Archive for Race Reports
DATE: October 22, 2011
SERIES: Top Gun Sprint Series – non wing show.
ADMISSION PRICE: $15 for the general admission and $30 for a pit pass.
FOOD ORDERED: Nothing.
FOOD GRADE: N/A. I am not willing to pay overpriced food prices any more.
DRINKS ORDERED: Nothing.
DRINKS GRADE: N/A. See above – I am not willing to pay overpriced drink prices any more.
CROWD GRADE: B.
NUMBER OF SPRINT CARS: 22.
SERIES GRADE: B.
TRACK GRADE: B. I liked the fact the track was completely different from the previous week. And that’s what makes dirt racing so interesting – the ever changing surface.
WHO WON:
Heat 1: Gene Lasker
Heat 2: Tim George
Heat 3: Danny Martin, Jr.
Feature: Danny Martin Jr.
FSCF.com DRIVER OF THE RACE: There were a couple of possible options for this honor. Haulin’ Collin Cabre ran another solid feature coming home fifth in his second dirt start. And “Air Time” A.J. Maddox returned from his previous week’s flip to run a very competitive third. And our very own factory driver “Hot Nuts” Ryan Partin rejoined the field as it took the green and proceeded to run lap times same as the leaders. However, the driver of the race goes to fourth place finisher Tim Grubaugh. For his first attempt on the dirt Tim ran a solid fourth trying to make the outside work to his advantage. Tim even had the nose up to second a couple of times. Nice run Tim.
FSCF.com HARD LUCK AWARD: Again there were a couple of possible winners for this award. Tim George won his heat race and looked to be a possible threat for the feature. Unfortunately Tim’s feature was turned in the middle of three and four with three to go. We could also mention Ryan Partin here; as mentioned before he was turning lap times similar or better than the leaders. He stayed on the lead lap and tagged the tail on the ensuing caution. Ryan changed his fast line and wound up coming home 8th. But the hard luck award goes to heat race one winner Gene Lasker. Gene was strong in his heat race and also looked to be a possible contender for the win. Gene’s night came to an end on Lap 1 when the right rear got sucked into the backstretch wall and sent him sailing into the fence. For a brief second the car was headed for the fence cage first, almost similar to the recent Dan Wheldon incident. Thankfully, Gene was able to walk away from the crash.
OTHER NOTES:
* The night looked to be shaping up with some of the old familiar names back towards the front with Gene Lasker and Tim George winning their respective heat races. Unfortunately both had incidents during the feature.
* Once again “The Jacksonville Jet” Matt Kurtz was fast and smooth during the feature. Matt started from the pole and stayed in the top three all night before coming home second in the feature. Matt even made a sweet slide job move on Danny “The Hammer” Martin Jr. during the feature.
RACE REPORTER: Brian Penrose
DATE: October 15, 2011.
SERIES: Top Gun Sprints Series.
ADMISSION PRICE: $15 for the general admission and $30 for a pit pass.
FOOD ORDERED: Zuber Dog.
FOOD GRADE: C+. It is hard to give it a better grade when it cost $3.50…
DRINKS ORDERED: Water.
DRINKS GRADE: C. Again, I can’t give it a great grade because it was expensive bottled water…
CROWD GRADE: A. With non wing sprints and late models on the card it brought out a very decent crowd.
NUMBER OF SPRINT CARS: 20.
WHO WON: Sprint Cars: Sprint Heats:
Heat 1: Sport Allen
Heat 2: Mark Ruel Jr.
Heat 3: Robbie Smith
Feature: Danny Martin Jr.
FSCF.com DRIVER OF THE RACE: I so wanted to report the driver of the race as the “Jacksonville Jet,” Mr. Smooth Matt Kurtz, who won this award last time out at Bubba Raceway Park. However, he was upstaged by the youngster Haulin’ Collin Cabre. Cabre’s first night out on the dirt showed us flashes of a very talented young driver. Cabre kept his nose clean and raced hard with a seventh place finish.
FSCF.COM HARD LUCK AWARD: This one goes to the high flyer of the night Kurt Taylor. Kurt brought out the first red flag with a wild ride up into, and basically out of, the back straight. A.J. Maddox also had some air time with the second red of the night for the feature. A.J. was checked out by the paramedics after complaining of some blurry vision. Both drivers did thankfully walk away.
SERIES GRADE: B. Considering the switch to non wings, the turnout wasn’t too bad.
TRACK GRADE: C-. The track had the usual rut in the middle of turn one.
