Ambern Brothers Top Late Models at Devil's Bowl

Devil's Bowl will host the Championship Finals for 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.

The final race for the 2003 season will be Oct 17-18 for the 30th Annual Winter Nationals featuring the ASCS Outlaw Sprint Cars, Super Sprints, Championship Sprints, USA Modifieds, Late Models and Street/Factory Stocks.

Mesquite, TX (Sept 20) – Jack Ambern, Jr. and his brother Mike finished first and second for the first time in their racing careers as Jack won the late model feature at Devil's Bowl Speedway Saturday night. Danny Zimmerman claimed his first street stock feature win the half-mile oval. Jeff Day topped the super sprints for the second straight week, Jimmy Goodwin claimed the championship sprint feature victory. Rowdy Starnes won the demolition derby.

Dink McCullough was transported to a local hospital after a violent crash and flip in the demo derby (USA modified feature). Early reports Sunday are that he might have a broken hip. Steve Sickels and Tony Batt also visited the hospital as they were also involved in the crash

A field of 17 late models started their 15 lap feature with Ronnie Welborn and Jerry Horn on the front row. Horn got the traction off the high side to lead into turn one in his Nr. 9D. Chuck Beusch quickly claimed the bottom and took the second spot as the opening lap ended. The cars were running high through turns one and two and low in three and four in the opening laps. On the fourth lap Beusch made his move diving to the bottom of turn two to take the lead and pull away from the pack in the Family Chiropractic 1^st Care / Judy’s Cafe Nr. 13. There were ten cars nose to tail and side by side in the turns for the next spots in line. The caution flag flew on the seventh lap when Michael Coleman and Larry Dean separately pulled off the track Jimmy Goodwin was up to third and lined up outside Horn for the restart. When the green flag flew again, Goodwin pulled past Horn and charged after Beusch. Moments later Beusch’s Nr. 13 started smoking and he pulled off the track. Jimmy Goodwin had the lead for about 200 yards before he went off the top of turn one and spun. Horn took over the lead for the next restart with Jack Ambern, Jr. driving the Woody Weaver Pharmacy Nr. 47 and his brother Mike Ambern in the Nr. 9 second and third. Jack Ambern took the lead after a short but exciting battle with Horn. Moments later Britt Ables stopped atop turn four to bring out the third caution of the race. Jack Ambern, Jr pulled away when the race resumed to a two car length lead over Mike. It was the first time the Ambern brothers have finished first and second in a late model feature.

As Ronnie Welborn battled Mike Ambern for second, Jack Ambern, Jr. pulled further and further away in the final laps. Skip O’Neal in the Barnsco Constrution Materials / Urban Fire Protection Nr. 8 came up to battle for third with Welborn, taking the spot in the final lap. Fifth at the flag was Wayman McMillian in P&W Sales / Manifold Systems / Calvin's BJ Nr. 14 with Jimmy Goodwin finishing sixth after having to restart 15^th after his earlier spin. Welborn in the Country Kids Daycare / R&R Metal Works Nr. 77 took the lead at the drop of the green flag in the first late model heat and held off Goodwin in the TFA Automatic Sprinklers Nr. 12 in an exciting run to the checkered flag. Beusch  took the lead on his way to winning the second late model heat when Horn slipped over the top of turn two on the third lap.

Danny Zimmerman grabbed the lead at the start of the street stock feature in his Nr 11. Flash Fifield ran second, but was leaking fuel and was black flagged. Walter Dorsett in the Nikon Dallas / Home Car Supply Nr. 31 got tagged by Fifield on the opening lap and spun. Dorsett was a lap down before he could get back on track. Zimmerman and Michael Murphy in the Pinnacle Funding Home Loans Nr. 21 put on a spirited battle for the leadas they worked through lapped traffic in the latter stages of the feature. Murphy pulled alongside in turn three on the final lap, but could not make the pass without taking Zimmerman out. Zimmerman led a the checkered flag by a car length over Murphy with Danny Florence in the Nr. 51X taking third, followed by Arin Lawrence in the A9 Alignment / Hunter Equipment / Chaparral Auto Parts Nr. 9 and Michael Grubbs in the Fullens Crankshaft Service / Grubbs Motorsports Nr. 00X. Fifield led the street stock from start to finish, holding off a determined charge from Zimmerman in the final laps of the race. Walter Dorsett took the lead on his way to winning the trophy dash on the second lap.

