November 29, 2007

 

 

Racing Has Ended For Now; Delaware State Dirt Track Championship Winners

 

 

Jamie Mills of Milford, DE in second position out of turn 4 in heat # 2 Big Block Modified action 

at the Delaware State Dirt Track Championship November 3 & 4, 2007

Photo by Bonnie Nibblett

 

By Bonnie Nibblett

 

 

Delmar, DE…..Thanksgiving has just passed, and the Holiday season is fast on the way, before you know it will be time to welcome the New Year.  Sounds a bit farther down the road but it will be here before we know it.  Although, we have to get through these Holidays to welcome the new racing season.

 

 For now racing has ended at the Delaware Motorsports Complex.  Before we know it will be February, then March which starts the U. S. 13 Dragway quarter mile action.  The U. S. 13 Kart Club will return to racing in March.  Although the half mile oval won’t start until April, which may seem like a long way down the road for many.  The NEED FOR SPEED addiction will be in full swing for the oval fans and all racing fans by then.

 

The Delaware International Speedway ended the year with the Delaware Sate Dirt Track Championship big two day event held Nov. 3 & 4.  There was some good racing by all the divisions that competed.      

 

The Saturday day show sported the powerful Small Block Modifieds, along with the fast URC Racing Sprints, and a blast from the past with some hard racing of the Little Lincoln Vintage Stock Car Club. 

 

Mike Isles of Medford, NJ, picked up his first ever Delaware State Dirt Track Small Block Modified Championship on Saturday.  In addition to the purse, drivers could also enter an additional gamblers’ fee.  With entering the “gamblers fee” Iles was awarded $4500 purse with $940 dollars in lap money to have a total of $5440 for the 50 lap event.  Second through fifth were Craig VonDohren (1C), Richie Pratt, Jr. (28), Duane Howard (4), and Wade Hendrickson (85). 

 

The Small Block division had 44 cars for 30 spots with 5 taken out of four heats and 5 out of 2 consi's races.  Heat winners were Iles (711), Brad Brightbill (19), Wade Hendrickson (85), and Shawn Reimert (41) with Mike Gular (53) and Keith Hoffman (51) taking two the consolations win.  Locals Norman Short, Jr. (8M) finished 25th, and H J Bunting III (91) finished 27th.  Bunting suffered a right rear flat tire on lap 24. 

 

The mighty URC Sprints worked the track with fast speeds celebrating the conclusion of the 60th Year for the URC BAR'S Leaks Sprint Series of the season.  Davey Sammons of Bordentown, NJ, finally got his first win with a courageous move with two laps to go; this was Sammons (2006 Rookie of the Year) second year in the club.  Sammons has been knocking on the victory lane door all season, but the daring move at the end of the race was priceless.  Randy West was on the pole and commanded the lead.  Yet a few cautions in between and it came down to the last caution on lap 22 only leaving 3 laps remaining.  West had been pulling away the entire race on restarts; Sammons was running him down. 

 

On the restart of lap 22, West lead but Sammons was faster in the restart.   The two rode wheel to wheel down the backstretch on lap 23.  The track was pretty slick but smooth all day.  The two drag race to turns 3, with West protecting the inside line forcing Sammons to take a risk to try the outside lane; with day racing it’s hard to have more than one groove for most cars.  Sammons took a look and drove his # 79 sprint to the outside just hoping the car would stick.  It was now or never to try such a big brave move.  Sammons went into turn 3 dead eye even with West as Sammons car gripped to the track making his move to pass West in turn 4 from the outside.  The fans were on their feet with such a courageous end of the feature. 

 

Sammons also won the LikeWise Construction Fast Time of the night with a 16.677 seconds and 107.933 MPH on lap 24.  Sammons was the 20th different driver of the year out of 28th events.  The remaining top five were Randy West (17), Becca Anderson (17), Michael Carber (5G), and “The Pink Panther” Kramer Williamson (73). 

 

Three heats were held and the winners were Randy West, Jamie Bodo, and Josh Weller.  The URC Series ended the points with this last race.  The URC Champion was Curt Michael taking his second championship in a row. 

 

The Little Lincoln’s finished their point’s battle with this last race of the season on Saturday.  Great racing each and ever time the club raced all year.  Rookie John Stevenson earned his first career win and the 2007 Delaware State Dirt Championship Little Lincoln title.  The ending top five of the feature were Duke Walsen (9), Emory West (7X), Pat McNeal (00), and Bobby Williamson (41).  

