| By Bruce Crowley
Elko, NV…Artz, Levie, Maier, Pruitt & Lister are not the name of a high
priced Beverley Hills law firm, nor are they names from the new Harry Potter
novel; but, rather they are the names of the last Saturday’s feature winners
at Summit Raceway. Randy Artz is a former Battle Mountain Raceway champion
in the IMCA Modified ranks, but had his Dodge engine purring like a big
mountain lion in the scheduled 30-lap feature event. Due to wrecks during
the night, this race was curtailed to only 17 laps; with nary a tow truck in
sight on Saturday, it made running a crisp program a long shot, if not a
crap shoot. Several accidents, especially in the Pro Stock feature with Jay
McLeod driving former champion Bernie Sethaler’s car and ended up on the
turn two hill. That incident took a major toll on time constraints.
Randy Artz is a former Battle Mountain Raceway
champion and has campaigned here in the IMKCA Modified ranks driving his
Dodge powered car, unique in northern Nevada. He had his MOPAR purring like
a kitten, but the car acted more like Jack the Bear, especially after he
took the lead. No one was going to derail the veteran driver on this night
he was that strong. Spring Creek star Joe Hood, who was the winner two weeks
ago, chased Artz to the end, but his chance to repeat was dashed when the
checkered flag was thrown during a caution period. Many yellows marred this
one, a major problem throughout the country in IMCA competition. A new
line-up procedure was used Saturday night, but it will be seen if the track
will adapt it in the upcoming weeks. Following Artz and Hood, it was Ray
Thompson, Nevada point leader Chad Farstveet, and Summit point leader Wade
Taylor. Farstveet, Taylor and Tim Mazour were the winners in the preliminary
heat races. For the top five it was a great tune-up for the lucrative
Modified only race on Friday August 3.
In ECAR Pro Stock action, Elko’s John Levie went
wire-to-wire for his first ever feature victory in the division in only his
third outing this season. Levie held off point leader George Quintana until
the 21st lap, when Quintana’s car developed electrical woes, and
left him with a fourth place finish. On lap 19, McLeod took his wild ride,
rivaling some of the rides at Disneyland. Terry Lister finished as the
runner-up to Levie, while third went to defending champion Brian Thorp.
Thorp cut one point from Quintana’s lead with six races left here and one
more joint point race next Saturday night at Battle Mountain; Thorp is only
six back and has more wins in the division here and at Battle Mountain in
any other driver the Pro Stock division. Levie was not passed by anyone
Saturday, as he turned in a sweep as he won the heat race wire-to-wire also.
Lamoille’s star Dennis Pruitt went into Saturday
night’s program as the Mini Mod point leader, but he’s keeping a low
profile. Two seasons ago, he was in the same situation, but lost out during
the final race of the year. The veteran driver tacked up his sixth feature
at Summit this season, although he picked-up only one point over defending
champion Mike Fietzek, who is ranked second in points. Fietzek led the first
four go-a-rounds in the feature until Pruitt seized the point and was never
headed. At the checkered, it was Pruitt, Fietzek, Jack Hammond, Lee Bosch,
and Andrea Fietzek. During the heat race, Fietzek chased Pruitt once more to
the checkered flag. By winning, Pruitt extended his lead over Fietzek to six
markers.
Going into the races Saturday, Elko teen Cody Maier
was looking for his first feature victory here this season; today he can
look no more. Maier took an early lead in the feature over archrival
Geoffrey Bullock, who happens to be the current point leader in their Gen-X
class. Bullock has seemed to be unstoppable at Summit this season, his first
full season of racing, with his six victories out of eight starts. The two
matched wins in the two heat races Saturday, and they lined up right next to
each other in the fourth row in the feature. Maier led during the fourth lap
until Bullock passed him. But Maier didn’t like that situation and, after
looking at Bullock’s tail pipe for a couple of laps, he regained the lead.
Maier kept the lead for the next 13 laps when the checker fell. After Maier
and Bullock, it was Neil Wadford in third, while Heather Bame was fourth.
Defending Pure Stock champion James Lister his a long
dry spell from June 8th until he broke it by winning his fifth of
the season on Saturday night. The young man turned in a flag-to-flag win
over Dustin Greenwood, a driver who improves every time out. Jay McLeod was
third, while Valerie McLeod finished in the four spot. Greenwood beat Lister
in the trophy dash, while McLeod captured the heat race. In the point chase,
Greenwood is now two points behind leader Bernie Sethaler.
PIT NOTES: On Friday night August 3, a special
Modifieds only race will open a two day show at Summit. The next night, a
regular show will be presented, with all divisions will be in action. The
Friday show will have a $2000 to win feature races. It will be an IMCA
sanctioned race and all track, region and national points will be place….the
final joint point races will be held at Battle Mountain on Saturday night
July 28, following the regular Friday race at Winnemucca.
SUMMIT RACE WAY results from Saturday night July 21,
2007 9 0f 15
IMCA MODIFIEDS
Heat one: Tim Mazour, Joe Hood, Jimmy Lester, Joe
Rigsby, Scott Moorhead
Heat two: Wade Taylor, Dan Basanez, James McCoy, Cliff
Hagan, Cory Sample
Heat three: Chad Farstveet, Randy Artz, Ray Thompson,
Tracy Greenwood,
Keith Greenwood
Feature: Randy Artz, Joe Hood, Ray Thompson, Chad
Farstveet, Wade Taylor,
Cory Sample, Steve Pruitt, Cliff Hagan, Brandon
Vandermay, Joe Rigsby
James McCoy, Keith Greenwood, Tim Mazour, Jimmy Lester
Dan Basanez, Scott Moorhead, Tracy Greenwood
ECAR PRO STOCKS
Heat: John Levie, Marnie Thorp, Brian Thorp, Terry
Lister, George Quintana,
Jay McLeod
Feature: John Levie, Terry Lister, Brian Thorp, George
Quintana, Marnie Thorp,
Jay McLeod
ECAR MINI MODS
Heat: Dennis Pruitt, Mike Fietzek, Chad Farstveet,
Jack Hammond, Andrea Fietzek
Feature: Dennis Pruitt, Mike Fietzek, Jack Hammond,
Lee Bosch, Andrea Fietzek
ECAR GEN-X
Heat one: Cody Maier, Neil Wadford, Heather Bame, 27,
Jennifer Fietzek DNS
Heat two: Geoffrey Bullock, Shalynn Guthrie, Ben
Kellum, Tanner Roche DNS
Feature: Cody Maier, Geoffrey Bullock, Neil Wadford,
Heather Bame,
Shalynn Guthrie, 27, Ben Kellum, Tanner Roche
ECAR PURE STOCKS
Heat: Jay McLeod, James Lister, Dustin Greenwood,
Valerie McLeod, Jake Lister
Trophy dash: Dustin Greenwood, James Lister, Jay
McLeod, Valerie McLeod
Feature: James Lister, Dustin Greenwood, Jay McLeod,
Valerie McLeod, Jake Lister
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