turn 1 hard and got hit and got knocked up the track," said Lewis. "[Leiby] capitalized on that which is exactly what he is supposed to do. It was just a racing deal."

Leiby distinguished himself early in the afternoon, winning the Trophy Dash and qualifying second out of a field of nine Modifieds. Lewis and Jackson finished the race in the second and third positions.

Nathan "Snake" McNeil earned his second victory in the Pro Truck division in a race that was highlighted by an early wreck between the #0 of Tim Cardoza and the #99 of Jason Regello. After the contact, Regello's truck flipped upside down, coming to rest on its hood. With safey crews immediately on the scene, Regello walked away from the accident under his own power.

John Cummings and Walt Breugger rounded out the top three in the Pro Truck division.

Formula-4 driver Debbie Foreman started off the day with a win in the early 10 lap Formula-4 event on the road coarse. Anthony Roeder took advantage of the full inversion of the Formula-4's second race to win the evening's Formula-4 night cap.

Racing will be back at Altamont Motorsports Park next weekend with local divisions racing plus a visit for the popular West Car Late Model touring series who will compete in a 100 lap shootout.

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