Jeff Day took off at the drop of the green to claim the lead in the super sprint feature with Charlie Brown diving through the middle to claim second. Kurt Summers held third, but could not keep up with Day in the Enduro Powder Coating Nr. 95 and Brown in the Koin Car Wash / City Blues Nr. 72. As the leaders pulled away, Matt Clevenger in the JTM Materials / JRJ Paving Nr. 31 took third from Summers on the fourth lap. The track was fast and the cars were flying around the top of the track as Day caught lapped traffic on the sixth lap. He had no trouble slipping past the slower cars to lead at the halfway point by ten car lengths. Clevenger was soon challenging Brown for second when they made contact on the ninth lap. They continued the battle with Clevenger bumping Brown out of the way on the 11^th lap to take second. Day was a quarter lap ahead making perfect laps as he flew to his second straight victory at Devil’s Bowl. Clevenger finished second, followed by Larry Long in third in the Town EAst Ford / Speed Specialties Nr. 28 . Brown was fourth with Summers finishing fifth in the Soulmans BarBQue / Johnny Suggs Chassis Nr. 99. Brown pulled away from the outside of the front row to lead and win the first super sprint heat race. Justin Spoerl made a great move at the start of the second super sprint heat to hold off Jeff Shaddock and take the early lead. Larry Long got past Spoerl on the last lap when Spoerl hesitated before trying to pass a lapped car.

Michael Gosey in the Rikkard Racing Nr. 36 took the lead on the start of the championship sprint 12-lap feature with Jimmy Goodwin quickly moving up to third behind Gary Grovenor. Goodwin in the Nr. 3 claimed the second spot on the third lap. Two trips later around the Devil’s Bowl half-mile Goodwin took the lead as they charged down the front straight. Goodwin pulled away to lead by a quarter lap and was lapping slower cars as he took the white flag. Goodwin easily took the victory with Gosey second, Grovenor was third in the Enduro Powder Coating Nr. 20X, followed by Kenny Butler in the Nr. 5 and David Gailley in the 3X. Chad Cavett had a good start to the first champ sprint heat, but the car started to smoke and he had to pull off. The team did get the car started for the feature, but he had to pull off after two laps. Kenny Butler, Jr. in the Nr. 5 pulled past Grovenor at the line to win the first heat. Goodwin had no trouble quickly taking the lead and winning the second heat. 

On the start of the USA modified feature, Jeff Welborn in the Mow-Time / Kountry Kids Day Care Nr. 19J led down the front straight but the caution flew before the lap was completed due to Billy Fronterhouse spinning to a stop in turn two. At the same time Aaron Morey slowed coming onto the front straight. The cars jammed up behind as every driver seemed to forget there was a brake pedal in the race car. There were seven cars involved in the ensuing crash. Rick McCommas got pinched into the inside wall, breaking the left front suspension almost completely off the car. Four cars were in the pits as the race tried to restart.

After five tries to start the race only eight cars had not been involved in a crash. Wellborn won the next start and led the first official lap. On the next lap Dink McCullough in the Nr. 00 was running second when he slowed on the back straight entering turn three. Something sent McCullough's car across the track where Steve Sickels and Tony Batt were racing. They could not miss McCullough's car and crashed very hard with McCullough taking a rough flip.

