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| Rescino
Conquers High Banks of Carson City By Glenn Hopper |
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5-29-04
– Carson City, NV.
Nick Rescino Jr.
became the first driver in California Asphalt Sprintcar Association history to
capture a third consecutive feature win, hustling to victory lane in a
spectacular high-speed, high-banked 100 lap contest at Carson City Nevada’s
Champion Speedway. Fans stood cheering Rescino’s smoky, celebratory donuts as
well as the thrilling performance turned in by the 19-car CASA contingent who
opened the first round of the Nevada State Sprint Car Championship Series with
what CASA Race Director Ronnie LaManna called, “One hundred laps of high-speed
insanity.” The
“insanity” was not in reference to any negative racing aspects. In fact,
there were only two caution periods during the first 20 laps. No, “insanity”
was more a description of what 18 bullet-fast sprint cars looked like roaring
around a high-banked quarter-mile bull ring for the remaining 80 laps in a
non-stop, caution free tornado of a race. Dan
Gonderman paced the fully inverted field to the green flag after a warm-up delay
when local star Mike Ogden’s new rack and pinion steering gear developed
problems effectively ending his chances for a win at his home track. San
Mateo’s Allen Harney also suffered mechanical failure during warm-ups and was
unable to take the green. As
Gonderman and front row mate Pat Ariaz brought the formation to the start and
completed lap one, CASA rookie Ryan Baumgartner, last weeks modified feature
winner at Champion Speedway, clipped Scott Clough’s right rear tire in the
expected heavy traffic of the early laps and sailed over the turn one banking in
a shower of sparks to bring out a red flag. With fuel mileage concerns based on
the warm-up delays, officials allowed a brief refueling during the stoppage
which allowed both Gonderman who sustained minor front end damage in the
congestion, and Baumgartner, to tag the back of the field after repairs for the
ensuing single file restart. Eight
laps in, CASA point leader, Matt DeMartini, who was quickly making his way
through the field along with Rescino, new track record holder Brian McClish,
Destiny Hays, and the Coy Concrete trophy dash winner Mike McCreary, spun off
the edge of turn three under heavy braking in tight traffic to bring out the
yellow flag. When the green flag flew again on lap 20 the “high-speed
insanity” began as Rescino blasted his way to the front with Hays, and McClish
in tow. Several laps later McClish, also in heavy traffic, as was every driver
on the track, found 4-wide racing to be one too many and executed an evasive 360
spin, losing a few positions but keeping the snarling field under green. Bryan
Bullard, a former feature winner at Champion was now in the hunt along with
local star Amy Barnes and Rookie of the Year contender Jared Consani. Absolutely
every driver on the track was engaged in a torrid battle for position at
seemingly every moment of the race, especially DeMartini who was picking off
cars left and right in an effort to power his way back into contention. Rescino
however, was zipping through traffic and lapping cars with both deft precision
and pure horsepower; whichever was required to keep ahead of the storm. But like
a tornado, which seems to have no beginning or end, he too was part of the
storm. As the sub 13-second laps clicked off uninterrupted, Rescino stretched
his advantage by lapping all but the fifth place car. When
the black and white checkers flew at the completion of lap 100, Nick Rescino Jr.
flew across the finish line first followed by an equally amazing Matt DeMartini
who masterfully used lapped traffic to advance from his earlier mishap to
second, Bryan Bullard faired third after a race long battle with fourth place
Destiney Hayes and fifth place Brian McClish. Mike McCreary, Jared Consani,
Glenn Hopper and Amy Barnes posted positions six, seven, eight and nine, and Tom
Haxall and rounded out the top 10. Finishing 11th was Scott Clough followed by
Joe Hauck, Ryan Baumgartner, Pat Ariaz, Marvin Mitchell, and Dan Gonderman all
running at the completion of lap 100. Don Hicks was credited with 17th, retiring
with front end problems. 5-29-04 CASA Results QUALIFYING COY
CONCRETE TROPHY DASH 100
LAP MAIN EVENT POINT
STANDINGS 5/29/04
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