Source: Dan Ruth
Date: 07/01/2007

Triple digit temperatures in the daytime brought a beautiful hot summer evening under a full moon for the racers and fans. This evening's event marks the first time for Tucson Raceway Parks fan appreciation program. A new start/finish line pass through gate and stairs made it possible for fans to meet the drivers and crews up close and personal on the front straight prior to the evening's events. Fifty three competitors and their race cars and trucks assembled on Tucson Raceway Park's front straight for a half hour of meeting the fans present for tonight's events.

Hundreds of fans took advantage of this unique opportunity to meet their favorite driver and both FOX and CBS news reporters were on hand to film the night and report on the high speed action. The racing started with ASA Speed Truck qualifying and Scott Franchimone set the standard with a blistering 16.640 seconds. The INEX Legends followed with their feature event and after a lap three hard impact into the turn 4 wall by Rob Ashley and young Austin Trebilcock, Suave Brachowski went onto winning another well deserved Legend feature over Blake Leuth and Chris Weilenmann. The slim field of NASCAR Mini Stocks was a close battle between Sierra Vista's David Bosley, Tucson's own Becky Harrington and last weeks winner, Tammy Lynn. The ASA Speed Truck Trophy Dash was the next race up and fast qualifier Franchimone led all the way for a dominating win. The NASCAR Factory Stocks feature was next and it was to be a fierce battle between Loren Sheffield, back after a week in the Tucson Raceway Park Jim Click Dodge Pace Car followed by Jeremy Smith and Tom Mikla. At the end, it was the popular Mikla over Smith and Sheffield. The NASCAR Late Models were next up for their 50 lapper that was lined up full inversion based on driver's current points. That put Phoenix's Adam Milsap on the pole with Ed Ohillsky on the outside. The line up put point's leader Ron Norman out back with Joe Paladenic, Mat Williams and 16 year old rookie sensation Randel King. Milsap drove off and left everyone at the drop of the green and Southern California's Ryan Becker a third generation Orange Show Speedway competitor and Wade Riddering also from Orange Show, followed a straight away back. Meanwhile the rookie, Randel King whom turned NASCAR legal on Thursday, had charged all the way through the seventeen car field to chase down Milsap and take the lead on lap twenty two. This was King's first NASCAR Late Model race and he was showing he was the Man to beat. As King was leading the middle of the race Paladenic and Williams had methodically moved through the pack as Milsap burned off his right rear and was going down on the charts. On lap 44, Paladenic took the lead from King as they both protected the bottom of the track racing side by side and nose to tail. While the two bottom dwellers raced down low Matt Williams saw clear sailing up top and he took the lead on lap 45 and cruised to victory in the United Builders Group, HPE sponsored Port City Monte Carlo. Paladenic had to settle for second followed by the impressive King and the equally impressive rookie, Duane Hunt Jr. All three of the visiting Southern California guys finished in the top ten showing that Tucson Raceway Park's unique Late Model rules have indeed created parity among all Super Late and Late Model programs in North America.

After a quick sweep of the top groove, the ASA Speed Truck Challenge 100 was sure to be spectacular. At the drop of Mitchell Milner's green it was to be Andy Allen, Victor Pfluger and Jeff Catlin setting the pace out front with three abreast racing going on all the way around the TRP oval. All eyes were on Rick Chavez as he was doing the Speed Truck equivalent to drifting lap after lap as he worked his way up from his seventh place starting position. While Allen was continuing to lead out front the seasoned veteran Darren Young was sizing him up and saving his equipment for the final laps as Pfluger, Catlin and Chavez swapped positions lap after lap. With one to go, Young pulled the trigger and blasted by Allen for the lead. The last lap had the top five within inches of one another and when the checkers flew Allen had been dropped kicked to fourth, Pfluger third and the high speed drifter Chavez second and Young taking the well deserved win. Young proceeded to do a tire scorching burnout at the start finish line that thrilled the crowd followed by twenty minutes of spectacular fireworks over the TRP skyline.

See Also .:

• Tucson Raceway Park Track Page

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