When the field came back on the track to resume the race, the other drivers had been able to fix their cars to rejoin the race. Tracy Adams in the Broadband Specialists Nr. 4 made a great move in turn two to take the lead. Welborn and Clyde Dunn, Jr. in the Dunn Motorsports / Master Auto Body of Mesquite Nr. 88 battled Adams for the lead. Rowdy Starnes in the Starnes Trucking / Cain's Engine Repair Nr. 50X was up to third by the fourth lap. Dunn dove under Adams to take the lead as the fourth lap was completed. Starnes took second moments later. The leaders were side by side in the race for the lead, but the seventh caution flew after six laps for three cars spinning to a stop in turn two. Dunn held the lead and pulled away from Starnes after brief contact. A lap later Chris Locke came to a stop atop turn two for the eighth caution flag.

Starnes got the run he needed on the restart to take the lead as they roared down the back straight. A lap later it was caution flag number nine waving when Skip O’Neal got spun to the bottom of turn two. Only eight laps had been completed, with five laps under green the longest stretch. Jeff Welborn’s car lost its engine as the cars took the green, but he was able to pull off the track without causing a caution. Starnes pulled away to a ten car length lead before the tenth caution flag waved. Starnes easily held the top spot ahead of Dunn until the eleventh caution flag. The final two laps were finally completed with Starnes taking the win by five car lengths, followed by Dunn, Richard Miller in a good run in the Jeanie's Used Auto Parts / Rick Shipp Rebuilders Nr. 1X, Charles Lasater in the Acelco Services Nr. 17 and Tracy Adams rounding out the top five. Dunn earned the Timber Wolf Racing Hard Charger Award after starting last, 20^th, and finishing second. He and Jeff Welborn were the only drivers not involved in a wreck during the feature.

Dunn and Starnes started on the front of the USA modified B main and battled side by side for the first couple laps before Dunn started having trouble holding his car on the track in the turns. The handling went completely away on Dunn’s Nr. 88. Starnes had no trouble winning the B main. Miller did a good job on a very slick track going to the front and winning the first modified heat race. The cars were three wide down the front straight at the start of the second modified heat race. Charles Lasater took the win. Rick McCommas hugged the bottom of the track to find the traction he needed to go from sixth at the start to leading by turn two at the start of the second lap of the third modified heat race. McCommas then pulled away to win the heat in his Jimmy Allard Racing Engines / B&H Painting Nr. 39. Behind him one of the best battles of the night was for third place with Dale Wester, Jeff Welborn, Tracy Adams and Jerry Cowart swapping positions in every turn.

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

Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Race Results – Sat, Sept 20, 2003

SUPER SPRINT CARS - Heat 1: 1. #72, Charlie Brown, Greenville; 2. #95, Jeff Day, Greenville; 3. #15, Johnny Suggs, Mesquite; 4. #31, Matt Clevenger, Flower Mound; 5. #99, Kurt Summers, Mesquite; 6. #97, Ben Webb, Mesquite

Heat 2: 1. #28, Larry Long, Dallas; 2. #6, Justin Spoerl, Mesquite; 3. #12, Jeff Shaddock, Rowlett; 4. #8, Wayne McNally, Dallas; 5. #35, Richard Gosey, Oklahoma City, Okla.

A FEATURE: 1. #95, Jeff Day, Greenville; 2. #31, Matt Clevenger, Flower Mound; 3. #28, Larry Long, Dallas; 4. #72, Charlie Brown, Greenville; 5. #99, Kurt Summers, Mesquite; 6. #6, Justin Spoerl, Mesquite; 7. #12, Jeff Shaddock, Rowlett; 8. #35, Richard Gosey, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 9. #15, Johnny Suggs, Mesquite; 10. #8, Wayne McNally, Dallas; DNS - #97, Ben Webb, Mesquite

CHAMPIONSHIP SPRINT CARS - Heat 1: 1. #5, Kenny Butler, Jr., Oklahoma City, Okla.; 2. #20X, Cary Grovenor, Mesquite; 3. #9, David Flanagan, Terrell; 4. #1, Chad Cavett, Rockwall; 5. #43X, Dale Wester, Ovilla

