Lasater Takes Career First Feature Win at Devil's Bowl

Mesquite, TX (May 21) – Charles Lasater topped his racing career at Devil's Bowl Saturday night with the first feature win of his career, holding off Rick McCommas to take the victory. Charlie Brown topped the super sprints for the fifth time this year. Ronnie Long put his late model in victory lane for the second time this year. Danny Zimmerman captured the street stock feature for the second straight week.. 

Some days everything goes right, and some days are even better!!. Saturday night was one of those days for Charles Lasater. His trip to Devil's Bowl Speedway's Victory Lane started in the 2000 racing season. A couple of early heat wins set his expectations, but the competitive USA modified class at Devil's Bowl also put Charles in the B main on eight of eleven race nights in his rookie season. He made steady improvement each year, but the progress was slow at times. Finally in the 2004 season Charles was running in the top ten almost every night and finished seventh in points.

Saturday night started out as a good evening for Lasater, winning his heat race in the Acelco Services / Troy's Used Cars Nr. 17. His point average put him on the outside of the second row as the nineteen USA modifieds took the green flag for the feature. A crash as the field tried to get through turn two on the opening lap sent points leader Clyde Dunn, Jr. to the pits in his Smiley's / Crandall Cotton Gin Nr. 88.

On the restart, Lasater was able to pull up behind leader Richard McGibboney in the Baber's Garage / Red's Meat Company Nr. 19. The pair raced hard for the lead with Lasater able to make the pass on the fourth lap.

Though he fell to second, McGibboney stayed right with Lasater for every lap. The slightest mistake would have given McGibboney the opportunity to retake the lead. The track was fast, but there were a couple ruts the drivers had to avoid as they raced around the Devil's Bowl half-mile oval.

The second yellow flag flew on the tenth lap, and another when the field tried to restart, sending third and fourth running Jeff Welborn in the Baxter Motorsports / Kountry Kids Daycare Nr. 19J and Johnny Dunn, Jr. in the Smiley's/ Speed Specialties Nr. 99 to the pits.

When the race resumed, Lasater pulled ahead by a couple car lengths as Rick McCommas used the outside line to put his Unlimited Sprinkler Fire Protection Nr. 39 into the runner-up spot. The leaders were able to add a few car lengths to their lead.

McCommas, last week's feature winner and a consistent finisher in the top five in points year after year, carefully tested the track and made his move on the 18th lap. He pulled up on Lasater's door in turn two and raced alongside down the back straight and into turn three. Lasater held his line and his speed, putting his car ahead of McCommas as they dove into turn one on the final lap.

Lasater cut a better corner and pulled half  a car length ahead on the back straight. But as he raced through turn three, Lasater hit a rut and the car jerked sideways. Though McCommas was just a couple feet behind he was unable to take advantage of the bobble as Lasater kept his foot on the floor to pull out of the turn just ahead of McCommas. He claimed his career first feature win by about a car length.

Right behind the battle for the final laps was Randy Kirkland in the Reliable Plumbing / American Locksmith Nr. 77, taking third after starting 16th. Colby Smith took the fourth spot on the final restart in his The Shop / Innovative Designs Nr. 01 with McGibboney taking fifth at the checkered flag. 

McCommas topped the USA modified trophy dash, while Lasater, McGibboney and Don Jensen in the Jeanie's Used Auto Parts / Corker Tire Nr. 40 won the heat races. 

The sprint car team to beat in this 2005 season is the Keith's Truck & Accessories / Forney Kar Wash Nr. 72 with driver Charlie Brown. Eight features into the season, Brown has seven top five finishes of which, five are victories. Only a split cylinder which wrecked the engine last week has marred an almost perfect season in the superbly prepared car.

Saturday night's feature started in typical fashion for Brown, lining up on the outside of the fifth row as the 17 super sprints took the green flag. Matt Clevenger took off from the pole into the early lead in the JTM Materials / JRJ Paving Nr. 31. But Michael Lang lost a wheel on his Nr. 14 on the opening lap to bring out the yellow flag. Clevenger again took off when the race resumed while behind him Brandon Erwin in the Mack's Auto Service / Coldwell Banker Nr. 9 and Brown were working their way through the pack.

