LARSON, MCKEAN BIG WINNERS AT MVS

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – Alan Larson drove to his first win ever with the Intermountain Pro Trucks last Saturday night at Magic Valley Speedway, catching and passing Drew Reitsma - who had held the lead since lap three – late in the main event race.

Larson started deep in the field and as he tried to fight his way through traffic, Reitsma had stretched out his lead to nearly one-quarter of the track at the half-way point. Ten laps later however, Larson had crept close enough to Reitsma to make his move and took the lead for good with just six laps remaining in the race.

“I didn’t think I could catch him at first but then he was pushing out pretty bad and I could see that I was getting him a little bit,” Larson said. Even though a timely caution would have put the pair side-by-side on a restart, it also would have brought the rest of the pack up with the duo – something Larson really did not want to see.

“I don’t like those yellows – everybody else catches up to you too,” Larson explained. “I just wanted to try and catch him on my own. It was a little loose, but it worked out.”

Larson’s win combined with Lou Andersen’s eighth place finish on the night puts Larson and Andersen in a tie for second in the point standings with two races remaining on the schedule. Kenny Vanderham kept control of his lead in the rankings with a fourth place finish and the fastest qualifying time – 15.612 – just under the track record of 15.602 set in 2004 by John Newhouse.

There is a new point leader in the Budweiser Grand Nationals division however, as Jerry McKean has taken over the lead from Louis Lopez with a main event win – his second victory in the “chase” competition for the 2007 championship.

The spread couldn’t be narrower – but McKean will take it.

“I’ve never been in first place before in the four years I’ve been out here,” McKean said. “It might be by only one point – it’s still there.

“I thought about points all week – I knew I was only three away and I was thinking that last year I was only three away. I came in here tonight and I knew if I could win, the points would take care of themselves.”

McKean took over the lead from nephew Kris McKean on lap 15 after moving up from the sixth starting position in the field of 10 cars. A caution at lap 12 also helped McKean’s run for the checkered flag – choosing the lane on the restart he has taken a definite liking to – the high side.

Meanwhile, Louis Lopez, who needed a good finish in order to hold on to his lead in the points battle going into the main event, was hampered by traffic throughout the 30-lap race but did manage to finish third.

NAPA Pony Stocks driver Jason Whited was able to hold off Billi Miles and Josh Pitz for a main event win, but the battle was intense as the top three drivers in the point standings each wanted the victory. In the final laps it was Whited and Miles digging for the win with Pitz and Jonathon Gomez battling each other for the third spot. With the victory, Whited gained two points toward the 2007 championship on Miles, while Pitz has dropped to nine points back of the leader.

Stacey Jensen made his first trip to Victory Lane in the Magic Valley Pipe Thunder Stocks after leading all but the first lap of the main event race. A caution at lap 12 erased the significant real estate he had built between himself and the rest of the pack, but he was able to quickly regain the lead on the restart. Jensen got the car sideways en route to the checkered flag as he rounded two four, but straightened it out and held on for the win. Shiela Harms took home a second place finish; while Jim Shirley and Craig Nuthak – in a point’s battle for the championship – clawed their way to third and fourth places finishes respectively.

Renee Lopez captured her second main event this season in the Quale’s Electronics Hornet division, dominating the race from the pole position and crossing the finish line 2.230 seconds ahead of Daniel Shirley. Jeff Peck’s sixth place finish was good enough to keep him in the lead in the point standings however – and holds a 10-point edge over Lopez and Shirley who are tied in second. The final race of the season for the Hornets will be held on September 8.