InsideGroove - Race Report

ERIC MASS REBOUNDS FOR A GILLETTE NAPA WIN

Gillette, WY -- After fighting damaged steering to a sixth place finish on Friday night at Black Hills Speedway, Eric Mass from Rapid City SD battled to a win from fourth starting on Saturday night at Gillette Thunder Speedway as the NAPA/MDA Tour staged round six of their 12 race 2006 schedule. Mass switched to a Rayburn mount for 2006 and has won four of the six tour races this year, but is still chasing 2005 series titlest Eddie Kirchoff and John Bey in the point standings. Eddie Kirchoff won Friday night at Black Hills and ran sixth this night. Bey ran third at Black Hills and was second tonight from sixth starting. Scott Anderson started and finished third tonight and Gillette’s own Wes McKenney came from 12th to get fourth ahead of Mike Stadel.

Following a 16 car turnout at Black Hills, 19 cars appeared here and they were divided into three heat races. Eddie Kirchoff drew the pole for heat 1 and won with Friday night feature runnerup Steve Neumiller coming from sixth to get second. Dan Henrikson started and finished third with front row starter Dan Hofer getting fourth. Brent Neilsen turned a pole start in heat 2 into a win and fifth starting S Anderson edged out sixth starting Mass for second. Bey became the third pole starter to capture his heat as he won heat 3 ahead of third starting McKenney and front row starter Jason Schierkolk. Ed Kirchoff was a feature scratch for a second straight night and senior citizen racer Forest Canipe also watched from the sidelines. The redraw for the feature lineup put Hofer and Schierkolk on the front row ahead of S Anderson, Mass, Stadel, Bey, Neumiller and Eddie Kirchoff. Canipe was scheduled to lineup 9th.

Mass came from 4th to get the feature win ahead of Bey, S Anderson, McKenney, Stadel, Eddie Kirchoff, Neilsen, Hofer, Chris Johnson, Mitch Rodgers, Schierkolk and Montana’s Rich Herman. Eddie Kirchoff continues to pace the NAPA/MDA standings and is also point leader at both Casper and here. In the Gillette standings, McKenney is second 12 points back. Mass is now just 4 behind McKenney and 3 up on S Anderson. Defending Gillette champion Bey is fifth, just 21 points back of Eddie Kirchoff.

Rounds 7-8-9 occur next weekend as the tour returns to Black Hills Speedway on June 30, Gillette on July 1 and makes it’s only 2006 visit to Casper on July 4. Many of teams will also race in a July 3 Casper show.

Summary Heat 1-Eddie Kirchoff, Steve Neumiller, Dan Henrikson, Dan Hofer, Jess Anderson, Richard Harberstroh, Ed Kirchoff. Heat 2-Brent Neilsen, Scott Anderson, Eric Mass, Mike Stadel, Chris Johnson, Mitch Rodgers. Heat 3-John Bey, Wes McKenney, Jason Schierkolk, Forest Canipe, John Robertson, Rich Herman. Main-Mass, Bey, S Anderson, McKenney, Stadel, Eddie Kirchoff, Neilsen, Hofer, Johnson, Rodgers, Schierkolk, Herman, Haberstroh, J Anderson, Robertson, Neumiller, Henrikson.

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