BLYTHE, California -- Mechanics Wear SPEED TRUCKS converged on Blythe California to run their first race in their 2003 Speed Truck Challenge. The weather was terrific and the racing was even better! The evening of racing also included the Lucas Oil LATE MODELS and Towel City Tire/Sunoco Fuel PURE STOCKS. Lee Hatch (91) took home the first place trophy in the Mechanics Wear SPEED TRUCKS 99-lap main event. John-Clay Scott drove his car to a win in the Lucas Oil LATE MODEL 35-lap main event and took home a trophy and $400.00 for his excellent effort. The win moved Scott from 5th to 4th in overall points. Rick Layman (52) crossed the finish line first in another pedal-to-the-metal Towel City Tire/Sunoco Fuel PURE STOCK 30-lap main event. Layman took home a trophy and $300.00, which was funded by the Blythe Motel Hotel Association. The win moved Layman into 1st in overall points with Rouse moving down to 2nd.
The top three quick times in the Towel City Tire/Sunoco Fuel PURE STOCK division were Jimmy Rouse (09) at 16.854, Robert Davis (3) at 16.973, and Rick Layman (52) at 16.979. The top three quick times in the Lucas Oil LATE MODEL division were Billy Johanneck (22) at 15.211, Mark Schriner (82) at 15.215, and John-Clay Scott (81) at 15.249. The top three quick times in the Mechanix Wear Speed Truck division were Dan Digiacomo (31) at 15.077, John Burrit (21) at 15.094, and Keith Cummins (29) at 15.114.
Eight cars started in the Lucas Oil Late Model 35-lap main event. Mark Schriner (82) was on the pole position with Billy Johanneck (22) to his right. John-Clay Scott (81) and Richard Kerr (56) were in the second row. At the green flag, Schriner pulled out in front with Scott, Kerr and Richard Hooper (16) following. In the first five laps Kerr challenged Scott for 2nd place but wasn't able to get by. Schriner developed a comfortable lead as 10 laps were completed. Glen Burke's vehicle (96) started to slow and eventually left the track. Chris Gallegos (6) also left the track five laps later. At lap 25, Schriner was still in the lead followed closely by Scott and Kerr. On lap 25, Schriner drifted a little high on the track in turn 4 and allowed both Scott and Kerr to pass underneath. Throughout the remainder of the race Kerr tried to get by Scott but Scott was able to hold onto his position to earn a win. Scott was followed across the finish line by Kerr, Schriner, and Hooper in second, third, and fourth places respectively.
The Mechanics Wear Speed Trucks fielded 19 trucks in the 99-lap main event. The race was ran in memory of Randy Brown, who passed away in December 2002 from a snow-boarding accident. Robert Kroeker (58) started in the pole position with Ken Smith (43) to his right. Lee Hatch (91) and Keith Cummins (29) started in the second row. The third row was occupied by John Burritt (21) and Dan Digiacomo (31). At the green flag, Kroeker pulled out in front with Hatch and Burritt behind him. Cummins smashed into the wall on the first lap and was towed into the pits. At the restart, it was Kroeker, Hatch, Burritt, and Robert Sanders (8). Hatch made several attempts to get by Kroeker but was unable to get by. On lap 10 Jeff Rocheleau (13) went into the wall in turn 2 and was sent to the rear for the restart. At the restart it was still Kroeker, Hatch, Burritt, and Sanders. A few laps later, both Hatch and Burritt were able to get by Kroeker, which dropped Kroeker to 3rd place. It was now Hatch in first place and Burritt in second. Daren Young (1) turned into the pits with mechanical problems. Meanwhile, Hatch and Burritt began to pull away from the others. On lap 20 Dan Williams (28) spun out in turn 2 and had to be towed into the pits. At the restart, Sanders and Smith moved up to third and fourth places respectively. Hatch and Burritt still held first and second. At about lap 50, Kroeker went into the wall in front of the grand stands and had to be towed into the pits. At the restart it was Hatch, Burritt, Smith, and Sanders. Troy Decuir (10) had moved up several from the back of the pack and was now in 6th place. At lap 75, it was still Hatch and Burritt and Decuir had now moved up to 5th place. On lap 80, Decuir got by Sanders to take over 4th place. On lap 88 Dave Hartsook (3) spun out forcing Rocheleau to run into him. Hartsook was sustained only minor damage while Rocheleau had to be towed into the pits. On the restart, Jerry Young (82) blew a tire and spun out in turn 3. Unable to stop, Hartsook ran into Young. Both drivers were okay but their trucks were finished for the night. Then Brandon Arceiro (19) and Bobby Sayers (2) stalled and their vehicles were pushed into the pits by the tow truck. At the restart, it was Hatch, Burritt, Smith, Decuir, and Sanders. On the last 5 laps, Burritt tried to get by Hatch but could not find enough room underneath. Hatch was able to hold onto the lead and cross the finish line for a win. He was followed by Burritt, Smith, Decuir, and Sanders.
