Team MMI rolled into The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the 2009 Speedfest with fast race cars, determined crews and talented race car drivers, but they left thinking what should have been in both the SRL and Legend car features.Both the SRL #17 driven by David Mayhew and the #17 Legend driven by Dallas Montes appeared headed to victory with fifteen laps to go, but victory eluded both drivers.
Mayhew's misfortune was the most disappointing. Driving a near flawless race that saw the young driver conserve his car and ride outside of the top ten for most of the first segment, Mayhew began his move to the front about 10 laps after the mid-race break that allowed air pressure adjustments and fuel. Mayhew clearly had one of the strongest cars on the track and he picked off cars one by one on his way to the front. Other than contact with 2009 SRL Champion MK Kanke, Mayhew kept his car clean as he drove into the top five.
"I hate it that we got together with Kanke, but we were underneath him three of four times and he kept coming down on us, " said Mayhew. " I finally got up to his door and was sure he would give me room, but I guess he didn't know I was there. We made contact and he spun, but it shouldn't have happened."
Mayhew continued his march forward working through traffic with ease until he got into second. He even passed eventual winner Josh Combs cleanly for third. " Once we got into second and had a long run my brakes went away. They are too small for this type of track. I couldn't run down the 22. We needed a yellow and when we got it I knew we had a chance," said Mayhew.
A chance indeed as the MMI, Henrys Race Prep, Rons Rear End Chevy took the lead two laps after the restart and set sail with under 15 laps to go. A late race caution was not what Team MMI wanted, but it did happen. With the 7 car of Combs in second as the field took the green Mayhew wasn't worried about the possibility of getting spun out. " I had passed him clean earlier, but he made me work for it which is fine. We got under him and he came down, but once we got a great run off of two and I was completely under him, he gave me room which is how it should be. I didn't think he would just take me out. I was wrong"
Maybe it was the combination of Vegas and Halloween, but something got into the 7 car as he drove right through the 17 spinning out the leader, a supposed no-no in the SRL. " They preach in the drivers meeting every week that if you take out the leader you go to the back and they have done that in the past, but not this time. The officials said the 22 hit the 7 into us, but nobody else saw it that way and after watching it on replays I can tell you they screwed up," said team owner Steve McGowan. " They really screwed the 22 car, he should have won the race."
After the spin Mayhew, starting in the back of the pack, drove up to forth in the final ten laps. Showing how strong the car really was he passed almost a car a lap in the final 10 laps, but that still couldn't hide his disappointment. "Mark Lundgren and the whole crew gave me a great car. We should have won that race."
Not that Team MMI needed more misery, but it had come earlier in the Legend Car feature. 16 year-old Montes making his first trip to the Bullring had qualified in the third position and had moved into second on lap 5 of the 30 lapper. With the leader 10 car lengths in front, the young pilot cut into the lead lap after lap until finally catching him with 15 to go.
"We had a great car that just got better the more laps we ran," said Dallas. "Just like David in the SRL car we were so strong off of two."
A caution slowed the charge and allowed the tires to cool down, which isn't what Montes wanted. " We were better after two or three laps and I had trouble adjusting to the restarts here. The leader was a regular here and it took a couple before I got them down"
Once he did, Montes filled the leaders mirror getting under him getting into turn three and then pushing him down the back straight before a mechanical problem ended his charge.
"I heard the motor change pitch so I kind of backed off for a second, then I realized it was the muffler. The next turn it fell off and I drove over it with the left rear and it spun me out," said Montes.
"Dallas drove a great race and was so fast at a track he had never seen. It was impressive, but I made the mistake that cost us the race. Dallas deserved the win, but he knows it wasn't lack of trying. I checked the stupid thing before the race and it was fine," said Dad and Crew Chief Allen Montes. " We will change the way we mount it and it won't happen again. MMI, Kalgard, A-1 Spring and all the others that help us deserve better."
While Mayhew will have to wait until next season to exact revenge, Montes get his chance this upcoming weekend as the Legend cars return to the Bullring for the season finale. "We should be just fine this weekend, " said Dallas. "I think I figured out the track and the set up is good. I just hope no bad luck."
