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By Bruce
Crowley
Elko,
NV…Ricky Alvarado, the defending champion and current point leader for
the Wild West Modified Tour, won his fourth Wild West feature race of
the season Sunday afternoon at Summit Raceway. During the two year
existence of the Tour, Alvarado has been victorious in over half of
the scheduled events, eight out of 16 last year, and, so far the
27-year old Delta, Colorado driver has won four out of nine this
season. The Nevada leg of the Wild West Tour started last Friday in
Winnemucca, they raced the following night at Battle Mountain and
ended the barnstorming here at Elko’s Summit Raceway. In this portion
of the schedule, Alvarado took two out of three features that were
run, winning here and at Battle Mountain. The only blemish on his
slate was a second place behind Wyoming star Justen Yeager at
Winnemucca Regional Raceway. Only 38 of the sleek and powerful
modifieds were ready for action at Summit, following car counts of 51
at Winnemucca and 41 at Battle Mountain, due partly to the ninety
degree weather and some attrition at the previous two venues. The Wild
West Tour is sanctioned by IMCA and nation, region, state, and local
track points were awarded at each track.
The cars
were divided into four heat races and the top three finishers were
automatically into the feature; the next 12 drivers were taken from
the two ‘B’ mains, six from each of the two races.
The
first heat qualifiers were winner Kelly Shaw from Idaho, Justen Yeager
from Wyoming and Well’s Steve Pruitt. Qualifiers from the second heat
were Ryan Dimick, Wellington, Utah, Terry Taylor from Hurricane, West
Virginia and Billy Anderson , Round Mountain, NV. Ricky Alvarado,
Delta, Colorado won heat number three over former Summit Raceway
champion Ward Amberson, Spring Creek and Riverton, Wyoming’s Jeff
Cooper. Last year’s IMCA Western Region Rookie of the Year Chase
Hanson out of Myton, Utah took the final heat. Second went to
Mohave
Valley,
Arizona ace Cory Simoneau, while third was Dave Jurist from Bullhead
City, Arizona.
The two
‘B’ main races took six drivers each. Rigby, Idaho’s Don Baisch
captured the first one over Robert Gallegos, Cory, Colorado; Wade
Taylor, Spring Creek; John McCormick, Monte Vista, Colorado; Dan
Basanez, Elko; Chase Ruble, Hotchkiss, Colorado; Perry Huszarik from
Blackie, Alberta, Canada.
Helper,
Idaho’s
Chuck Buchanan won the second ‘B’ and former Gold Rush winner Richard
G. Anderson was second, Winnemucca’s Cory Sample third, fourth went to
Joe Hood from Spring Creek. Mickey Stubbing from
Idaho
and Spring Creek’s James Lester were the final two added to the
feature.
Terry
Taylor led the initial lap in the 30-lap feature event of the
afternoon but faded to third during the next lap as Simoneau was on
the bubble. Meanwhile, Alvarado moved up to second from his third row
start on the second go-around. A lap later, Yeager bolted to third
right behind the point leader from12th starting. Local ace Wade Taylor
went to fifth on the 5th lap, as Alvarado charged past
Simoneau for first; quickly Yeager followed in his tire prints. Kelly
Shaw made it a threesome but Taylor’s spin slowed the field as
Victoria Gallegos’ yellow flag flowed under the warm sun. After the
green, Alvarado and Yeager did a little dicing but the champ was in
control, that is, until lap 22. Yeager went to the inside of Alvarado
going down the front stretch and took the lead. With five to go it was
Yeager, Alvarado, Shaw, Anderson, and Joe Hood. Leaving turn two
during lap 26, Alvarado passed the leader to become the new leader,
relegating Yeager to second. A late yellow moved the field a little
closer but Alvarado closed the door the next several laps to win his
second in as many days. Yeager held off Shaw and Anderson. Alvarado
showed the Elko fans how good he really is.
Summit
Raceway will be dark until the weekend of July 11 & 12, a Friday and
Saturday race weekend. Races will start at 6:30.
WILD
WEST MODIFIED TOUR
SUMMIT
RACEWAY JUNE 22, 2008
Heat
one: Kelly Shaw, Justen Yeager, Steve Pruitt, Robert Gallegos, Wade
Taylor,
Heat
two: Ryan Dimick, Terry Taylor, Billy Anderson, Dusty Safley, R.
Anderson
Heat
three: Ricky Alvarado, Ward Amberson, Jeff Cooper, Don Baisch, Lonny
Timmons,
Heat
four: Chase Hansen, Cory Simoneau, Dave Jurist, Mickey Stubbings, J.
Stringfellow
“B’ 1:
Don Baisch, Robert Gallegos, Wade Taylor, John McCormick, Dan Basanez
Chase
Ruble, Perry Huszarik, Ivan Nesham, Dusty Safley, Troy Sweeten
‘B’ 2:
Chuck Buchanan, Richard G. Anderson, Cory Sample, Joe Hood,
Mickey
Stubbibgs, James Lester, Dusty Greenwood, Jon Strinfellow
Bobby
Steensen
Feature:
Ricky Alvarado, Justen Yeager, Kelly Shaw, Richard G. Anderson,
John
McCormick, Cory Sample, Billy Anderson, Chuck Buchanan, Jeff Cooper
Micky
Stubbings, Chase Ruble, Dan Basanez, Steve Pruitt, Ward Amberson
Cory
Simoneau, Robert Gallegos, Wade Taylor, James Lester, Dave Jurist
Terry
Taylor, Chase Hansen, Ryan Dimick, Don Baisch. |
