BIG CAR COUNTS PRODUCED ON NIGHT 1 OF THE PEPSI LABOR DAY SHOOTOUT

Source: CNS PR/gb
Date: 09/02/2008

The first night of the Pepsi Labor Day Shootout had huge car counts and great racing Saturday night at Colorado National Speedway. Several rule changes in the SUNOCO Grand American Modifieds allowed several dirt cars to come play, and Paul Deines bested the 29-car feature after holding off Greg Nelson. Ronnie Hults and Beau Kellogg raced side by side for most of the Snap-On Tools Pro Truck feature with Hults taking the win. Nick Haygood dominated the ERA Super Modified feature, while Gary Land held off impressive rookie, Jaime Bubak for the win in the CARC Modified Coupe feature. In the Loveland Goodyear Figure 8’s Nick Martinez took the hard-fought win and then followed that up with his traditional climbing of the fence.

The Loveland Goodyear Figure 8 division was the first to hit the track, and their race got off to a rocky start. On the first lap, Frank Gastineau and Buddy Hohn tangled leaving debris scattered across the track. On the next attempt for a start, John Martello spun for another caution. When a lap was finally in the books, Nick Martinez led John Johnson, Joe Matlock, Dan Mast and Al Duran. On lap 7, Daniel Martinez spun in front of the leaders and all the drivers did a masterful job of avoiding the spun car. On the restart, Johnson and N. Martinez tangled for a caution and Johnson was placed in the rear moving Wall to fifth. The fifth caution of the race came on lap 8 for a James Naranjo spin, and the next caution came on lap 11 when Harry Livermore Jr lost a fight with the tractor tire. The race had gone past the time allowed and a green-white-checkered was used to determine the end. Matlock gave N Martinez one last run, but was denied. N. Martinez took the win over Matlock, Mast, a spinning Duran and Wall.

Bryan Gossel took off early in the ERA Super Modified feature with his Sprint Car, but that would only last a few laps as Harry Stone would take over on lap 4. By lap 5, Nick Haygood stormed to the lead over Stone, Ira Castor, Gossel and Johnny Pickard. Pickard got by Gossel for fourth on lap 6, and Richie Castor Jr took fifth from Gossel on lap 8. Pickard got by I. Castor for third and caution flew on lap 22 after I. Castor slowed and tangled with Pickard. Haygood’s three-quarters of a lap lead was erased as he now led Stone, R. Castor, Gossel and Stevie Gallegos. Haygood again took off and won over Stone, R Castor, Gossel and Gallegos.

The CARC Modified Coupes started off with Gary Land taking the early lead over Jaime Bubak, David Johnson, Scott Rhoades and Frank Denning III. Denning took fourth from Rhoades on lap 3, and Bubak was throwing everything she had at Land. Land maneuvered his way through the lapped traffic and was able to keep the lead over the impressive rookie Bubak. The lone caution of the race came on lap 23, when Mike Fetters broke and shot up turn 1 and stopped at the track exit. Everyone had one last shot, but Land took the win with the rookie Bubak on his back bumper, Johnson was third over Denning and Rhoades.

Beau Kellogg took the lead early in the Snap-On Tools Pro Truck race with Ronnie Hults, Chris Leaf, Richard Burton and Happy Ferree in tow. Hults caught Kellogg on lap 5 and the two raced side-by-side for a majority of the race with the lead swapping back and forth. The lone caution of the race flew on lap 12, when Rudy Vanderwal spun and was hit by Mark Neff. Billy Harkins got by Ferree on lap 14 for fifth but on lap 16 Ferree was back into fourth ahead of Leaf. On lap 27, Hults had the lead all to himself and took the narrow win over Kellogg, Burton, Ferree and Leaf.

The roar of the SUNOCO Grand American Modifieds filled the air as 29 cars raced into turn 1. Greg Nelson was the early leader over Paul Deines, Justin Case, Forest Smith and Ed Vecchiarelli Jr. Deines took the lead on lap 5, but Nelson was giving up, as he fought for the lead back several times. On lap 8, Smith got by Case for third and caution flew on lap 10 for a spun Ed Vecchiarelli. Vecchiarelli was sent off the track and the race resumed. Jace Hansen got by Vecchiarelli Jr for fifth on lap 10 and Hansen was fourth on lap 12. Nelson was trying everything to get back by Deines, but nothing was working. Devin Breese spun for a lap 23 caution, and on the restart Mike Castagno broke in turn 3 bunching up the field and sending cars spinning. On lap 26, Vecchiarelli Jr flew into fourth knocking Hansen back to fifth and Vecchiarelli Jr was third on lap 28. Deines held onto the big win over Nelson, Vecchiarelli Jr, Smith and Hansen.

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