September Storms!
With the evening getting started with September showers washing out afternoon practice, the drivers meeting began promptly before any laps were turned on the Banks of TRP. With the track drying and the storm still looming, all six classes were given one five minute test session before starting the evening with the NASCAR Late Model Trophy Dash. The Dash was won from the pole by Phoenix's Rick "The Butler" Butler whom dominated the event over Joe Paladenic and Ned Champine. I'am sure "The Butler" will be sure to be dusting off his first NASCAR Trophy for years to come.
The night's first heat race for the INEX Legends was all Suave Brachowski over young Blake Leuth and Robert Scott. The NASCAR Mini Stock heat race was all Harrington, Bill that is! over Becky "Harrington" and Tammy Lynn. The NASCAR Factory Stock heat race was worth the price of admission as Casey Rohrer, Jeremy Smith and Loren "Shef" Sheffield ran side by side for the whole event with Tom Mikla following just waiting for something to happen. At the end of eight, the order would be Rohrer, Smith and Sheffield. With the fans still on their feet, the NASCAR Late Model first heat would take to the track with Track Champion, Ron Norman, out back and Robert Bush setting the pace. By lap two, Norman had taken command and held point to the checkers with Matt Levin and Mat Williams in tow. The second NASCAR Late Model heat race would be a battle of the ages with veteran Paladenic taking the win over rookie, Cassie Gannis and "The Butler." Shawn Perrin would do a few exhibition laps in the Bomber division in his beautiful El Camino with his passenger screaming in horor. The Bomber Lites would take to the track and at the end of six grueling laps it would be Lyle Gallegos over young Ashley Woolridge.
After a brief intermission the INEX Legends took to the track and after a quick ten, Brachowski was the winner by three feet over Leuth and Scott. The NASCAR Mini Stocks main event was all Flash Automotive as Bill Harrington would lead every lap over "wife" Becky and the trailing Tammy Lynn. The NASCAR Factory Stock feature would be a carbon copy of the heat race with three abreast action throughout all twenty laps and Rohrer taking yet another win over Smith and Mikla.
The NASCAR Late Models took multiple attempts to get in a lap with three and sometimes four abreast racing throughout the field. With the field set by season points, Norman, Paladenic and Williams would be out back and Matt Levin would lead after lap one after starting on the outside of row two. With ten in the books, Levin would be in a different zip code followed by Champine and young Mat Williams whom had advanced from a twelfth starting position. At the completion of twenty laps of side by side racing throughout the field, the top five were Levin, a full straightaway ahead of Champine, Paladenic, Williams and Norman. Just as we all thought Levin had it in the bag, second place runner Champine would spin while negotiating lapped traffic, collecting Williams and bringing out a caution on lap 35. With the field set for a five lap dash for the gold, the seven cars on the lead lap would have a clear track to duke it out to the finish. Levin had another great restart in spite of drifting high in turn two missing the wall by a whisker. Levin took the high groove, Paladenic the low groove and Norman the center, with the three of them separated by inches. On the last lap, last turn, Levin would slide wide and Paladenic would stay cool, calm and collected to steal away the win by less than a yard! Top five would be Paladenic, Levin, Norman, Hunt Jr., and "The Butler."
The TRP Bombers would bomb out as Mitch Milner would experience engine woes in the TRP Bomber, while Shawn Perrin would have a blast taking the win. The Bomber Lites were all blue tonight with Lyle Gallegos's blue Neon beating George Milburg's blue ? and Ashley Woolridge's blue ? (? To beat up to really tell! )
The night would come to a close with blue skies under a beautiful Tucson Southwestern moon with fans eager to return for the next Whelen Event Night on September 15th.
