Source: Moss/North State Challenge Series
Date: 07/18/2005

In a highly competitive race that saw eight lead changes and six different leaders, nineteen-year-old Derek Thorn seized the opportunity presented to him and claimed his first series victory along with the $1500 payoff. Josh Bews, fastest in each practice session and the top qualifier, settled for second. Current point leader Mike Doss and 2004 champ Bill Binns put on quite a show, passing and re-passing each other, for the lead, four times over the hundred laps before finishing third and fourth respectively. The resurgent Jeremy Hopkins filled out the top five.

Bews, who knows his way around the Champion Motor Speedway 1/4 mile, topped the qualifying charts in the 16-car field at 13.05 on a day when temperatures soared well into triple digits. Thorn and Junior Roddy both ran 13.10 and Thorn took second as his 1st lap was faster than Roddy's. Doss was fourth at 13.13, Randy Houston fifth with his 13.16 and Binns rounded out the 6-car, 6-lap Dash for Cash field at 13.30. Sacramento's Billy Butler just missed the dash after running 13.33. Doss would win the $100 dash over Roddy, Thorn, Bews, Binns and Houston.

Fast timer Bews drew an 8 for the inversion, putting Jim Stillman Jr on the pole alongside Butler. Butler got by on lap 2 and started to pull away from the field until a lap 5 yellow flag when Stillman Jr spun to the infield. Binns inherited the lead on lap 7 when Butler lost a crankshaft pulley and trailered early. Binns led over Doss, Houston, Roddy and Thorn until Doss took the lead on lap 14. Houston would retire with gear woes on lap 20 and Carson City's Jerry Allec Jr called it a night four laps later. By lap 30 Doss and Binns were putting some distance on Roddy, Thorn and the charging Bews. Yellow flew on lap 31 when Hopkins looped his ride and went to the back of the pack. Lap 33 saw Thorn hammer Roddys bumper, forcing him to the upper groove and allowing Thorn and Bews to get by. Veteran Randy Hvall got by Roddy on lap 38 to claim 5th place and four laps later Lathrop CA's Angelo Queirolo moved into 6th. After a lap 45 caution period when Reno's Randy Hedrick spun, the top five cars stayed nose to tail and the action heated up. Binns passed Doss on lap 55 and Doss reclaimed the lead on lap 59. Bews got by Thorn to move into third on lap 66 and Binns grabbed the lead back from Doss on lap 69. While battling for the lead on lap 73 Doss and Binns made contact and Doss spun to the infield. Binns made a nice save and maintained the lead. It would be short lived. On the ensuing restart, Binns brake pedal went to the floor in turn one. Though he made another great save, Bews took the lead and brought Thorn and Hvall along with him. Two laps later, Hvall, Binns and Queirolo made contact sending Queirolo airborne off the turn three banking ending his fine top five run. Roddy caught a piece of the action and pitted for repairs. Binns would leave on the hook with a bent wheel and front-end damage. Surprisingly, Binns' crew made hasty repairs and joined Doss at the back of the pack without losing a lap. Roddy would rejoin the field on lap 79. Doss and Binns got by a fading Hvall on lap 84 to move back up into third and fourth. Bews led Thorn by about five car lengths by lap 90. On lap 95, as Bews tried to put a lap on Hvall and another lap on Roddy, they started racing each other side by side, blocking both grooves and Bews could not get by. Sensing an opportunity, Thorn quickly closed the gap and joined the fray, finally taking the lead from the blocked in Bews on lap 99 and cruising to the checkered flag.

"It feels great to win," said Thorn. "I was in the right place at the right time. I've been in the wrong place plenty of times. I guess it was just my night! I feel bad for Bews though." While understandably unhappy about the traffic situation, which seemingly cost him the win, Bews took the defeat in stride. "We were fast, we finished second and the car's in one piece."

Doss gained a few points on second place Binns and now leads with 901 points to Binns' 831. Thorn moved into third with 784 and Bews sits one point behind with 783. Houston's problems dropped him into fifth at 757 with 4 races remaining. The next race is at Redwood Acres Raceway on July 30th.

Dash-Doss, Roddy, Thorn, Bews, Binns, Houston Main-Thorn, Bews, Doss, Binns, Hopkins, CJ Bawden, Darin Snider, Hvall, Roddy, Hedrick, Queirolo, Ken Scales, Stillman Jr, Allec Jr, Houston, Butler

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