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SHERMAN MAKES
IT THREE IN A ROW, BUT HAS TO WORK FOR IT |
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Phoenix, AZ (August 7) With a total of 58 cars on hand (31 Sprints and 27 Dirt Modifieds) and using both the one third mile and the half mile tracks, Manzanita Speedway had one of the best doubleheaders of the season.
Jeremy Sherman scored his third straight win in Saturday night’s Arizona Sprint Car Association main event on Manzanita Speedway’s one third mile track but this one, unlike the previous two, did not come easy. Sherman started sixth and methodically worked his way to the front. He took second from unheralded Chris Bonneau who led the first 12 laps and then slipped past R.J. Johnson for the lead on the 18th circuit. Johnson exited a lap later with mechanical problems.
Chris Bonneau lined up in the front row for the start of the 25 lap main event and steadily built his lead while Jeff McDonald, Andy Reinbold, Nathan High, Eric Wilkins and Sherman were nose to tail and side by side in their efforts to gain second and have a shot at the leader. Meanwhile R.J. Johnson was on the move from his fifth row starting berth and joined the battle. He finally made it to second and then, following a rare yellow flag, managed to wrest the lead from Bonneau on the 12th lap.
That same yellow flag aided Sherman as he drove the Fred Bryan Buckley past Bonneau and started applying pressure to Johnson. Misfortune hit the 17 year old third ranked driver on the 17th lap and he gave up the lead to Sherman. His car quit him on the next lap ending his great run.
The ASCA fielded their usual 31 cars with only the top 20 making the feature. Bob Ream, Jr., the 1998 champion and current points leader blew an engine at the green flag and gave up 85 of his 219 point lead as Eric Wilkins, his closest pursuer finished fourth behind Sherman, Nathan High and Bonneau. Josh Pelkey gave the Joey Moriarity sprinter another good drive as he came from 15th to finish fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Brian Hacker, Andy Reinbold, Bugs Norbury, Ricky Johnson and Jeff Slinkard.
Ream got his evening off to a good start as he passed Sherman in the first heat race to take his ninth heat win of the year. In addition to the two front runners R.J. Johnson and Brian Hacker earned spots in the feature. The second heat went to Wilkins who also became a nine time heat race winner. Bonneau finished a strong second with Chris McArthur and Bugs Norbury trailing. The third heat went to Chuck Buckman over Reinbold, Willy Grombach and Pelkey. High took the win in the final sprint car heat with Jeff McDonald, Tim Beal and J.T. Imperial trailing.
With only four spots left open in the feature Jeff Slinkard drove hard and took the win in the 12 lap semi main. Jeff Henry drove from fifth to take second with Ricky Johnson making a late run to get third ahead of Bernie Smith. Hacker scored his first ever trophy dash win as he made it look easy in beating Pelkey, Bonneau and Seainn Hendricson.
The sprint cars will return for Manzanita’s 53rd Anniversary races on August 21 when they will be on Manzy’s half mile track.
SUMMARY ARIZONA SPRINT CAR ASSOCIATION Main Event: 1. Jeremy Sherman 2. Nathan High 3. Chris Bonneau 4. Eric Wilkins 5. Josh Pelkey 6. Brian Hacker 7. Andy Reinbold 8. Bugs Norbury 9. Ricky Johnson 10. Jeff Slinkard 11. Chuck Buckman 12. Jeff Henry 13. Chris McArthur 14. Bernie Smith 15. Willy Grombach 16. Tim Beal 17. R.J. Johnson 18. J.T. Imperial 19. Jeff McDonald 20. Bob Ream, Jr. Lap leaders: laps 1-12 Bonneau, laps 13-17 R.J. Johnson, laps 18-25 Sherman
1st Heat: 1. Bob Ream, Jr. 2. Jeremy Sherman 3. R.J. Johnson 4. Brian Hacker 5. Jeff Slinkard 6. Jeff Henry 7. Ashley Corey 8. Mike Leslie (8 laps, time: 2:04.86)
2nd Heat: 1. Eric Wilkins 2. Chris Bonneau 3. Chris McArthur 4. Bugs Norbury 5. Seainn Henrdricson 6. Bernie Smith 7. James Aragon 8. Paul Norbury (Time: 2:03.36)
3rd Heat: 1. Chuck Buckman 2. Andy Reinbold 3. Willy Grombach 4. Josh Pelkey 5. Marty Miller 6. Ben Gregg 7. Shon Deskins 8. Buddy Earle (Time: 2:03.71)
4th Heat: 1. Nathan High 2. Jeff McDonald 3. Tim Beal 4. J.T. Imperial 5. Brandon Lane 6. Ricky Johnson 7. Scott Pasmore (no time)
Semi Main: 1. Jeff Slinkard 2. Jeff Henry 3. Ricky Johnson 4. Bernie Smith 5. Brandon Lane 6. Ben Gregg 7. Ashley Corey 8. Scott Pasmore 9. James Aragon 10. Seainn Hendricson 11. Shon Deskins 12. Marty Miller 13. Mike Leslie
Trophy Dash: 1. Brian Hacker 2. Josh Pelkey 3. Chris Bonneau 4. Seainn Hendricson (4 laps, time: 1:01.91) UNOFFICIAL ASCA POINT STANDINGS
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