First 2004 Win For One, Rookie Gets First Win,
First Repeat Winner and Two Three Time Winners
May 22, 2004
Delmar, DE…..The non-stop action continues every week at the Delaware International Speedway. My addiction for the NEED FOR SPEED fix has been very fulfilling since the season has started. Each week the racing and all the divisions have been very unpredictable. Even though there have been repeat winners, those winners still had to work for those wins.
The Speedways racing action has been full of some really close side by side racing every weekend. Jason Cahall picked up his first win for 2004 in the Street Modified feature tonight. Cahall in the Chesapeake Engines, Roland Auto and Bayco of Easton, numbered nineteen-C began the race in third. Cahall said, “We have had a bad season to start, or a monkey on our back, Larry Hill helped us when we needed a distributor one week. Then, Ricky Eskridge came to the rescue a couple weeks back also when something else went wrong. So I want to thank them for all their help.”
During the break with the heats to the feature, Kerry King with the K & B Auto car had his engine changed and made it back to the track just in time as the field was going to take the green and then finished seventh in the end. Rick Eskridge (56), was on the point at the green. Eskridge leads the first lap as Cahall slipped into second. Lap two Cahall and Eskridge were wheel to wheel all the way through turns three and four with Eskridge holding Cahall off all the way to lap five. The two were metal to metal down the backstretch and setting up for turn three when Cahall takes the lead. Just as the lap is complete the yellow flies for the eighty-eight of Jason Nibblett stops abruptly just outside turn one with a missing wheel. While forth place runner Jeff Patilla in the forty-eight rolled to a stop in turns two, and both were on the hook and done for the night.
The top five now were Cahall, Eskridge, Kelly Putz (59), David Nailor (9) and Mark Williams (26). The yellow waved again and this time Cahall and Putz were first and second. At half way it was Cahall, Putz, Eskridge, Chris Sockriter (28) and Williams. Putz tired his best to get up to Cahall, but Cahall was strong. Meanwhile, actions with Eskridge, Sockriter and Williams for third as the front two were still nip and tuck. It was door to door with Eskridge and Sockriter with Eskridge took third and Williams took fifth. Ripp Johnson (8) and Williams won the heats with Williams having the track fast lap of the night with 83.133 MPH in the second heat.
The “New” AC Delco TSS Modified class has proven to be an equal playing field each week with a new winner every week until last Saturday night. Dave Betts Jr., of Newark, DE has been the only repeat winner in the six features so far. Dave Betts Jr., of Newark, DE, in the twenty-two-B Betts Garage, Hillbilly Services, Nu-Car Chevrolet claimed his second win; where back on opening night he became the first winner of this promising new class. So far the track fast lap was set by Betts with a 21.884 second lap and speeds of 82.252 MPH back on April 24.
The feature began with Morris Tucker in the number twenty-eight CMS Computer Management Systems, Scott’s Furniture, Greenwood Service Center, Racers Edge, and Pearson Signs, sponsored car on the pole. The cars came around turn four and the inside lane of drivers did not get a good start, but no call off of the start was called by officials. Donnie Dutton in the number eight, Pizza Palace, Little D Trucking, Matco Tools, had trouble getting fired before the start and pulls into the infield.
Lap four Morris stills leads with Doug Beach 82, Betts Jr., Jack Mullins 1, and Landis Musser 45 all in order behind him. Lap five Betts Jr., dives to the inside of turn three to get by Beach for second. But on lap six, Betts rubs the tire barrier in turn four giving him a little bobble and Beach takes advantage to reclaim second. Its about to mark the half way flag when Tuckers rolls to a stop just outside the top of turn two giving Beach the lead. At halfway Beach leads with Betts, Jack Mullins, Bobby Watkins, and Musser following.
On the restart Betts worked for the lead from Beach and finally gets by on lap eleven in turn two. Now the action switched on lap twelve for third position with Mullins and Watkins. The final lap Mullins gets by Beach for second, with Beach, Rodney Cordrey 20, and Watkins rounds out the top five. Betts said in victory circle that, “I had to work my way to the front, had to take my time because they said in the drivers meeting if anyone is banging on one another would result in being taken out of the race. The top five were Betts, Mullins, Beach, Rodney Cordrey (20), and Watkins with his first top five and first feature in the TSS Modified.
Bobby Watkins just made the change to the TSS Mod last weekend from the Big Blocks. Why? Watkins had an engine let go the week before or so, and it was either $30,000 for a new motor, or rebuild it for $5,000 at least, or buy a new motor with all the accessories and parts for about $3500. So weighing those factors together along with the fact the TSS Crate Motor will last all season more than likely, and the higher end engine could blow up after one race. This economical motor package made the decision easy; it gave the team a way to race, plus gets more ware for less money as they say.
