RMCS ROLLS INTO RMR TO START SECOND HALF OF SEASON

Source: RMCS Media Relations/ds
Date: 07/12/2007

BOISE, Idaho -- The ESI Rocky Mountain Challenge Series is midway through the 2007 racing season and for the first time in his career Tom Hill of Eagle, Idaho leads the point standings on the strength of four consecutive top five finishes including two runner-up performances in the last two races. Hill is one of three drivers to start every race at Rocky Mountain Raceways since the RMCS was incepted and is looking for his first win at RMR located just west of downtown Salt Lake City which will host its thirteenth RMCS event this Saturday, July 14.

While Hill enjoys his view from the top there are several other drivers jockeying to make a move in the championship standings including local fan favorite and two-time RMCS champion Zan Sharp of Wellsville, Utah. Sharp is looking to get back into championship form after a dismal start to the 2007 season that has left the former champ without a top ten finish and mired back in 13th place in the point standings. Sharp has started eleven of the previous 12 RMCS races staged at the ultra-fast 3/8-mile paved oval where he has collected two wins and five top five finishes. Sharp is also second on the career Sharp Powder Coating Fast Time Award list with eight fast time awards.

The RMCS utilizes a 20-car invert at every event putting the fast qualifiers at the rear of the field ensuring race fans see competitive racing all through the race where cars are passing cars. This format enables all drivers to improve their skill by learning how to work through the field. No other touring series in the country uses this same format making the RMCS a fan favorite. The RMCS also ensures that the field stays true to the racing format by paying the purse for each event based on total point accumulation for the race. Drivers are awarded points for qualifying (12, 10, 8…etc) and for heat races (20, 18, 16…etc) plus drivers earn three points per positioned gained during the feature event. This means the driver that wins the race may not be the driver with the highest point total and therefore may not win the most money for the event.

Sharp has four career series wins and two at RMR. He has also earned three of his eight fast time awards at his home track along with completing 894 laps. “This is an important race for us,” Sharp said. “We have had a tough year and not had any good luck. I have always liked racing at RMR and look forward to a good night.”

Good things happen when you are leading the point standings and there is the old adage that says success breeds success and if that holds true Tom Hill should have another banner night. Hill has not historically fared well at RMR with an average finish of 13th that includes only three top ten performances. “RMR is a tough track and you have to have some luck,” Hill stated. “We are on a roll lately and I hope it continues.”

Sitting quietly in second in the standings is Bryan Warf of Meridian, Idaho. Warf has claimed one win at RMR where he has an average starting position of 13th with an average finish of 9th. He has eight top ten finishes in his eleven starts at RMR with four top five performances. Warf finished 6th at RMR back in May and is only 26 points behind Hill for the point’s lead. Warf has five career RMCS victories.

Making his first full-time assault on the RMCS tour is Bobby Latham III of Twin Falls, Idaho. Latham currently holds down the third position in the point standings on the strength of four top ten finishes including one win this season. Latham is eleven points behind Warf and continues to climb in the standings each week. Latham has started only two previous races at RMR with his best effort of 9th coming back in May.

Defending RMCS champion David Minegar of Boise, Idaho is fourth in the standings with three top ten performances this season including one win which came here at RMR back in May. Minegar had a perfect night by RMCS standards where he won the Sharp Powder Coating Fast Time Award, won his heat race and won the race from the 20th starting position picking up the most points for the event and also winning the ESI Hotshoe bonus.

Minegar is second of three drivers to start all twelve previous RMCS races at RMR with an average starting position of 15th and an average finish position of 8th. He has also completed 1001 of the 1135 laps contested at RMR. Only one of his career series leading 11 fast time awards has come at RMR. Minegar has three career series wins with 28 top ten and 14 top five finishes. Minegar is also the career money winner on the series and has also completed the most laps in competition (3042).

John Newhouse of Twin Falls, Idaho is steadily climbing through the field and moving up in the standings after a difficult start to the 2007 season. Newhouse currently sits fifth in the standings coming off a dominating win two weeks ago at Magic Valley Speedway. Newhouse has started nine of the 12 races staged at RMR with a best finish of second coming in this same event last year. He five top five finishes at RMR where he has started an average of 11th and finished an average of 9th. Newhouse has led 59 laps this season and has earned the highest point total for each of the last two races this year.

When you think of Rocky Mountain Raceways you have to put James Eaton of West Jordan, Utah in the same sentence. Eaton has five career RMCS victories with three of those wins coming at RMR. Eaton is also the third RMCS driver to have competed in all 12 previous series races since 2004 with his average starting position 13th and his average finish position of 8th. He has five top five finishes at RMR and has completed 1038 of the 1135 laps contested at RMR.

In his second full season with the RMCS is Chris Ratterree of Nampa, Idaho. Ratterree drives a team car to Tom Hill and sits seventh in the point standings with one top five and three top ten finishes this season. Ratterree has competed in five previous races at RMR with his best finish of second coming last August. He has averaged an 8th place starting position with and average finish of 9th.

After missing the first race of the season and returning to the series after a one year absence is Craig Bell of Kuna, Idaho. Bell has stormed through the field on the strength of three top five finishes this season and currently holds down the 8th position in the standings heading into RMR this weekend. Bell has started an average of 11th and finished an average of 7th in his nine starts at RMR.

Bruce Quale of Twin Falls, Idaho currently rests in the 9th position in the point standings and will likely miss this weekend’s event at RMR after suffering significant damage to his racecar at the last series event at Magic Valley Speedway. Quale has started five previous races at RMR with his best finish of 4th coming last May.

