HANK ARNOLD MEMORIA AT MANZANITA TO SHERMAN AND RAHE

Source: Windy McDonald
Date: 06/16/2007

Jeremy Sherman won his seventh main event of the year but a couple of late yellow flags allowed Charles Davis, Jr. to put pressure on the leader in the closing laps. Despite a new car Davis had to settle for runner up honors for the fifth time this year. All five of times Davis, a former two time champion, played second fiddle to the defending two time champion. After setting a new six lap record in winning the pole trophy dash Bob Ream, Jr. came home in third. Mike Colegrove, rookie of the year in the 2006 season, ran fourth matching his best finish of the year.and Shon Deskins was fifth.

The race, the 41st running of the Hank Arnold Memorial, was contested on Manzy's half mile track and was relatively safe, with harmless spins creating the only caution flags. The lack of yellow flags had the leaders in heavy traffic for much of the race and only the top five were on the lead lap at the end of the 30 lap feature. Rounding out the top ten were Justin Fisher, Bernie Smith, Mike Leslie, Bruce St. James and Chris Bonneau.

Shon Deskins put on a driving clinic as he came from last to first in the first eight lap heat race. Fisher finished second ahead of Colegrove, Bobby Taylor and Andy Reinbold. The second heat was won from the pole by Brandon Lane. Trailing him across the finish line were Mike Martin, St. James, Tom Ogle and Bonneau. The final heat wenr to Ream who came out of the second row to edge Sherman for his third heat race win of the year. Then came Davis, R.J. Johnson and Josh Pelkey.

Pelkey, the 1997 champion and runner-up in three of the past four seasons maintained second in the points chase dispite exiting the main event early and finished 22nd. However he now trails Sherman by 116 points and is only 50 points ahead of Smith. Davis, who has missed one race while competing on the west coast, jumped to eighth in th stainds but is only 46 points out of third.

The race was in direct contrast for the ASCS outing in Tucson when at least five cars were damaged beyond compare. However the ASCS managed to field 24 cars for the Arnold race and they all left without any serios damage.

The fans turned out in force to celebrate the life of Arnold who was killed exactly 40 years earlier in a horrific sprint car crash at Manzanita. Many members of Hank's family were in attendance and made the final trophy presentations.

RAHE SPOILS HIGGINGS' STORY BOOK FINISH

It could have been a dramatic story book finish if 13 year old Brendan Higgins could have held off Chris Rahe for two more laps. Higgins inherited the lead in the 20 lap AMRA midget feature when Jeff Henry suddenly slowed after leading the first seven laps and had to be taken to the pits.

Higgins drove like a seasoned veteran as he hit his mark lap after lap with Rahe on his rear bumper and trying for the lead in each turn. Brendan was a little quicker off the turns and was able to keep Rahe behind him. As the cars came through turn four looking for the white flag Rahe final slipped into the lead and beat the rookie who was hoping to win his first feature for his dad who was in a local hospital after a highway crash a week earlier.

Only 11 of the 14 cars on hand were able to start the feature and only eight finished the entire 20 laps. Behind the front running duo were Terry Goodwin, Cole Peard and Alex Herrera. Then came Ken Perry, Dale Daly, Tanner Grau, Darin Fala, Henry and Stevie Sussex.

Henry won the first eight lap heat race over Fala, Sussex, Goodwin, Gray and Perry. Rahe showed his powewre with a wire to wire win in the second heat as he beat Peard, Higgins, Herrera, Daly, Dean Daly and James Tash.

Sussex won the four lap trophy dash.

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