Ewell and Clevenger Take First Wins as Devil's Bowl Points Season Comes to a Close

Mesquite, TX (October 1) – Chad Ewell set the pack for every lap to win his first USA modified feature at Devil's Bowl Speedway Saturday night. Loyd Clevenger avoided trouble and claimed his first super sprint win of the season in a wild feature. Johnny Philpot made his third trip to victory lane this season in his street stock. Darren Ellis took his tenth late model victory of the season as he nailed down the 2005 Late Model Championship as Devil's Bowl Speedway ended it's points season Saturday night. Tracey Erickson drove Pat Walls Nr. 39 to victory in the powder puff feature - just barely edging out Darlene Philpot in a very close finish.

Trandel White took the 2005 street stock championship, finishing with his signature backwards run down the front straight. Rick McCommas claimed his first USA modified championship at Devil's Bowl. Larry Long took the Super Sprint title for the 2005 season. Dale Wester topped the Championship Sprints, whose season ended back in May. (2005 Champions)

Dink's Notebook

USA Modifed Notes: Things did not look good for Chad Ewell about five laps into the USA Modified feature. After starting on the second row, Chad made a good move in the first corner to take the lead. He survived two early cautions and restarts, but was still able to pull away from the battle for second place. But the car started to blow out some smoke entering the turns. Officials watched the car closely, but no fluid was coming out and the problem didn't get worse. Chad drove a masterful race, putting the Dallas-Fort Worth Urethane Nr. 7JR exactly where he wanted the car every lap.

It was Chad's first feature victory at Devil's Bowl. Randy Kirkland tried to close the gap, but was forced to run second most of the race in his Reliable Plumbing / American Locksmith Nr. 77. Steve Sickels took the third spot in his Crandall Cotton Gin Restaurant Nr. 50, with Richard Miller fourth in the Jeanie's Used Auto Parts / Rick Shipp Rebuilders Nr. 1$. Johnny Dunn, Jr. rounded out the top five and claimed second place in the points race in his Smiley's Race Car Products / Speed Specialties Nr. 99.

Colby Smith topped the B main in his Innovative Designs / The Shop Nr. 01, while Sickels, Dunn and Don Jensen in the Jeanie's Used Auto Parts / Corker Tire Nr. 40 won the heat races.

Super Sprint Notes: Loyd Clevenger took the super sprint feature win in the pits. The second major crash of the race after the white flag flew was enough for officials. Starting on the fourth row, Clevenger fell in the pack as Dan Burk set the early pace.

A tire going down slowed Burk slightly on the fifth lap, and he got sideways in turn four when the left rear was almost completely flat. David Gailley dove under Burk's sideways Nr. 49 to take the lead. When Burk straightened up, third running Michael Lang could not avoid striking Burk's rear bumper. That broke something on Lang's steering of the BP Custom / Custom Cleaners Nr. 14.

Moments later the car turned head on into the front straight wall. The car crashed hard, shedding parts and flipping. As the car, and parts came back across the front straight, the front axle, with both wheels still attached, came right at Charlie Brown's car. Brown put the U-Stor-It of Greenville/ Mack's Auto Service Nr. 9 into the inside wall to avoid crashing into Lang sitting in the middle of the track. Both drivers crawled uninjured from their cars.

Gailley took the lead when the race resumed in his Custom Trailers / Tommy G's Welding Nr. 24 with Clevenger right behind in second. On the 11th lap Clevenger grabbed the lead and pulled away by a few car lengths.

As Clevenger took the white flag, third running Dale Wester in the Service King Collision Repair / Allard Racing Engines Nr. 12W broke his steering in turn four. He slowed the car, but it hooked across the track right in front of Todd Evans in the Fillip Automotive of San Angelo Nr. 14E.

The violent crash send Evans flipping and totaled Wester's car. Again both drivers climbed out without injury.

