The closest points battle of the night was in the USA sprint cars. Greg Young led Skip Wilson by just 20 points. After Wilson finished fifth in his heat and Young dropped out with drive line problems the margin was cut to ten. With 20 points separating each position in the feature, the driver who finished in front of the other would win the title. Wilson started the 20-lap main on the outside of the seventh row, with Young right behind.

Brian Pinckard slipped between the front row cars to take the lead on the first lap. Starting the third lap, Pinckard slowed on the dry turn two and spun, along with Phil Valvra. Last week’s winner, Keith Walker took over the top spot. A couple quick cautions later the race resumed with Walker pulling away from the field. Wilson had put one car between himself and Young as the cars raced around the half-mile clay oval. Matt Clevenger had moved up to take second, but he could not catch Walker. Wilson had just taken third place when the fourth caution of the race flew on lap eight. Jeff Liles’ car erupted in a large ball of a flash oil fire. Liles walked away uninjured.. Walker again pulled away when the green flag flew. Clevenger and Wilson strung out behind him in second and third respectively.

Jerry Pinckard did a 360 spin in turn two on the 12^th lap, but the flagman waved the yellow when Pinckard went around. That bunched the field before Walker had to deal with lapped traffic. Wilson was third, with Young mired in eighth place. Wilson made a run at Clevenger on the restart, but the cars settled down into the same positions as before. This time Walker was only able to pull ahead by four or five car lengths. On the 16^th lap, Walker caught the slower cars and Clevenger and Wilson closed in on the leader. On the 18^th circuit, Clevenger pulled ahead of Walker as they worked through the lapped cars. Wilson and Walker traded second place several times in the final two laps. Coming down to turn four for the final time, Clevenger had to slow behind a lapped car, Wilson lost second to Walker in the traffic and the three crossed the finish line almost side by side in one of the most exciting sprint car finishes in Devil’s Bowl history. Brian Harvill was fourth with Larry Long fifth. Long, Brian Pinckard and Jim Holder won the heats.

The victory was especially sweet for 17 year old Clevenger. He has piloted the H&H Steel Fabricators / Action Sportswear Nr. 31 for three seasons at Devil’s Bowl. Despite some difficult times learning to race the USA sprinters, Clevenger has steadily improved. He made some very good moves in the final two laps Saturday to claim his first win.

Wilson’s third place finish and Young’s seventh place finish gave Wilson the championship by 70 points. It was also a very personal victory for Wilson. Last year he lost the championship by 15 points when motor problems forced him to drop out of the final feature. Wilson won twice and had 15 top ten finishes in the 24 points races this year in the Texas Rebuilders / Bubba’s Plumbing / Brookhollow Rental / Loden’s Engines / Metro Color Nr. 65.

Thomas Weeks had the street stock championship locked up when he came in the gate Saturday evening. Jimmy Luker, Pat Walls and Richard Miller won the street stock heats, and Walls topped the trophy dash. If Walls could win the feature, he would earn a $100 bonus from Park Auto Sales. 20 street stocks took the green flag for their 12-lap feature, with Bart Pearson taking the early lead. He fell back after going wide on the back straight on the fourth lap. Michael Grubbs took over the top spot in an exciting three and four wide battle for the lead. The caution flag flew on the sixth lap after contact by Chuck Hall sent Richard Miller spinning. Hall also made contact with Grubbs as the yellow waved, cutting down a tire on Grubbs car. That left Hall out front for the restart. The action was still two and three cars wide at the front of the field as Mike Meeks, Jr. and Tim McManus battled with the leader. Two laps later the yellow flew again. Weeks had moved up from starting 13^th to fifth. He was racing with a determined Pat Walls for that position.

Weeks made his move on the restart as many of the cars dove for the bottom of turn one as the green waved. Weeks went high and found enough cushion to hold on the track through the first two turns. That vaulted Weeks in the Bobby Duncan / Jerry Salinas / D. Smith / Barron Greenman / J. Jolly / Roy Holland Nr. 5X up to second place. Weeks and Hall tangled on the back straight, hooking their bumpers together on the 10^th lap, but they managed to break free and hold off Meeks challenge. Weeks took the lead with a run up the inside of turn two on the next lap. The caution waved after the white flag, forcing another restart. Weeks had his hands full on the final run to the checkered flag with Hall and Tim McManus pulling alongside in the final lap. Weeks claimed his seventh feature win, more than any other driver at Devil’s Bowl this season, in any class. Hall held second, with Tim McManus third. Grubbs recovered after changing the flat tire to finish fourth, followed by Mark Reedy in fifth. Meeks was one of three drivers involved in a last lap crash.

