ERIE, Colorado -- Paul Deines grabbed top honors Sunday evening at Colorado National Speedway, scoring his second Snap-On Tools ProTruck win of the season at the 3/8 mile paved oval. Deines led from flag to flag in the headlining event for the “Paradise Unlimited Labor Day Weekend Shoot-Out”, edging Billy Harkins in the 30 lap NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series contest. Overall, the 31-year-old Longmont, CO driver claimed his seventh career ProTruck victory, moving him up into a three-way tie for third on the division’s all-time win list.
Starting on the pole, Deines outran Harkins at the fall of the green flag. Harkins stayed glued to Deines’ rear bumper the rest of the way, but never really offered a serious challenge. Chris Leaf, Chris Archer, and Brian Pacheco were next across the line, as the top seven trucks ran in a single file, nose-to-tail formation during the closing stages. Deines covered the caution-free race aboard his Roof Check, Inc. Chevrolet Silverado in eight minutes, 30.19 seconds for an average speed of 79.382 MPH. He missed the race record for the division by just 21/100ths of a second, set by John Luck earlier this year.
With the Snap-On Tools ProTrucks off next week, their championship will be decided during the Challenge Cup season finale on September 12th and 13th. Leaf now holds a 14 point edge on Archer (606 to 592), and will be assured of his fourth consecutive title if he should finish that race in fourth place or better. Luck – who finished eighth in the evening’s feature event aboard a borrowed truck – remains third in the standings, 52 marks behind Leaf. Luck has now put a lock on the division’s Rookie of the Year award.
The Artcraft Signs Grand American Modified race looked very similar to the ProTruck contest. It was Ronnie Hults in this one, as he also led all 30 laps of another caution-free round, and it was also his second trophy of the year. Cris Muhler and Joel Hansen kept pace with Hults, as the trio pulled well ahead of the rest of the pack. With two circuits remaining, Hansen found his way past Muhler for second, but was three lengths behind Hults at the checkered flag. For point leader Muhler, who is enjoying a spectacular season, his third place showing marked his worst finish of 2003. D.L. Clementson was fourth, with top rookie Ryan Moore in fifth. Muhler now owns a comfortable 56 point advantage on Hansen.
In Legends Car Series action, Anthony Medina captured his first victory of the year. Medina led at the onset, but surrendered the top spot to Jay Sant early on. At the halfway mark of the 20 lapper, Sant drifted into the upper groove, allowing Medina to re-claim first place. Sant gave a valiant effort during the closing stages, but came up about three feet short at the stripe. Point leader Danny Medina was third, trailed by Barry Dykes and Jon Krizman.
Wayne Achziger and Joe Genua turned up the boost aboard their “Turbo Train” to take the win in the Witthar-Racing Trains. “De Udder Train” made a milk run to take second.
NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series action continues next Saturday, September 6th, at Colorado National Speedway with the “40th Anniversary Fan Appreciation Night”. The card will feature the return of the Late Models, along with the Super Stocks, the Baby Grands, the RX-7 spec racers, and a 75 lap enduro type event for the Pure Stocks.
