Day Takes First Sprint Win at Devil's Bowl

Devil's Bowl will host the Super Sprints, Championship Sprints, USA Modifieds, Late Models and Street Stocks next Saturday night. Gates open at 6 pm, races start at 8:30 

Mesquite, TX (Sept 6) – Jeff Day scored his first super sprint victory at Devil's Bowl Speedway on Saturday night. Rick McCommas swept the USA modifieds. Ronnie Long claimed the late model win. Michael Murphy and Jimmy Goodwin padded their points lead in the street stock and championship sprints with their victories.

Jeff Day battled Justin Spoerl down the front straight to take the lead a the start of the super sprint feature. Spoerl got sideways and spun to bring out the yellow flag. Day pulled away again in his Enudro Powder Coating Nr. 95 when the race resumed. Charlie Brown had the Koin Kar Wash / City Blues Nr. 72 in second, but his top wing began to come apart after a couple laps. Larry Long quickly took over the runner up spot in his Town East Ford / Speed Specialties Nr. 28. Day was fast with a quarter lap lead after Long cleared lapped traffic halfway through the 15-lap feature. His only problem was when he had to slide through the dry patches in the turns to pass slower cars. The next caution flew on the 10^th lap when Spoerl in the Berryman Racing Oil Nr. 6 slid to a stop in turn two.

The caution erased Day’s lead and put Long and Matt Clevenger in the JTM Materials / JRJ Paving Nr. 31 right on his rear bumper for the restart.On the restart Day was perfect as he rode the cushion around the track, building a ten car length lead quickly. Matt Clevenger was challenging Long for second on the 12^th lap when he slipped over the edge of the cushion in turn one. Long got caught behind a lapped car on the next lap, allowing Clevenger to close in, but neither could catch Day as he charged to his first victory at Devil’s Bowl this year. Long was second followed by Clevenger, Gary Flatt in the Strawn Racing Nr. 12$ was fourth after starting ninth and Charlie Brown hung on for fifth despite having a side panel folded back on his top wing. Day pulled away to lead the first super sprint heat at the drop of the green flag. Clevenger pulled up to challenge Day as they lapped a slower car, but had to settle for second. Long took the second heat after a short but exciting battle with Spoerl.

In the USA modified feature, Jeff Welborn pulled ahead on the front straight as the green flag fell. The four wide racing down the back straight got Chris Locke in the Nr. 15 turned sideways on the back straight, hitting the 50X Starnes Trucking / Cain’s Racing Engines car of Rowdy Starnes. Just before the caution came out for Starnes, Charles Lasater spun in turn two, collecting Ronnie Carty. Welborn led the field to the green flag with one lap in the books. Randy Kirkland quickly moved up to challenge Dink McCullough for second, just a car length behind Welborn. Most of the field was running the top of the track but Rick McCommas was on the bottom trying to find traction. On the fifth lap they were three wide battling for second in turn two. McCommas found the power he needed to take the lead low in turn two on the sixth lap. Johnny Dunn, Jr. spun in turn two on the next circuit, and Steve Sickels could not avoid crashing head on into Dunn’s stopped car.

McCommas was out front in his Jimmy Allard Racing Engines / B&H Painting Nr. 39 as the race resumed. Welborn tried the low line on the restart and lost a postion to Randy Kirkland. Clyde Dunn, Jr. moved up to third on the next lap. Kirkland soon had his Reliable Plumbing / American Locksmith Nr. 77 along side McCommas. On the 11^th lap they were side by side as they crossed the start/finish line. McCommas then moved to the bottom of the track and took the line away from Kirkland. Ronnie Carty had to restart at the back after the opening lap caution and raced back to third by the 11^th lap. As the white flag flew Carty went high and low in his Southwest Engines / Hanson & Sons Chassis Shop Nr. 71, but could not find a way around Kirkland. Clyde Dunn, Jr. in the Dunn Motorsports / Master Auto Body of Mesquite Nr. 88 and Richard McGibboney claimed fifth in the Baber’s Garage / Red’s Meat Company / Outlaw Fabrication Nr. 19. McCommas collected a $100 bonus for winning his heat race, the trophy dash and the feature. McCommas also collected his third Timber Wolf Racing Hard Charger Award of the season after starting 15^th and passing 14 cars on his way to victory. Carty topped the first heat race. McGibboney won the second heat after a close battle with Tracy Adams.