John Ewell led every lap of the USA modified 15-lap feature for the second straight week, however this week, his car met the weight requirement, giving him his first win in the USA modifieds. Starting on the pole due to his low point average, Ewell’s job was to stay out front. He had no trouble pulling away from the field and building a comfortable margin early in the race. The only caution of the race flew near the halfway mark, ensuring Ewell had no lapped traffic to slow his steady run to the checkered flag. Clyde Dunn, Jr. made an impressive charge through the pack to take second place on the fifth lap. When the caution eliminated Ewell’s lead, Dunn restarted right behind the leader. He could not challenge for the lead and battled the rest of the race with Billy Carroll to hold second place at the checkered flag. Tom Lorenz was fourth, with Richard McGibboney fifth. Steve Sickles, Darrell Hathcock and Jay Miller won the modified heat races. Carroll earned the TimberWolf Hard Charger award, passing eight cars.

Tom Lorenz came into the night 150 points behind leader Rowdy Starnes. After the heats, Lorenz was 170 points back. When Starnes took the green flag, the only chance Lorenz had to take the title was to win the feature, with Starnes finishing 10^th or worse. Lorenz was caught with the fastest cars on the track and could only climb into the top five on the 13^th lap. Starnes ran as hard as he could in the Starnes Trucking / Millen Oil / Mike Cain’s Machine Shop Nr. 50X. Starnes stayed within a couple positions of Lorenz for most of the race. Starnes suffered a right rear flat on the 14^th lap and was forced to drop out. Despite that problem, Starnes claimed with championship by a 50 point margin. Starnes was the only champion from 2000 to repeat in 2001.

Zimmerman had a bit of trouble holding on to the lead of the late model feature in the early laps. Steve Trevathan raced Zimmerman for the spot, the pair just inches apart for much of the early laps. A caution flag on the fifth lap bunched the field, and Darren Ellis took over the second spot on the restart. Zimmerman found his perfect line and began to pull away, building a ten car length lead by the time the checkered flag waved over the Deaton’s Hair Designs / Pro Muffler Shop Nr. 11X. Ellis was a steady second, with Trevathan in third. Newly crowned champion Ronnie Long was fourth with Britt Ables fifth. Ables and Zimmerman won the heat races.

Long had the greatest point margin of any of the champions, a 760 point margin over second place Jimmy Quick, Jr. In 24 late model features this season, Long had 19 top four finishes, along with four wins. Long was easily the most consistent driver in the competitive late model class.

Thomas Week’s street stock did not survive the night in perfect shape. Just before the sprint car feature, ten street stocks took to the track with the mechanics who work on the cars behind the wheel. Bobby Duncan, owner of Week’s 5X, got sideways in turn four on the opening lap, collecting several other cars. Once the wreckage was cleared, John Stone pulled away in Pat Walls Nr. 39 to win the race over David Hall in Chuck’s Nr. 7.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway begins the first of three special two day programs next Friday night, Oct. 5 when the ASCS Outlaw Sprint Cars invade Texas for their final race of the season. Two weeks later, the best USA modifieds from across the nation will be at Devil’s Bowl for the 8^th Annual World Cup. The season ends when the Pennzoil World of Outlaws sprint car series make their only stop in the metroplex this fall for the 28^th Annual O’Reilly Winter Nationals. Reserved seat tickets for the World of Outlaws are still on sale. Contact the speedway at 972-222-2421.

Second Heat Race: 1. #0, Brian Pinckard, Grand Prairie, TX; 2. #52W, Keith Walker, Irving, TX; 3. #99, Rick Summers, Mesquite, TX; 4. #5E, Brandon Erwin, Denton, TX; 5. #43, Phil Valvra, Ennis, TX; 6. #44, Glen Stubblefield, Jr., Seagoville, TX; 7. #74E, Claud Estes, Godley, TX; 8. #9, Greg Young, Wichita Falls, TX

Third Heat Race: 1. #1M, Larry Long, Dallas, TX; 2. #85, Bob Ewell, Forney, TX; 3. #31, Matt Clevenger, Flower Mound, TX; 4. #15, Wayne Brown, Formey, TX; 5. #3, Hunter Bloxom, Terrell, TX; 6. #7S, Edd French, Keller, TX; 7. #21, Jeff Liles, Mesquite, TX; 8. #8, Wayne McNally, Dallas, TX

