Flashpoint: Pro Series Recap From Atlanta
- NR4
- Published ()
- Flashpoint Racing Series
- Site: Atlanta Motor Speedway
- Banking/Turns: 24 degrees
- Distance: 1.54 miles
- Shape: Oval
Vancouver, Washington's Gary Truman in Winner Circle at Atlanta
The #199 Chevrolet driven by Gary Truman went to victory lane at Atlanta. Truman's margin of victory was just 0.34 for Excalibur Racing Shield.
Gary summed up the race as follows: " Wow, what a tough race! I knew going into Atlanta that if the cars are close to one another in speed, then it’s a really tough track to make a clean pass. I qualified tenth and knew that I would have my work cut-out for me, luckily we had a long green run to start the race and I was able to move up to fourth before we had our first yellow. My pit crew gave me great pit stops the entire race and I was able to come out of the first caution in second behind Troy Worrick. Troy, Joey Penland, Jeff Russell and I were all close the entire race and we basically just followed each other around, our cars were almost identical in speed and it made for some very good racing. Other than Troy and I passing each other a little it was a single file race, as we never got to get in a complete fuel run under green to shake things up. Joey ran a great race and gave me all I could handle at the end. Super Sport racing is one tough team! I would like to thank my Excalibur Racing teammates for all the help and support that we give each other each and every week. I would also like to congratulate Joey, Troy, Roger Hurley and my teammate Dana Lee for their top 5 finishes, great job guys! And to Jeff Russell, sorry you bottomed out bud, you had a great car and would have made it tough in the end.”
If you are a Joe Penland, Jr., fan you might be wondering like Joe what will he have to do to get him back in victory circle. Joe continues to perform like the Champion that he is for Super Sport Racing 1, but being so close but yet so far, most be wearing on him and his team. Super Sport Racing 1 remains in the number one spot in the team points racing and no wonder. With efforts will Troy Worrick's win last week at Las Vegas, and his third place finish at Atlanta this week, not to forget his win at Daytona, the team is will on its way to the team Championship in 2002. But without the strong contribution of Joe Penland, Jr., Super Sport Racing 1's star would not be shining so bright.
Joe has qualified strong with top ten starts in every race this season, in fact, he had his best qualifying time at Atlanta with a speed of 194.834. Fast enough to place just outside the pole sitter and his teammate Troy Worrick, who had a pole speed of 195.618. With the exception of Daytona, Penland has managed to move forward as the race as progressed, but at Atlanta he found himself in what is becoming all to familiar territory at the checkered flag. You see at Atlanta, Joe didn't exactly move forward, but neither did he move backward. And that is the problem, because at North Carolina Speedway and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, while Joe was able to put the #1 Ford out front, he just couldn't keep it there at the checker. So where did Joe end up you ask? Will, if you haven't already figured it out, Joe Penland, Jr., finished second at North Carolina, second at Las Vegas, and yes, second at Atlanta. Three seconds in a row. Near but yet so far as they say. Tune-in next week at Darlington to see.
Speaking of Super Sport Racing 1, a couple of final words, Christian Blalock finished seventh having started in his #74 Chevrolet in fifth, and Joe Simmons started twelfth and finished eighteenth in the #86 Chevrolet.
And now for a few words about Super Sport Racing 2 and Roger "Poke" Hurley. Poke started the year off well; starting third at Daytona and managed a top ten finish in seventh. The following week at Rockingham he took a provisional start at the tail end of the field and move somewhat forward to seventeenth. He liked that position so much; he repeated it at Las Vegas having retired on lap 95. To be fair, Poke did receive damage in both races to his #33 Chevrolet, but at Atlanta Hurley got back in the qualifying mode and started seventh. And this time, without any damage, took his first top five in fifth.
