Upland, CA -- Things seemed normal after the top five finishers went to post-race inspection at Tucson Raceway Park in the ASA Speed Truck Challenge (ASA STC) shootout on Saturday, April 21st. Little did the #80 Victor Pfluger team realize that things were just starting to heat up for them around the pits as inspection was completing and they were basking in their first oval track win with the ASA STC. Pfluger won the Saint John’s Grand Prix road course in September of 2006 and set a record that may be tied but never to be broken as the first ASA STC driver to win a race at age 14.

At only 16, Victor Pfluger has truly found his driving talent this season with the ASA STC. He has captured the fastest qualifying time in all four of the 2007 season races thus far. Be it that his times have been just hundredths of a second faster than the top ten in this incredibly competitive field of Speed Truck racers; Pfluger still has attained the honor in all and picked up the all-important five extra championship points for fast time at each race for his efforts. He went out at Tucson on Saturday and put on another fine driving exhibition by setting fast time, winning the Trophy Dash and main event and regaining the Championship Points lead over the #12 Jim Putman team. “It was a little tense at times,” said a relieved but positive Pfluger. “We knew we had the right set-up for the race, but just hoped that our tires would hold out with the dropping evening temperatures and getting through the caution flag incidents especially the restarts as the #07 of Austin Murphy was getting me on the restarts and we raced door handle to door handle for quite a few laps.”

The drama escalated for the young driver, when after the #80 Speed Truck was cleared from post-race technical inspection by the ASA STC officials and it was time to celebrate with his sponsors – Parker Farms; he and his crew chief, Chuck LaHorgue and his father Art Pfluger, were informed that under the newly adopted ASA STC rule for the 2007 season, their winning engine for the night was being “claimed” by the #12 Speed Truck driver, Jim Putman. This new rule adopted by the 2007 Rules Committee and voted in by the series Owners and Drivers reads:

Section 5 – Engine – Paragraph G. An engine claim rule is in effect for the ASA Speed Truck Challenge in 2007. The engine claim is $7,500.00 (cash only) and you cannot claim a top ten engine unless you are top ten in the points and you cannot exercise more than one engine claim per racing season and you cannot force the claim rule until after the racing event.

“This is the first time a driver has claimed a competitor’s engine,” said ASA STC president Jay Rutherford. “Although we have a provision in our rules for an engine “protest” for $2,500, which allows ASA STC to have Van Gordon Racing Engines tear down and inspect the engine, Jim Putman decided to claim the engine instead. This makes it Jim’s engine to do with what he wishes. I will re-write the rule for clarification but I think that all Speed Truck competitors are now put on notice that their engine can be claimed at any time.” “We are experiencing the closest competition in the history of the series with 80 Speed Trucks qualifying at 4 different race tracks and having only 7/10 of a second split from pole to last place…that’s parity,” concluded Rutherford.

“I hope there are no hard feelings over this engine claim deal, I exercised my right as per the 2007 Rules Book and as a Speed Truck Challenge driver to claim the engine and I did so. I have no hard feelings against the Pfluger’s and I realize Victor is one hell of a driver and l look forward to racing with him on the road course at Firebird International Raceway on May 5th, “ Putman concluded.

According to the stated prices for new engines, also in the 2007 Rules Book, Pfluger can now purchase a brand new engine, built and sealed by Van Gordon Racing Engines Inc., for only $6,700. So instead of a joyous victory evening for the Pfluger crew, it was all about pulling the engine at the track and wondering where they go from here. When asked about the evening, Art Pfluger commented, “We are so very proud of Victor and the great race he drove tonight. I realize that claim provision is in the rules but I just hated it for Victor, who was so thrilled about his first circle track race win in the ASA Speed Truck Challenge, and then had to go through this. I guess we have to look on the bright side and realize that we get a brand new engine plus some cash out of the deal and we have regained the points lead,” he concluded.

The reality is that despite the history-setting engine claim for Pfluger, he now holds a commanding lead in the championship point’s race going into the road course at Firebird International Raceway, and holds an even firmer grip on his 1st place trophy from Tucson Raceway Park.

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