A FEATURE: 1. #31, Matt Clevenger, Flower Mound, TX; 2. #52W, Keith Walker, Irving, TX; 3. #65, Skip Wilson, Garland, TX; 4. #31B, Brian Harvill, Irving, TX; 5. #1M, Larry Long, Dallas, TX; 6. #85, Bob Ewell, Forney, TX; 7. #9, Greg Young, Wichita Falls, TX; 8. #5, Jerry Pinckard, Coppell, TX; 9. #99, Rick Summers, Mesquite, TX; 10. #15, Wayne Brown, Formey, TX; 11. #37, Bill Harvill, Flower Mound, TX; 12. #3X, Bobby Elliott, Dallas, TX; 13. #8, Wayne McNally, Dallas, TX; 14. #0, Brian Pinckard, Grand Prairie, TX; 15. #5E, Brandon Erwin, Denton, TX; 16. #43, Phil Valvra, Ennis, TX; 17. #33, Mark Huddleston, Genoa, AR; 18. #21, Jeff Liles, Mesquite, TX; 19. #47, Jim Holder, Georgetown, TX; 20. #74E, Claud Estes, Godley, TX; 21. #3, Hunter Bloxom, Terrell, TX; Did not start - #8H, Rawdy Hull, Kennedale, TX; Did not start - #7S, Edd French, Keller, TX; Did not start - #44, Glen Stubblefield, Jr., Seagoville, TX

LATE MODELS - First Heat Race: 1. #51, Britt Ables, Wylie, TX; 2. #1, Scott Prather, Mesquite, TX; 3. #12G, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland, TX; 4. #2, Darren Ellis, Royse City, TX; 5. #92, Harry Hronas, Sunnyvale, TX; 6. #24, David Gailley, Mesquite, TX; 7. #19, Jeff McGibboney, Dallas, TX

Second Heat Race: 1. #11X, Brad Zimmerman, Mesquite, TX; 2. #21, Steve Trevathan, Forney, TX; 3. #121, Jimmy Quick, Jr., Royse City, TX; 4. #5J, Jeff Jones, Sachse, TX; 5. #8, Skip O'Neal, Midlothian, TX; 6. #28, Ronnie Long, Dallas, TX; 7. #84, Dale McEuen, Forney, TX

A FEATURE: 1. #11X, Brad Zimmerman, Mesquite, TX; 2. #2, Darren Ellis, Royse City, TX; 3. #21, Steve Trevathan, Forney, TX; 4. #28, Ronnie Long, Dallas, TX; 5. #51, Britt Ables, Wylie, TX; 6. #121, Jimmy Quick, Jr., Royse City, TX; 7. #92, Harry Hronas, Sunnyvale, TX; 8. #19, Jeff McGibboney, Dallas, TX; 9. #84, Dale McEuen, Forney, TX; 10. #1, Scott Prather, Mesquite, TX; 11. #8, Skip O'Neal, Midlothian, TX; 12. #12G, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland, TX; 13. #24, David Gailley, Mesquite, TX; 14. #5J, Jeff Jones, Sachse, TX

USA MODIFIEDS - First Heat Race: 1. #50, Steve Sickles, Rowlett, TX; 2. #98, Marc Madison, The Colony, TX; 3. #4, Billy Carroll, McKinney, TX; 4. #88, Clyde Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale, TX; 5. #89, Greg Teske, Princeton, TX; 6. #186, George Howard, Mesquite, TX; 7. #23X, Jimmy Luker, Terrell, TX; 8. #6L, Jody Mayne, Grand Saline, TX

Second Heat Race: 1. #79R, Darrell Hathcock, Dallas, TX; 2. #50X, Rowdy Starnes, McKinney, TX; 3. #19, Richard McGibboney, Dallas, TX; 4. #6P, Jerry Cowart, Mesquite, TX; 5. #19J, Jeff Welborn, Princeton, TX; 6. #5B, Billy Fronterhouse, Wylie, TX; 7. #69, Bobby Freeman, Ovilla, TX

Third Heat Race: 1. #34, Jay Miller, Terrell, TX; 2. #66, Mike Goodson, Ardmore, OK; 3. #77, Randy Kirkland, Mesquite, TX; 4. #84, Tom Lorenz, Balch Springs, TX; 5. #10, John Ewell, Forney, TX; 6. #17, Charles Lasater, Garland, TX; 7. #20, Ronnie Welborn, Princeton, TX