If you are racing against or with Dana Lee, here is a little something you should know. If Lee's #48 Chevrolet is starting in a provisional position and in say 20th spot or worse, then watch out. Dana is coming to the front. Sure he might fool you by messing around as he does in the back of the pack and apparently gambling on staying in one piece for at least the first half of the race. But don't be fooled, he is just cooling his heels like the iceman he is, because in the last half he is coming at you hot and heavy. Proof, you need proof. Well, if his overall record is not enough to convince you, then take a look of two of the three races he has compete in so far this season. At Atlanta this week he started twenty-first and only two ahead of two other provisional starters and he finished fourth. But more impressive was his dead last start at Rockingham in twenty-third position where he finished a cool third. The lesson is clear. If Lee starts in a provisional position in the back of the field he will be in the top five in the last ten laps. No wonder at least one driver has been heard to refer to him as "Sneaky Lee".
The driver that might be on the verge of a breakthrough win is Tom O'Hara. The Excalibur Racing Sword driver form Mountlake Terrace, Washington is no stranger to victory lane. But so far this year a win as evaded him. O'Hara has lead only a total of nine laps this season, but he has larked around, as in the top five, in all four races. The only time that Tom did not start in the top ten, he finished with a fifth at the Rock. He got a fifth at Daytona too. At Atlanta he finished strong again just outside the top five in sixth. His poorest showing has been an eighth. The Pro, Semi-Pro, and Stock races at Atlanta were in mild weather with clear 66 degree skies with a nice following wind down the back straight going into turn three of 15 mph. Talk about push.
Now on a more serious note (OK, here it comes), I have been asked to investigate whether or not a couple or three drivers have been seeing way too much of each other. No, I am not talking again about the Gary Truman's, Joe Penland’s, Troy Worrick’s, Dana Lee's, or Tom O'Hara's, nor even the William Hill's. Lord knows these guys have been seeing way too much of each other in the top five. No, I am speaking of the likes of the drivers of the #77 Chevy, the #76 Dodge, and even the #6 Chevrolet. Yes, none other than Ray Meizoso, Jr., Steve Grehn, and Scott Gilroy.
Truthfully I was skeptical at first. I mean these guys don't even drive the same make of car (well Ray and Scott do). And then there is the matter that they don't even live in the same towns (well Ray and Scott are in the same state). Let's see. Ray is from Harrison, Ohio; Steve is living in Batavia, Illinois (OK, so persons from Ohio no not consider persons from Illinois as living); and Scott resides in Lima, Ohio.
Wait a minute, I thought, am I starting to see something here. Ray and Scott both drive Chevrolets and live in the state of Ohio. Hmm. There could be something to this after all. I was then determined to look even deeper. Diving into a pool of chilled raspberry Jell-O, the facts began to stiffen around me. Maybe, just maybe, we should take a look at their on track relationships. Hmm. Yes, yes. Well, maybe not. At Daytona, Steve started 20th with Ray in 21st, but then Scott started just outside the pole. On to Rockingham and Steve and Ray finish eleventh and twelfth, but Scott failed to make the dance. Was Scott stood up? Interesting. And this week at Atlanta, Steve and Ray finish fifteen and sixteen, but Scott retires on lap 47 in twenty-second.
Oh, no. Here is the "smoking gun" at Vegas. Scott thirteenth, Ray fourteenth, and Steve fifteenth. Pretty down right convincing evidence. Obviously Steve and Ray are a couple, but is Steve flirting with one of them. Which one is it? Looks like we are going to have to eat our way out of this Jell-O and keep a close eye on them at Darlington. If they all show up and they all scrap the wall, and if they finish anywhere near each other, it will be totally conclusive, not to mention irrefutable. Man, does anyone know how to get this silly red dye off of me.
Georgia's Own Rich Ganser Starts Last to Finish First at Atlanta.
Who said cars with number above 99 can't win (what do you think Truman?)? Don't tell Rich Ganser of Rome, Georgia that one. He'll most likely laugh in your face. The #115 Dodge is hot. Real hot. Rich started eight at Daytona at the start of the 2002 season and finished twelfth when an accident took him out with four laps to go. But if the last three races in Semi-Pro is any example of what Rich Ganser do in the #115, you would have to conclude that if not for that late race accident, Rich may have been in winner circle at Daytona too. How's that? Well sir, at North Carolina Speedway Rich improved on his starting position in slot number five. He went from there to led for a total of 23 laps and won the race pulling away.
