BATTLE MOUNTIAN, Nevada -- Joe Rigsby won the Pro Stock division two different years at Summit Raceway in Elko, Nevada in 1998 and 2000 winning many features and trophy dashes. But The Ryndon Rocket had not won either since to turned his efforts to the I.M.C.A. Modified division. Two weeks ago, at Battle Mountain Raceway, the worm may have started to turn, as Rigsby finally was able to take home the trophy home to Ryndon as he raced to the checkered flag first. In feature races he was overdue---until tonight.
The preliminary events were nothing to write home about, third in the heat race and the car developed an engine problem in the Trophy Dash. As soon as the initial green flag dropped to start the thirty-lap feature, Rigsby hit the loud pedal from his inside second row position and passed the pole sitters The Battle Mountain Boys, Ward Amberson and Randy Artz. Before you could say 'Joe Rigsby', Rigsby was alone in first place, not bad breath but, rather, fast car.
During the early lap it was all Rigsby and the real race was for second. First, Artz ran in the runner-up position for six laps until giving way to point leader Nick Ayers for the next three until be Ayers caused another yellow. The leader survived three caution flags during those nine laps and continued to lead after each restart. Artz regained second after Ayers went to the rear but did his version of 'The Yellow Flag Boogie' on lap thirteen.
Next in second place was Boise, Idaho veteran Mike Smith to see if he might have some luck against Rigsby. Smith followed the leader for the next four laps, right behind him. 'The Milk Man' sized up the situation and passed Rigsby on the eighteenth go-around. Rigsby challenged Smith but the traveler had too much for him. The previous night at Summit Raceway in Elko, Smith won wire-to-wire for his first feature win.
Rigsby held second behind the eventual winner Smith. Third was Ayers but failed to report to the tech area immediately after the finish. Artz was awarded third followed by Rodney Sweet, Amberson, and Ayers. Rigsby would have to wait for another night to claim his first victory.
Frank Itturiaga fought his way from his third row inside start, to pass Tony Silva during the third lap for the Pro-Stock feature lead. Mike Dorning was second for nine laps and didn't like it so he took the lead away from Itturiaga. Itturiaga obviously didn't like that position any better than Dorning did, so he regained first as the leader developed a problem.
The defending champion cruised the last several laps to record his second feature in as many times at the raceway, lapping all but two cars. Second went to Spring Creek's Brian Thorp, the defending Summit Raceway champion. Silva finished in third while Terry Lister climbed into fourth. Thorp beat Itturiaga to claim victory in the heat race but Lister was able to salvage the Trophy Dash ahead of Thorp.
The next race at Battle Mountain Raceway will be Saturday night May 31. Grandstands and pit gates open at 5 with the first scheduled to start at 7.
- Heat race
- Randy Artz, Ward Amberson, Joe Rigsby, Nick Ayers, Rodney Sweet
- Trophy Dash
- Nick Ayers, Randy Artz, Ward Amberson, Joe Rigsby
- Feature
- Mike Smith, Joe Rigsby, Randy Artz, Rodney Sweet, Ward Amberson, Nick Ayers DQ
- Heat race
- Brain Thorp, Frank Itturiaga, Mike Dorning, Terry Lister, Tony Silva
- Trophy Dash
- Terry Lister, Brian Thorp, Frank Itturiaga, Mike Dorning
- Feature
- Frank Itturiaga, Brian Thorp, Tony Silva, Terry Lister, Larry Rogers, Mike Dorning, Dave Wearin, 11
