McCommas Triumphs at Devil's Bowl

The ASCS Outlaw Sprint Cars return to Devil's Bowl on Saturday night, July 12 for a Sooner Region vs Gulf South Region Shootout. Also racing that night will be USA Modifieds, Late Models and Street Stocks. 

Mesquite, TX (July 5) – Rick McCommas came from the fifth row to win Saturday night’s USA modified feature at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Frank Shafer topped another exciting street stock main. Skip O’Neal claimed the late model win. Dale Wester topped the championship sprints for the first time and Larry Long made it three super sprint wins in a row.

The USA modified feature started out with a quick run through turns one and two and a huge crash in turn three which eliminated five cars. Jerry Cowart got sideways and Johnny Dunn, Jr. could not avoid him. On the restart, Dink McCullough pulled away just like he did on the first start in the Kelsey Equipment & Repair / Dwight & Don’s Auto Care Nr. 00, but two other cars got together a lap later to bring out another caution. Cowart pulled past McCullough in his Texas Roadhouse / Mortgage Support Services Nr. 6P to take the lead when the green flag waved again. McCommas had his Jimmy Allard Racing Engines/ B&H Painting Nr. 39 up to fifth after starting ninth. While Cowart battled with the Southwest Engines / Hanson and Sons Chassis Shop Nr. 71 of Ronnie Carty, McCommas was locked in a close race with Clyde Dunn, Jr. for the fifth spot. Cowart and Carty got together and a flat on Carty’s car bought out the yellow flag again. McCommas got a good run on the restart and was able to take third. On the sixth lap he moved past McCullough to take second. By the eighth lap McCommas had picked his line and went high around the top of turns three and four.

Drag racing out of turn four, Cowart has to pinch his car down to avoid a crash and McCommas pulled ahead. A final caution flag on the tenth lap bunched up the field again. Clyde Dunn, Jr. got a great restart and was soon battling McCommas for the lead. The two raced hard the final laps with Dunn making a couple attempts to pass McCommas. However McCommas’ many laps around Devil’s Bowl helped him pick the fastest line and he claimed his second feature win of the year about two car lengths ahead of Dunn in his Master Auto Body of Mesquite Nr. 88. Third was Steve Sickels in the Troy’s Used Cars / S&S Fabrication Nr. 50 with a good move past Chris Locke in the Broadband Specialists / US Broadband Fleet Services Nr. 15. on the final lap. Fifth at the checkered flag was Dale Wester in the Jimmy allard Machine & Supply / T - N - T Truck Parts Nr. 12. McCommas, Wester and Frank Rose in the Competition Machine of Plano / Sherrell Heating and AC Nr. 18 won the heat races. Clarence Greer in the CMG2 Racing / Acelco Services Nr. 16 won the B main. Clyde Dunn, Jr. won the Timber Wolf Racing Hard Charger Award by passing 11 cars on his run from 13^th at the start to second at the finish.

The street stock feature started wild and wooly. They were three wide entering turn one and got even more crowded in turn two. Frank Shafer came from the outside of the second row to take the lead as the cars raced down the back straight. Arin Lawrence made a good move to the bottom of turn two to move clear of the other cars. Michael Murphy also went through the middle to pull past most of the cars. Shafer had the Automotive Machine Shop / BL & Flat Broke Racing Nr. 84 set up to run well through the turns. Murphy in the Pinnacle Funding Home Loans / Valvoline Nr. 21 and Lawrence in the Barnes Motorsports Nr. 9 raced side by side several times with Lawrence getting past Murphy in turn four on the sixth lap. For the final half of the race the leaders raced just a couple car lengths apart. Shafer set the pace with Lawrence and Murphy racing each other right behind. Murphy pulled alongside a couple times but Lawrence found the speed he needed to stay ahead. Shafer charged out of turn four on the final lap a car length ahead of the pair to take the victory. Lawrence pushed in the final turn, letting Murphy pull alongside, however Lawrence held the runner-up spot by a fender. Third was Mike Meeks, Jr. in the Meeks Paint & Body Nr. 37. Travis Pace was fifth in the Gary's Machine Shop / Schramm's Ammo & Weapons Nr. 17. Murphy won his heat and the trophy dash while Lawrence won the other heat race.

