PHOENIX, Arizona -- Burney Lamar had his high and low in one lap Sunday afternoon at Phoenix International Raceway during the NASCAR Elite Division Southwest Series www.phoenixraceway.com 100. Having out-qualified a 54-car field on Saturday, Burney was on the pole and ready to go for the 100 miler. Coming out of turn one on the initial lap, he thought he saw green and away he went, opening up a 15-car lead going down the back-chute.
Coming out of four to start lap two, oh dear. Black flag. Jumped the start. Into the pits on lap three. Stop and go. Luckily for Burney, a yellow came out on lap four. Into the pits for a quick gas and go on lap six, reenter the race, still on the lead lap, but at the tail end of the field in 36th place.
During the next 61 green flag laps, the 23 year old W. Sacramento, CA. driver picked ‘em off one by one. On or about lap 27, he was half a lap down to leader and eventual winner Eddie McKean. But Burney was in the top 25.
The next caution came out on lap 71, and on the lap 77 restart, he was 13th. Following a couple more cautions, on a lap 95 restart, he was in 8th. Going down the back-chute on lap 99, he was attempting to pass his team-mate Craig Raudman for 5th place, but a bad four-car pile-up in turn four brought out the yellow, and as the field sneaked through a ton of debris, he finished 6th.
“What can I say” said a disappointed Lamar following the race. “I made a mistake. My entire team put an awesome car under me. It was fast. Look at yesterday. It ran on a rail. And it was fast today”.
Les DenHerder, owner of Lamar’s Groeniger – HPS – Victory Circle - Tri-City – DC Racing
Engines Chevrolet, was all smiles after the event. Said the big man, “We had a good weekend. Got a
pole award, and at least one of those ahead of us won’t be running the whole Series so both cars
should be in the top five in points. And both cars are in one piece. Good way to start the season.”