Heat 2: 1. #3, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland; 2. #36, Mitchell Gosey, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 3. #3X, David Gailley, Mesquite; 4. #6, Brad Doherty, Ennis; 5. #10T, Troy Bontrager, Wylie

A FEATURE: 1. #3, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland; 2. #36, Mitchell Gosey, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 3. #20X, Cary Grovenor, Mesquite; 4. #5, Kenny Butler, Jr., Oklahoma City, Okla.; 5. #3X, David Gailley, Mesquite; 6. #10T, Troy Bontrager, Wylie; 7. #6, Brad Doherty, Ennis; 8. #9, David Flanagan, Terrell; 9. #43X, Dale Wester, Ovilla; 10. #1, Chad Cavett, Rockwall

USA MODIFIEDS - Heat 1: 1. #1X, Richard Miller, Terrell; 2. #5, Billy Fronterhouse, Wylie; 3. #50, Steve Sickels, Rowlett; 4. #00, Dink McCullough, Balch Springs; 5. #84, Aaron Morey, Dallas; 6. #27, Tony Batt, Princeton; 7. #19, Richard McGibboney, Dallas; 8. #50X, Rowdy Starnes, McKinney

Heat 2: 1. #17, Charles Lasater, Garland; 2. #99, Johnny Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 3. #15, Chris Locke, Mesquite; 4. #71, Ronnie Carty, DeSoto; 5. #8, Skip O'Neal, Midlothian; 6. #88, Clyde Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 7. #91, Joe Kasper, Ferris; 8. #90, Johnny Hitt, Kaufman

Heat 3: 1. #39, Rick McCommas, Balch Springs; 2. #77, Randy Kirkland, Mesquite; 3. #12, Dale Wester, Ovilla; 4. #19J, Jeff Welborn, Princeton; 5. #4, Tracy Adams, Rowlett; 6. #6P, Jerry Cowart, Mesquite; 7. #123, Dan Day, Princeton; 8. #2X, Ryan Williams, Waxahachie

B Main: 1. #50X, Rowdy Starnes, McKinney; 2. #6P, Jerry Cowart, Mesquite; 3. #19, Richard McGibboney, Dallas; 4. #27, Tony Batt, Princeton; 5. #88, Clyde Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 6. #91, Joe Kasper, Ferris; 7. #123, Dan Day, Princeton; 8. #2X, Ryan Williams, Waxahachie; 9. #90, Johnny Hitt, Kaufman

A FEATURE: 1. #50X, Rowdy Starnes, McKinney; 2. #88, Clyde Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 3. #1X, Richard Miller, Terrell; 4. #17, Charles Lasater, Garland; 5. #4, Tracy Adams, Rowlett; 6. #5, Billy Fronterhouse, Wylie; 7. #12, Dale Wester, Ovilla; 8. #99, Johnny Dunn, Jr., Sunnyvale; 9. #77, Randy Kirkland, Mesquite; 10. #84, Aaron Morey, Dallas; 11. #8, Skip O'Neal, Midlothian; 12. #39, Rick McCommas, Balch Springs; 13. #19J, Jeff Welborn, Princeton; 14. #15, Chris Locke, Mesquite; 15. #19, Richard McGibboney, Dallas; 16. #6P, Jerry Cowart, Mesquite; 17. #71, Ronnie Carty, DeSoto; 18. #00, Dink McCullough, Balch Springs; 19. #50, Steve Sickels, Rowlett; 20. #27, Tony Batt, Princeton

LATE MODELS - Heat 1: 1. #77, Ronnie Welborn, Princeton; 2. #12, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland; 3. #47, Jack Ambern,Jr., Arp; 4. #28, Ronnie Long, Dallas; 5. #1, Cheyney Hopkins, Combine; 6. #ZZ, Sloppy Hogg, Arlington; 7. #5A, Michael Coleman, Tyler; 8. #55, Ron Lane, Saginaw; 9. #22, Larry Dean, Fruitvale