Making the long tow from Las Vegas, Nevada to each RMCS race is Thane Alderman. Alderman rounds out the top ten in the current point standings with three top ten finishes. Alderman has started six races at RMR with his best finish of 4th coming last August. He has five top ten finishes at RMR with an average starting position of 13th and average finish of 7th in those six races.

There have been eight different winners in the 12 RMCS races stages at RMR since 2004 with James Eaton claiming three victories while Zan Sharp and Lynn Hardy have two wins apiece. Lynn Hardy is also the track record holder in qualifying with a quick lap of 14.944 seconds/ 90.337 mph on Hoosier Racing Tires. James Eaton is the defending race winner from last season with John Newhouse, Thane Alderman, David Minegar, and Bryan Warf rounding out the top five finishers in the 75-lap race.

ESI Construction, a Boise based general contracting company, is title sponsor of the series this season and is offering two bonus awards at each RMCS race. The first is the ESI Hotshoe Bonus which will pay the driver how sets fast and goes on to win the race a $400 bonus. If the bonus is not claimed then it rolls over to the next event. For the race this Saturday the ESI Hotshoe Bonus is up to $1200. If the bonus is not claimed at this event then the $1200 will be spilt ($500, $400, $300) among the drivers who have accumulated the first, fifth and eighth most points over the last three races. ESI is also paying out $5 for every green flag lap lead during the season which allows drivers who may not qualify at the top of the invert to be rewarded for leading the race.

CarbonX, a local Salt Lake manufacturing company, is sponsoring the CarbonX Rookie-of-the-Year Award providing the top finishing rookie at each race with a $100 bonus along with a season ending award to the Rookie-of-the-Year. Kellen Frey of SLC leads the currently rookie standings by one point over Matt Faulkner of Cedar Hills, Utah. Brad Ostler of Pleasant Grove, Utah is third in the rookie standings.

Through four races this season there has been four different winners with fifteen different drivers leading laps. Tom Hill, Bryan Warf, Bobby Latham III, and Chris Ratterree are the only drivers to complete all 400 laps of competition this season. There have also been eleven different heat races winners with only Thane Alderman winning more than one heat race (2). 31 drivers have earned points so far this season.

Also on the card Saturday will be local racing action featuring the Super Stocks, Mini Cup, Legends, and Pro Trucks. Qualifying will get underway at 5pm MT with racing action in all division to follow. Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.rmrracing.com. For all the latest news and information regarding the ESI Rocky Mountain Challenge Series log onto www.rmcsracing.com.

About ESI

Engineered Structures, Inc., more commonly known as ESI, is a Boise, Idaho based general contracting and construction management company engaged in commercial construction projects throughout twenty-five Western and Midwestern states. Founded in 1974, ESI began with a vision to construct quality work, establish long-term client relationships and employ a staff of exceptional, proven professionals. ESI has established a solid reputation for "Experience, Service and Integrity!" during its thirty plus year history.

Continually expanding its trade territory, ESI has earned the position as the largest privately held general contractor in the state of Idaho, one of the top ten largest general contractors in the Intermountain West and was recognized in ENR's "Top 400 Contractors" as one of the top general contractors in the United States. Still holding strong to its philosophy that building relationships is just as important as building buildings, ESI employs more than one-hundred fifty full-time, professionals and produces annual revenues in excess of one-quarter billion dollars while completing projects for many of the Country's largest retailers and developers. ESI continues to be a growing leader in the industry offering opportunities to their employees and a valuable service to their clients.

For more information on ESI you can visit them on their website at: www.esiconstruction.com or email them at: info@esiconstruction.com.

About A-1 Heating & Air conditioning

Since 1956 A-1 Heating & Air Conditioning located in Meridian, Idaho has been servicing the heating and air conditioning needs of the Treasure Valley. In 2003, the company opened up a branch in McCall, Idaho to serve the growing population base. Aligned with Lennox, an industry leader in heating and air conditioning technology, A-1 is offers consumers the best equipment and service in the industry that consistently exceeds expectations.

For more information on A1 Heating & Air Conditioning you can visit their website at: www.a1heating.com.

About CarbonX

CarbonX is the brand name behind the products produced by Chapman Thermal Products. CarbonX, in its raw form, is a yarn created by spinning O-PAN (oxidized polyacrylonitrile) fiber with an Aramid strengthening fiber. This formula, results in a yarn with amazing fire resistant characteristics that serves as the precursor to a wide array of products and applications requiring heat and flame resistance.

Products manufactured with CarbonX® are in the hundreds and are present in all the major industry segments - Fire and Safety Apparel, Industrial Safety Apparel, Motor Sports, Police / Military and Industrial Non-Apparel. From fire fighting turnout gear to head socks, complete underwear, socks and shoelaces. Airline cargo holds, to crew ship and hotel fire escape blankets. CarbonX is also used in High performance turbo and exhaust insulation for increased horsepower. Complete auto racing suits and helmet interior lining and insulation. The applications where CarbonX® will improve and enhance many performance and safety properties are endless.

For more information on CarbonX you can visit their website at: www.chapmaninovations.com.

About the ESI Rocky Mountain Challenge Series

The ESI Auto Parts Rocky Mountain Challenge Series is a regional touring series that allows competitors to gain experience on different types of asphalt oval tracks up to 3/8-mile in length. It is a high-quality, professional racing series that offers maximum opportunity at an affordable price serving the Intermountain West. The motto of the series is to "Race Hard and Have Fun!"

~ESI Rocky Mountain Challenge Series Public Relations

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