 

 The championship was a battle between the top three all season long with mere single close point numbers.  The championship goes to the 2005 Little Lincoln Vintage Stock Car champion, Bill Brittingham (4) of Felton, DE.  The other top two in points that battled all year were Jamie Wagner (3) with 20 points between he and the champion and Pat McNeal (00) finished 3rd with only 2 points out of 2nd and only 22 shy of the Brittingham.  For more information on the Little Lincoln Vintage Stock Car Club visit their web at www.littlelincons.com.

 

That concluded all of Saturday’s action; Sunday began the day with the 50 lap Big Block feature with Jimmy Chester of New Field, NJ (44C).  Heats were run for 49 stock cars for the only 30 positions available.  The heat winners were Jimmy Chester, Mike Iles (79), John Willman (91), the two consi’s were won by Ricky Johnson (69), and David Vanhorn Jr. (71).  Iles had a good starting spot but luck wasn’t on his side on Sunday when he had a tire blow on the backstretch on lap 47. 

 

The 2007 Delaware Dirt Track Late Model Championship went to Roy Deese, Jr (05) of Laurel, MD.  Deese did not pay the “gamblers fee” before qualifying and lucked out on some extra bucks.  43 Late Models bided for the 30 starting position.  The remaining top 5 were Rob Schirmer (118), David Pettyjohn (80), Dave Hertz (15) and Randy Stoudt (118M).  Heat winners went to Jerry Wierman (65), Kenny Pettyjohn (38S), Jamie Lathroum (6), and Chuck Schultz (ONE).  The consolation races were won by Trent Collins (5), and Ray Kable, Jr. (90K). 

 

Ten time champion Kenny Pettyjohn looked to be the car to beat after leading the first 18 laps.  The feature was under caution when KP stopped on the front straight away and between the infields.  KP had a safety crew member to look at his car and worked on his car (fender).  Where KP stopped was still considered to be on the track.  A car cannot stop on the track under caution, only in the infield or pits.  KP was told by track officials he had to start at the rear of the field, KP elected to go the pits instead.  The feature fast lap was by David Hill with 18.352 seconds and 98.082 MPH on lap 31.

 

The remaining support divisions were not any disappointment in each feature.  The AC Delco TSS Modified Delaware State Dirt Track Championship went to Chad Clark who also earned his second state championship title in a row.  This was Clark’s first year in the division and he finished 4th overall in the tracks points.  John Curtis (17), Bobby Watkins (4), Tim Trimble (21), and John Wynn (79) rounded the top five of the 25 lap feature.  Heat winners were Clark, 2007 DIS Track Champion Brad Trice (33), and Jerry Carter II (46).

 

The Modified Lite Delaware State Dirt Championship went to Kevin McKinney (V75) of Dover, DE.  The top five were Brandon Dennis (10), Tim White (93), Ryan Charland (10C), and the 2007 DIS Track Champion Steve White (93X). 

 

The Street Modified/TSS Late Model feature was won by one of the youngest rookies of the year.  Fourteen year old Tyler Reed (44) of Laurel, DE, won the 25 lap feature.  Reed drove a flawless race to earn his first Delaware State Dirt Championship title.  Reed’s first year in this class had him finish 12th in overall points this season.  Reed ran micros in his prior racing divisions before coming into the crate class.  The top five in the feature event went to Herb Tunis (5), veteran Hal Browning (55), Jamie Eichholz (28) and the 2007 DIS Track Champion of Jack Mullins, Jr (1).  Heat winners were Reed, and Joe Warren.

 

The Dragway banquet will be Feb. 1, 2008 and the Speedway on Feb. 2, 2008 at Dover Hotel and Casino, Dover, DE.  Call the office at 302-875-1911 for times, prices and tickets on each track.  Or check them out on the web at www.delawareracing.com.

 

The U. S. 13 Kart Track Club will have their banquet on Feb. 2, 2008 in Laurel, DE at the Firehouse.  Tickets are on sale; check the web for info and contacts at www.dekarting.net.  The club currently has a raffle for go-kart to be given away at the Banquet, including the body, motor mount, seat, & wheels.  The raffles presented by Palmeto Speed Shop, Phantom Racing Chassis, Bryan Bradford Racing.  Tickets can be purchased by calling Bryan Bradford at 410-251-6450 or Richard Pearson at 302-349-5169.  The US Kart Club will be having a club meeting for all members on Sunday, December 9, 2007 @ 1:30 PM, VFW in Millsboro, DE. 

 

So the racing may have ended for the 2007 season for now.  But its time to start will be just around the corner.  Congratulations to Jimmy Johnson who claimed the NASCAR Nextel Championship.  For any of your Delaware tracks updates, news, photos for Delaware check out www.redbud69racing.com and for all you’re racing news along with NASCAR news.  Be sure to check out the largest racing message board powered by Bi-Rite Auto Sales, and HabNab Trucking, of Seaford, DE.  See you at the track!