That was the end of the race, with Clevenger taking the win. Gailey's car had lost it's mufflers during the race and was disqualified. That put Martin Edwards in second in the Parks Auto Sales Nr. 45, with Kurt Summers in the Sugar Daddy Kennels / Soulman's BBQ Nr. 99 third, Chris Tarrant in the Forney Car Wash / Auto Meter Nr. 71 fourth and Jeff Shaddock fifth in the Bono's Racing Collectables of Plano / Southern Living at Home - Sue Thirwall Nr. 12.

Burk and Lang won the heat races, with Burk winning the trophy dash.

Late Model Notes: Yellow fever also slowed the late model main. On the opening lap Jeff McGibboney and Jack Ambern, Jr. went around. Mike Nelson led the first official lap in his Pennzoil Nr 7, but Skip O'Neal charged from the fourth row to take the lead on the second trip around the track. The Urban Fire Protection / WA Lockridge Nr. 8 was fast, but closing quickly to take the top spot on the fifth lap was Darren Ellis in the Adam's Fence / Race Ragz Nr. 21X, after starting on the outside of the fifth row.

The caution flew again on the tenth lap. That erased Ellis' lead and put O'Neal and Woody Weaver right behind him for the restart. When the green flag fell, Ellis easily pulled away again, the car tracking perfectly around the bottom of the track for the remaining laps. It was Ellis tenth feature win of the year as he won the late model championship.

Weaver got past O'Neal as the white flag flew, along with Tom Lorenz. But after the checkered flag fell and the cars crossed the scales, the Weaver Pharmacy / ABT Transmissions Nr. 47 was under the minimum weight.

That moved Lorenz in the Smiley's / Hoosier Tire Southwest Nr. 84 up to the second spot with O'Neal credited with third. Taking fourth was Bob Ewell in the Dallas Urethane / Rick Sisk Nr. 85 and Ronnie Long fifth in the Town East Ford / Enduro Powder Coating Nr. 28. Ellis and Weaver won the heats.

Street Stock Notes: The wild night got started early. After Michael Fink led the opening lap of the street stock main, third running Mike Walls transmission broke in turn two. As the car slowed suddenly, Frank Shafer got forced into the infield, and Terry Carter got turned sideways, and flipped quickly and high. Terry was okay after the exciting ride - but his and Shafer's cars were out of the race on the hook, along with Walls.

The battle of the evening was for the street stock title - with Trandel White holding a 155 point lead over Danny Zimmerman when the feature started. Zimmerman needed a perfect race, and White to finish out of the top ten to take the title, but he was the one on the trailer early.

First a car climbed over Zimmerman's left rear, then moments later another car clipped the Quality Intermodal Delivery Services / Master Auto Body Nr. 11X, sending it crashing into the outside wall.

In between the two cautions, Johnny Philpot charged from the third row to take the lead in the J&S Direct Doors / M&M Machine / Riddell Plumbing Nr. 12.

The final half of the race was a close fast battle with Philpot out front and Jason Trevathan close behind. The pair roared around the track, but Philpot never gave Trevathan an opportunity to make the final pass, forcing him to settle for second in the Anson Powder Coating / Pit Stop Pizza Nr. 3.

Mark Ross, Walter Dorsett and Trandel White battled for the third spot for the last half of the race. Ross in the Ross Racing / Tommy G's Welding Nr. 8 got past Dorsett in the Nikon Dallas/ R&D Racing Nr. 31 on the last lap to take third. White came in fifth in the Verna May / Garcia's Lawn Care Nr. 10 and winning the street stock championship.

While Philpot celebrated his third feature win of the year, White took the opportunity to cruise down the front straight backwards - a move he did much faster and straighter near the end of last season while he got spun on the final lap of a feature.

Ross, Mike Walls and Zimmerman won the heat races and Gary Corbin won the B Main in his TST Castrophe Management Nr. 02.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Race Results – Sat, Oct 1, 2005

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