More Action In Delaware, Side By Side Racin
All Night, Part I
May 3, 2004
Delmar, DE….The action once again this past Saturday night was fast, hot, and sticky on that half mile clay track. The cars engaged in battle all night with some really supreme side by side, wheel to wheel and fender to fender racing in all the features. All that close competition for position makes a good night of racing for the fans. What an exciting night of action it was; my NEED FOR SPEED addiction was very pleased and satisfied.
Sometimes when the racing is so close, and running flawless until a caution, I feel like I don’t even take a breath until a caution does come out. Then, I would take in a breath, hoping that would last me until either the race was over or a caution; which ever was first. So hop on I’ll try to get you on the edge as well.
Everyone I spoke to said the track was a little rough at times, but nice a heavy and tacky with some good bite. The last couple of weeks the track was a little dryer the drivers said. There has not been as much humidity in the air lately maybe that contributed to a dryer track. But Saturday, the day was partly overcast, and the night was moist, making some nice action for the hot rods.
Jon Callaway and Mark Williams both claimed a second victory for the season Saturday night. While David Pettyjohn, Tom Curtis, and Ricky Johnson picked up their first win of the year as did Ron Wilson in the Little Lincoln’s, the visiting class. This Saturday night the Vintage Club will make their first of four appearances for 2004.
The “new” Ac Delco TSS Modified class had yet another first time winner. Tom Curtis, of Hartly, DE, worked his way from seventh to win his first TSS Modified victory in the American Security, Delmarva Cleaning & Maintenance, and Hawkins Motorsports numbered fifty-seven. Curtis is one of the drivers to make the switch from the Modified Lite class to the new GM Crate sealed motor this season. Opening night Curtis finished second and last week fourth place. Tonight Curtis plummets to the checkered on the first lap after an about 30 minute rain delay.
The fifteen lap feature began with Landis Musser of Musser Racing in Laurel, DE on the point. Morris Tucker in the number twenty eight started second and took the lead at the green. Just as the cars start to go in turn two, another car stalls on the front stretch before the field even reached the backstretch. And at the very same time, rain drops began to fall on the track. It was not a hard rain, but quickly it did not take long for the track to slick up. The cars were motioned to report to the pit line up road. Many spectators decided to leave the stands with all in hopes it was just a cloud passing over. This time we won over Mother Nature, but I don’t want that to be a regular thing, we went through that last year.
Luckily, it was just that, the rained stopped, and the track was prepared by the track officials to oversee so the race was safe to restart. Once the cars were fired they took to the track. Tucker would be the victim of poor communications on his radio when he did not hear or when he did not report to the pit road entrance while the race went into delay. Instead, Tucker left the track by pit road exit disqualifying him from his restart position of second. I know Tucker had to be just sick at the costly mistake and starting at the rear.
The restart, Musser is on the point, but as soon as the green waved Curtis shot to the front on the first restart lap. Laps three, then four both brought out the caution when two separate cars got around down in turns two. On the restart, the top five were Curtis, Musser, Jack Mullins (1), Mark West (91), and Dale Hawkins in the number eighty three. As the lap gets started, the cars were three wide for third, fourth, and fifth positions between West, Bobby Comstock (31), and Hawkins with West gaining that third spot.
At the halfway, the yellow was out as Tucker who went over the top side of turns three. The top five for the halfway single file restart was Curtis, Musser, West, Comstock, and Hawkins. Then another yellow was out for a car in turn two, but before the lap was completed again with, West had a good run was in third. On this restart, West dropped back to fifth and on lap eleven got around in turns three and four when he and Dave Betts Jr. (22B) tangled with everyone trying to take the same position.
West got turned around and Beach has no where to go as he got around the corner but was pinched up in the turn and straight into West he went. Beach was on the hook and Jeff Brown in the number nine was sent to the pits for a consultation. Betts got around on the next lap and yet another caution was out. It was a green, white, checkered finish with Curtis getting his first win in the Hawkins Motorsports owned stock car. Following Curtis were, Musser, Hawkins, Donnie Dutton (8), and Terry Chaney (66), who’s all rookies in this class.
Last Wednesday the track had a second tune night for the teams. I had a chance to get with Tom to get his take on the new class. Curtis said he drove Micro-sprints for around two years, and has been running in the Modified Lite class for the last three or four years. So this new class gave him a chance to be able to afford the step up for both him and the owner Dale Hawkins.
Curtis said, “I like the way the new cars feel, it is better than the way the Modified Lite drove. I feel more in control of this car over the way the Lites felt. When I put the TSS car in the turn or set it up the car goes that way. With the Mod Lite, it was not like that? You have to drive the car harder to get it to go where you want in the turns, and the TSS is not like that.” Curtis added, “I like the way the cars feel.”
Curtis wants to thank Dale for letting him drive for him and to thank the sponsors plus the crew and Jazz and Patti. Curtis said, “The track was heavy tonight, I think the rain helped it and it had some nice bite in it. I could get that bite where I needed, it was good.” Hawkins said jokingly, “Tom did a great job, although I was right behind him and pushed him to the front?” We all laughed at that, we got to get credit where you can I guess. Congratulations to Tom and the team on the win. Curtis posted on lap seven the track fast lap of 21.961 seconds and 81.963 MPH.