Going west to Las Vegas, Ganser gave the field a break by starting dead last in nineteenth and lead for only fifteen laps, but he gave the winner Tre Landry a run for the money finishing only .40 seconds behind in second. And I am not going to let you forget that there were nineteen cautions in that race, so to come from last to second was no mean feat. So what does Ganser do at Atlanta Motor Speedway to cap his performance at Las Vegas? Well just this. He starts last again, this time in seventeenth and finds his way through fourteen cautions to lead for a total of 27 laps to finish a resounding first. So who is a top the driver points race in Semi-Pro? Rich Ganser. Is there any wonder?
Here is Rich Ganser's victory circle statement, "Wow, Wow, Wow, Wow (spraying everyone with beer in victory lane). I like to thank my sponsor RACERSDOMAIN for their support. My teammates at GASMOR Racing for the help with the setup. Was a wild one today from front to back all day. I pitted with 20 laps or so, even though my tires were about two laps old. Made a trackbar adjustment and it was driving on a rail. Had a good race with Daniel White. He slipped in turn three and I got around him for the lead. I had enough to hold him off."
There maybe only one other driver in Semi-Pro that might have the stuff to keep pace with Rich Ganser. That driver is behind the wheel of the #49 Chevy of Super Sport Racing 2 team. None other than David Johnson. Johnson of Jefferson City, Missouri (the Show Me State) is currently third in the driver points. No wonder why some think he as a shot at Garner.
Furthermore, keep in mind that David missed the Rockingham race. I don't think that Super Sport Racing 2 will let that happen again. Besides he is there only representative in Semi-Pro. So what has Johnson done in those three other races this season? First, his worst finish was fourth and that was last week at Las Vegas, where he started thirteenth. At Daytona he started third and finished third, and at Atlanta he started fifth and finished third. I’d keep an eye on him Rich.
Another driver with potential is Russell Smith, Sr. Driving for Team Ordnance in the #63 Dodge Smith led for 33 laps at Daytona and took second place. At Rockingham he took the pole and led for 36, but found himself a lap down at the checker. At Vegas he started third but finished ninth and this week at Atlanta he started second, but was eliminated by an accident on lap 34. Potential yes, patience - maybe not enough. But then Russell has a lot of determination.
Last week's winner, Tre Landry, took the Atlanta pole with speed of 194.937, which would have placed him just outside the pole in the Pro race. While Landry's #70 Chevy lead a total of 17 laps he was forced to retire on lap 73. Seems Tre "accidentally" found a low lane that was free of any traffic in turns one and two, but when it forced him back into where the rest of the field normally runs, the ensuing mess caused detrimental damage (not to mention anyone else involved). That lane below the white line is traditionally called the "apron", for those of you not familiar with the sometimes-confusing racing terms. It appears this lane is almost always available, but few drivers advise taking advantage of it.
As you know Tre is from Shreveport, Louisiana (not that that has anything to do with the above, but it does provide a nexus to what follows), which happens to be the same State that Rene' Steinkamp is from, but further south where the nutra roam. Steinkamp who doesn't know picayune about racing the #118 Chevy, no less about writing (I know this for a fact), appears to have found a niche (or a rut to others). He has laid claim to the number eight. Well, at least finishing eighth, which he has done three weeks in a row at Rockingham, Las Vegas, and now Atlanta.
And because of several penalties handed out by the League to other drivers, Steinkamp remains second in the Semi-Pro Driver standings and is only one of two drivers with top ten finishes in all four races. The other driver is Felix Koerner of Team3D in the #24 Dodge with a 8th, 6th, and two 5th's (no, not alcohol).
