News

Border Night @ the Races

by Bryan

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Bumper Jones Wins!!

by Bryan

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The El Paso Speedway Park and its official equipment provider Sunstate Equipment presented the Barnett Harley Davidson DIRTcar West Modifieds, West Texas Street Stocks, Legends, and the Vista Serena Homes Limited Late Models on a night that would leave jaws on the ground with Bumper Jones making the comeback of the year.

To start things off, the Border International Pit Crew Challenge looked like it was going to be a flop as only on Vista Serena Homes Limited Late Model made the call; the 82 of Curt Barnett. As officials and fans looked on in total disbelief at the lack of participation in the event, a little bit a trash talk by a participating crew member would bring the recent SNM Speedway Challenge winners to the track; the 29 of Mercedes Harris. With Curt’s team laying down a time of 1:20.73, the Mercedes Harris crew would blow them away with a time of 59.83 seconds.

On to the main events and it would be the Vista Serena Homes Limited Late Models starting off the nights A-Main action. Lee Heiligentahl would set the pace to the green flag but lap number one would belong to the 171 of Julian Lopez with the 44 of Christy Georges on the move as she would grab the race lead. Further back in the field, the 8 of Anthony Vega and the 77 of Jerry Slawson would battle with Vega taking over the fifth position. Vega, who had been out of the car for several years has only a few races in the 2009 season would run a smooth line but would not be able to finish, dropping out due to mechanical problems. Back up front, the 44 of Georges would continue to show the way with the Shermanator on the move as he moved his way up to second. Two car lengths, one car length as Sherman Barnett and Christy Georges battled side by side for the race lead with Barnett grabbing the lead but it would only be for a moment as Georges was hard on the pedal as she pulled off the slide job on Barnett. Out front, the 44 would not be challenged again as Christy Georges would grab the win with Sherman Barnett second, Julian Lopez third, with Jonathan Ortega and Roger Owens rounding out the top five. However, pending post race inspections the 44 and 82 would be disqualified, giving the win to the 171 of Julian Lopez.

The Legends of the Southwest were next on the program with 20 laps of racing set to get underway but it would take two tries to get the race started as the front row did not stay side by side on the initial start. Kevin Buntyn and Dwayne Murphy on row number one as the green flag dropped with the field racing three wide into turns one and two with the 40 of Tom Hargenrater form the second row grabbing the early race lead. With the 40 out front, the battle for second was on between Kevin Buntyn and Vince Malone as the two would battle side by side but right up the middle, the 54 of Dylan Harris would make his presence known as he dashed straight up the middle to grab second but in would be Vince Malone able to take it back. Side by side, the battle for second raged on as it would quickly become a three car battle for the lead with the 54 of Dylan Harris grabbing the lead over the 40 of Tom Hargenrater after a good battle with the 85 of Vince Malone for second. As Harris began to build on his lead, the battle for second was far from over but the battle would be put on hold for the 5 of Joe Cuilty as he came to a stop on the back straight with just half the A-Main in the books. On the restart, the 85m of Vince Malone would dive to the low side with a good run on Dylan Harris but it wouldn’t be enough as the 54 began to pull away but the field would again be brought back under yellow flag conditions as Morgan Wright and Michael Gattis would come to a stop in turns one and two. The green flag back out, and again Dylan Harris was pulling away from the field. With Harris pulling away, the battle for second would be between the 85 of Vince Malone and the 3d of Don Reynolds as the drivers would swap the position several times as the 54 of Dylan Harris would take the win with the battle for second finally going to the 85m of Vince Malone with Don Reynolds, Alvie Williams, and Richard Hargenrater round out the top five.

The West Texas Street Stocks would see the “Boogie Man” on the prowl as the 83 of Troy Wells would make a great jump for the race lead at the drop of the green flag. As the 83 looked to pull away, the caution would bring Wells back down to earth as the field would line up single file with only one lap in the books. With the green flag back out, the 8n of Nicky Rivera was on the move has he would move into fourth on the restart. Out front, the 83 of Troy Wells would continue to pull away as the battle for third was a good one between Mark Kimpel and the Nicky Rivera as the two drivers would battle side by side with Rivera grabbing the position, leaving the 33h to hold off the 14 of Vanessa Robinson. Wheel to wheel, the 33h of Kimpel and the 14 of Robinson would continue to battle for position as the battle up front was starting to get good between Nicky Rivera and Frank Ray Jr. Out front, Wells continued to show the way as the 55 and the 8n began to duke it out for second as Kimpel and Robinson went at it for fourth. As the battle for second continued, the race was about to change as the 83 of Troy Wells, who dominated from the start slowed off of turn two as the 83 would pull to the pits, handing the lead to the 55 of Frank Ray Jr. The battle for second was now the battle for the lead as the 8n of Rivera was relentless in his attempts at grabbing the race lead. Side by side, the 8n shot to the high side, making the pass and pulling away with the race lead and the race win with Frank Ray Jr. grabbing second. Third would go to Mark Kimpel with Vanessa Robinson and Mingo Jauregui rounding out the top five.

