November 6 -- Las Vegas Motor Speedway – On lap 139 Mike Duncan was out front, but he knew it was going to be a wild ride to the finish line. Right on his back bumper pushing him all the way around the 3/8 oval of Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the 1999 NASCAR Southwest Series Champion Kurt Busch of Las Vegas. Then rounding the last turn of the night, Busch took advantage of his home track experience to steal the lead and the win from Duncan.
Fifty-six Late Model Stock Car teams gambled they would be the winner of the $5,000.00 award at the end of the last race of season. Six teams came from Mesa Marin Raceway.
Duncan posted fast time, got the $1,000 halfway bonus, and led 113 laps, but by the last twenty laps Busch’s #26 was the car to beat. He just had to get around Duncan. On lap 130 Busch got by Duncan, but then got caught up in lapped traffic and looped it. The Las Vegas crowd sighed "ahhhhh", but Busch only lost a couple of positions and had the machinery to get right back behind Duncan by lap 137 to duke it out with him on the last lap.
"If I had to lose it, I can’t think of a better racer to get beat by than the NASCAR Southwest Tour Champion," said Duncan. "This field of competitors was exceptional. I’m just honored to be up front next to Kurt Busch and Kevin Vernon. I really have to thank my crew. We didn’t have the car to beat yesterday. Practice was not good, but they worked on it till they got me a great car today. We’ve come a long way this season and they did it all. I just get in and drive."
Kurt Busch came off his first D&F the day before at the Phoenix NASCAR Southwest season finale, but the team had already locked up the championship for 1999. "This is a great win against a great field of racers right here at home, especially after the troubles we had yesterday in Phoenix. What makes this even greater is this is the last race on this track before they rebuild it and this is where I started racing. The money is great, but I’m giving it all to charity."
What’s next for Kurt Busch. He was testing the AC Delco NASCAR Craftsman Truck for Rousch a couple of weeks ago. The NASCAR Southwest championship and the Late Model win in Las Vegas won’t hurt his chances to make a good NASCAR move.
Even with the equipment problems facing several of the teams, the Bakersfield boys all finished in the top 21-spots out of 56 competitors. Only twenty-six started the Main Event and the Mesa Marin competitors all made it. Kevin Vernon picked up 3rd behind Duncan, Terry Henry finished 15th, Barry Bradshaw, 18th, Jason Small, 19th and Dan Holtz, 21st.
Kevin Vernon held his own with Busch. Vernon qualified 4th right behind Busch and hard charged him for 60 laps before Vernon took his position and then went after Ben Walker’s 2nd place spot. After the break, it was Busch chasing Vernon. On lap 124 Busch got just close enough to pull away some #51 body parts that somehow stayed attached and didn’t trigger a black flag. Vernon lost his position to Busch and had to settle for 3rd.
Terry Henry qualified 6th, but got into it with Claude Bell of El Cajon on lap 47. He ran strong after the break and the unofficial finish had him in 8th place, but he had lost laps over the incident.
Barry Bradshaw had to have been proud of his run at Vegas. He qualified 10th and moved up to break the top five by lap 131 then got tagged by Carl Trimmer of Tucson and had to retire to the pits.
Jason Small qualified right behind Bradshaw and had moved up to 5th by lap 53, but got together with Dick Cobb of Las Vegas and then had a gear go out to end his night.
Dan Holtz, who usually qualifies in the top four at Mesa Marin, found himself in 20th place and had to work his way into the main event by winning the C-Main. Holtz had moved up to 11th by the half way break, but also lost a gear and didn’t make it back into the field and to settled for 21st position.
The Las Vegas event ended the season for all Late Model Stock Cars. They will return to Mesa Marin Raceway opening night of the opening weekend March 24-26, when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to the Bakersfield track in 2000.
1st 26 Kurt Busch Las Vegas
2nd 9 Mike Duncan Lamont
3rd 51 Kevin Vernon Bakersfield
4th 38 Scott Gafforini Las Vegas
5th 63 Brandon Miller
6th 120 Brandon Gaughan Las Vegas
7th 69 Brandon Riehl Boring OR
8th 81 John Borneman III El Cajon
9th 19 Brandon Loverock Norwalk
10th 17c Ray Hooper, Jr Las Vegas
11th 16 Jerry Spilsbury Las Vegas
12th 35 Ben Walker Canyon Country
13th 89 Greg Voigt Goleta
14th 70 Chuck Trickle Las Vegas
15th 17 Terry Henry Bakersfield
16th 99.5 Carl Trimmer Tuscon
17th 54 Mike Obrist Portland
18th 13 Barry Bradshaw Bakersfield
19th 14 Jason Small Bakersfield
20th 67 Eric Ferguson San Diego
21st 16x Dan Holtz Bakersfield
22nd 75 Ron Daniel Los Angeles
23rd 99A Claude Bell El Cajon
24th 58 Mike Strobl Tuscon
25th 95 Rod Schultz La Cente
26th 27 Mike Ray Las Vegas
