In what has virtually become the expected, Covina, California's Lee Hatch picked up another dominating win in the ASA Speed Truck Challenge Series, July 31st, at the Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino. Hatch's Ford led every lap of the Orange Show 100 presented by CMKXtreme.com.
Moreno Valley's Bobby Sayers set the fast time in qualifying and also won the six lap trophy dash. Sayers exercised his option and decided to start the main event on the outside of the front row. It turned out to be a wrong call. Hatch immeadiately drove away, from the front row inside posistion, and was never really challenged.
The only time anyone got near Hatch's rear bumper was during the restarts that followed the six yellow caution flags in the race. The most serious of the cautions come on lap five following a two truck collision between the Chevrolet of Joey Mogar and the Dodge of Steve Guccione. With each restart Hatch used the clean air in front of him to quickly open a full straightaway lead over the entire field.
The Chevrolet of Robert Kroeker was second. J D Gardner, who towed to the race from Las Vegas, was third in a Ford. The Chevrolets of Robert Sanders and Kenny Smith rounded out the top five.
In victory lane Hatch treated the large crowd to some smoky donuts and then thanked his crew for a job well done. Hatch has now won every ASA Speed Truck Challenge event, except for one, this season and is poised to repeat his 2003 series championship.
The DJ Safety ASA Sports Trucks, a division for mini sized pick up trucks, were also on hand that night at the Orange Show Speedway. Riverside's Jason McKenzie won the 25 lap main event after he inherited the lead following a lap 15 melee involving the race leaders.
Roberto Calavera paced the field for the first four laps before being overtaken by fan favorite "Papa" Jim Rawlings. But it wasn't going to be Rawling's night. On lap 15 Calavera got into the back of the Rawlings bright red Budweiser truck causing the race leader to spin on the front stretch. Calavera was shown the black flag for his involvement and sent to the rear of the field. The Rawlings truck would not refire and the extremely anger race leader was pushed to the pits.
That gave McKenzie the lead but the new race leader had to endure two more yellow flags in rapid succession, due to a spin and a two truck collision, before he could develop any race rhythm.
The late in the race caution developed a green-white-checker finish which saw McKenzie fend off a strong challenge from Moreno Valley's Ed Reid. Calavera showed some horsepower and race his way from the back of the pack to a third place finish. Michael End and Rick Jone rounded out the top five.