Three wide right off the bat as the Barnett Harley Davidson DIRTcar West Modifieds raced into turns one and two with thirty laps of racing underway with Dickie Gorham jumping into the early race lead. As the field began to spread out, two cars were on the move with the 111 of Bumper Jones and the 2s of Stormy Scott charging from the sixth starting row to crack the top five in just a handful of laps as both drivers proceeded to blow the doors off the field in a race all their own. Side by side, the two drivers battled in a league all their own as Stormy would gain the advantage in traffic. Back to the front of the field as Dickie Gorham continued to battle with the J7 of Jake Boles as the J7 would grab the race lead as the caution waved around the El Paso Speedway Park. Single file as the field paced to the drop of the green with Jake Boles, Dickie Gorham, Rob Madrid, Stormy Scott, and Bumper Jones the top five as the green flag waved over the field with the battle for third beginning immediately between the 2s of Scott and the 12 of Madrid as it would become a three car battle with Bumper Jones diving to the low side, going three wide with an incredible drive into second, bringing the 2s of Stormy Scott with him into third. Up front, the race for the lead would see the 111 fly into the race lead and begin to pull away as Stormy Scott and Jake Boles battled hard for second as the 2s would pull off the slide job to begin running down the 111. Lap after lap, the 2s would begin to run down the 111 of Jones. Lap after lap, both drivers would swap lines between both ends of the track with slower traffic approaching quickly. Side by side for the race lead as Stormy Scott would pull even with Jones but the 111 would hold onto the lead as the drivers continued to swap racing lines as the two raced into slower traffic as the 2s of Stormy Scott would grab the race lead and begin to pull away as the left rear tire on the 111 went flat, stopping Jones on the back straight. As Jones made his way to the pits he would be followed by Stormy Scott as his night was done due to a blown motor. With the tire changed, the 111 would line up ninth as the last car on the lead lap. With only twelve cars remaining on the racing surface, the lead would belong to the 9 of Jimmy Ray. As the green flag fell with only nine laps to go, the battle for second was now between the J7 of Jake Boles and the 12 of Rob Madrid as the two drivers ran in a good battle as the caution would again wave. For the final time, the single file restart would see the 9 of Jimmy Ray again lead the field to the restart with the battle shaping up from second through fifth as the 111 of Bumper Jones would break into the top five. Up to fourth, third, back to second as the 111 would begin to run down the 9 of Jimmy Ray. With only three laps remaining, the 111 would pull within five car lengths of Ray as the two raced all out for the lead, the 111 would dive to the low side in a move that would bring Speedway Park to its feet as the 111 charged back into the lead with Jimmy Ray making one last shot for the win but it would be Mesilla Park, New Mexico’s Bumper Jones taking the win with Ray taking second. Jake Boles would finish third with Cody Alvarez and Rob Madrid rounding out the top five in their best finishes to date with the Barnett Harley Davidson DIRTcar West Modifieds.

6-26-2007

by Bryan

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Wofford takes Speedway Park

by Bryan

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The rains looked to be imminent as the green flag dropped on the racing action at the El Paso Speedway Park but other than a few random drops, the Renegade Sprint Car Series, West Texas Street Stocks, Car Parts Machine Xtreme Modifieds, and the Southwest Super Trucks were able to get every lap of racing in the books.

Up first to start off the A-Mains were the Southwest Super Trucks the 101 of Garrett Alberson was on the move as he quickly jumped up into second with Levi Roberts showing the way from the drop of the green flag. Roberts in 25 ran just over half a straight as the 101 of Garrett Alberson began to run the high line in pursuit. Side by side into turns three and four with just over half the race gone Garrett Alberson and Levi Roberts raced for the lead with the 101 pulling off the slide job for the race lead. Out front, the 101 began to pull away as the battle now was from second through fifth as the field had just a hand full of laps to go with the 25 of Roberts holding on for second with the 29 of Thomas Mahle third, the 241 of Brady Alberson fourth, with Dr. Dave Deetz in 1 rounding out the top five.

