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DAVIS
WINS BUT POINTS LEADER MARTY MILLER IS INJURED |
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Phoenix, AZ (April 5) Charles Davis, Jr. saw a main event checkered flag
for the first time this year as he sped across the finish line in Saturday
night's 25 lap Arizona Sprint Car Association feature on Manzanita Speedway's
half mile track. Davis had started three ASCA main events but had watched
the checkered flag from the pits. He was involved in a crash in the season
opener and then blew a tire while leading by a half lap last week. Davis, a two time Arizona Sprint Car, champion has won many Sprint Car races at Manzanita Speedway but none came harder than the Saturday night win. Davis was seventh on the starting grid and displayed great patience in getting to the front. Brian Hacker got the jump on Paul Norbury at the green flag and led two laps before fourth starting Mike Boat assumed the lead. Eric Wilkins, who shared the second row start with Boat, dropped Hacker to third three laps later. At the same time Davis moved the F&E Development to fourth. Two laps later he got by Hacker. A yellow flag was displayed on the eighth lap when Nathan High's sprinter stalled and the field bunched up with Boat just ahead of Wilkins and Davis. On the restart Marty Miller and Ben Gregg made contact entering the first turn and both cars flipped wildly bringing out a race stopping red flag. Gregg walked away from his wreckage but Miller, who was seeking his third straight win, had to be extricated from his car and was transported and admitted to Good Samaritan Hospital. He was in ICU and listed in stable condition Sunday morning. Bill Sweeney, owner of the Buckley driven by Miller reported that Marty suffered severe bruises and head injures. Boat stayed out front until he broke his brake pedal and Wilkins got by on
the 19th lap. Davis took second a lap later and put the pressure on the
defending champion as he put the nose of his sprinter on the inside in each
turn. Wilkins dropped lower on the track on the 23rd lap and Davis shot by on
the outside. "I put my nose in there but I really hate the inside,"
Davis said in a post race interview. "I knew he would have to drop down and
when he did, I was on top and gone". He beat Wilkins to the checkered flag
by about four car lengths. Ream, who had made a pit stop on the eighth lap,
drove back to finish third and Boat crossed the finish line in fourth but was
disqualified after failing a tech inspection. The 34 car field was divided into four heat races with the top four from each
heat earning positions in the feature. Wilkins won the first heat over Paul
Norbury, Johnson and Lonnie Sherman; the second heat went to Miller who stayed
perfect on the year as he came from fourth to beat Hacker, Gregg and Lane:
Ervine got the third heat win by holding off Ream, Smith and Bonneau. Jeremy
Sherman was out front until he blew a gear box. The fourth heat was the best of
the evening as Boat and Davis battled the entire eight laps with Boat coming out
on top. Also transferring were Pelkey and rookie driver Alex Pruett. SUPER NATIONALS CHAMPION DARREN WILLIAMS GOES WIRE TO WIRE Funk stayed close but relinquished second to R.C. Whtwell who encountered the back straightaway fence midway through the race, had his crew make hasty repairs and drove back for a top ten finish. Rick Ward took his turn at challenging the leader but dropped back and Anthony Madrid then took up the chase. He made repeated tries to wrest the lead from Williams but could never make the pass. He then turned over the challenger's role to Chuck Black who, in turn, let Joe Warner try his hand. They all failed. Robert King, Jr. briefly challenged the leaders but retired on the 11th lap. At the restart Williams held the field at bay and the race was slowed again on the 14th lap when a fireball came out of Madrid's car and he was through. At about the same time Ward lost power and exited the race. Joe Warner tried to pull it out in the closing laps but fell just short. Chuck Black crossed the line in third while two time defending champion Ricky Thornton was fourth after stating 13th and earning passing honors. Jason Black finished fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Brandon Eichelberger, Tom Lucas, Funk, Whitwell and Jay Foster. Four heats were run for the 31 cars with the top four transferring to the 20
lap feature. Ward was uncatchable in the first eight lap race while Jeff Gibson,
Black and Thornton also made the feature. In heat #2 it was Whitwell going wire
to wire to beat Tony Martin, Funk and Terry Belcher. Terry Belcher,Jr.
drove the Ron Silber car to a win in the third heat as he came out of the third
row to beat Jason Black, Madrid and Stu Moffett. In the final heat Williams
proved to be better than Warner, Dominique Askren and Robert King, Jr. ASCA SPRINT CARS (½ Mile Track) Main Event; Semi Main: 1st Heat: 2nd Heat: 3rd Heat: 4th Heat: Trophy Dash: UNOFFICAL ASCA POINTS: SUPER NATIONALS CHAMPION DARREN WILLIAMS GOES WIRE TO WIRE Funk stayed close but relinquished second to R.C. Whtwell who encountered the
back straightaway fence midway through the race, had his crew make hasty repairs
and drove back for a top ten finish. Rick Ward took his turn at challenging the
leader but dropped back and Anthony Madrid then took up the chase. He made
repeated tries to wrest the lead from Williams but could never make the pass. He
then turned over the challenger's role to Chuck Black who, in turn, let Joe
Warner try his hand. They all failed. Joe Warner tried to pull it out in the closing laps but fell just short. Chuck Black crossed the line in third while two time defending champion Ricky Thornton was fourth after stating 13th and earning passing honors. Jason Black finished fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Brandon Eichelberger, Tom Lucas, Funk, Whitwell and Jay Foster. Four heats were run for the 31 cars with the top four transferring to the 20 lap feature. Ward was uncatchable in the first eight lap race while Jeff Gibson, Black and Thornton also made the feature. In heat #2 it was Whitwell going wire to wire to beat Tony Martin, Funk and Terry Belcher. Terry Belcher,Jr. drove the Ron Silber car to a win in the third heat as he came out of the third row to beat Jason Black, Madrid and Stu Moffett. In the final heat Williams proved to be better than Warner, Dominique Askren and Robert King, Jr. Lucas led the semi main finishers with Eichleberger, Brian Spindleman, Robin Boomgaarden and John Cornell trailing. IMCA DIRT MODIFIEDS (1/3 Mile Track) Main Event: Semi Main: 1st Heat: 2nd Heat: 3rd Heat: 4th Heat: DIRT MODIFIED POINTS: 1. Tie-Joe Warner and Chuck Black-76 -3. Ricky Thornton, 71-4. Tom Lucas, 69- 5, Tie, Jay Foster and Brian Spindleman, 61-7. Mike Ostrom, 57- 8. John Cornell, 53- 9. Tie-Antohny Madrid and Rick Ward, 51 |
