The Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, officially concluded their exciting 2011 racing season with the October 22nd running of the Rockstar Champion's Night held at the Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu City-Arizona. When the checkers fell on the 75 lap main event, Austin Barnes won his fifth race of the season, as well as his fourth consecutive feature win, and Jim Mardis won the series championship for the second year in a row.
The two principals in the series' championship arrived in Lake Havasu City 18 points apart. That deficit was a daunting challenge for Barnes although it wasn't completely impossible. If Barnes could have finished nine positions ahead of Mardis they would have been tied in the final rundown. In the scenario series officials would have used a pre planned tie breaker based on feature wins. Barnes would have been the champion because he led the series in feature wins.
The championship drama began during qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Barnes blistered the Havasu 95 Speedway's quarter mile paved oval with a lap of 15.497 seconds. The lap was more than enough for the driver to win the Budweiser Fast Time Award, and the $100 bonus that comes with it, for the seventh time this season. However the series employs the use of a pre race inversion ceremony and that moved Barnes from first to sixth in the starting line up. The inversion ceremony has place drivers Brian Collins and Chris Gerchman on the front row for the race.
When the initial green flag flew to launch the Rockstar 75, Collins led the starting field for the first circuit before being overtaken by a gutsy three wide move, while barrelling into turn three, by some of the competitiors behind him. To this moment no one is sure how that gutsy move was completed without a crash. As the field sailed across the stripe Mardis, who started third on the grid, was the new leader. It appeared that the series champion was going to create his own Arizona zip code and just run away from the field.
On lap 23 Barnes moved into second place and began the process of eradicating the asphalt real estate between himself and his championship rival. It appeared at first that this task was going to be difficult. But, on lap 32, it was noticed that there was a sputtering sound coming from Mardis' power plant. It was later revealed that a faulty cylinder was the culprit. Under some very trying circumstances, Mardis valiantly maintained his lead until Barnes finally overtook him on lap 42 in what would turn out to be the race winning move.
It was now Barnes' turn to race within his own Arizona zip code and he did so all the way to the checkers. Aaron McMorran finished second and Chris Gerchman was third . Mardis nursed his car home to a championship winning fourth place while Larry Gerchman completed the top five.
After parking his MasterCraft Safety Safety, STR, Electro Tech Powdercoating modified in victory lane, a very happy race winner said "we qualified first for the seventh time this year but unfortunately we started sixth which was pretty far back. The first ten laps were pretty hectic. There was a lot of beating and banging, even three wide racing, where everybody was trying to get everything they could. When things settled down, after a red flag restart, that's when we started passing cars and started heading for the front. A little past the half way point of the race we made it to first and we started cruising from there."
Monitoring the forward progress of this successful operation all season long has been team owner, and more importantly proud father, Ted Barnes who said "last year Chris Gerchman won five races. Austin's goal was, after those two races that put us behind, was to go out and win races. To win five out of the last six, to win four in a row, win seven of the last nine poles well I just couldn't be happier. My son did an awesome job. We had two races that cost us the championship, but I proud of him and happy for Jim Mardis. Next year we'll be back and try to do even better."
Aaron McMorran was very happy with his runner up finish in the Rockstar 75 because it means he will finish third in the final championship points standings. With a big smile on his face, the Las Vegas driver said "I wouldn't be here were it not for my mom and Carl, they own the race car. I also need to thank Wahl Traction, Jack's Machine Shop, Absolute Air Technologies and Dave Hunter's Machine Shop. We just needed a yellow flag and, who knows, we might have had something for Austin on the restart. Besides that, it was just another good night of racing in the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series."
For Lake Havasu City's Chris Gerchman the Rockstar 75 was a homecoming for him. Gerchman recently moved to Texas to launch an exciting new career as well as getting married in November. After finishing third in the race, he said "I had my hands full out there for sure. But it's really good to be back, I really like coming back for these races. I wish I could do it for every race, that would be nice." When asked about the prospect of picking up his racing career in Texas, Gerchman said "maybe eventually, I'm going to have to get a car down there It might be dirt track racing because that's what they primarily have down there.:
Meanwhile Larry Gerchman, the patriarch of the family racing team, was pleased with his top five finish in the Rockstar 75 and said "well, last night, (during the practice sessions) the car wasn't that good but my son helped me dial the car in and it ran on a rail. I think this is probably the best this car has ever been out here." Larry Gerchman really enjoyed racing with his son Chris again and said "he flew in here from San Antonio to race this one race. I don't know how many he'll run next year, but I think we both had a kick tonight. There was no pressure at all. We did pretty good, third and fifth for Dad and son."
Without question, the man of the night was Moreno Valley, California's Jim Mardis. No one, in the six year history of the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series, has every won the series' championship twice. That's a testimony to the competitive level this team displayed all season long.
Commenting on his championship season, Mardis said "It was our goal coming into this year to be the first team to win the title twice. I knew all along that we had the team, the equipment and the people behind us. We didn't exactly have the greatest of years but we did have a good one. We finished in the top four in every single race with one main event win. Consistency pays off in this deal. For example, Chris, (Gerchman) won a lot of races last year but your bad nights can't really be bad, your bad nights still have to be decent nights. We stuck to that motto and all of the hard work ended up paying off."
Regarding concerns over engine woes, during the last half of the Rockstar 75, Mardis said "it started missing and, after we got it back to the pit area, we found out that it was running on six, maybe seven, cylinders. We'll have to dig into it to find out what it was. The car started off strong but we developed some handling issues and the car was a little bit free. Then the motor issues made things a little harder but (Dave) Arce builds amazing engines and I'll send it back down to him, well go through it and Im sure we'll figure it out."
Mardis made it a special point to thank his team of sponsors that includes: Rockstar Energy Drink, Makita Industrial Power Tools, JAM Sportswear, Hot N Nasty Street Wear, Premier Wraps, Arce Engines, Lucas Oil, Blue Water Technologies and Scoreboard 2 Bar and Grill.
Lucas Oil Modified Series Race Director Bill Rozhon, who's also Promoter of the Havasu 95 Speedway, said he was thrilled that his track was able to host the Rockstar Champion's Night. "This show was planned around special activities going on in Lake Havasu," he said adding "we had the annual Rod and Relics Car Show that featued a lot of hot rodders who came here and saw a modified race for the first time. Our guys performed in front of a really great crowd tonight. It was championship night, with a lot on the table, and our guys really put on a great race tonight."
In some post race contingency awards, Doug Carpenter won the $100 for being named the E3 Spark Plugs Hard Charger of the race. Aaron McMorrin received a $100 bonus for being awarded the Magnaflow Exhaust Product Clean Pass Award. Earlier in the evening Chris Gerchman received a $200 bonus for winning the Dart Machinery LTD Trophy Dash.
The Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, is supported by a highly potent marketing concept known as "Team Lucas." Team Members include Lucas Oil Products Inc, Magnaflow Exhaust Products, E3 Spark Plugs, General Tire, K&N Performance Filters, GEICO, CANIDAE All Natural Pet Food, MAV-TV, Dart Machinery LTD, Rockstar Energy Drink, MasterCraft Safety Equipment and Speedco Truck Lube and Tires.
The series is also strongly supported by a group of associate sponsors featuring Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tire West, Budweiser, Blue Water Resort and Casino, Sunoco Racing Fuels, Frank's Radio, Racing Plus, Roush Yates Performance Parts and J E Pistons.
