LAS VEGAN ROCHELL CAPTURES FIRST DWARF CAR WIN AT DEATH VALLEY RACEWAY

AMARGOSA VALLEY – Heavy equipment salesman Rich Rochell of Las Vegas scurried to his first victory of the year to highlight racing action here Saturday at Death Valley Raceway. The 42-year-old Rochell started fifth in the 20-lap main event and took the lead on the 10th lap to beat division points leader Mark Dillie by about two car lengths.

Rochell, who has been competing in auto racing for about 25 years, started running Dwarf Cars in 2007 after competing in more-expensive Super Late and Modified divisions.

“I switched to Dwarf Cars because I wanted to go where I was going to have a good time,” said Rochell, a native of Oklahoma City, who has been in Southern Nevada for 23 years. “I knew that I wasn’t going to advance to the upper levels of auto racing and the Dwarf Cars offer more bang for the buck. In addition, I like traveling to other tracks.”

Dwarf Cars are powered by Suzuki GSXR 1000 fuel-injected engines that generate about 175 horsepower.

“The Dwarf Cars are about the most fun you can have with your clothes on,” said Rochell. “I just bought a new car last week, so I have three of them now. I’m going to put my daughter, Hayli, in one of them and put Mike Montes (a long-time racer from Las Vegas) in the other.”

Rochell has been running tracks all over the Southwest in ’08 and his schedule is not slowing down.

“Next week we’re to Tonopah, and the week after that we’re going to Vernal, Utah,” said Rochell, who works for Hertz Equipment Co. “The cost of the gas need to travel is brutal, but it’s worth it running Dwarf Cars. We don’t tear up the cars like we do on the pavement, so I have the money to run the dirt.”

However, Rochell will be back at Death Valley Raceway primarily because he said he and his crew are treated well.

“Death Valley Raceway is my home track no matter where else I race,” he said. “They treat all of us very well.”

Rochell said the economy is going to make Dwarf Cars even more popular.

“The expense to run these cars is minimal and it doesn’t take five crew members to keep them up and running,” he said. “They are very user-efficient.”

In other action, Mike Lysinger outran Chad Broadhead for his sixth main event victory of the year and Donny Berger took the Classic Coupe feature.

Jim Parker took the Micro Sprint feature, while Eric Slusher captured the Modified Minis, Anthony DeBiase won the Super Stocks and Las Vegas school teacher Dan Fitzgerald roared to the IMCA Modified victory.

Race action returns to the third-mile dirt track June 14 with IMCA Modifieds, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, 360 Sprints, Micro Sprints and Factory Stocks.

Racing is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Further information can be found at www.deathvalleyraceway.homestead.com., or by calling 775-209-5291.