BY (June 15 Erie, CO) – Roger Avants overwhelmed the Prestige Capital Funding Late Model field Saturday night at Colorado National Speedway. Avants, who captured the first two races of the season but had gone without a win since, must have been developing quite an appetite for another victory at the 3/8 mile paved oval. The 50-year-old Littleton, CO driver turned in the most dominating performance seen in the division this year, winning the "Paradise Unlimited Challenge" 40 lap NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge feature race by nearly a full straightaway. Not only did he extend his point lead, but Avants also took home the Quick Time and the Trophy Dash hardware, becoming the first Late Model driver to score the hat trick in several years.
Bruce Yackey led from the pole, but Avants needed just six circuits to find enough room in the low groove to get by. Avants pulled away immediately, and when the event's only caution flag waved on lap 23, he had built up an 18 car-length advantage. On the restart, Avants once again rocketed ahead of the field, with his McDonald's / Pro Vans USA Chevrolet Monte Carlo well out of Yackey's reach at the stripe. Mike Snow took third, with Jerry Robertson fourth and top rookie candidate Beau Kellogg in fifth.
Of note, during the evening's Time Trials, the accumulative runs turned in established the fastest Late Model field in the track's history. The slowest qualifier clocked in at 16.362 seconds, which would have earned the Quick Time award in three different events last year.
Seeking his fifth Late Model title at the speedway, Avants now hold an eight point lead over Yackey (352 to 344). Robertson continues in third, trailing Avants by 18 marks.
Chris Leaf led from flag to flag to pick up his third Snap-On Tools ProTruck feature trophy of the year. Chris Archer overhauled Calvin Matthews for second just before the halfway mark of the 30 lapper, but could not gain ground on the leader. Leaf finished ahead of Archer by ten truck-lengths, while Matthews took third; his best career showing. Billy Harkins and Dennis Edwards completed the top five. A grinding crash by Jimmy Donaldson early in the contest cost him the point lead, as Leaf now narrowly heads off Archer and Harkins in the championship chase.
In Dunlap's Trailers Super Stock results, former champion Rick Runkle returned to the division for the first time in two years and proved that the sabbatical did not slow him down. Runkle held off a late charge by Mike Bowen to win by two lengths, with Gary Lee, Jim Bob Rogers, and Lee Kemmit following. With point leader Trent Phillips notching his second straight sixth place finish, the title hunt shows Bowen closing in, now just four marks back.
The Witthar Racing Trains battleground saw "War Wagon", with Leland Ridnour and Ed Markham aboard, emerge with top honors for the second time this season. "Termin8or" took the runner-up award in the ten lap race, which had to be red flagged twice for brutal crashes. None of the involved combatants were injured.
The next NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge event at the speedway will be the "Race to Find Missing Kids" on Saturday night, June 22nd. The Late Models will be featured, along with ProTrucks, Grand American Modifieds, and Legends Cars, plus a novelty race for the pure-stock Enduro cars. Additionally, programs will be held throughout the evening to raise money for the Missing Children's Task Force.
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(June 15) - Results from the "Paradise Unlimited Challenge" NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge event, held Saturday night at Colorado National Speedway.
PRESTIGE CAPITAL FUNDING LATE MODELS
QUICK TIME: Roger Avants Littleton
TROPHY DASH: Roger Avants Littleton
FEATURE: 1. Roger Avants Littleton 2. Bruce Yackey Greeley 3. Mike Snow Morrison 4. Jerry Robertson Arvada 5. Beau Kellogg Evergreen 6. Ken Walter Littleton 7. Dan Savage Aurora 8. Scotty Backman Parker 9. Travis Clark Morrison 10. Joe James, Jr. Denver
SNAP-ON TOOLS PROTRUCKS
QUICK TIME: Chris Archer Denver
TROPHY DASH: Chris Leaf Kersey
FEATURE: 1. Chris Leaf Kersey 2. Chris Archer Denver 3. Calvin Matthews Farmington, NM 4. Billy Harkins Lakewood 5. Dennis Edwards Golden 6. Darren Crocker Littleton 7. Dave Hunt Hudson 8. Steve Johnson Loveland 9. Tim Billinger Denver 10. Cris Muhler Erie
DUNLAP'S TRAILERS SUPER STOCKS
QUICK TIME: Jim Bob Rogers Erie
TROPHY DASH: Daren Gailey Aurora FEATURE: 1. Rick Runkle Lakewood 2. Mike Bowen Aurora 3. Gary Lee Greeley 4. Jim Bob Rogers Erie 5. Lee Kemmit Thornton 6. Trent Phillips Hemingford, NE 7. Brad Groff Fort Lupton 8. Daren Gailey Aurora 9. Dwight Michael Fort Collins 10. Andy Lewis Louisville
WITTHAR RACING TRAINS
FEATURE:
1. War Wagon
2. Termin8or
3. Kody's Express
4. Steel Dragon
5. De Udder Train
6. Merl’s Revenge
7. Last Call Train
8. Half Fool & Plum Empty
9. Just Survivin'
10. Dukes of Hazzard
