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Show Low, AZ.....July 5.....Brandon
Lane from Mesa emerged as the new point leader for the USAC Southwest Unwinged
Sprint Car Series as he paced the final 12 laps of Saturday night's 30 lapper at
Thunder Raceway. Fellow front row starter Robert Hall Jr paced the first 18 laps
and ran second with Rick Ziehl from Las Cruces NM charging through the field to
finish third. Incoming point leader Mike Martin from Yuma, AZ flipped on lap 10
of the feature and was treated at the hospital for a mild concussion and
released. Lane ended the night 16 points ahead of Ziehl and 31 in front of
female ace Kaylene Verville. The second night of the two night special for the
dirt modifieds attracted a 24 car field and former Arizona UMP Champion Brad
Campbell from Tucson was the $600 winner. Track point leader Ed Beebe ran
second. After scoring a $750 win at Canyon Raceway on Friday night, Brandon
Eichelberger made the tow up the mountain to race third ahead of second ranked
local racer Jeff Anderson. Friday night winner R C Whitwell was 20th.
With several of the top
Phoenix racers joining the touring teams, the USAC unwinged sprint cars brought
a 24 car field to the mountain 1/4 mile clay oval. Eric Wilkins paced time
trials with his 13.97 lap. Wilkins had won the 50 lap special at Manzanita
Speedway on Friday night. That easily paced the 14.40 posted by Jeff Branaman.
Texan Beau Binder ran a 14.50 lap and Charles Davis Jr was fourth quick at
14.56. Lane ranked fifth ahead of Hall Jr, Martin and Jay Ervine. Tom Saenz
flipped in time trials. The four fastest raced in the dash with Davis beating
Wilkins and Binder. The field was divided into four ten lap qualifying heat
races. Davis also beat Wilkins in the first heat with Matt Rossi in third.
Travis Cooley won heat 2 ahead of Lane and Jeff Branaman. 12th fast Verville
captured heat 3 ahead of Hall and David Burns. The usual USAC six car inversion
for the 30 lap feature put Hall and Lane on the front row for the 22 car pack.
Hall leaped out front and led the first 18 laps. Lane took over on lap 19 and
drove to the 30 lap win. After a last place heat race run, Martin flipped on lap
10 of the feature and had to be transported to the hospital for observation of a
mild concussion. He was treated and released as Ziehl ran third ahead of
Wilkins, J T Imperial, Binder, Davis, Bruce St James, Rossi, Californian Darren
Hagen and Shon Deskins. Lane ended the night 16 points ahead of Ziehl, 31 ahead
of Verville, 34 in front of Ronnie Clark and 39 ahead of Martin. Hall climbed
into sixth, just 3 points back of Martin and 10 ahead of Binder. The teams
travel all the way to Denver CO to race at Rocky Mountain Speedway on July 12.
The 24 dirt
modifieds were split into three qualifying heat races. After letting Norman
Uptain drive his car on Friday night, Doug Meeks won heat 1 ahead of Marvin
Francoeur and Campbell. Whitwell continued his great weekend with a win in heat
2 over Beebe and Anderson. Eichelberger won heat 3 ahead of Dan Radcliffe Jr and
another Saturday arrival, Shawn Zelenka. Craig Click raced in the dirt modifieds
on Saturday after a strong dwarf car run on Friday night. Campbell captured the
feature race ahead of Beebe, Eichelberger, Anderson, Saturday arrival Eric
Kelley, Zelenka, D Meeks, Bug Harris, Gene Roud and Darren Williams. Friday
night winner Whitwell was 20th, Friday night runnerup Brett Herron 12th and
Friday night third place finisher Wes Meeks ran 22nd. Beebe had the best
combined two night finish with a 2nd and a 6th.
Summary
Dirt Modifieds
Heat 1-Doug Meeks, Marvin Francoeur, Brad Campbell, Darren Dodd, Jason
Noll.
Heat 2-R C Whitwell, Ed Beebe, Jeff Anderson, Eric Kelley, Wes Meeks.
Heat 3-Brandon Eichelberger, Dan Radcliffe Jr, Shawn Zelenka, Bug Harris, Darren
Williams.
Main-Campbell, Beebe, Eichelberger, Anderson, Kelley, Zelenka, D Meeks, Harris,
Gene Roud, Williams, Francoeur, Brett Herron, Charlotte Williams, Chisom
Billingsley, Terry Howard, Radcliffe Jr, Craig Click, Jack Moore, Dodd,
Whitwell, Robbie Gabbard, W Meeks, Sadler, Noll.
Unwinged Sprint Cars
Fast Time-Eric Wilkins 13.97. Dash-Charles Davis Jr, Wilkins, Beau Binder.
Heat 1-Davis, Wilkins, Matt Rossi, Bruce St James, Ron Kratz.
Heat 2-Travis Cooley, Brandon Lane, Jeff Branaman, Andrew Reinbold, Bernie
Smith.
Heat 3-Kaylene Verville, Robert Hall, David Burns, Binder, J T Imperial.
Main-Lane, Hall, Rick Ziehl, Wilkins, Imperial, Binder, Davis, St James, Rossi,
Darren Hagen, Shon Deskins, Branaman, Verville, Ronnie Clark, Burns, Smith,
Reinbold, Kratz, John Yates, Jim Aragon, Cooley, Mike Martin.
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