First Sprint Feature Win for Tarrant at Devil's Bowl

Mesquite, TX (June 11) – Chris Tarrant too off at the green flag and never looked back on his way to his winning his first super sprint feature at Devil's Bowl Speedway Saturday night. Trandel White swept the street stocks for his first win of the year. Clyde Dunn, Jr. claimed the $1,000 top prize in the USA modified feature. Ronnie Long set the pace for the late models. 

At the drop of the green flat, Martin Edwards and Chris Tarrant took off from the front row of the 15-lap super sprint main. Diving through the third and fourth turns, Tarrant claimed the lead in his Auto Meter / Jeff's Performance / TPI Travel Nr. 71. With nothing in front of him, Tarrant took off and quickly built his lead to over a dozen car lengths.

Edwards battled several laps with Bill Waller and Brandon Erwin before surrending the second spot to Erwin on the 12th lap. By that time Tarrant had build his lead to almost a third of a lap, which disappeared when the yellow flag came out with just a couple laps remaining.

Erwin took advantage of the opportunity and tried to get past Tarrant, but there was no stopping Tarrant as he claimed his first sprint car victory. Edwards was third, with Matt Clevenger fourth and Larry Long fifth. Erwin and Clevenger topped the super sprint heats.

Trandel White has had a pretty good seasons this year with seven top fives and four heat race wins in ten race nights. However White had yet to find victory lane in a street stock feature at Devil's Bowl. Saturday night everything worked perfectly as White won his heat race, the trophy dash and the 12-lap feature in his Verna May / Garcia's Lawn Care Nr. 10.

Frank Shafer got a run coming out of turn two to claim the lead on the opening lap in his Performance Auto Supply Nr. 84. With typical street stock three wide racing thoughout the pack there was contact between several cars, however, the race continued without a caution until the ninth lap.

Shafer maintained the top spot, with Kevin Leach close behind with Damren Kuykendall third and White in the fourth spot. Racing through turn two Kuykendall got sent into the infield tire in the close action. That brought out the only yellow flag of the race.

After starting on the outside of the fourth row, White lined up for the restart in the third position. When the green flag dropped White was able to pull past Shafer in the first turn to take the lead. Jason Trevathan got past Shafer as the white flag flew. But White was solidly out front and would not be denied the victory. Third behind Trevathan was Danny Zimmerman with Leach and David Gailley rounding out the top five. Trevathan topped the other street stock heat.

A week ago a hard crash into the front straight wall turned Clyde Dunn's modified into an expensive piece of scrap metal. Thursday night, the new car got caught up in hard racing and sent to the pits with damage. Saturday night, Clyde might have been happier about finishing the race without major damage than about winning the feature... nah!!!

As the green flag dropped on the USA modifed main, polesitter Billy Fronterhouse and outside front row starter Jeff Welborn raced for the lead, only to have Rowdy Starnes come past them both and claim the position. On the fourth lap, Don Jensen went around in the first turn, collecting eight cars. But several, including Clyde Dunn were able to keep going before the caution flew.

By keeping going, Dunn was able to line up fourth for the restart.. Soon he was battling his cousin Johnny Dunn, Jr. for the second spot while Starnes stayed out front. The yellow waved again on the sixth lap. That gave Clyde Dunn the opportunity he needed to get past Starnes to take the lead.

Johnny Dunn moved up to second and soon challenged his cousin. The pair raced side by side several times with Troy Taylor making the battle a three way affair very quickly. The final yellow flag came out on the 12th lap.

Clyde Dunn resumed his pace as the field took the green flag with Taylor taking the runnerup spot. As Taylor battled to take the top spot, Dunn would not be denied as he earned his fourth feature win of the season in the Smiley's Racing / Crandall Cotton Gin Restaurant/ Young Chevrolet Nr. 88.

Johnny Dunn, Jr. was third with Bobby Ruffin and Rick McCommas fourth and fifth at the checkered flag. Starnes, Jason Troutman and Billy Fronterhouse won the modified heat races.

Ronnie Long brought the Town East Ford Nr. 28 late model to victory lane for the third time this season. Perhaps his best accomplishment of the night was missing a second lap crash which completely blocked the main straight with six car piled on top of each other. The wreck sent four of the cars to the trailer with unrepairable damage.

Michael Grubbs went to the bottom of turns one and two to claim the lead of the feature on the opening circuit. At the end of the second lap, the Nr. ZZ of Sloppy Hogg lost power coming out of turn four - he was running third at the time. A couple drivers were able to cut to the inside, but some couldn't The grinding crash had the track completely blocked with Chuck Buesch, Wayman McMillian, Britt Ables, Tom Lorenz and Darren Ellis all tangled up along with Hogg's car and each other.

Lorenz and Ellis were able to restart the feature, the others done for the night.

Grubbs restarted out front after the cleanup with Long, who avoided the crash, in third. Just two laps later Long was able to pass Grubbs and take the lead. He only slowed once on his way to victory, for a caution on the fifth lap. Even when catching slower cars near the end of the race, Long was able to maintain his advantage of over a quarter lap all the way to the checkered flag.

Lorenz cmae back to finish second with Grubbs running third. Richard Mills was fourth with Ellis taking fifth. Beusch and Ellis won the heat races.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Race Results – Sat, June 11, 2005

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Next At Devil's Bowl

Saturday, June 18

O'Reilly Kid's Night

Free Admission Night for children ages 15 and under

Super Sprints,  USA Modifieds, Late Models, Street Stocks