The big crash was almost in turn one on the start of the street stock heat. Johnny Philpot took the lead from the outside of the front row, with Danny Zimmerman right behind him. In turn two both got a bit sideways. Both spun to the infield and amazingly everyone else missed the both cars. Both were able to continue, but from the back of the field. Arin Lawrence in the A9 Alignment / Hunter Equipment / Chaparral Auto Parts Nr. 9 moved up to the outside front row and pulled out to lead the opening lap. Danny Florence tried to challenge Lawrence but spun to the infield on the second lap. Michael Murphy was up to second and trying to chase down Lawrence when Philpot brought out the next caution. On the fifth lap when he hit the wall on the front straight. That erased Lawrence’s lead. Zimmerman was up to fourth and spun around in turn two, hitting the tire on the restart. On the next attempt to restart the race Lawrence held the lead as he and Murphy battled side by side all the way around the track. Lawrence ran out of room a the top of turn two on the seventh lap to let Murphy pull into the lead.

On the 10^th lap Gayla Jones and Zimmerman got together in turn four, which pushed Jones hard into the turn four wall. As she bounced off the wall, her car clipped Walter Dorsett’s car. The impact threw Jones hard into the inside wall. The race was stopped while the emergency crew helped Jones from her car. Murphy easily pulled away after the race resumed to take his eighth feature win of the year. Lawrence as second, with Michael Grubbs in the Fullen’s Crankshaft Service / Grubbs Motorsports Nr. 00X in third. Danny Florence finished fourth in his Nr. 51X and Steve Lister was fifth in the American Air Systems of Garland Nr. 146L.

Earlier Gayla Jones ran a great heat race in her Koool Touch Refrigeration / Imperial Electric Nr. 42, but went a little wide in the third turn on the final lap. That was all the opening Michael Murphy needed to take the lead and the heat race win. Walter Dorsett won the other heat in his Nikon Dallas / Home Care Supply Nr. 31 but was knocked out of the feature in the crash with Jones.

Sloppy Hogg took off early as the late model main but Chuck Beusch pulled ahead going into turn one. Hogg pushed up into Beusch, spinning both cars. Luckily the other cars missed the pair but Skip O’Neal went off the top of turn three to bring out the caution, just as Woody Weaver spun in turn two. Cheyney Hopkins had led the opening lap and pulled away on the restart. Ronnie Long was up to second within a lap and challenged Hopkins for the lead. Long dove deep into the third turn on the next lap to take the lead with a classic slide job to the top of turn four. Long started to build his lead immediately in the Town East Ford Nr. 28. Britt Ables had been in the battle for second, but slipped over the cushion on the fourth lap to fall back. Long began to lap the slowest cars on the ninth lap, with a full straightaway lead over Hopkins and the cast closing car of Wayman McMillian. Long worked the lapped traffic as he charged around the track. Hopkins kept his Nr. 1 Stan Hopkins Company / Starr Graphic Designs in second despite having to work past slower cars late in the race. McMillian was third in the P&W Sales / Manifold Systems / Cavins BJ Nr. 14. O’Neal climbed back to finish fourth in the Barnsco Construction Materials / Urban Fire Protection Nr. 8 with Ronnie Welborn taking fifth in the Kountry Kids Daycare / R&R Metal Works Nr. 77. The late model heats were fast and furious with Cheyney Hopkins winning the first heat. Ronnie Long chased Chuck Beusch for several laps before going around the outside on the final lap to win the second heat. 

Jeff Day ran both sprint car classes Saturday night and he got a huge jump from the pole of the championship sprint feature, but Dale Wester caught him in turn two and took the lead on the back straight. The first caution flew on the third lap after Mitchell Gosey went off the track in turn two. The ten cars lined-up for the restart with Day second, but Jimmy Goodwin claimed the runner-up spot as the race resumed. A lap later Goodwin was up on Wester’s rear bumper. They ran side by side before Goodwin took the lead at the flag stand on the fifth lap. Goodwin then began to pull away as the battle for third heated up. Michelle Decker took the spot from Eddie Guinn on the seventh lap, and took the runner-up position on the next lap when Dale Wester pulled off the track. Goodwin had a half-straightaway lead as Decker tried to chase down the points leader, but he was too fast and stretched his lead to take the win. Decker was second, followed by Guinn at the finish with Brandon Rogers fourth and Johnny Dunn, Jr. fifth. Chad Cavett was up to third when his motor let go with a big fire on the white flag lap. Goodwin and Dale Wester won the heat races.

Next Saturday Devil’s Bowl will host the Super Sprints, Championship Sprints, USA Modifieds, Late Models and Street Stocks.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Race Results – Sat, Sept 6, 2003

SUPER SPRINT CARS - Heat 1: 1. #95, Jeff Day, Greenville; 2. #31, Matt Clevenger, Flower Mound; 3. #72, Charlie Brown, Greenville; 4. #35, Richard Gosey, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 5. #99, Kurt Summers, Mesquite; 6. #16, Ray Welnack, Dallas

Heat 2: 1. #28, Larry Long, Dallas; 2. #6, Justin Spoerl, Mesquite; 3. #12, Jeff Shaddock, Rowlett; 4. #8, Wayne McNally, Dallas; 5. #12$, Gary Flatt, Oklahoma City, Okla.

