Jennings Leads ASCS Sprints to Checkered Flag at Devil's Bowl

Mesquite, TX (June 9) – Danny Jennings avoided trouble and used lapped traffic enroute to victory when the ASCS CompCams Speedweek Tour visited Devil's Bowl Speedway Thursday night. Troy Taylor pulled off a white flag pass to win the USA modified feature. Darren Ellis repeated his late model victory of last weekend. Jason Trevathan went to victory in a caution free street stock main. (Additional photos from Thursday night)

It took Danny Jennings only six laps and two cautions to get out front in the ASCS CompCams Speedweek feature at Devil's Bowl Speedway Thursday evening. As the green flag flew on the field of 23 ASCS sprinters, Jennings rocketed from the third row to the lead. However the yellow flag flew moments later for Brad Welborn's spin. When the field lined up for the start again, it was Jan Howard flying from the outside of the front row to take the lead.

Many drivers were trying, unsuccessfully, to ride the rim around the top of turns one and two, and that let Larry Neighbors claim the top spot in a couple laps. After another yellow flag slowed the field on the third circuit. Jennings got a strong run on the restart and was able to get past Neighbors in the second turn on the sixth official trip around the Devil's Bowl oval.

Once out front, Jennings picked his line carefully around the drying track to build his lead and control the race. Neighbors gave chase but could only close the margin as Jennings in the Goodyear / Lucas Oil Nr. 61J worked through lapped traffic in the final few laps. The victory made Jennings the fifth different winner in the first five races of the 2005 Edition of the ASCS CompCams Speedweek. Neighbors had to settle for second place with Darren Stewart coming from 12th on the start to claim third. Fourth went to polesitter Wayne Johnson with Gary Wright taking fifth - after winning the first B main and starting the feature in the 15th position.

Jake Martens topped the second B main with Wayne Johnson, Jan Howard, Shane Clement, Dan Young and Skip Wilson winning the heat races. It was a fast and relatively safe night with only one major incident, when Miek Stitzmann, Jr. got out of shape on the start of the second B main and Marshall Skinner could not avoid the crash which sent both cars flipping down the front straight. Neither driver was injured.

Troy Taylor had to take his time and work from the outside of the sixth row before winning the USA Modified feature. Don Jensen claimed the early lead, but the caution flag flew quickly. Steve Sickels car hooked hard into the front straight wall on the second lap, collecting Randy Kirkland in the grinding crash. Both drivers walked away from the wreckage. 

Bobby Ruffin took the lead on the sixth lap after two more cautions slowed the field. Taylor had risen to take over the second spot a lap later. Soon Taylor and Ruffin were battling for the lead. The duel lasted the second half of the race before Taylor went high in turn four and around the outside to lead as the white flag flew. It was Taylor's first victory at Devil's Bowl this season in the Batson Constructions/ Smiley's Racing Nr. 56. Ruffin was second just a few feet back in the Nr. 7 with Jensen third in the Jeanie's Used Auto Parts/ Corker Tire Nr. 40. Johnny Dunn, Jr. in the Smiley's / Speed Specialties Nr. 99 and Bryan Sugg in the Nr. 8. The heat races were won by Chad Ewell, Rick McCommas and Charles Lasater.

Ronnie Welborn charged out front early in the late model feature, but coming up the outside was Darren Ellis. As Welborn battled with Jerry Horn for the top stop, Ellis flew around the top in his Adams Fence / Race Ragz / Performance Auto Supply Nr. 21X to pass the group and take the lead just a lap later.

Tom Lorenz also came from the fourth row and was right behind Ellis for the rest of the race. The late models avoided the yellow flag fever which plagued the modifieds - and put on a great show, though Lornez could not get in a position to make a bid for the lead. It was Ellis fourth feature win of the year, second in a week as he narrowed the gap with points leader Skip O'Neal.

Third was Bob Ewell with O'Neal and Patrick Daniel rounding out the top five. Ewell and Ellis won the heat races.

Gary "Hollywood" Gorbin pulled away from the pole position as the street stocks took the green flag. A lap later, Frank Shafer was out front. The street stocks put on their typical three and four wide racing action all around the track. Andy Jones got past Shafer a couple circuits later, but Jason Trevathan in the Anson Powder Coating / Pit Stop Pizza Nr. 3 coming through the field.

As the crossed flags marked the halfway mark in the 12-lap feature, Trevathan claimed the lead. The competitive street stock field did not let Trevathan get away. Danny Zimmerman took the second spot at the checkered flag with David Gailley taking third. Trandel White and Jones were right behind in fourth and fifth positions. Trevathan, Gailley and Kevin Leach won the heat races.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Race Results – Thursday, June 9, 2005

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Next At Devil's Bowl

Saturday, June 11

O'Rielly Free Admission Night for residents of Arlington, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Irving  - with photo ID proof of residence.

Super Sprints,  USA Modifieds, Late Models, Street Stocks