Source: TRP Media Relations/dr
Date: 10/23/2007

Many teams chose to shakedown their cars on Friday night and oil downs seemed to set the tone for the upcoming Saturday night showdown. The Arizona SADD and the Governor's Office of Highway Safety Night at the Races was to be the final NASCAR Whelen All-American Series 2007 track points event. With Tucson Raceway Park track championships to be decided with this double point's night, every team was on edge. By the time the nights first Heat Race began the Raceway had been oiled down twice again extending a haunting pattern by the end of the evening Tucson Raceway Park's Performance Fire and Safety crew had spent over an hour on oil cleanups.

The evenings first heat race saw young rookie, Blake Leuth beat Suave Brachowski and Rob Ashley to the checkers. The TRP Modifieds Heat was again all P.J. Megna over Pat Bush and Bill Harrington. In the NASCAR Mini Stocks Heat race Becky Harrington, the 2007 Champion again dominated over Rookie Karen Heyse and Tammy Lynn. The NASCAR Factory Stock Heat race was all Tom Mikla, aka Lightning McQueen over Casey Rohrer and Ben Shepherd. The TRP Bombers which are growing in popularity, was led most of the way by Rick "The Butler" Butler and co-driver Billy Smith until a right front tire blowout caused heavy damage to the right side of "La Bamba" giving the Heat race win to crowd favorite Shawn Perrin and co-driver Shawn Austin in their El Camino. The Bomber Lite Heat race was won by the always quick Dusty Gauthier over Lyle Gallegos and Michael Shaffer in his brand new Mazda RX7. The NASCAR Late Model 1st Heat was a battle of Rookie of the Year contenders Mathew Williams and Duane Hunt Jr. At the end of eight, Williams led over Hunt and Ned Champine had advanced from a last place start to take third. The 2nd Heat was led all the way by Rick "The Butler" Butler in his new Toyota Camry bodied Late Model over last week's winner Mike Egurola and the newly crowned NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Arizona State Champion, Joe Paladenic. Of course, during this Heat Vail's own Jerry Thitchener blew up big and was again oiling down the Raceway.

After a brief intermission and extensive oil down cleanup the INEX Legends Feature took to the track. Rookie sensation young Blake Leuth led all the way over soon to be crowned 2007 Champion, Brachowski and Rob Ashley. The TRP Modifieds Main event was exciting to say the least as the always spectacular Pat Bush raced past his good friend and defending Champion P.J. Megna to take the well deserved win over Megna as Bill Harrington finished third rapping up the 2007 Championship along the way. With Bill winning the Modified Championship it was now time for his wife Becky, the newly crowned NASCAR Mini Stock Champion, to take to the track for one last time in 2007. To no ones surprise, Harrington took another win over her closest rival Tammy Lynn and Josh Davis in a new pick up truck. As is always the case, the NASCAR Factory Stocks were sure to get the fans on their feet. With only one turn in the books a four car melee in turn two had caused serious damage to the cars of Ray Johnson, Jeremy Smith and Casey Rohrer. Johnson went off on the hook, Smith restarted to take the green and Rohrer was sent to the pits for overly aggressive driving ending his chance to beat Mikla for the Championship. After a full restart, Mikla went on to dominate and win the 2007 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Factory Stock Championship in the process, over Ben Shepherd in the lonely Ford and "Cowboy" Ken Hunt. The TRP Bomber Feature looked to be a sure win for Shawn and Shawn until lap seven when Bob Davis flew by on the outside to take another win over the Shawn's and Mitch Milner. With the second place finish, Shawn and Shawn rapped up the 2007 Championship and with that, the glory of being the first ever TRP Bomber Champions! The TRP Bomber Lites was all Lyle Gallegos until two to go as Heat winner Gauthier slipped by for the win and Michael Shaffer finished third. I for one can't wait to see twenty or more of these low cost race cars next season battle it out week in and week out. With the program about a half hour behind schedule due to the oil downs the scheduled fifty lap NASCAR Late Model Feature Event was shortened to 40 laps. With a young fan in the stands pulling the #12 pill, Heat Race winners Mathew Williams and Rick Butler would be starting in the sixth row with Bob Jones and the lightning quick Brian Harrington Jr. on the front row. Harrington took his front row starting spot opportunity to lead the first twenty laps. On lap twenty one Egurola whom just returned from a hard fought twentieth finish at Irwindale's Super Late Model Showdown, took over the lead for the next twelve circuits, while Paladenic was patiently working the bottom of the track to perfection. On lap thirty three, Paladenic took the lead and would never look back winning Feature Event number 8 of the season. As Paladenic won the battle, defending Champion Ron Norman was to win the WAR as his hard fought third place finish in a borrowed car after destroying his trusty #9 at Irwindale the night before, would give him the TRP Late Model Track Championship over Paladenic by just forty four points.

The buzz in the pits after the race was now focused on who's going to win the upcoming Bud Shoot Out on October 27th. Could it be Egurola making it two in a row or Paladenic, Norman or some out of towner taking the glory?

Stay tuned.

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