Every Race, Every Lap, Nothing But Blistering Action
April 28, 2004
Last Saturday night was the second night of action for the season at the Delaware International Speedway. Everyone pretty well knows by now that I have to feed myself my regular dose of NEED FOR SPEED. But, when you have a night of racing where every feature has nothing but electrifying action, it only feeds the fuel, and makes my addiction crave for more. This past Saturday night every feature, every lap was all blistering action.
The mighty winged URC Sprints made their first time appearance of seven events in 2004. What a show it was with Brian Seidel in the Micro Farms, and Queen Anne Tractor Supply number six powered hot sprint ride, picking up his first win of the season and his twelfth career victory. This 2004 season marks the 57th running of the club, which goes as an honorable mention in itself.
The evening started off with the fifteen lap Street Modified Feature where the K&B auto of Kerry King slides over the edge of turn three to bring out a caution and a original restart. Perhaps the track was a little slick still? Or King was a little anxious and got into it too hard in the turn. King started second, but now at the drop of the green, the twenty-one of Kenny Pearson took the lead.
By lap four David Nailor, (9) Chris Sockriter, (28) were joining Pearson for three wide action as they came off turn two. Sockriter, in the Rick Whaley’s Concrete Construction Co., Johnson HAVC and Command Services, Bailey’s Property Management, Jamie’s Painting, sponsored bright red and yellow, powered Benson Motor, took the lead on lap five. The cars began to spread out as smoked blew out of the number nineteen of Steve Bunting. Looked like the motor soured out, and he was done for the night. At the half-way wave, Sockriter leads the twenty-six of last years defending Champion, Mark Williams, Nailor, Eric Reed in the twenty-five, and Jason Cahall in the nineteen-C in that fifth spot now. Williams sets the track fast lap with a 21.905 second lap and speeds of 82.173 MPH.
Lap nine, another tangle of cars brings out the caution in turn two. Several cars involved including King, Buddy Shockley 16, Josh Hudson 2, Pearson, and the A-one of Vic Thomas. On the restart the number eighty-three of Steve Stamp still struggled and hit the front stretch wall, no caution was out as the cars were still powered. Chris Sockriter picks up his first win for 2004 and his second career victory in streets. Get show guys and a really great run for Sockriter, he was fast all night. Crew Chief and father said, “After hot laps, we decided to set the pan hard just a little different and it made all the difference.” I would say it did, he had that car under control. Great job guys! Hooray for your team. Sockriter started seventh in the feature and Jeff Patilla pulled off a sixth place finish after starting twelfth in the feature.
The Modified Lites took to the track next, with a field of twenty-three cars. That class has grown this year with a lot of new drivers. The pole had Mike White in the twenty-one-M to start the event, but before the first lap was complete, the 2003 Defending Champion Jon Callaway powered to take the lead. Callaway checks out, while Matt Jester (0J), Joe Warren (11), and last weeks winner, Bobby Walls III in the number twenty-two were all nip and tuck for track position. Warren was running in third when on lap five he got around in turn two bringing out the first yellow. With the restart Callaway once again pulls away, followed by Jester, Walls, Erik McKinney 76, and Mike Vammino (V75). Just as the cars get into the throttle a few cars get together in turn three, and Nick Helgason (04) rolls over on his slowly side.
Lap eleven the top five were Callaway, Walls, Ryan Walls 14W, Jester, and Steve White (21NJ). The last two laps now were in for contest for Jester and White for the fourth spot as White gets over the front tire and nose of Jester (0J). White never stops as Jester slows and the caution was out. Callaway wins in the Callaway Furniture, Bennie’s Junction, and Fairview Farms sponsored car.
Callaway said, “We had a bad start last week, so we went over all our notes and the car was right on!.” Thanks to all the guys that help, Thanks to Pro-Fab, every car I get from them is right on. I just can’t say enough.” Also, thanks to Charlie and the track was just on and great tonight.” Callaway had the track fast lap with a 22.185 second and speeds of 81.136 MPH. Hooray for the team!
One of the top wins of the night was the Modified class, when the number nine of Beau Wilkins driving his C. W. Matthews Logging sponsored Dirt Wheels Chassis, and a Pat Morrison & Mike Henry special motor would get his first career win. Wilkins, now twenty-one years old came close last year, and it was just a matter of a short time before he would get that win. Beau said, “I concentrated, stayed patient, a fine line, and I knew I would get that win sometime. We worked hard in the shop, and last week we had mechanical problems. We came back tonight.” Wilkins father, Bobby Wilkins, has held seven championships at DIS. Bobby said, “I was a wreck, nervous, it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.” “As they say it ain’t over until it is over”, says Redbud. Beau ran a flawless race. Super job guys!
Wilkins began on the pole but soon set the pace for the field as he pulls away. Cliff Foskey 28, and Gary Simpson 12, were already wheel to wheel for the fourth position. Only three laps in when the 2003 Rookie of the Year, Dana Walker (28J) slows in turn four, as well as Deron Rust (396) getting around in turn two. Wilkins still has the lead, while Ricky Johnson (69) and Rick Bishop (62) wrestle for second. At the half-way, Johnson takes second, followed by Bishop in third, H. J. Bunting III in the Will Brown one-W and Simpson as the leaders begin to lap the slower traffic. Both Johnson and Bishop were trying to knock on the back door of Wilkins, hoping the added pressure might shake him up. But Beau holds on to the lead as those two still continued to run side by side for second until lap sixteen, when Sparky White in the eight-one-T runs over the top side of turn four bringing out the caution.
