| By Bruce Crowley
Elko, Nevada…Former three-time IMCA Summit Raceway champion Corey
Steensen showed the way to the checkered flag Saturday night in the 30-lap
Modified feature event. The 2000-2 champ started in the second row on the
starting grid, and passed brother Chris for the lead on lap 3 and never
looked back. Second year driver Wade Taylor from Elko put pressure on
Steensen for the first 14 circuits before giving way to Winnemucca star
Jimmy Delaney, and the two continued to run within a car length behind the
leader. Las Vegas ace Dan Fitzgerald barreled by Chad Farstveet on the ninth
lap to take fifth, and went into fourth over two-time track champion Ward
Amberson two laps later. Fitzgerald, the current national point leader,
passed Taylor in the first turn following one of several restarts.
Fitzgerald could reach out and touch Delaney bumper in the turns, but was
unable to get under Delaney to execute a move to pass. Meanwhile, Taylor
stayed right with Fitzgerald and Amberson and former Battle Mountain
champion Randy Artz in the Dodge joined in the fun. Artz got by Amberson on
the 24th circuit and, suddenly Fitzgerald moved high on the back
chute and slowed dramatically. The track point leader stopped in turn four,
as Lincoln Litchfield waved the yellow. On the restart, Steensen continued
his pursuit for victory, as both Delaney and Taylor were right in tow. At
the checkered, it was all Steensen as he forged a three-car advantage over
Delaney. Third place went to Taylor, who drove his career best and looked
good doing it. This young man should be in Victory Lane very soon. Artz
finished fourth, with Amberson in fifth. The 31-year old winner has not
competed regularly since his championship years, but won here last year;
each time he’s on the track it’s as if he’s putting on a clinic on how to
drive the track. Congrats, Corey!!
As in Friday’s race, the officials ran a ’B’ main, as
the track had over 20 modifieds. Artz led this 15-lap race the entire time,
as long tow drivers Don Baisch from Idaho, Paul Peterson from Wyoming and
Kelly Shaw from Idaho Falls chased him to the checkered. The top eight cars
in this event transferred to the ‘A’ main, and joined the top two finishers
in the earlier four heat races. The winners of those heats were: Amberson,
Chris Steensen, Corey Steensen, and Chad Farstveet.
In ECAR Pro Stock action, Spring Creek’s Cliff Hagen
went wire-to-wire in the 25-lap feature for his third victory of the season
here. His chief competition was in the form of George Quintana, who started
in the rear, while the winner was in the front row. It took Quintana eighth
laps to get past Wyoming driver Chris Clark, who drove a steady race to
finish third. Point leader Brian Thorp lost a transmission on Friday night,
but installed a new one in time for the race on Saturday, finishing fourth
after winning his heat race. Quintana also won his heat race.
Winnemucca’s Shawn LaRocque became the only driver to
repeat his victory from the previous night, as he once more took over the
driver’s chore from Lee Bosch, running the Modified Mini feature. He started
last in the fourth row, and it took him four laps to mow down early leader
Danny Hales and gain the lead. LaRocque ran away with the event, leaving
point leader Mike Fietzek and Jack Hammond behind. From LaRocque: “I always
run my best and this weekend was a dream, thanks to Lee’s car and the great
track prep work.”
It seems as if a new driver is in Victory Circle for
the Gen-X division recently. The latest member of the Gen-X winners club is
Tanner Rocha, turning in a sparkler. The 18-year old rookie started on the
pole and never saw another car pass him during the 15-lap feature. 16-year
old Ashleigh Bame shadowed Roche the entire distance, finishing second,
tying her career best. Friday winner Cody Maier retired to the pits on the
eighth lap and never returned. Point leader, and former champion Teri Kellum,
finished third. Kellum and Bame divided the wins in the heat races.
James Lister won his third Pure Stock feature for the
third straight time at Summit. The 15-year old drove like an experience old
pro, as he led the entire 15-lap feature. Second went to Valerie McLeod
while Linda Aue was third.
The next races at Summit will be the annual Gold Rush
on Friday and Saturday nights September 22 and 23. That will end the 2006
race season.
SUMMIT RACEWAY results Saturday night September 2,
2006
IMCA MODIFIEDS
Heat one: Ward Amberson, Joe Hood, Kelly Shaw, Ray
Thompson, Scott Coffelt
Heat two: Chris Steensen, Jimmy Delaney, Randy Artz,
Paul Peterson, Kasey Baisch
Heat three: Corey Steensen, D. Fitzgerald, Tim Mazour,
Cory Sample, Scott Moorehead
Heat Four: Chad Farstveet, Wade Taylor, Don Baisch,
Larry Rogers, Keith Greenwood
‘B’ main: Randy Artz, Don Baisch, Paul Peterson, Kelly
Shaw, Ray Thompson
Tim Mazour, Cory Sample, Larry Rogers, Kasey Baisch,
Scott Moorehead
Keith Greenwood, Scott Coffelt
‘A’ feature Corey Steensen, Jimmy Delaney, Wade
Taylor, Randy Artz, Ward Amberson
Chad Farstveet, Paul Peterson, Tim Mazour, Cory
Sample, Don Baisch,
Dan Fitzgerald, Chris Steensen, Joe Hood, Ray
Thompson, Kelly Shaw
Scott Moorehead.
ECAR PRO STOCKS
Heat one: George Quintana, Marnie Thorp, Chris Clark,
Terry Lister
Heat two: Brian Thorp, Bernie Sethaler, Bruce Fisher,
Jr., Cliff Hagan
Feature: Cliff Hagan, George Quintana, Chris Clark,
Brian Thorp, Bernie Sethaler,
Terry Lister, Marnie Thorp, Bruce Fisher, Jr.
ECAR MODIFIED MINIS
Heat one: Jack Hammond, Shawn LaRocque, Jackie
Farstveet, Andrea Fietzek
Heat two: Mike Fietzek, Jay McLeod, Connie Sandman,
Danny Hales
Feature: Shawn LaRocque, Mike Fietzek, Jack Hammond,
Jay McLeod, Danny Hales
Jackie Farstveet, Connie Sandman, Andrea Fietzek.
ECAR GEN-X
Heat one: Ashleigh Bame, Cody Maier, Tanner Rocha,
Heather Bame
Heat two: Teri Kellum, Geoffrey Bullock, Phil Bullock
Feature: Tanner Rocha, Ashleigh Bame, Teri Kellum,
Phil Bullock, Heather Bame
Cody Maier, Geoffrey Bullock.
ECAR PURE STOCKS
Heat: James Lister, Valerie McLeod, Linda Aue.
Feature: James Lister, Valerie McLeod, Linda Aue.
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