A FEATURE: 1. #95, Jeff Day, Greenville; 2. #28, Larry Long, Dallas; 3. #31, Matt Clevenger, Flower Mound; 4. #12$, Gary Flatt, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 5. #72, Charlie Brown, Greenville; 6. #12, Jeff Shaddock, Rowlett; 7. #8, Wayne McNally, Dallas; 8. #6, Justin Spoerl, Mesquite; 9. #35, Richard Gosey, Oklahoma City, Okla; DNS - #99, Kurt Summers, Mesquite; DNS - #16, Ray Welnack, Dallas

CHAMPIONSHIP SPRINT CARS - Heat 1: 1. #3, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland; 2. #88, Eddie Guinn, Choctaw, Okla.; 3. #12$, Michelle Decker, Gunthrie, Okla.; 4. #3G, Johnny Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 5. #20, Jeff Day, Greenville

Heat 2: 1. #43X, Dale Wester, Ovilla; 2. #9, Rick Summers, Mesquite; 3. #1, Chad Cavett, Rockwall; 4. #36, Mitchell Gosey, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 5. #11B, Brandon Rogers, Wichita Falls

A FEATURE: 1. #3, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland; 2. #12$, Michelle Decker, Gunthrie, Okla.; 3. #88, Eddie Guinn, Choctaw, Okla.; 4. #11B, Brandon Rogers, Wichita Falls; 5. #3G, Johnny Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 6. #1, Chad Cavett, Rockwall; 7. #9, Rick Summers, Mesquite; 8. #43X, Dale Wester, Ovilla; 9. #20, Jeff Day, Greenville; 10. #36, Mitchell Gosey, Oklahoma City, Okla.

USA MODIFIEDS - Heat 1: 1. #71, Ronnie Carty, DeSoto; 2. #50, Steve Sickels, Rowlett; 3. #19J, Jeff Welborn, Princeton; 4. #99, Johnny Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 5. #50X, Rowdy Starnes, McKinney

Heat 2: 1. #19, Richard McGibboney, Dallas; 2. #4, Tracy Adams, Rowlett; 3. #00, Dink McCullough, Balch Springs; 4. #88, Clyde Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 5. #90, Johnny Hitt, Kaufman; 6. #6P, Jerry Cowart, Mesquite

Heat 3: 1. #39, Rick McCommas, Balch Springs; 2. #15, Chris Locke, Mesquite; 3. #77, Randy Kirkland, Mesquite; 4. #17, Charles Lasater, Garland; 5. #98, Marc Madison, Tioga; 6. #84X, Aaron Morey, Dallas; DNS - #5, Billy Fronterhouse, Wylie

Trophy Dash: 1. #39, Rick McCommas, Balch Springs; 2. #15, Chris Locke, Mesquite; 3. #71, Ronnie Carty, DeSoto; 4. #4, Tracy Adams, Rowlett; DNS - #19, Richard McGibboney, Dallas; DNS - #50, Steve Sickels, Rowlett

A FEATURE: 1. #39, Rick McCommas, Balch Springs; 2. #77, Randy Kirkland, Mesquite; 3. #71, Ronnie Carty, DeSoto; 4. #88, Clyde Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 5. #19, Richard McGibboney, Dallas; 6. #84X, Aaron Morey, Dallas; 7. #00, Dink McCullough, Balch Springs; 8. #19J, Jeff Welborn, Princeton; 9. #15, Chris Locke, Mesquite; 10. #90, Johnny Hitt, Kaufman; 11. #50, Steve Sickels, Rowlett; 12. #4, Tracy Adams, Rowlett; 13. #6P, Jerry Cowart, Mesquite; 14. #5, Billy Fronterhouse, Wylie; 15. #17, Charles Lasater, Garland; 16. #98, Marc Madison, Tioga; 17. #99, Johnny Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 18. #50X, Rowdy Starnes, McKinney

LATE MODELS - Heat 1: 1. #1, Cheyney Hopkins, Combine; 2. #51, Britt Ables, Wylie; 3. #8, Skip O'Neal, Midlothian; 4. #ZZ, Sloppy Hogg, Arlington; 5. #23, Darren Ellis, Quinlan; 6. #77, Ronnie Welborn, Princeton; DNS - #12, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland

Heat 2: 1.#28, Ronnie Long, Dallas; 2. #13, Chuck Beusch, Red Oak; 3. #47, Woody Weaver, Tyler; 4. #14, Wayman McMillan, Gladewater; 5. #74, John Sliney, Keller; 6. #55, Ron Lane, Saginaw; 7. #3, Steve Trevathan, Forney

A FEATURE: 1. #28, Ronnie Long, Dallas; 2. #1, Cheyney Hopkins, Combine; 3. #14, Wayman McMillan, Gladewater; 4. #8, Skip O'Neal, Midlothian; 5. #77, Ronnie Welborn, Princeton; 6. #47, Woody Weaver, Tyler; 7. #3, Steve Trevathan, Forney; 8. #51, Britt Ables, Wylie; 9. #74, John Sliney, Keller; 10. #ZZ, Sloppy Hogg, Arlington; 11. #55, Ron Lane, Saginaw; 12. #13, Chuck Beusch, Red Oak; DNS - #23, Darren Ellis, Quinlan; DNS - #12, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland

STREET STOCKS - Heat 1: 1. #21, Michael Murphy, Ferris; 2. #42, Gayla Jones, Mesquite; 3. #51X, Danny Florence, McKinney; 4. #9, Arin Lawrence, Carrollton; 5. #00X, Michael Grubbs, Sachse; DNS - #1, Flash Fifield, Mesquite; DNS - #3X, Jason Trevathan, Denton

Heat 2: 1. #31, Walter Dorsett, Royse City; 2. #11, Danny Zimmerman, Terrell; 3. #30, Shayne Gatlin, Mesquite; 4. #146L, Steve Lister, Mabank; 5. #12, Johnny Philpot, Sunnyvale; 6. #8, Mark Ross, Royse City 

A FEATURE: 1. #21, Michael Murphy, Ferris; 2. #9, Arin Lawrence, Carrollton; 3. #00X, Michael Grubbs, Sachse; 4. #51X, Danny Florence, McKinney; 5. #146L, Steve Lister, Mabank; 6. #42, Gayla Jones, Mesquite; 7. #31, Walter Dorsett, Royse City; 8. #11, Danny Zimmerman, Terrell; 9. #8, Mark Ross, Royse City; 10. #3X, Jason Trevathan, Denton; 11. #12, Johnny Philpot, Sunnyvale; DNS - #30, Shayne Gatlin, Mesquite; DNS - #1, Flash Fifield, Mesquite

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One of the most enjoyable things this season has been watching the weekly improvement in the racing of two talented sprint car rookies - Justin Spoerl and Kurt Summers. Both have become more confident and better drivers each week.

Don Strawn brought his two sprinters down from Oklahoma City for the night. Michelle Decker drove her car in the champ sprint races and Gary Flatt in the super sprints. Gary lost an engine in the heat, the team changed engines before the feature.

Another sprint car driver who has show real improvement this season is Jeff Shaddock. He has been fast and run some great races in the past month in the Garland Bolt Nr. 12.

Charlie Bown had his hands full in the super sprint feature. The inside panel on his top wing started to tear loose early in the race. For much of the feature he had to race with most of that part of the wing folded back. Still he ran a strong race to the finish.

Billy Fronterhouse in the Speed Specialties Racing Engines Nr. 5 modified lost an axle during hot laps, but was unable to make repairs in time for the heat race but did run the feature.

Jimmy Goodwin had engine problems in the Nr. 12 TFA Automatice Sprinklers late model during hot laps and was unable to race the rest of the evening.

Kurt Summers and Ray Welnack both suffered severe engine problems in the first super sprint heat race. Both dropped a lot of fluid on the track as they coasted to a stop. Neither was able to start the feature.

Darren Ellis crashed head on into a marker tire in turn two on the first late model heat. Ellis was trying to take the Nr. 23 Blueprint Service of Plano late model past Britt Ables in the Ables Auto / Troy’s Cars Nr. 51. Ellis went low into turn two and the two apparently made contact with Ellis crashing into the infield tire. The front end of Ellis’ car was badly damaged keeping him from starting the feature.

Steve Trevathan and Wayman McMillan got together in the second late model heat. Trevathan dropped out with the right front wheel broken off his car.

Jeff Welborn was impressive during the USA modified feature. He has not run often at Devil’s Bowl this season, but has made a strong improvement in his racing program. Until the mid-race caution he was perfect in running the rim. After losing the lead he tried a different line, but the car did not handle nearly as well and he faded back to finish eighth out of the seventeen cars running at the finish.

Chad Cavett hasn't driven a race car in over two years, until Saturday night. He said the championship sprint was running well, and was happy with his climb to third place before something in the engine compartment let go and the oil flowing from the engine caught fire.