The Towel City Tire/Sunoco Fuel PURE STOCKS capped off another night of exciting short track racing. The Towel City Tire / Sunoco Fuel Pure Stocks fielded eighteen cars in the 30-lap main event. Dusty Hope (33) started on the pole position with Johnny del Pino (13) to his right. Justin Good (25) and Brian Faulkner (2) were in the second row. George Olmsted (79) and John Mattie (16) took up the third row. At the green flag, Jennifer Downs (91) and Good went into the wall between turns 1 and 2. Both were able to get back into the race for the restart. At the restart, Hope pulled out in front and was followed by del Pino, Faulkner, and Olmsted. However, Olmsted spun del Pino in turn 1, which sent both drivers to the rear for the restart. With 2 laps complete Hope was in the lead followed by Faulkner, Brian Malone (36), Jimmy Rouse (09) and Rick Layman (52). Del Pino then ran into Downs. As a result, Downs lost a wheel and had to leave the track while del Pino was sent to the rear. David Ross (17) and Hope also had to leave the track because of mechanical problems. With 6 laps complete, Faulkner was now in the lead followed by Malone, Rouse, Layman, and Davis. On lap 10, Davis was able to get by Layman to take 4th place. Layman and Davis would do battle for several laps as Layman tried to reclaim 4th place. On lap 15, Davis tried to get by Rouse and Malone on the outside but lost control and hit the wall on the backstretch. During the yellow flag, Rouse took his vehicle into the pits. At the restart it was Faulkner, Malone, Layman, and Good. The first three cars were bunched together for several laps. Layman was eventually able to make a move simultaneously on both Faulkner and Malone to take over the lead position. Layman was able to hold on to the lead for a win at the checkered flag. He was followed by Malone, Good, Faulkner, and Davis.
Fastest Time: Dan Digiacomo at 15.077.
Trophy Dash: John Burritt, Dan Digiacomo, Lee Hatch, Keith Cummins, Ken Smith, Robert Kroeker.
Main Event: Lee Hatch, John Burritt, Ken Smith, Troy Decuir, Robert Sanders, Dan Digiacomo, Jim Perry, Donnie Goodwin, Kevin Feddersohn, Allen Sanchez, Bobby Sayers, Dave Hartsook, Jeff Rocheleau, Terry Young, Brandon Arceiro, Dan Williams, Robert Kroeker, Daren Young, Keith Cummins.
Fastest Time: Jimmy Rouse at 16.854.
Trophy Dash: Robert Davis, Rick Layman, and Jimmy Rouse.
Heat 1: Billy Dillard, Michelle Docks, David Ross, Mike Reynolds, Richard Ochoa, Blake Usilton, Jennifer Downs.
Heat 2: Johnny del Pino, Brian Faulkner, John Mattie, George Olmsted, Justin Good, Dave Foster, and Dusty Hope.
Main Event: Rick Layman, Brian Malone, Justin Good, Brian Faulkner, Robert Davis, Billy Dillard, John Mattie, Blake Usilton, Johnny del Pino, Mike Reynolds, George Olmsted, Michelle Docks, Jimmy Rouse, Dave Foster, Richard Ochoa, Dusty Hope, David Ross, Jennifer Downs.
Fastest Time: Billy Johanneck at 15.211.
Trophy Dash: Richard Kerr, Mark Schriner, Billy Johanneck, and John-Clay Scott.
Heat 1: Richard Hooper, Bobby Keirns, Glen Burke, and Chris Gallegos.
Main Event: John-Clay Scott, Richard Kerr, Mark Schriner, Richard Hooper, Bobby Keirns, Chris Gallegos, Glen Burke, and Mike Lee.
