"FROM PIR MIDWAY TO VICTORY LANE" TUCSON RACEWAY PARK APRIL 19H 2008

Source: Dan Ruth
Date: 04/22/2008

Another perfect day for racing at Tucson Raceway Park. Temperatures in the eighties, slight breeze and a full moon would grace Spring Fling round 7.

The evenings activities got underway with NASCAR Lucas Oil Late Model Qualifying and when it was complete, Hereford's Joe Paladenic set on top of the timing charts with a blistering 15.833 followed by Victor Pfluger and Scott Rueschenberg. Based on those times, it was apparent we were going to have some fast racing tonight!

The NASCAR Lucas Oil Late Model Trophy Dash went green with Scottsdale's Dave Larson leading until the final lap when Rueschenberg would slip by on the inside for the win in his Ford Fusion.

The INEX Bandoleros heat race was dominated by Greyson Weaver over Michael "Spike" Cionni and Keith Douglass. The INEX Legends National Qualifier heat race would be a great race between defending Tucson Raceway Park Champion, Suave Brachowski and Wes Fry the track record holder and the current National Points Leader Jeremiah Wagner from Las Vegas. At the end of eight laps, Wagner would lead followed by Fry and Brachowski.

Josh Davis would once again dominate the Sport Compact class heat race over Cindy Martinez and Jon Martinez. As has been the norm all season, the NASCAR Factory Stock heat race was an incredible display of side by side racing between Loren "Shef" Sheffield and Tom Mikla with Shef taking the win on lap eight over Mikla.

NASCAR Lucas Oil Late Model heat one saw Duane Hunt Jr. lead flag to flag over Mike Egurola and Joe Paladenic. Heat two was much different as Mescal's Ned Champine would pace the race for the first five laps with Phoenix's Cassie Gannis in tow. Gannis would slip by on lap six and take the well deserved win over Champine and Victor Pfluger. A fan in the stands would pull a four for the night's Feature Event invert which would put Champine on the pole and Egurola outside for the night.

After a brief intermission, only two Bandoleros would take the green and “Racin Greysen” would show that being away for a year from competition didn't slow him down a bit as he would win over “Spike” Cionni. Robert Scott would lead lap one of the Legends Feature Event over John Kerchner and those positions would swap on lap two. Wagner whom started out back would take the lead on lap three with Kerchner in tow. The young kid from Las Vegas would prove why he is the National Points leader as he took the win in convincing manner over Kerchner and young Blake Leuth.

The NASCAR Sport Compact Feature was a good time for a snack bar run as point leader Davis would once again just play with the field in his pick up while the husband and wife battled for second with Jon coming out on top over Cindy. The NASCAR Factory Stock Feature was over when it started as four abreast action going into turn one, lap one didn't end well for heat winner Sheffield and teammate, Leo Bernier whom both received race ending damage. After a full restart, Tom Mikla would take point followed by “Cowboy” Ken Hunt with Joel Johnson in third. Johnson would receive Tony Helm's black flag on lap seven due to a door that was waving to the crowd from lap one damage. Mikla would go onto take yet another win over Hunt and Rookie, Lee Elmer.

Mike Egurola would take the lead from the outside of row one in the Diggum Excavating #2 and he would stretch his lead to two seconds by lap 10 over Duane Hunt Jr. and Ned Champine. While Hunt was in hot pursuit of Egurola, Pfluger would make contact with Champine in turn one sending Champine into the wall and collecting Cassie Gannis in the process. Champine would be done for the night and Gannis would restart from the rear with Pfluger when racing resumed. Egurola would continue to lead until lap twenty seven when Dash winner and current point's leader Rueschenberg would slip by on the bottom to take the lead. Lap 30 would change everything for Egurola and Hunt Jr. as the two would tangle on the back straight and Egurola would end his night on the back of Tow Mater and Hunt would end a great run, in the pits. With ten laps to go, Paladenic was really putting the pressure on Rueschenberg as Pfluger had worked his way back up to third. Gannis had also recovered from the rear of the field and was running a very strong fourth. A lap 38 single car spin by Romano Cionni III would set up another great green white checkered finish for the standing enthusiastic crowd. Rueschenberg would get a good start but Paladenic was along side by the end of lap 38. "The Reusch" would take yet another win in the Project Blue Oval Ford, that spent last weekend on the Phoenix International Raceway Midway, followed by Paladenic, Pfluger, Gannis and dirt track ace Troy Cooke from Showlow in his first ever pavement race. The checkers flew at precisely 9:59 pm allowing fans plenty of time to visit their favorite drivers in the TRP pits.

See Also .:

News Index | E-mail to a Friend