The twenty-five lap Modified feature had a very scary moment when Cliff Foskey in the Scott’s Furniture Modified number twenty-eight took a wild ride airborne of at least three end over end flips, landing into the catch fence in turn three. Cliff was okay, at best as I know, as he did walk away under his own power. The crowd rose with the brunt force of the car tumbling, and let out a big cheer when Cliff came out of the car and waved to the fans. But this is just a good reminder in just how much safety plays such an important role. The car landed upside down on the barrier wall of dirt which is at least eight feet tall. There’s a picture on my web site under my Dirt news page under Images of Delaware International Speedway.
Those Modifieds are not as common and neither are the Late Models in flipping over so much and landing on their roofs. The sprints and Mod Lites are more likely to flip over. Cliff went to the hospital to be checked, so Cliff just a little thought to let you know all the fans hope you are feeling okay and hopes you will be right back on the track this week.
Scott Smith started on the pole for the feature and Just as the lap was almost in the books, the ninety-nine-H of Jesse Hill comes off turn four straight into the pit road exit embankment. Hill hit the embankment hard but still was able to restart and finished in sixth for the race. On the restart Smith leads the cars down to turn one when the big one happens involving at least seven stock cars. One of the cars got around and some of them involved were top cars of Rick Bishop (62), Craig Ott (T10), Ricky Johnson (69), Steve Downes (12D), Norman Short (8M), Sparky White (81T), and Scott VanVorst (34). I am not sure who got around first but everyone was in the gas and no where to go. Downes was not able to restart and had another bad week of racing.
This restart Smith leads but gets wide in turn two with Craig Mullins taking advantage of this as Smith and Gary Simpson in the number twelve Mad Clay Homes, Barry Simpson Electric, and Gary Simpson Construction Company sponsored Modified do a little rubbin. The yellow flies as Steve Warner (129) stops on the backstretch. By the way NO LAPS were counted yet! Smith has the lead back but by lap two Simpson takes the lead after the two swapped metal to metal coming out of turn four. Lap three Smith slows in turn three with a left rear tire down. Smith’s up front and all the cars were on the gas, Smith’s trying to get to the inside lane to pull in the infield, but not before everyone was beatin and bangin on the fifty-five. The yellow’s out and Smith makes it into the infield.
Before the field could restart Simpson was being told by the drivers that something was wrong with his car. Simpson makes it down the backstretch and pulls it in the pits with rear end problems it seemed. The new leader was now Tim Millman (410) on lap three restart. Johnson was on the move when Mullins got a little out of shape while running in third. Johnson hits Mullins getting Johnson turned around and Beau Wilkins (9) spins to avoid Johnson. Restart of lap four has Millman leading, Robert Dutton (888), Mullins, H. J. Bunting III (1W) and Cliff Foskey. Another caution on lap seven while on lap eight Mullins and Dutton ride wheel to wheel with Dutton holding him off.
Now Bunting gets by Mullins as does Foskey. Mullins drops back to fifth, just as Foskey gets a little wide and Mullins takes fourth position back. At the half way sign it was Millman, Dutton, Bunting, Mullins, and Short. At lap fourteen Dutton checks up just a tad and Bunting speeds by for second with that the only change in the top five. The yellow flies for debris on lap sixteen on the front stretch and then a bumper on the back stretch.
Into lap seventeen Bunting takes the outside of turn two and takes the lead as Dutton and Mullins run side by side. The laps not complete as Foskey slows in turn four, so Buntings pass did not count. The yellow flies and on the restart Millman leads as Bunting working on Millman and takes the lead on the outside of turn two on lap nineteen. Lap twenty-two Millman starts to get around in turn four while riding in second spot, the cars scramble to miss him and Johnson goes off turn four and hits the embankment of pit road exit causing his third caution of the night he was involved in, so three strikes your out. It would be a green white checkered finish.
Leading was Bunting, Mullins, Dutton, Short, and Wilkins in the fifth spot. As the cars come through the backstretch to start gaining some speed just at turn three, Foskey gets over Dutton's rear wheel and takes that while airborne ride. The cars were red flagged and on the restart this time Bunting leads, Mullins, Short, Wilkins, and Rick Bishop now in fifth place. Bunting leads as Mullins and Short ride side by side down to turn two when Short gets over top side of turn two on the last lap. The top five rounded out with Bunting, Mullins, Wilkins, Bishop, and Glen Reed (35). Bunting had the fastest lap on the final lap with 20.359 seconds and 88.413MPH speeds.
