Last night (Wednesday) I made the lenghty two and a half hour trip to the northwest to check out the United States Modified Touring Series event held at the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta. A beautiful day with a nice breeze kept things in relatively comfortable temperatures all night, which turned out to be a good thing. Along with the USMTS modifieds, the other five weekly classes of competition were also on hand to run for track points. A draw/redraw format was used for all classes.
Six BVR bombers were on hand for heat race action, but two cars failed to make the call come feature time. To get more technical, another car dropped into the pits after the initial start but before a completed lap could be scored as the caution waved for a spun car in turn one. So with just three cars remaining, Jess Bieret appeared to be well on his way to picking up the win as the field got strung out. However, Bieret would be a victim of transmission issues late in the race, allowing Colby Davis to close the gap. Davis pulled up to Bieret's rear bumper as the two exited turn four, but Bieret had enough power to squeak out the win. Davis would finish second and Nick Smith third.
Ten IMCA sport compacts then hit the track with pole-sitter Cory Flanigan taking the top spot early on. Kyle Hill, who started tenth, charged his way to fourth by lap two before his quick momentum slowed a bit. A three-car battle for the runner up spot involved Caine Mahlberg, Merv Chandler, and Kyle Hill with two laps remaining. Mahlberg held on to second while Hill passed Chandler on the outside for third, but all competitors saw the rear bumper of Cory Flanigan as he picked up another feature win at Alta.
The competitive IMCA hobby stocks would be next with nineteen cars set to do battle. Shannon Anderson redrew the pole position and grabbed the lead early on, but Devin Smith was on the prowl a bit further behind. Smith, who started tenth, quickly advanced to third using the cushion before he and Merle Bass closed in on the back of Anderson. Smith kept his momentum going forward as he swung to the outside of Anderson upon exiting turn four and getting to the rear quarter panel, but the two made contact with each other and forced Smith to jump the cushion entering turn one. Smith would fall to seventh, but a caution with five laps remaining gave him new life. As the laps clicked off, Smith would get by a couple cars before settling for fourth as Anderson took home the win. Merle Bass finished second, Michael Murphy third, Devin Smith fourth, and Craig Brotherton was fifth.
After finishing under the time limit a week ago, the IMCA sportmods looked to put on a better show for the fans this week as twenty-two cars were set to roll onto the track next. Pole-sitter Tyler Olson took command of the lead early, but he would jump the cushion following a lap two restart and hand the reigns over to Tim Rupp. Olson would slide back to fifth as Dan Vanbruggen, Tim Wilcox, and Doug Smith all made their way by. A caution flag, followed by two others a short time later, would make officials incorporate the time limit once again with four laps remaining. Tim Wilcox found the bottom groove to his liking on the restart and passed Vanbruggen for second. Brett Meyer would also use the inside line to pass Vanbruggen for third before scooting by Wilcox for second. Apparently there was contact in turn two between Meyer and Rupp that resulted in Rupp spinning to the inside when the caution flag waved. Officials said the caution was for debris, thus resorting back to the previously scored lap and handing the win to the motionless Rupp. Brett Meyer was scored in second, Dan Vanbruggen third, Tim Wilcox fourth, and Zach Norgaard in fifth.
I usually don't voice my opinions on here when they are different then those the officials make. However, this will be one of those times. I believe the track uses the rule "if you are stopped for any reason when the caution flag comes out, you are involved in the caution." I realize the race was up against the time limit, but Rupp (and perhaps Meyer too, I didn't see him) was definitely stopped when the yellow lights flashed on. If Meyer was still moving, he should have been awarded the victory. If he was stationary, Vanbruggen should have won. I am in no way taking anything away from Tim Rupp and his win. I am just voicing my confusion towards the call that was made.
Ok, now back to the racing action. Sixteen IMCA stock cars were next up as pole-sitter Chris Ullrich took command from the start. Following two early cautions, the race would then run clean to the checkers. Brian Blessington and Trent Murphy exchanged the third position a couple times throughout the middle part of the race while Donavon Smith hounded Ullrich up front. Smith finally made his move when he swung to the middle of the banking in turn one to make the pass for the lead with just two laps to go. Smith was able to keep Ullrich behind him as he picked up the win while Trent Murphy was third, Brian Blessington fourth, and Randy Brands fifth.
The stage was now set for the thirty-lap nightcap for the USMTS modifieds. Local racer Brad Williams and Ryan Ruter brought the field to the green flag, but it would be outside row two starter Ryan Gustin getting the jump on the pack as he passed Ruter and third-starter Jon Tesch exiting turn two. Gustin's momentum carried him to the outside of Brad Williams down the backstretch before completing the pass upon exit of turn four for the lead. Gustin would set a blistering pace as he opened up a straight away advantage in just six laps.
As the laps clicked away, Tesch would find the cushion to his liking as he passed Zack VanderBeek for third and a few laps later got by Brad Williams for second. A lap eleven caution bunched the field back up, and track regular Williams snuck back by Tesch for the second position. Meanwhile, tenth starter Derek Ramirez was on the move as he worked underneath 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn for fourth just prior to the halfway point. Tesch again motored by Brad Williams on the outside while Ramirez used the inside line by Williams for third.
With seventeen laps scored complete, I noticed that Al Hejna was marching forward as well. Hejna had started twenty-third on the grid, but found himself in the seventh position and looking for more using the low groove. Unfortunately Hejna's night would not end in a good manner as he lost the driveshaft and broke the pullbar following a restart with nine laps to go. Restarts was not an issue for Ryan Gustin as he put at least five carlengths on the nearest competitor by the time they entered turn one following the green flag. Kelly Shryock got by Jason Krohn for fourth with five laps remaining, but the night belonged to Ryan Gustin as he picked up his fifth win of the season. Derek Ramirez snuck by teammate Jon Tesch for the runner-up spot on the final corner while Shryock and Zack VanderBeek completed the top five.
I'd like to thank promoter Jeff Herrig and his sidekick Eric Blum as well as USMTS promoters Todd and Janet Staley for their hospitality. Also on hand last night was Chad Ebel with RaceDayPrints snapping action shots. Be sure to check out his website at www.racedayprints.com.
I apologize for the blog being posted this late. I didn't get home until 3:30AM Thursday morning and obviously opted not to take the time to write my viewpoints at that time as I was to be at work at 7:30 this morning (which I was!).
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
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