Heat 2: 1. #13, Chuck Beusch, Red Oak; 2. #9, Mike Ambern, Longview; 3. #57K, Kelly King, Iowa Park; 4. #9D, Jerry Horn, Athens; 5. #14, Wayman McMillan, Gladewater; 6. #8, Skip O'Neal, Midlothian; 7. #51, Britt Ables, Wylie; 8. #74, John Sliney, Keller

A FEATURE: 1. #47, Jack Ambern,Jr., Arp; 2. #9, Mike Ambern, Longview; 3. #8, Skip O'Neal, Midlothian; 4. #77, Ronnie Welborn, Princeton; 5. #14, Wayman McMillan, Gladewater; 6. #12, Jimmy Goodwin, Garland; 7. #1, Cheyney Hopkins, Combine; 8. #5A, Michael Coleman, Tyler; 9. #28, Ronnie Long, Dallas; 10. #57K, Kelly King, Iowa Park; 11. #9D, Jerry Horn, Athens; 12. #ZZ, Sloppy Hogg, Arlington; 13. #74, John Sliney, Keller; 14. #51, Britt Ables, Wylie; 15. #13, Chuck Beusch, Red Oak; 16. #55, Ron Lane, Saginaw; 17. #22, Larry Dean, Fruitvale

STREET STOCKS - Heat: 1. #1, Flash Fifield, Mesquite; 2. #21, Michael Murphy, Ferris; 3. #11, Danny Zimmerman, Terrell; 4. #31, Walter Dorsett, Royse City; 5. #00X, Michael Grubbs, Sachse; 6. #9, Arin Lawrence, Carrollton; 7. #8, Mark Ross, Royse City; 8. #146L, Steve Lister, Mabank; 9. #47, Danny d'Happart, Wylie; 10. #51X, Danny Florence, McKinney

Trophy Dash: 1. #31, Walter Dorsett, Royse City; 2. #21, Michael Murphy, Ferris; 3. #11, Danny Zimmerman, Terrell; 4. #1, Flash Fifield, Mesquite

A FEATURE: 1. #11, Danny Zimmerman, Terrell; 2. #21, Michael Murphy, Ferris; 3. #51X, Danny Florence, McKinney; 4. #9, Arin Lawrence, Carrollton; 5. #00X, Michael Grubbs, Sachse; 6. #8, Mark Ross, Royse City; 7. #31, Walter Dorsett, Royse City; 8. #146L, Steve Lister, Mabank; 9. #47, Danny d'Happart, Wylie; 10. #1, Flash Fifield, Mesquite

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The #35 Super Sprint race car and trailer of Richard Gosey were stolen from a Mesquite motel parking lot some time in the early morning hours after Saturday's races. Anyone with any information on this theft is asked to call the Mesquite police department.

 Aaron Morey driving Tom Lorenz’s Nr. 84 Smiley’s Race Car Products / Hoosier Tire Southwest again this week. He is a new driver who moved to the DFW area over the winter and has shown a lot of talent in several different cars this year.

During the first modified heat the  track was very slick at start - Richard Miller took the lead on second lap from Dink McCullough. Richard has been learning a lot driving at different tracks over the past year. He was feathering throttle very well to handle track conditions and stay out front.

Joe Kasper made his first appearance at Devil’s Bowl this season driving the Nr. 91 modified.

David Flanagan and David Gailley made their sprint car debuts in the Championship Sprint class Saturday night. Gailley drove the 3X and Flanagan was in the 9. They both ran well for their first night in a sprint car, with Gailley finishing fifth in the feature.

Ben Webb chose to start on the back of the first super sprint heat race, a good move as Ben’s car suddenly lost a lot of water and pulled off on the third lap.