The big block Modified twenty-five lap was a sizzler with Ricky Johnson taking his first win in the Delmar Johnson’s OK Exhaust Center and the Gene’s Body Shop numbered sixty-nine for this season. Johnson didn’t really do all that sensational with a fifth place finish in the second heat. So the crew made some changes to the set up during the time before the feature would start. What a difference it made. Johnson thanks his crew and Bud Jr. for all the help. Hooray for the team on their win.
Cliff Foskey in the Scott’s Furniture numbered twenty-eight started on the pole at the start, after he had won the second heat. The battle was on right away for third place between the eight-eighty-eight of Robert Dutton, Rick Bishop (62), Steve Downes (12D), and Beau Wilkins, in the Dirt Wheels Chassis numbered nine and also last weeks winner, as the cars come off turn two. On lap three, Johnson gets by Foskey in turns two, but Foskey was still very, very strong. On lap four the top cars of Johnson, Foskey, Dutton, Bishop, and Wilkins spread out just a little from one another.
Laps seven the Gene’s Auto Used Car, numbered two, powered by the defending 2003 champion of Craig Mullins had moved into sixth after starting in the tenth spot and now picks off Wilkins for fifth followed by Stormin Norman Short in the blazing numbered eight-M. Now on lap eleven Short just approaches the flag stand, as a massive puff of smoke bellows from the rear of the car as the engine literally blew.
Short enters turn two and the car begins to flame, and ceases, as he exited turn two slowly as the caution was already out. Short slows more going down the backstretch as the car once again engulfs in flames from the rear as Short pulls to the inside lane of the infield lane just before turns three and the safety crew was right there. (The photographer got a fantastic shot of this glowing car; you can view it on my site on the dirt news page under Images of DIS by Russ Davenport.) The cars flame went back out but if you check that photo you can see that Norman had to be a little warm. He was what you can call definitely, in the HOT seat; thank goodness no one was uninjured.
It’s halfway now with Johnson leading, and Foskey, Dutton, Bishop, and the Will Browning numbered one-W of H. J. Bunting III in fifth for the single file restart. The machines of Bunting, Mullins, and Bishop were three wide for that fourth spot. Bishop gets third on lap fourteen chased by Mullins and Bunting still, but then they spread out some by lap sixteen.
On Lap eighteen Mullins and Bishop were wheel to wheel for third and Mullins grabbed third as he came off turn two. Mullins now set his sights on Foskey who was still running second. The caution throws on lap twenty-one before its counted as Steve Downes (12D) gets around in turn two. The top five for the restart were Johnson, Foskey, Mullins, Bishop, Bunting and Wilkins now in sixth place with four to go.
Johnson gets a good run on the restart, and Foskey has a solid second, but Mullins was right on Foskey’s heels. Rookie Scott VanVorst (34) slows as he came out of turn two on the backstretch. Bishop, Bunting, Dutton, were all battling, and Tim Millman (410), Gary Simpson (12) were as well. Everyone sets up for turn three and get through until the cars got a little bunched up just as entering in turn four. Next thing you see, was Bunting almost air lifted with a three-hundred-sixty degree as he was coming out of turns four and lands hard, driver side, up against the wall by pit exit. Bunting’s front tire was knocked and hit by another wheel forcing the wheels to turn the wrong way with that much force. What a hard hit! Then, the car came to a rest facing the opposite direction and nothing you can do about that stroke of bad luck; Bunting was done for the rest of the night. Bunting appeared uninjured, but later told me his knee hit something, but he was okay.
Now the race was set up for a green, white, checkered finish. On the restart Johnson still leads, but Foskey got a huge run on laps twenty-three and twenty-four. Foskey has his fenders dead eye even, for side by side action with Johnson. Foskeys’ shoots to the outside on turns one and two and almost has Johnson as they come out of turn two. Johnson still holds on as the two go into turns three and four and Foskey once again has his car wheel to wheel with Johnson as they come out of turn four. The two stayed pinned together all the way to the checkered with only one-thousandth of a second separating the finale. Johnson just does keep Foskey off to take the win. Great job by both of you guys, hats off to both teams!
The track fast lap was set by Bunting on lap twenty with a 19.872 second lap and speeds of 90.580 MPH. Heats were won by Bunting with a 19.725 seconds and 91.255 MPH on lap four, and Foskey won the second heat with a 19.991 second and 90.041 MPH speed. The first heat Bishop was victim as pole starter Scott Smith (55) got a little out of shape on the first lap as he comes out of turn two. Bishop tries to avoid Smith but cost him going around as he backed out of the throttle to avoid. It was original restart and Bishop would make his way back to finish with a third place finish in the heat. During the fifth lap Mullins and Bunting were door to door as they came out of turn two and down the backstretch. Bunting closed the door as they went into turn three and pulled away to claim the lead.
The second heat Foskey was so strong on the start and remained the leader. After a restart on lap four Short was fender to fender on laps six, seven, and eight with Foskey, but Foskey claimed the victory. The action was so intense with those two; I couldn’t even focus on the other cars. Great racing!
More action to come on the remaining features in Part II. This week the track will host the Delmar Vintage Racing Club cars. Look for some good racing with a class that is “keeping the old alive.” Gates open at 5:00Pm with hot laps at 7:00Pm. See you at the track.
Bonnie Nibblett