ANDREWS CLAIMS SPORTSMAN, BYERS REAL STOCKS

Source: Peter W. Moss
Date: 07/30/2003

The Sportsman class has had trouble lately, keeping their cars in one piece. Their 25- lap feature had less carnage than in recent weeks, and only one caution period, though still plenty of action. Phil Wood was the early leader in front of heat winner Shawn Andrews, Mark Williams and Roger Sanderson. Andrews took the lead on lap 10. Just when it looked like they might have a caution-free race, yellow flew after lap 19 contact between Pat Walsh and fast timer Larry Pries (16.162). Walsh, who came into the race as the points leader, had his share of troubles as he was black flagged in the heat, for rough driving, and finished 6th out of 8 in the main. Andrews went on to win ahead of a photo finish that showed Wood edging Sanderson. Two time Mini Stock champ, Wood is steadily becoming more comfortable in his new Sportsman, taking 3rd in the heat and a career best 2nd in the main. Dash winner Angelo Marcelli, Rick Fox, Walsh, Pries and Williams rounded out the field. Fox, who came in 3rd in points, struggled with a broken axle in practice and had clutch problems during the heat and the main.

The usually strong Real Stock class did not disappoint! Bill Middleton spun on the first lap and in the chain reaction that ensued, fast heat winner Cecil Arispe was forced hard into the water barrels protecting the pit entrance wall and was done for the night. On lap 2 Doug Way made contact with Mike Peeples, who spun though didn't bring out a caution. Points leader Aaron Byers led over Middleton, dash winner Trevor Miller and Bret Overson. On lap 10 Way shoved Overson out of the way and almost sent him down the pit entrance road. After a lap 15 caution for Donnie Brown's spin, the running order was Byers, Middleton, fast timer Don Hyman(19.963), and Miller. Two laps later, Hyman got past Middleton for 2nd and set his sights on Byers. Hyman and Byers exchanged the lead numerous times over the next few laps. By lap 23 Way had joined the fray only to get sandwiched between Byers and Hyman and spin to the infield. Byers and Hyman rubbed and ground their way to the checkered flag and crossed the line interlocked with Byers' fender a foot or two ahead. Middleton took 3rd, Way recovered to finish 4th and Mike Peeples rounded out the top 5.

In Mini Stocks, Brian Murrell took the lead from his pole position and led from flag to flag. Heat winner and fast timer (19.273) Jaison Chand chased Murrell for most of the race only to fade on lap 22 and settle for 4th behind Jay Rhodes and Frank Billy. Billy's 3rd place finish was largely thanks to the efforts of his crew who worked much of the afternoon making repairs from a practice incident. Joe Bonomini spun on lap 4 but was able to come back and salvage a 5th place finish. Dash winner Mac Collado spun on lap 7 and eventually retired on lap 14.

Though Lee Branstetter did set fast time (17.759) and win the 10-lap main, for the first time in recent memory, he finished 2nd to Orion Moshier in the dash and 2nd to Glen Shewry in the heat. Shewry,who hadn't been on the track in 6 years, was a surprise entrant in Ron Brown's Wendt Construction #2 car. He showed he hadn't forgotten how to race finishing a strong 2nd to the very quick Branstetter in the main. Chasing Shewry in the main were Moshier, Craig Huffman and Mark Burris.

Late Model Sportsman Dash-Marcelli, Pries, Fox, Walsh Heat-Andrews, Pries, Wood, Marcelli, Sanderson, Williams, Fox, Walsh Main-Andrews, Wood, Sanderson, Marcelli, Fox, Walsh, Pries, Williams

Real Stock Dash-Miller, Hyman, Way, Peeples Heat#1-Brown, Figas, Wood, Frey, Young, Menegan, Henderson, Lorenzen, Martin Heat#2-Arispe, Miller, Way, Byers, Overson, Uselton, Adams, Middleton, Hyman, Peeples Main-Byers, Hyman, Middleton, Way, Peeples, Figas, Brown, Henderson, Young, Uselton, Menegan, Overson, Adams, Miller, Frey, Martin, Lorenzen, Wood, Arispe

Mini Stock Dash-Collado, Bonomini, Chand, Rhodes Heat-Chand, Rhodes, Bonomini, Murrell, Billy, Bernald, Baker, Shaha Main-Murrell, Rhodes, Billy, Chand, Bonomini, Baker, Bernald, Collado

Limited Street Dash-Moshier, Branstetter, Huffman, Burris Heat-Shewry, Branstetter, Huffman, Moshier, Burris Main-Branstetter, Shewry, Moshier, Huffman, Burris

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