Erwin took the second spot on the third circuit and Brown claimed third on the next trip around the track. It was not long before Clevenger caught lapped traffic and started to move past the slower cars. As always, getting out of his line to get around the backmarkers eliminated Clevenger's lead.

On the eighth lap, both Brown and Erwin passed Clevenger, with Erwin grabbing the lead. Racing just a couple feet apart, Brown was able to quickly take the lead when Erwin's car slowed on the back straight. Clevenger also got past Erwin before the car resumed top speed.

That gave Brown a couple car length lead, which he extended as he passed another lapped car. After taking the white flag, Brown was charging through turn three and four for the checkered flag when Phillip Dietz flipped high and hard in turn two, bring out the red flag along with the checkered flag.

Dietz quickly crawled from the badly damaged The Shop Diesel Service Nr. 41. Brown went to the scales and the front straight to celebrate his fifth feature win. Clevenger was second, with Erwin third. Taking the fourth spot was Larry Long in the Town East Ford/ Speed Specialties Racing Engines Nr. 28, with Dale Wester fifth in the Service King Collision Repair/ Allard Racing Engines Nr. 12W. Clevenger and Erwin topped the super sprint heat races. 

Ronnie Long's up and down season continued this weekend, on a high note for the driver of the Town East Ford / Enduro Powder Coating Nr. 28. Starting on the outside of the front row, Long quickly took the lead from polesitter Jerry Horn in the Horn's Medical Supply / Melt 'n Pot Nr. 9D. Making the early quick move was Darren Ellis in the Adams Fence / Race Ragz Nr. 21X as he came from the third row to take the second spot on the second lap.

Ellis and Long raced around the track with Britt Ables in the Ables Auto / Troy's Cars Nr. 51 and Skip O'Neal in the Urban Fire Protection / O'Neal Race Engines Nr. 8 taking third and fourth.

The distance between the leaders shrank to just a couple car lengths as they approached lapped traffic, and completely disappeared when the yellow flag flew on the 12th lap. The restart was Ellis' opportunity and he tried everything he could to take the lead, but Long was up to the challenge. He maintained the lead with perfect laps, while Ellis' charge opened the door for O'Neal to grab second. But on one had anything for Long in the final laps, as he claimed his second feature win of the season a car length ahead of O'Neal, with Ellis right behind in third at the checkered flag. Ables took fourth with Chuck Beusch finishing fifth in the Sam's Pizza Pasta and Subs / Family Chiropractic 1st Care Nr. 13. O'Neal and Ables won the late model heats.

As the green flag fell on the street stock 12-lapper, Frank Shafer pulled ahead in his Flat Broke Racing Nr. 84, only to surrender the lead a lap later as he spun in turn two. It was Damren Kuykendall shooting from third to take the top spot in his BML & Associates / BK Millwork Nr. 85 with Zimmerman pulling from fifth to second as the cars dodged and scattered. Zimmerman had started the race on the outside of the sixth row and quickly moved past several cars on the opening lap.

As the leaders came down to complete the fourth lap, Zimmerman went past Kuykendall and started to build a comfortable margin.

The street stock feature ran flag to flag with out a caution, and Zimmerman had his hands full at times working around lapped traffic in his Quality Intermodal Delivery Service / Pro Muffler Nr. 11X.

Lapped traffic proved more difficult for Kuykendall and Jason Trevathan in the Anson Powder Coating / Pit Stop Pizza Nr. 3 as they were racing hard for the second spot. Zimmerman was able to put three lapped cars between himself and the battle for second late in the race on his way to claiming his second straight feature victory. Trevathan managed to take the second spot with three laps remaining, with Kuykendall finishing third. Trandel White maintained the street stock points lead with his fourth place finish in the Verna May / Garcia's Lawn Care Nr. 10, another strong run after starting in the 14th spot. Rounding out the top five was Pat Walls in the Walls Racing / Sue Walls CPA Nr. 39. Zimmerman, Trevathan and Schafer won the street stock heat races.  

Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Race Results – Sat, May 21, 2005

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Next At Devil's Bowl

Saturday, May 28

O'Rielly Free Admission Night for residents of Plano, Richardson, Coppell, Addison, Lewisville, Allen, McKinney, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Farmer's Branch, Frisco & The Colony  - with photo ID proof of residence.

Super Sprints,  USA Modifieds, Late Models, Street Stocks