Ten to go and it would be a single file restart with Wilkins continuing to command the front to pull away by lap nine. Now the 2003 defending champion of Craig Mullins has moved into the fifth spot after starting tenth. The heats on and the racing stayed tight, the adrenalin was pumping just hoping no mechanical or tire problem would ruin this young mans first win as it has happened to all of us at one time or another. Just now, on lap twenty-three, no wait the laps not complete as Mark VanVorst gets around on the crest of turn three and the yellow waves!! It would be a single file, green, white, checkered finish.
Bishop moves into second on lap twenty-three, lap twenty-four and Johnson almost gets second back. Just as Johnson gets to turn three, he gets a little too wide and rides the crest of turn three and four, losing some position plus momentum while Bishop maintains second. Third went to Bunting, Stormin Norman (8M), and Johnson winds up fifth. The fast track lap went to Wilkins on lap three with a 20.450 second plus 88.020 MPH speed.
Heats were won by Wilkins with the Gene’s Auto Sales powered number two of Craig Mullins with a 19.817 second lap and speeds of 90.831 MPH. The second heat was won by Bishop who had an even faster time with 19.782 second lap and 90.942 MPH. A consi was held where Robert Dutton in the eight-eighty-eight ran a 21.018 second, and 85.641 MPH fast track lap, and the win.
The new GM Crate motor class of TSS Modified class had another new winner this week. Mark West in the number ninety-one First State Chevrolet, H. P. Speed, and Precision Small Engine sponsored hot rod came from fifth to take the win. West said, “That this class is going to be a pretty competitive class. Everyone is running the same, like the cars are intended to. The track had a lot of bite tonight.” “Thanks to all the guys that help keep the car right, thanks to H. J. I brought this car from him, and he has helped me a lot and also to Kelly Putz for tuning my motor each week.”
The top ten were West, last week’s winner of Dave Betts Jr. (22B), Dale Hawkins (83), Tom Curtis (57), and both of them former Modified Lite drivers making the switch, followed by Doug Beach in fifth. Sixth were Jack Mullins (1), Jeff Brown (9), Terry Chaney (66), Landis Musser (45), and Bobby Comstock rounding out the tenth spot. The track fast lap was set by Betts with a 21.884 second lap and speeds of 82.252 MPH a little faster than last weeks speeds.
Musser started on the pole but Morris Tucker (28) quickly took the lead until a caution for Brown and Curtis getting together. Restart, Musser and Tucker are wheel to wheel in turn two and Tucker again takes the lead with West closing in on Tucker. On laps four West is right up on Tucker’s door, lap five now and West takes the lead in turn two and Donny Dutton Jr. (8) now moves into second place. It’s at the half-way sign now where, West leads, Betts, Hawkins, Beach and Curtis round out the top five. On lap nine, Betts is closing in on West and makes the pass to the inside of turn two as a car gets around and the pass doesn’t count. So on the restart, West leads, lap twelve West still holds Betts off. Now on lap thirteen Betts is all over the back door of West, and continues to the final lap with only two-one-hundredths of a second separating the two cars under the wire. More hot, sizzling action, as you take a breath waiting for the last feature of the night to start.
The last feature was not any let down either when Mark Byram driving his Rick Whaley owned numbered four-B Rocket and sponsored Rick Whaley Concrete and Construction Company, B & G Drywall, and Delmarva Concrete would claim his first win since 1999. Byram has teamed up with Whaley this season and both cars just sizzle with sparks of action so far each week. Byram said, “It has been a while since I won one, thanks to Rick for giving me the opportunity to drive, it feels great.”
Mike Wharton in his hot lime green colored roll cage and fame began on the point. No laps were in before a lap was in with cars getting around in turn two. On the restart, Wharton leads as Byram and Richard Jarvis Jr., in the Leath Realty numbered forty-seven were metal to metal the entire lap until Rob Howard (88.) got around in turns three and four. Wharton still leads at the restart, while Byram’s in second. Lap three Byram looks to the inside of Wharton, but Wharton gives him a run for the money and rides side by side until lap six and takes the leads now.
A few cars tangle, a few lap back and forth, but on lap seven Byram leads with, Jarvis, David Hill (75), Rick Whaley (40), and Mike Christopher in the sixty-six in fifth. With the restart, Hill’s dead even on the rear of Jarvis, but Jarvis holds him off that lap. On lap nine Hill gets by Jarvis for second and set his sights on the leader. Half-way the top five were Byram, Hill, Jarvis, Christopher, and Whaley. Another caution was out when Bryan Whaley (19) on lap fourteen got around in turn two; with six laps left it would be a single file start. Lap sixteen, Hill goes to the inside of Byram, and he’s almost halfway up to the door of Byram. Byram holds him off to take the win. Congratulations to the team, sensational job guys. Hill had the track fast lap on thirteen with a 21.617 second and 83.269 MPH speeds.
The heats were won by Donnie Lingo III in the fifty-five-L with a fast lap of 87.515 MPH and a 20.568 second lap. The second heat was won by Hill who set the track fast lap of a 20.827 second lap and speeds of 86.426 MPH.
This past weekends action was excitable the whole night, and it was only the second race so far. I hope that each week has just as much if not more fierce action. That half mile oval never lets us race nuts down; so come on out and watch the fun. This week the Little Lincoln cars will be added to the schedule for some action. See you at the track.
Bonnie Nibblett