Source: Dan Ruth
Date: 04/08/2008

The evening started off as the sun set over turn four of the raceway with 44 cars and drivers and hundreds of fans gathering on Tucson Raceway Park's front straight. All of the drivers would compete in ten lap heat races except the NASCAR Lucas Oil Late Models which would compete for twelve laps in two heat races. The first heat up was TRP Bombers which was won by Rick Butler in "La Bomba" over newcomer Brad Kleifgren in the TRP #1. The TRP Bomber class is growing by the week and was up to five tonight with many new cars being built. The TRP Bomber Lite heat race was won by Kyle Milburg over the ever fast Karl Griggs. The NASCAR Sport Compact class was next on the card and point's leader, Josh Davis would dominate in his truck once again over Butler doing double duty in the Mazda rotary. Tonight would be a very special night for the NASCAR Factory Stocks as "Stormin" Ron Norman, the defending NASCAR Late Model Champion was in the Tom Mikla #95 Lightning McQueen Camaro. Norman had won a Factory Stock championship many years ago and it was great to see him come back to his roots! Norman would thrill the crowd from his second row starting position as Loren "Shef" Sheffield would lead from the pole. Norman's new ride was very tight and he had to change his line to get the car to turn and in the end Norman would go on to beat Sheffield by a foot at the Tony Helm checkers. The NASCAR Lucas Oil Modified heat was quickly won by Chris Stress over Pat Bush. The first of two NASCAR Lucas Oil Late Model heats was next up and Mat Williams, Tucson Raceway Park's 2007 Late Model Rookie of the Year would lead from the pole to the end while seventh starting Matt Levin would charge up through the field to take second. Scott Rueschenberg would set the pace from the pole in heat two but Duane Hunt Jr. would lead lap one while sixth starting Joe Paladenic would show that mid week testing to shake down the set up would pay off as he would take the lead on lap three and never look back while Hunt Jr. would hang on for a second.

Interstate All Battery Center of Mesa was the Event sponsor tonight and Billy Kann had brought his #18 Interstate Battery sponsored Camping World Series car to stage a pit stop exhibition during intermission. His crew did two pit stops to show the crowd what to expect next week at Phoenix International Raceway. After the smoke had settled from Kann's burnouts the feature events began with the 10 lap TRP Bomber feature. Butler would take the lead on lap one over Shawn Perrin and Brad Kleifgren and would stay out front to take the win as Kleifgren would try in vain to get by Perrin for second.

The TRP Bomber Lite feature was anybodies race tonight as Lyle Gallegos would lead the first four laps until Jason Davis would take the point. Davis would lead until lap fourteen of fifteen when Karl Griggs would make a bold outside pass in turn one. At the end Griggs would take yet another win over Davis followed by Gallegos. The NASCAR Sport Compact was missing some of the regulars tonight and it was looking like Cindy Martinez might get her first trophy as she led to the halfway point. Josh Davis would make a clean pass under Martinez and race out front until the end to garner yet another 2008 Feature win in his Fast Racing Pick Up and Martinez would finish a strong second over Butler in the end.

The much anticipated NASCAR Factory Stock feature was sure to be worth the price of admission with Norman starting out back. "Cowboy" Ken Hunt would lead lap one until Ben Shepherd took the lead. Norman had obviously made some chassis adjustments to the Mikla #95 and he would take the lead easily on lap four as Sheffield was battling with Shepherd. At the end of 25 laps Norman would be in Victory Lane followed by Sheffield and Shepherd. I am sure TRP fans can't wait to see "Stormin Norman" back in his familiar #9 Late Model! The NASCAR Lucas Oil Modifieds were next up and Pat Bush would take the lead on lap one and never look back over Chris Stress and Jim Rogel.

Due to a young fan up on TRP's famed Stomper Hill pulling the #6 chip, Scott Rueschenberg would start on the pole in the Blue Oval Ford with Brian Harrington Jr. to his right. With Rueschenberg being the points leader and odds on favorite in his Paul Banghart prepared Ford on the pole, we would have thought the race might be a sleeper! The TRP multi groove racing surface would prove that it could be anyone's race as Paladenic had proven in the heat race his "The Body Shop" sponsored #63 was up to the task tonight. With Ruesch out front, Paladenic would take second over Matt Levin on lap seven as Harrington was slipping back to seventh from his second starting position. A lap twenty four caution would bunch up the field giving Paladenic another chance to get by the leader, Rueschenberg, and allow the rest of the competitors a chance to prepare for the fight to the finish. With a clear track ahead, Rueschenberg would again distance himself from Paladenic after just a few laps and the real race would be between Levin and Harrington whom had worked his way back up to fourth. Rueschenberg was setting a torrid pace and would lap last weeks winner Victor Pfluger fighting an ill handling Z2 on lap 35 and on lap 37 it would all change between Levin and Harrington. Coming off turn two incidental contact between Harrington and Levin would send Levin spinning to the infield with no damage to either car. The excitement would not be finished for Harrington as on lap thirty nine of forty, Cassie Gannis would stuff her Blue Media sponsored #7 under Harrington in turn three for a desperate pass for third. Ruesch would take the win uncontested while Paladenic settled for second and Harrington would nose out Gannis at the line while both cars were spinning wildly into turn one. Two young guns fighting over seventy five dollars! That's what the fans came for and that's what they got! A great race, a great finish and a great night at Tucson Raceway Park where "We'll Sell You the Whole Seat, But You'll Only Need the Edge"!

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