The Car Parts Machine Xtreme Modifieds with the green flag quickly turning to yellow as the 88 of Hector Prigone spun after starting outside the front row, collecting the 3s of Patrick Carney as the drivers met nose to nose. Both drivers continued as the green flag waved and the field got back underway. James Fleming on the restart with a great jump but in hot pursuit the 18 of Jonathan Burton would run down the 999 and steal the lead. Side by side now the battle was for second with James Fleming and Sherman Barnett battling as the 52 of Paddy Rush making his presence known in a now three car battle for second. Out front in continued to be the 18 of Burton as Paddy Rush dove to the bottom, grabbing second in one shot over the 999 and the 82. With only five laps to go, Jonathan Burton continued to lead with the battle for fifth between Patrick Carney and Don Gorham battling for position with Sherman Barnett completing the slide job to take over third from James Fleming as the checkered flag waved for the 18 of Jonathan Burton with Paddy Rush, Sherman Barnett, James Fleming, and Patrick Carney rounding out the top five.

The West Texas Street Stocks would see two distinct lines of racing as the 33h of Mark Kimpel started running away early as the 202 of Bryan Wells ran second with Mark Beatrice, Mercedes Harris, and Frank Ray Jr. battling for position. Through turns one and two and now the 14 of Vanessa Robinson, the 8n of Nicky Rivera, and the 07 of Donovan Flores on the move to run fifth through seventh while out front the 33h of Mark Kimpel continued to dominate. With fewer than 10 laps to go, the battle was still in the middle of the pack with Nicky Rivera making his way into the top five after starting fourteenth. With the white flag waving, the battle now was for second as the caution would wave in place of the checkered flag for the 14 of Vanessa Robinson. Green, white, checkered as the 8n of Nicky Rivera would dive to the low side on the 202 of Bryan Wells but out front the 33h Mark Kimpel would run the high line to the win with Nicky Rivera taking second, Bryan Wells third, with Mark Beatrice and Mercedes Harris rounding out the top five.

Ernie Simmons Jr. and John Carney would show the way to the green flag but it would be the 518 of Lorne Wofford running up to grab the lead early on with the 43 of Curt Barnett on the move into third. With just a couple laps in, the 74 of Josh Hodges would end his night early with a flat left rear tire as well as the 131 of Royal Jones who suffered a suspension failure. Both cars would make their way to the infield as the field raced on but the caution would eventually wave for the 12 of Ernie Simmons Jr. as he parked it on the high side of the El Paso Speedway Park. On the restart, the 518 of Wofford would again begin to pull away as a couple of cars would now begin to make their way up through the field as the 3s of John Carney II and the 148 of Don Grable began to put on a show with both drivers charging from deep in the field with Carney restarting in eleventh and Grable restarting in ninth. Back up front, the 518 of Wofford continued to show the way with Carney in 7c continuing to run in second with the 43 of Curt Barnett running in third but would spin into the concrete barriers on the top of turn three bringing out the caution. With 20 laps to go, the top five saw Wofford, Carney, Schure, Wes Wofford, and Robert Miller battling into turns one and two as second was now up for grabs with the 7c of Carney and the 21 of Schure exchanging the spot several times. Out front the 518 of Wofford was beginning to dominate as the battle continued with the 148 of Grable and the 3s of Carney continued their run to the front. Out front, the 518 of Wofford would fall of the racing surface with the 7c of Carney closing up all kinds of distance but four car lengths would be as close as he would get as Wofford gathered it back up. Down the back straight, the 7c of Carney would take the right side tire off the racing surface, leaving the spot wide open for John Carney II as he would streak by and begin to work on running down the lead as the caution would wave for the F7 of Cesar Fuentes who spun while the leaders began to make their way by, collecting the 19 of Wes Wofford who would park it in turn three. Green, white, checkered and the 518 of Wofford would need a perfect restart and that is exactly what he would get as the 3s of Carney would only get within a couple car lengths of the 518 as he streaked across the finish line with Carney II taking second, Carney third, Don Grable, and Kyle Sager rounding out the top five.


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