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Last Updated July 17, 2008

Elko, Nevada…The 2006 Summit Raceway auto racing season opened this past weekend in grand style as I.M.C.A. national modified point leader Dan Fitzgerald and former ECAR Gen-X champion Teri Kellum swept both feature events in their respective divisions. Other drivers who emerged with victories were: Cliff Hagan Friday night in the ECAR Pro Stock feature, and Winnemucca’s Dave Jenkins Saturday night; Spring Creek’s Bob Brown raced to victory in the ECAR Modified Mini event Friday, while 2002 champion Mike Fietzek won the companion race on Saturday night. Saturday night was designated ‘Founders Day’ at Summit Raceway, to honor the men who toiled to built the track 21 years ago.

Fitzgerald, a Las Vegas math teacher, completed a sweep of northern and eastern Nevada tracks over the past three weeks to add to his impressive win totals. For his career, the young man is closing in on the century mark in I.M.C.A. feature wins with 94. By winning Saturday night, Fitzgerald has now passed former Western Region champion Jason Pike from Pahrump as the all-time winner in Nevada I.M.C.A. history. On Friday, facing the 14 car field, Fitzgerald looked as if he was in mid-season form, as he was never headed in the 30-lap contest, although Malon Gonzalez made some strong moves behind him, but was unable to stand up to the winner. Gonzalez settled for the runner-up position, just ahead of Randy Artz from Battle Mountain. Joe Rigsby was a strong fourth. On Saturday, Fitzgerald had to move up from the fourth row. He took former two-time track champion Ward Amberson’s lead to garner his 14^th win here in his last 15 events, placing him as the all-time I.M.C.A. Modified winner at Summit. Artz, who runs a Dodge power plant in his BMS machine, finished second. So far this season, Artz, a former Battle Mountain Raceway champion, has finished second, third, and now, another second behind Fitzgerald. By the way, Artz bought the car from Fitzgerald, who now uses a ’06 BMS chassis. Third in the Saturday show was Amberson, who looked tough in his new car, and former three-time track champion Corey Steensen was in fourth place. The Ryndon Rocket, Joe Rigsby, was in the fifth spot. Rigsby looks sharp in the early season.

Teri Kellum won the 2004 Gen-X division championship, lost her title last year despite eight feature wins, and is out to reclaim her title. So far, she looks as if she might be on the right track. Eric Moorhead was leading Friday night, but a leaking tire betrayed him, allowing Kellum to reel him in, and race past him. The two Elko drivers should put on some donnybrooks in the coming weeks. Third in the Friday event was Valerie McLeod, and fourth was Ashleigh Bame, who won her first race in the heat race. Bame took the lead early in the Saturday feature but gave way to Moorhead before Kellum turned up the heat, and the win. With last year’s champion Jay McLeod moved up to the Modified Mini class, Kellum and Moorhead should battle it out for the crown.

Spring Creek’s Cliff Hagan, a former title holder at Ely, raced to the first Pro Stock feature of the new season over Dave Jenkins in a ‘stand-on-your-seat’ race. Perennial champion Brian Thorp took the early lead but Hagan was in first by the fourth lap, with Thorp and Jenkins close behind. On the 18^th go-around, Jenkins smashed into Thorp’s front end as the two were leaving turn 4, sending Thorp into the retaining wall. Exit Thorp. But Hagan had too much for Jenkins on this night, as Jenkins finished in second behind Hagan; third was Marnie Thorp; fourth went to Bob Brown. Terry Lister led the first five laps on Saturday until the Brian Thorp prevailed. Jenkins had it his way on the 13^th circuit to gain the lead and held the point to the checkered flag. Thorp was second and Bob Brown finished third. Jenkins car has it all and was the class of the division.

Spring Creek newcomer Bob Brown, a transplant from California, showed the Modified Mini drivers just how it’s done, as he took the lead from Mike Fietzek during lap 15 to post his first feature in his first race here.. Third went to Lee Bosch and newcomer Joanna Sandman got fourth. The two reversed finishing positions on Saturday as Fietzek, driving the former Dennis Pruitt machine from last year, took the lead from Bosch on the 9^th go-around and was never headed after that. Fietzek’s daughter Andrea had a scare early in the race as she hit a tire wall and was dazed. She was checked-out by the ambulance crew and released.

Pit Notes: With 34 cars in the pits for the opener, four more cars showed up on Saturday to put on a great weekend of racing for the Elko fans. The father-son team of Don and Kasey Baisch towed from Idaho to race here, and we hope they will run here as much as their time permits. The best showing of the three drivers who jumped from the Modified Mini class to the hot bed of the I.M.C.A. Modifieds: Steve Pruitt finished 11^th in the Saturday feature; Scott Coffelt was right behind him in 12^th; Bobby Steensen was 15^th. Those numbers will improve dramatically, as those drivers have the talent to do it all. Only one Dash will be run each race due to time constraints, with classes rotating every week.

The next race here will be held on Saturday night May 13.

SUMMIT RACEWAY RESULTS FRIDAY APRIL 28, 2006

I.M.C.A. MODIFIEDS

SUMMIT RACEWAY RESULTS SATURDAY APRIL 29, 2006