Skip O’Neal was unable to start his heat race in the late model class. When the feature rolled onto to the track, O’Neal and his Barnsco Construction Materials / Urban Fire Protection Nr. 8 was on the back. Things got exciting early as Jeff McGibboney led the field through turn two. His car broke as he hit the throttle and he got tagged by another car. The jumble of cars sent Jack Ambern, Jr. spinning to the inside of the turn. On the complete restart, Sloppy Hogg pulled ahead of Tom Lorenz on the back straight to lead the opening lap. He pulled out to a five car length lead in the Nr. ZZ as the cars behind him battled for position. Lorenz pulled off on the fifth lap and soon Hogg was racing three wide with Skip O’Neal and Ronnie Long. The caution flew on the seventh lap and restarting on the outside gave O’Neal the advantage he needed to pass Long for second. The rest of the race was a very close battle with Hogg holding the top spot until the 12^th circuit when O’Neal made his move to take the lead. O’Neal was able to pull ahead to take the checkered flag by three car lengths over Hogg. Long got tagged in the quarter panel by Jimmy Goodwin on the 13^th lap and cut down a tire. That let Goodwin move up to take third in the TFA Automatic Sprinklers Nr. 12 with Ambern in the Woody Weaver Pharmacy Nr. 2 fourth and Cheyney Hopkins in the Stan Hopkins Company / Starr Graphic Designs Nr. 1. Long fell to sixth in his Town East Ford Nr. 28. Hogg and Britt Ables in the Ables Auto / Troy’s Used Cars Nr. 51 won the heat races.

Larry Long topped the super sprints for his third straight win in the Town East Ford / Speed Specialities Nr. 28. Justin Spoerl in the Nr. 6 super sprint jumped out to the early lead as the sprints took the green flag. Long came from the second row to take the lead with a fast run down the back straight on the third lap. As the race continued Long pulled steadily away from the rest of the cars, building his lead to almost a half-lap before taking the checkered flag in the caution free feature. Jeff Shaddock in the Garland Bolt Nr. 12 took the second position when Spoerl got hung up behind lapped traffic. Kurt Summers in the Soulman's Barbeque / Johnny Suggs Chassis Nr. 99 also slipped past to take third. Spoerl ended up fourth with Jeff Day taking fifth in the Enduro Powder Coating Nr. 95. Long also topped the super sprint heat.

Dale Wester led the championship sprints through the race in the Jimmy Allard Machine & Supply Nr. 43X. Jimmy Goodwin caught up with Wester late in the race but the track was too fast and Wester ran a good line to take his first championship sprint win. Third behind Goodwin in the Nr. 3 champ sprint was Troy Bontrager in the Grice Machine Nr. 10T. Wester won the champ sprint heat.

Next weekend, on July 12, Devil’s Bowl will host a special ASCS Outlaw Sprint Car program - a Gulf South Region versus Sooner Region Shootout, along with the USA Modifieds, Late Models and Street Stocks.

Story by Reggie Fields. Photos by Linda Fields

Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Race Results – Sat, July 5, 2003

SUPER SPRINTS - Heat: 1. #28, Larry Long, Dallas; 2. #12, Jeff Shaddock, Rowlett; 3. #72, Charlie Brown, Greenville; 4. #6, Justin Spoerl, Mesquite; 5. #95, Jeff Day, Greenville; 6. #88, John Stinson, Burleson; 7. #99, Kurt Summers, Mesquite; 8. #8C, Tim Clark, Royse City; 9. #92, Shannon Thornton, Wylie

A FEATURE: 1. #28, Larry Long, Dallas; 2. #12, Jeff Shaddock, Rowlett; 3. #99, Kurt Summers, Mesquite; 4. #6, Justin Spoerl, Mesquite; 5. #95, Jeff Day, Greenville; 6. #72, Charlie Brown, Greenville; 7. #92, Shannon Thornton, Wylie; 8. #88, John Stinson, Burleson; 9. #8C, Tim Clark, Royse City