Please note that a cautious approach is being taken to the next subject, that of, well, cautions. The Semi-Pro Division is totally running away with the yellow flags. Over four races, the Division has an average of 13.75 cautions per race. The current total is 55, with 14 added at Atlanta. That total is greater than the total of the Pro and Stock Division combined. The Pro Division has a total of 26. With the aid of the fewest number of drivers per race, the Stock Division has a total of (can we get away with say) only 19 (which just happens to equal the number of cautions the Semi-Pro drivers got at Las Vegas alone). By the way, there is no truth to the rumor that the League is having a special sale on used yellow flags. However, if you need a black flag, I can get you a real good deal on some at Las Vegas.
Stock Division Sees Fourth Different Winner with Moore at Atlanta
Of the 130 laps run at Atlanta, Stock driver Rex Adams in the #38 Chevrolet of 1st R Racing should have taken home the trophy. The winner surely would concede that. After all, Rex led over seventy percent of the race with 92 laps, and he did that by starting tenth on the field of twelve. He would have had a better starting position, but a little bumble in qualifying set him back. Nevertheless, his start at almost the tail end of the field helped reflect just how fast a car he had. It didn't take long for him to get to the front. For the most part the race was clean with only four yellow periods.
Gary Vega, who won at Rockingham, started on the pole with a speed of 194.165 mph. The #35 Pontiac put Arachnid Racing out front again for 25 laps, but the wrong gear ration or a little too many revolutions per minute retired the Kenosha, Wisconsin driver on lap 103 with engine failure. As a result, Vega finished tenth.
With eleven lead changes a total of seven drivers ventured to the front. Beside Adams and Vega, and the winner, Scott MacDougall's #109 was in the lead for one lap, as was Thomas Stinson in the #97 Ford. Brannon Boone topped MacDougall and Stinson by one more lap (for those without a calculator, that's 2 laps), and Perry Malavolta got twice as many as Boone (for those of you who momentarily dropped your abacus, that's 4 laps). Speaking of Malavolta, he is in the driver's points lead with 652, which is 27 more than Gary Vega in second. He is also the only winner from the pole position.
Speed is very important in motorsports, but just about any driver will tell you that speed alone does not win races. It’s more a combination of speed, skill, timing, and good old fashion luck, to name a few of the necessary attributes. Chad Moore had more skill, timing, and luck, than speed at Atlanta. No he surely didn't have a slow car, after all he started fourth with a qualifying time of 191.994 mph. But his skill, which includes patience and experience, got him up near the front at just the right time. And while he led for four other laps, all the factors that make for a winner had him ahead of everyone else at the checkered flag.
Here is how Chad Moore summed it all up afterward, " I would like to think my crew of the Spiderman Dodge, and my teammates. I was having a tuff (Editor: as in tough) day early, just couldn't get the car to hook up in turns 3 and 4 with all the wind (i.e. 15 mph). The first pit stop the crew put in some wedge, and the car got better, one of my teammates said he add a pound in the right rear, so we let the others know, and would let each other know what worked. The last pit stop came, as the leader and my teammate lost a motor, the crew made another track bar adjustment, and added that pound in the right rear, the car was fast after that. I was second with a around ten to go, leader checked up in two so I checked up to keep from hitting him, and the third place car got by me, after a few hard laps between the first and second place cars, they got together in (turn) two, and the leader spun, and I got by both. I got back to the (start/finish) line first, and took the caution with five laps to go, we went green with one to go, and I was able to hold’em off for the win. I was in the right place at the right time, luck played a big part in the win. The crew and my teammates played another big part, I was just the one driving it." See, timing, luck, and yes, we would have to say skill too (driving ability and working on the setup). Congrats to Chad “Tuff” Moore on a great win (Editor: See that is how nickname get started).
Team Points Race
Turn in next week for a recap of the team points race. We have a feeling it will still be going on. All right, if you must know. Super Sports Racing 1 is in first place, Excalibur Racing Sword is second, and Blue Cobalt Racing is holding on to third. And by special request, Team Nemesis Black is just outside of tenth place by only one stinking point.