A FEATURE: 1. #10, John Ewell, Forney, TX; 2. #88, Clyde Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale, TX; 3. #4, Billy Carroll, McKinney, TX; 4. #84, Tom Lorenz, Balch Springs, TX; 5. #19, Richard McGibboney, Dallas, TX; 6. #98, Marc Madison, The Colony, TX; 7. #34, Jay Miller, Terrell, TX; 8. #79R, Darrell Hathcock, Dallas, TX; 9. #77, Randy Kirkland, Mesquite, TX; 10. #66, Mike Goodson, Ardmore, OK; 11. #6P, Jerry Cowart, Mesquite, TX; 12. #50, Steve Sickles, Rowlett, TX; 13. #17, Charles Lasater, Garland, TX; 14. #186, George Howard, Mesquite, TX; 15. #19J, Jeff Welborn, Princeton, TX; 16. #23X, Jimmy Luker, Terrell, TX; 17. #50X, Rowdy Starnes, McKinney, TX; 18. #6L, Jody Mayne, Grand Saline, TX; 19. #5B, Billy Fronterhouse, Wylie, TX; 20. #69, Bobby Freeman, Ovilla, TX; 21. #20, Ronnie Welborn, Princeton, TX; 22. #89, Greg Teske, Princeton, TX

STREET STOCKS - First Heat Race: 1. #77, Jimmy Luker, Terrell, TX; 2. #10, Trandel White, Balch Springs, TX; 3. #5X, Thomas Weeks, Quinlan, TX; 4. #5, Mark Reedy, Mesquite, TX; 5. #8X, Dewitt Donald, Garland, TX; 6. #9A, Arin Lawrence, Carrollton, TX; 7. #24, Stephen Swanson, Mesquite, TX; 8. #38, Mike Walls, Flower Mound, TX

Second Heat Race: 1. #39, Pat Walls, Frisco, TX; 2. #7, Chuck Hall, Mesquite, TX; 3. #00X, Michael Grubbs, Sachse, TX; 4. #48, Ricky Wycough, Richardson, TX; 5. #9X, Bart Pearson, Royse City, TX; 6. #18, Gaulet Fedorov, Venus, TX; 7. #25, Steve Porter, Mesquite, TX; 8. #121, Jimmy Quick, Jr., Royse City, TX

Third Heat Race: 1. #34X, Richard Miller, Terrell, TX; 2. #29, Tim McManus, Dallas, TX; 3. #31, Walter Dorsett, Royse City, TX; 4. #37, Mike Meeks, Jr., Mesquite, TX; 5. #122, Brett Jensen, Terrell, TX; 6. #9, Andy Jones, Mesquite, TX; 7. #8, Mark Ross, Mesquite, TX

Trophy Dash: 1. #39, Pat Walls, Frisco, TX; 2. #7, Chuck Hall, Mesquite, TX; 3. #77, Jimmy Luker, Terrell, TX; 4. #10, Trandel White, Balch Springs, TX; 5. #34X, Richard Miller, Terrell, TX; 6. #29, Tim McManus, Dallas, TX

Mechanics Race: 1. #39, John Stone; 2. #7, David Hall; 3. #18; 4. #10, Brandon White; 5. #8, Robert Ross; 6. #29, Ron Rutherford; 7. #25, Rick Porter; 8. #5X, Bobby Duncan; 9. #34X, Jason Solder; 10. #31, Paul Griggs

A FEATURE: 1. #5X, Thomas Weeks, Quinlan, TX; 2. #7, Chuck Hall, Mesquite, TX; 3. #29, Tim McManus, Dallas, TX; 4. #00X, Michael Grubbs, Sachse, TX; 5. #5, Mark Reedy, Mesquite, TX; 6. #39, Pat Walls, Frisco, TX; 7. #8X, Dewitt Donald, Garland, TX; 8. #9A, Arin Lawrence, Carrollton, TX; 9. #18, Gaulet Fedorov, Venus, TX; 10. #25, Steve Porter, Mesquite, TX; 11. #8, Mark Ross, Mesquite, TX; 12. #31, Walter Dorsett, Royse City, TX; 13. #10, Trandel White, Balch Springs, TX; 14. #37, Mike Meeks, Jr., Mesquite, TX; 15. #34X, Richard Miller, Terrell, TX; 16. #77, Jimmy Luker, Terrell, TX; 17. #48, Ricky Wycough, Richardson, TX; 18. #9, Andy Jones, Mesquite, TX; 19. #9X, Bart Pearson, Royse City, TX; 20. #122, Brett Jensen, Terrell, TX; Did not start - #38, Mike Walls, Flower Mound, TX; Did not start - #24, Stephen Swanson, Mesquite, TX; Did not start - #121, Jimmy Quick, Jr., Royse City, TX