CHAMPIONSHIP SPRINTS - Heat: 1. #43X, Dale Wester, Ovilla; 2. #3, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland; 3. #10T, Troy Bontrager, Wylie

A FEATURE: 1. #43X, Dale Wester, Ovilla; 2. #3, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland; 3. #10T, Troy Bontrager, Wylie

USA MODIFIEDS - Heat 1: 1. #12, Dale Wester, Ovilla; 2. #88, Clyde Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 3. #00, Dink McCullough, Balch Springs; 4. #99, Johnny Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 5. #19, Richard McGibboney, Dallas; 6. #17, Charles Lasater, Garland; 7. #34, Jay Miller, Terrell; DNS - #5, Billy Fronterhouse, Wylie

Heat 2: 1. #18, Frank Rose, Mesquite; 2. #84, Tom Lorenz, Balch Springs; 3. #71, Ronnie Carty, DeSoto; 4. #77, Randy Kirkland, Mesquite; 5. #6P, Jerry Cowart, Mesquite; 6. #90, Johnny Hitt, Kaufman; 7. #217, Richard Miller, Terrell; 8. #12C, Chuck Hooks, Mesquite

Heat 3: 1. #39, Rick McCommas, Balch Springs; 2. #15, Chris Locke, Mesquite; 3. #21, Russell Shoulders, Forney; 4. #50X, Rowdy Starnes, McKinney; 5. #50, Steve Sickels, Rowlett; 6. #16, Clarence Greer, Mesquite; 7. #98, Marc Madison, Tioga; 8. #4, Tracy Adams, Rowlett

B Main: 1. #16, Clarence Greer, Mesquite; 2. #17, Charles Lasater, Garland; 3. 312C, Chuck Hooks, Mesquite; 4. #217, Richard Miller, Terrell; 5. #90, Johnny Hitt, Kaufman; 6. #98, Marc Madison, Tioga; 7. #5, Billy Fronterhouse, Wylie; DNS - #34, Jay Miller, Terrell; DNS - #4, Tracy Adams, Rowlett

A FEATURE: 1. #39, Rick McCommas, Balch Springs; 2. #88, Clyde Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 3. #50, Steve Sickels, Rowlett; 4. #15, Chris Locke, Mesquite; 5. #12, Dale Wester, Ovilla; 6. #00, Dink McCullough, Balch Springs; 7. #19, Richard McGibboney, Dallas; 8. #16, Clarence Greer, Mesquite; 9. #17, Charles Lasater, Garland; 10. #217, Richard Miller, Terrell; 11. #18, Frank Rose, Mesquite; 12. #6P, Jerry Cowart, Mesquite; 13. #12C, Chuck Hooks, Mesquite; 14. #71, Ronnie Carty, DeSoto; 15. #50X, Rowdy Starnes, McKinney; 16. #99, Johnny Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 17. #21, Russell Shoulders, Forney; 18. #84, Tom Lorenz, Balch Springs; 19. #77, Randy Kirkland, Mesquite; 20. #90, Johnny Hitt, Kaufman

LATE MODELS - Heat 1: 1. #51, Britt Ables, Wylie; 2. #88X, Tom Lorenz, Balch Springs; 3. #19, Jeff McGibboney, Dallas; 4. #22, Larry Dean, Fruitvale; 5. #3, Steve Trevathan, Forney; DNS - #8, Skip O'Neal, Midlothian

Heat 2: 1. #ZZ, Sloppy Hogg, Arlington; 2. #12, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland; 3. #1, Cheyney Hopkins, Combine; 4. #28, Ronnie Long, Dallas; 5. #8C, Keith Craft, Arkadelphia, Ark.; 6. #2, Jack Ambern,Jr., Arp

A FEATURE: 1. #8, Skip O'Neal, Midlothian; 2. #ZZ, Sloppy Hogg, Arlington; 3. #12, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland; 4. #2, Jack Ambern,Jr., Arp; 5. #1, Cheyney Hopkins, Combine; 6. #28, Ronnie Long, Dallas; 7. #22, Larry Dean, Fruitvale; 8. #8C, Keith Craft, Arkadelphia, Ark.; 9. #88X, Tom Lorenz, Balch Springs; 10. #51, Britt Ables, Wylie; 11. #19, Jeff McGibboney, Dallas; DNS - #3, Steve Trevathan, Forney