In the first heat, Smith was on the pole, with Foskey guarding the two spot, while Wilkins slips from sixth to third going through turn two. On the next lap, Wilkins makes the move and claims second, and the leader and Wilkins pull away from the pack by lap three and four. Now Wilkins set his sites on Smith and the two were nip and tuck, but Smith held him off to win the first heat. Wilkins set the track fast lap with 20.029 seconds and 89.870 MPH speeds. In the second heat Stormin Norman Short was on the point. Ricky Johnson takes to the inside to make up some ground from sixth. Craig Mullins riding in the second spot as the heats final lap approaches while Short gets around all by him self in turn four leading and hits against the barrier wall. Mullins goes on to take the win. The track fast lap was set by Norman Short with 19.678 seconds and 91.473 MPH.
Rookie Matt Jester won his first career win in the Modified Lite feature tonight driving the zero-J Lightening Chassis Faison Motorsports Lite. Although Jester's no stranger to victory lane with four of three champions in the WKA Championships for 2001 to 2003. Jester said "thanks to Al White, Ron Faison, my pit crew, my dad, Jerry Jester, Ken Darling & Son Sewer Contractor. for all their help each week." The Modified Lite class ran as the last feature of the night. The feature had way too many cautions with the track all worked up from the other classes. The drivers were told at the beginning that if they spun they were off the track. So no one was happy nor was the feature after too many cars and cautions, and I'll leave it at just that. The top five were Jester, his team mate of Andy Best in the Faison Motorsports zero, another rookies Kevin McKinney (V74), Ryan Walls (14W), and Danny Martin in the three-M.
In the Late Model feature David Hill went on to claim his third win of the season and second back to back win in the numbered seventy-five, Hertrich Pontiac, Dorchester Lumber, Hill’s Electric Motor Services, Star Associates, Taylor’s Chicken & Ribs, Rocket powered machine with a Draime Racing Engine. Hill said "I want to thank AC Delco for being tonight's sponsor, and thank Larry Hill, Bob Willey, David Adkins, Wade Timmons, Wynn Bowman, my son plus my wife and my family because we are never home. All their support means so much."
Hill started eight in the feature with the nine of Michael Givens on the pole at the drop of the green. Donnie Lingo looks to the inside and takes second on the first lap followed by Ray Davis Jr., in the number eighty-four. Lingo and Givens pull away a little while Davis and David Pettyjohn combat for third. The yellows out as Rick Whaley (4) slows on top if turn two and the restart Richard Jarvis Jr. (47) got around and collected Hal Browning (46). By lap four Givens, Davis, and Lingo were three wide as they came down to turn three. Givens was doing a hell of a job keeping those two power guys off him. But lap five, Lingo took the lead, and by lap seven Pettyjohn and Davis were right on the tail of Lingo. The yellow waves again for Jarvis getting around in turn four. Its Lingo leading on lap eight as Hill's by his side now into lap nine.
At the half way Hill had the lead with Lingo, Davis, Pettyjohn, and Givens hanging in the top five. The cars spread out now until lap twelve again, when G. G. Messick (10) got around and over the top edge of turn four going backwards into the dirt embankment wall. Hill leads, Lingo, Davis, Pettyjohn and Rookie Robert Massey (6X) slips into sixth. The restart Hill and Lingo stayed together, then Hill pulls way ahead. The action turned to Davis and Pettyjohn as they were wheel to wheel until lap sixteen. Pettyjohn goes wide to the outside of turn four and hits the pit road exit embankment pretty darn hard. BUT! Pettyjohn keeps in the gas to stay in the race and only looses one position. With one more lap Pettyjohn took that position back on lap seventeen from Massey still runs side by side with Massey, then makes the move by Davis for third. I don't know how Pettyjohn kept in the gas after hitting that embankment. If you know the track you know exactly where I am talking about and that ain't to soft of a spot. On the final lap Bryan Whaley went over the top side of turn three and hit the dirt embankment wall hard. Whaley was okay, that way sure had a few hits tonight.
The top five were Hill Lingo, Pettyjohn, Davis, and Massey. David Hill had the fast lap in lap eighteen with 19.677 seconds and 91.477 MPH. The heats were won by Pettyjohn with 19.268 seconds and 93.419 MPH, and Lingo had 19.814 seconds and 90.845 MPH. The track was heavy and fast tonight. Join me next week for a regular show and the Little Lincoln visit. See you at the track!
Bonnie Nibblett