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Last Updated July 17, 2008

Elko, Nevada…Las Vegas math teacher Dan Fitzgerald, currently the IMCA National point leader in the rough and tumble Modified division, showed why he’s rated number one in the nation as he took the lead of the 30-lap feature with only three laps remained to capture his 25^th race of the season Saturday night at Summit Raceway. Starting 14^th on the grid, Fitzgerald took a back seat to other drivers in the early stages in the race, and cautiously passed cars one at a time in the crowded 19-car field. 2005 Mini Mod champion Bobby Steensen and second year driver Wade Taylor paced the field to the Lincoln Litchfield’s initial green flag. Steensen won the honor to lead into turn one but in the middle of turn two, his car darted right to hit the mound next to the track entrance in turn two. The rest of the cars somehow avoid each other in the process, as a complete restart was called for. The subsequent green saw Steensen had his car react nearly the same at the identical spot on the track, but this time Taylor took the lead leaving turn 2, with Joe Rigsby and Tim Mazour chasing him; Steensen was back down to 15^th position. Fitzgerald was running eighth on lap three, but was able to move into 6^th two laps later, as another yellow flowed. Meanwhile, Taylor was in control, as the smooth driving of Taylor thwarted every move by Rigsby. Winnemucca star Rodney Sweet raced into fourth by the seventh go around and was hounding Mazour. Sweet got by Mazour during the 11^th circuit, with Fitzgerald doing the same. With a dozen laps in the books, Sweet roared by Rigsby for second, and just one lap later Fitzgerald also went by Rigsby for the third spot. Sweet claimed first over Taylor on the 14^th lap, but Taylor set up camp in the second position, as Taylor refused to let Fitzgerald to occupy his place in the line up. By this time, former two-time Summit champion Ward Amberson made his way to fourth over Mazour, Chad Farstveet and Rigsby. With six to go, Fitzgerald finally got by the fleet Taylor; two laps later, Taylor looped it in turn two, ending a great race for the Elko driver. On the restart, Fitzgerald made a move to the outside Sweet going into turn one; Sweet was inside, but Fitzgerald used the extra bite leaving two to set up a pass inside of Sweet going into turn three. It worked! With a scant three markers left, Fitzgerald was in first. Sweet tried to mount a final attempt for the win, but Fitzgerald was on a mission. At the finish, Fitzgerald’s margin of victory was two car lengths over Sweet, who beat the champ twice before this season. Finishing in third was Amberson, fourth was Farstveet, and Mazour was fifth. Steensen, Amberson, Fitzgerald, and Jimmy Delaney won the four heat races. With his win, Fitzgerald now leads the Summit points by 73 over second place Mazour with only four races remaining.

In ECAR Pro Stock competition, it was all Cliff Hagan, from when he won his heat race to the feature race. In the 25-lap feature, the Spring Creek driver continued his torrid heat race win in the feature, at least for the first 14 circuits. No one was going to pass him, let alone get close to him, until smoke bellowed from his car leaving turn two on that 14^th lap. Winnemucca’s Dave Jenkins was chasing Hagan for the past 10 laps until the leader’s engine went south, and became the new leader. An incident on the fourth lap between Marnie Thorp and George Quintana going into the first turn might have gone a long way in deciding this one. Quintana went into the feature with three feature wins in a row, and was running third right behind Thorp and Hagan when the cars went out of shape. For the remainder of the race, Quintana was in a catch-up mode, passing cars left and right, but the laps ran out for the Elko driver. Jenkins raced under the checkered flag with Quintana less than a car length away. Point leader Brian Thorp was third, with Spring Creek’s Terry Lister in fourth and Marnie Thorp fifth. Battle Mountain veteran driver Stacy Beeler won the other heat race, but Quintana wasn’t entirely shut out as he conquered the trophy dash field.

Elko’s Mike Fietzek was looking for his ninth ECAR Modified Mini feature this season, but instead spent 20 laps looking at exhaust pipes of Lamoille driver Dennis Pruitt’s car. Pruitt, who won eight times here last season, jumped into sister Connie Sandman’s car and promptly won the heat race. Dennis liked it so much that he turned in a wire-to-wire victory in the feature. The outcome might have been a little different had Fietzek didn’t looped it during the 13^th circuit while running in second, but Pruitt was in control of this one. After Pruitt and Fietzek, it was Jack Hammond, Jay McLeod, and Andrea Fietzek in order to the checkered.

Someone other than Teri Kellum and Cody Maier won the ECAR Gen-X feature race. After Maier led the initial go around, it was all Elko’s Brad Green for the next 14. The veteran driver won his first feature at the track over second place finisher Maier. Point leader Kellum was third in a rare off night for her, while Ashleigh Bame was fourth. Maier won the heat over Kellum. Green may be unable to try to duplicate his win during the final four races of the season here as he sold the winning car after the race.

James Lister once more borrowed his dad’s car, and once more won his heat and the 15-lap feature in a route. Lister the Younger lapped the entire field in the feature to post his second victory in his second time out. Valerie McLeod was second and rookie Linda Aue was third.

Summit Raceway has only four races remaining this season: Friday September 1 and Saturday September 2 and the final weekend of September 22 & 23.

SUMMIT RACEWAY race results Saturday night August 19, 2006 race 11 of 15

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