ALTAMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK CROWNS ITS 2007 TRACK CHAMPIONS

Source: AMP Media Relations
Date: 09/30/2007

TRACY, California - Altamont Motorsports Park crowned its 2007 track champions Saturday night in the last points event of the season. Tracy's Ryan Philpott was crowned the 2007 track champion in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Western Late Model division with Hayward's James Dulla taking the American Limited Stock Car division. Tony Noceti of French Camp won the Grand American Modified division with San Jose's Ron Robeck emerging victorious in a close points battle in the Pro-Truck division. Debbie Foreman of Brentwood took the 2007 track championship in an equally close points battle in the Formula-4 division.

With 10 wins at Altamont Motorsports Park this year, Philpott had the car to beat in 2007.

"It was actually kind of fun this year being chased and not having to chase [2006 AMP Champion] Dave Byrd around the track," said Phillpott. "And next year we are going to try to step up to the Grand National West."

Ken Benhamou was the runner up to Philpott for 2007, finishing second in Western Late Model points. Brentwood's Doff Cooksey finished third in Western Late Model points and also earned the Rookie of the Year award for 2007. Doff's sister, Morgan, earned the Rookie of the Year honors in the Grand American Modified division.

Wes Miller took the checkers in the first of two Western Late Model events of the evening. Miller, who ran the quickest qualifying time earlier in the afternoon, got around the 5 of Rick Ruzbarsky on a restart on lap 23. Ruzbarsky, who led the first 22 laps of the evening, finished second in the event.

Miller's fast lap in qualifying earned the driver from Turlock the distinction of being the only driver this season to finish ahead of Philpott in the qualifying session.

Ryan Philpott, who ran as high as second, was not a factor in the final stages of the race after being part of a group of cars that were sent to the rear of the field due to a incident in turn three that led to the lap 23 caution.

Philpott's luck continued to turn south in the Western Late Model nightcap with Ryan retiring the "Red Rocket" during the warm up laps after a problem with the car's frame.

Ryan Mock netted his first Western Late Model win in the second Late Model race of the evening as his "lucky" #13 racer outclassed the field, leading the race in a wire-to-wire victory.

Wes Miller finished second in the nightcap followed by Cooksey in third.

American Limited Stock Car driver Jim Dulla entered the final ALSC event of the season with a 29 point lead over Jim Earl. Dulla started next to Earl in the third position after a six car inversion and drove his #68 Hayward Chevy to a third place finish to clinch the 2007 ALSC title.

"I've had fun all year racing with these guys," said Dulla in victory lane. "I can't wait for the banquet."

Dulla narrowly escaped disaster, negotiating around a spinning Pete Anderson in turn two on lap 13 of the thirty lap event.

Zach Huffman, who finished third in points for the season, took the checkers in the event followed Stockton's Chad Holman.

Ron Robeck's second place finish in the Pro-Truck event clinched his 2007 Pro-Truck title, the first division title of his racing career. Robeck came into the race with just a six point lead over Oakdale's Nathan McNeil who finished sixth in the 20 lap event on the 1/4-mile oval.

Robeck secured his victory, charging from the sixth starting spot of the eight trucks that entered the event after a six truck inversion. Robeck qualified his #3 truck in the top spot earlier in the afternoon.

Walt Bruegger drove his #6 truck into victory lane, winning his second Pro-Truck race of the season.

Grand American Modified driver Tony Noceti had the championship locked up coming into Saturday's event. Noceti ran the quickest qualifying time of the afternoon but finished near the rear of the field after contact with the #1 of Todd Lynch set Noceti the back of the pack late in the race.

Todd Lewis took the Grand American Modified win on Saturday night. The victory moved Lewis from third to second in the overall point standings. Jamie Jackson, who made contact with a slow car on lap 16, dropped from second to third in Grand American Modified points.

Debbie Foreman, leading the Formula-4 division by just 12 points over Richard Hull, captured the 2007 track title by taking the checkers in the first Formula-4 event of the evening and securing an eighth place finish in the nightcap. Hull finished sixth and third respectively.

Altamont Motorsports Park is dark next weekend, preparing for one of its biggest events of the year, the Big Dog Open which takes place the weekend of October 13th and 14th. Highlighting the show is a 125 lap Western Late Model event on Sunday. Qualifying and heat races are scheduled for Saturday along with a 100 lap SRL Late Model championship event.

Altamont Motorsports Park is located between Livermore and Tracy, Calif., within an hour's drive from most points in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as the Central Valley.

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ABOUT ALTAMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK

Located in Alameda County, between Tracy and Livermore, Calif., Altamont Motorsports Park is a NASCAR-sanctioned motorsports facility featuring a 1/2-mile, high-banked paved oval that is the only 1/2-mile paved oval between Redding and Los Angeles. The facility also features a 1/4-mile paved oval, a 1.1-mile road course, Figure 8 track, and Kart course. An operating short-track in Northern California since 1963, the facility was acquired and refurbished in 2006, by Riverside Motorsports Park, LLC of Atwater, Calif. Altamont Motorsports Park features the NASCAR Whelen All-American Weekly Racing Series, USAC-CASA-BCRA sprint car competitions, and a variety of automobile and motorcycle motorsports events. In 2006, Altamont Motorsports Park was awarded the Race Organizer of the Year Award by the United States Automobile Club (USAC) racing organization, and the Best Facility Improvement Award, as a Premier Short Track, by NASCAR.

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