Source: jd
Date: 05/13/2007

TRACY, California -- Howard Ford took the checkers but Ryan Philpott stole the show Saturday night as the North State Challenge Series roared into Altamont Motorsports Park for a 100-lap event on the 1/2-mile oval.

On paper Philpott's #52 "Red Rocket" Western Late Model with its 400 horsepower crate engine would be no match for the 800 horsepower engines of the NSCS racers but somehow Philpott was able to pick off 10 NSCS cars by driving much deeper into the corners over the course of the evening.

"Our car just rolls through the corner," said Philpott. "[The NSCS cars] make a lot of horsepower but if we can make it to the ground I can drive the wheels off it."

The race winner, Howard Ford, a former Southwest Tour and Northwest Tour, attributed his victory to tire management.

"A few times I had to let my tires cool off and [Philpott] behind me had to cool [his] too," said Ford. "So I think it was just a matter of who managed their tires the best."

The #2 Craig Raudman held the top spot for the first half of the race until Ford and Philpott rocketed by the former NASCAR Elite series Champion and current SRL driver to claim the first two positions on lap 54.

Raudman finished the race in the fifth position. Local driver Jason Gilbert finished in the third spot with two time defending NCSC champion Mike Doss taking fourth.

Earlier in the day, in NASCAR All-American Whelen Western Late Model action, Escalon, Calif's Brock Monroe put an end to Ryan Philpott's 2007 four race winning streak, beating the #52 of Philpott to the checkers after a hard fought battle.

Philpott finished in the second position, right off Monroe's bumper in the 50 lap Western Late Model event on the 1/2-mile oval.

Monroe passed the #18 of Chris Bammer on lap 20 but had to hold off pressure from Philpott throughout the remaining laps of the event.

"Once I got up there Philpott was behind me pretty quick," said Monroe. "In the final laps it was a lot of mirror racing and a lot of blocking."

Philpott passed the #57 of Doff Cooksey on lap 33, taking the second spot and putting his #52 "Red Rocket" in position to reel in Monroe.

"I was giving it everything I had," said Philpott.

"Monroe deserves the win," said Philpott. "[Brock] was driving the wheels of the thing."

Cooksey finished in the third position with Chris Bammer and Kyle Gottula rounding out the top five.

Tim Spurgeon, second in Western Late Model points, had an uncharacteristic run finishing sixth.

Tim Rappa won his first American Limited Stock Car feature event with teammate Jim Dulla coming in second. Both Rappa and Dulla drive cars sponsored by Hayward Chevrolet.

Rappa, who qualified fourth, started on the pole after a four car inversion. ALSC points leader Jim Dulla quickly moved up to second position with the #75 of Jim Earl rounding out the top three.

Despite strong pressure from Earl, Rappa and Dulla were able to finish in the first and second spots in the 30 lap event on the 1/4-mile oval.

"Jim Earl is fast and he works every part of this race track," said Dulla. "I had to give [Rappa] a few little taps and made him know he had to speed it up a little bit."

"I'd like to thank my wing man, James Dulla," said Rappa in victory lane. "I'm sure he had something to do with this victory."

Rounding out the top five were the #5 of Richard Harper and the #1 of Don McLaren.

Both the #33 of Rappa and the #42 of Western Late Model driver Brock Monroe won their respective Trophy Dashes earlier in the day.

In Pro-Truck action Nathan "Snake" McNeil held onto the first position after starting on the pole after a four position inversion. McNeil was followed by the #6 of Jason Darymple and the #98 of Bill Bentley.

The #3 of Ron Robeck ran in the third spot for most of the 30 lap event but spun on lap 29 after trying to pass Darymple in Turns 3 and 4.

The Pro Trucks, who had not raced since April 7th, showed some rust, with five of the nine entries retiring from the track before the final laps of the race.

After a four car inversion, Grand American Modified driver and top qualifier, Toni Noceti, wasted no time in getting to the front, passing first and second runners Jim Thompson and Jamie Jackson on lap six. Thompson and Jackson finished second and third in the 30 lap event on the 1/2-mile oval.

The race events started off with Altamont Motorsports Park treating 82 members of the Tri-Valley YMCA to a day at the track known as "the fastest half mile in the West."

Racing continues at Altamont next Saturday with a full slate of local divisions plus NCMA Sprint cars.

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