STREET STOCKS - Heat 1: 1. #21, Michael Murphy, Ferris; 2. #3, Justin Trevathan, Denton; 3. #00x, Michael Grubbs, Sachse; 4. #42, Gayla Jones, Mesquite; 5. #5X, Thomas Weeks, Quinlan; 6. #51X, Danny Florence, McKinney; 7. #8, Mark Ross, Royse City

Heat 2: 1. #9, Arin Lawrence, Carrollton; 2. #17, Travis Pace, Mesquite; 3. #30, Shayne Gatlin, Mesquite; 4. #31, Walter Dorsett, Royse City; 5. #84, Frank Shafer, Balch Springs; 6. #37, Mike Meeks, Jr., Mesquite

Trophy Dash: 1. #21, Michael Murphy, Ferris; 2. #17, Travis Pace, Mesquite; 3. #3, Justin Trevathan, Denton; 4. #30, Shayne Gatlin, Mesquite; 5. #9, Arin Lawrence, Carrollton; DNS - #00x, Michael Grubbs, Sachse

A FEATURE: 1. #84, Frank Shafer, Balch Springs; 2. #9, Arin Lawrence, Carrollton; 3. 321, Michael Murphy, Ferris; 4. #37, Mike Meeks, Jr., Mesquite; 5. #17, Travis Pace, Mesquite; 6. #31, Walter Dorsett, Royse City; 7. #5X, Thomas Weeks, Quinlan; 8. #00X, Michael Grubbs, Sachse; 9. #3, Justin Trevathan, Denton; 10. #8, Mark Ross, Royse City; 1

T

Ten years ago the three summer holiday weekends, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day were the biggest racing weekends of the year. Now these three weekends have the lowest car counts of the summer as many racers spend the long weekends away from the track.

Shannon Thornton was back at Devil's Bowl with his Nr. 92 super sprint. He's getting better each week racing on a very limited budget.

Arin Lawrence got the evening started with a big flame coming out from under his car during hot laps. An impressive fire, but it went out quickly. Arin was able to fix the problem and return in time for his heat race.

The lower temperatures kept the track damp, and several drivers taking the holiday weekend off combined to make the track sloppy in the heat races. When the first modified heat took the green flag, all the cars went sideways as their tires broke loose.

Rick McCommas has only run about five feature laps in the last five weeks. I wouldn't say his luck was bad, but if it was lightning, I wouldn't stand beside him or the car. The third modified heat was a good race for McCommas as he took the lead on the third lap and took the heat win by half the length of the front straight. Maybe the night signaled a change in Rick's luck for the rest of the season.

Dale Wester was a bit tentative when he started driving Jimmy Allard's Nr. 43X championship sprint. He's been steadily improving and during the champ heat Dale ran wheel to wheel with Jimmy Goodwin. Though Goodwin had a run on the back straight, Wester held his car on the top of three and four to power back ahead on his way to winning the heat.

Keith Craft from Arkaldelphia, Arkansas stayed in the Dallas area after Thursday's SUPR Outlaw Late Model race and joined the Saturday night regular program. He got off to a rough start slipping off the back straight and tagging the turn three wall. He finished his heat, but the back of the car was bent up.

Richard Miller slowed while leading the B main in turn four. At least two cars hit his car and one crashed on the inside pushing Billy Fronterhouse into the inside wall. Miller was able to get back on the track to finish the race, but Fronterhouse had to park the Barnes Motorsports / Speed Specialties Nr. 5

The big crash in the modified feature Jerry Cowart got sideways and slowed suddenly. Johnny Dunn Jr. could not avoid hitting the car stopped right in front of him.

Marc Madison's bad luck continued this weekend. After pancaking the car against the front straight wall last week, Madison and car owner Jay Guthrie bought out their other car. Madison was running well in the B main when something let go spinning him into the turn one infield.