MCKEAN BUSTS A MOVE AT MVS

Source: Linda Brittsan
Date: 08/26/2007

TWIN FALLS, Idaho

McKean started the race at the tail end of the field of eight cars and one truck for the 25-lap main event. After three cautions in the first nine laps kept erasing the No. 0 truck of Josh Pitz’s lead, things then settled down at least for a few rounds with Pitz still ahead of the field. Louis Lopez, who needed a good run last Saturday night, suffered mechanical issues the entire evening and really never got the car figured out, but had worked his way up to second by lap seven. With 10 laps remaining in the event, McKean made his biggest move of the night, passing Lopez and setting his sights on Pitz. With five laps remaining McKean accomplished his goal – although Pitz gave it his all up to the bitter end – finishing just .153 seconds behind the No. 88 car and Lopez finishing a close third.

McKean explained the car reacted a lot better than he thought it would in the main event race.

“It ran like garbage until it cooled off,” McKean said. “But once it cooled down it just came to life – I was really surprised.”

Lopez’s ride however, was just never quite right throughout the entire evening, but still thought he had a chance at the win.

“I got problems – I don’t know what’s wrong with the car - something’s going on in the braking system and it’s very inconsistent right now,” Lopez explained. But if the guy (McKean) hadn’t of done the bump and run on me I don’t know if he could have passed me – so I left him an IOU on his windshield for the next race.” Lopez added.

“Yeah, I helped Louis out of the way once because they were slowing me down – and I wanted to go,” McKean admitted.

The win gives McKean the five point advantage over Lopez with one race remaining on the 2007 season schedule.

“It gave me a cushion,” McKean explained. “Louis has six wins and I have six wins so it’s going to be a showdown next time we’re here.”

Lopez will have until September 15 to try and get things figured out for the final event of the year for the division.

NAPA Pony Stocks driver Billi Miles has also padded her lead to five points in the standings going into the final event of the season for the division which will take place September 8.

After a red-flag condition on the track early in the race for guest driver of the No. 63 car John Urie who hit the wall hard in turn four, it was Josh Pitz who led the pack until lap 18. At that lap the traffic was tight between turns three and four and Miles thought she had an opening low on the track – but in her attempt to sneek under resulted in the cars of Pitz and Raymond Holmolka getting together and bringing out the yellow flag. Jason Whited just narrowly avoided the incident but for Pitz, who needed a good finish to stay alive in the standings, it meant disaster – having to restart at the rear on the field with just seven laps to go in the race. Miles was ruled not to have made contact with another vehicle in the confrontation by the chief starter and placed up front for the restart.

Whited did everything he could to track her down in the few remaining laps but it was Miles who made the trip to the winner’s circle. Shawn Nice finished an impressive third with Jonathon Gomez placing fourth. Pitz managed to salvage an eight place finish for the night.

Misty Greco is one big step closer to the 2007 championship after another trip to Victory Lane in the Quale’s Electronics Hornets. Greco took the lead for good on lap 12 and was close to lapping the field in the final laps of the race. Greco has built a 30 point advantage over Alecia Dalton and Charity Hammond-Sanchez, with just one race remaining on the schedule for the season, which will be held September 15.

Dean Waltman, driving the No. 4 car purchased from former Idaho Six Cylinder champion Pat Quinn, worked his way through the field from the fourteenth starting position to take the lead at the half-way point of the 30-lap contest. Waltman, of Boise, then went on to win his first main event race of the season at MVS.

The Twin Stop Trailer Race of Destruction lived up to its name once again as the 19 cars pulling behind him anything ranging from campers to golf bag pull carts pounded the third-mile track. After the damage was done, a crowd vote awarded Ethan Adams a win in the event.

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Article posted by RacingWest.com staff on 08/26/2007. http://www.racingwest.com