OTHER NOTES:
* As a fan, the non wing racing was as exciting as I’ve seen all year. I know most all of the drivers were uncomfortable, but they put on one heck of a show. I’m thinking Florida should become a mixed wing and non wing state like Indiana. BRP could be the Gas City of the south.
* Pennsylvania has the Posse but Florida has a very talented Big Three of Danny Martin Jr., Robbie Smith and Sport Allen. Those three were worth the price of admission alone.
* It seems the Cabre Team had some assistance from some Scott Benic wrenches. They did a very nice job getting the car setup and coaching the youngster as well.
* It was a pleasure to see now two-time Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series Champion Troy DeCaire give the non wing dirt racing a go in a Skeeter Faulkoner car. Troy’s feature ended on the parade lap of the feature though.
* Mark Ruel Jr. might want to rethink the “Peruvian Outlaw” nickname. I hear it and I think South American Liberation Army leader. Don’t print up the t-shirts just yet. Get with your P.R. guy and see what else you can come up with.
* Plenty of asphalt drivers wandering the pits like Keith Butler, Dave Steele, Johnny “Please Come Back to Dirt” Gilbertson, Stan Butler, Jimmy Alvis Jr. and Mickey Kempgens.
* For all the people saying Danny Martin Jr. is winning too much, get over it. We keep saying it – he IS that good.
* Looking forward to next weekend’s non wing race again at BRP. Come on Saturday!
RACE REPORTER: Brian Penrose
Staff photographer Gary “Walk Quietly But Carry A Big” Johnson did his pit walk and snapped these lovely photos for you.
Enjoy.
Date: 09.17.2011
Track: Desoto Super Speedway (Bradenton, FL)
Series: TBARA
Admission:
Adult (13 & up) – ……..$15
Kids (12 & under) …….$FREE
Pit Pass ……………………$30
# of Sprint Cars: 17
Who Won:
Heat 1 – Dude Teate
Heat 2 – Larry J Brazil Jr.
Feature – GARY GIMMLER
The Finish: 29- Gary Gimmler, 14- Dude Teate, 91- David Steele, 18- Shane Butler, 68- Mickey Kempgens, 22- Johnny Gilbertson, 81- LJ Grimm, 51- Mark Gimmler, 2- Larry J Brazil Jr., 69- Ric Voisey, 17- Francis Crowder, 9- Jimmy Alvis Jr., 221- Matthew Hall, 7- John Gilbert Jr., 15- Rex Hollinger, 31- Channing Conley, 21- Jimmy Alvis Sr.
Crowd Grade: C. It wasn’t the worst crowd that I’ve witnessed at DSS, but the grandstands were nowhere close to being as full as they were for the last TBARA race . I’m certain that low car counts in all of the other classes have something to do with the lack of enthusiasm . The most that I counted in any of the other classes was 7, with the fewest being 2 . I don’t know about you, but watching 2 cars race isn’t my idea of good racing …. unless it’s a pair of top fuel funny cars covering a 1/4 mile in 4 seconds.
Track Grade: C-. I was half tempted to give the track a solid B until I realized that the garbage cans in the pit area hadn’t been dumped in quite some time. I know it’s kind of petty, but it’s the little things that make a big difference . I’ve discussed the pit road situation in other reports, so there’s no need to visit that again. When I go to Desoto, I find myself looking around and seeing the vast potential of this once pristine facility. If only I were wealthy ……
Drinks Ordered: Sweet tea.
Drinks Grade: F-. It’s not that the tea was bad …. they DON’T have any. Seriously ??? How is this possible people??? It’s the best investment to return beverage that you can offer. It costs $3 to make 5 gallons !!! I just don’t get it . I really just don’t get it !
Food Ordered: Hamburger, Twizzlers.
Food Grade: C-. After the disappointment of not being able to get any sweet tea, I picked up a pack of Twizzlers and headed back to the hauler. As far as the hamburger, that was consumed by my guest food critic, the Legend himself – Stan Butler . Stan noted that it was dry and over cooked , and that when he went to pull the bun apart to add condiments, the bun separated … apparently from sitting under the warmer for a while. He also noted that for a plain hamburger and a bottle of Diet Pepsi, they got $5.75. That just seems a little steep to me.
Series Grade: A-. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again … I’m a TBARA lifer. They bring the some of the best equipment and some of the most talented drivers of any series in the country. This night was no different. Anytime you have 2 ‘King of the Wings’ champions, a USAC champion, a former NASCAR Nationwide competitor, and a former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor in the same field, you know you’re racing against the very best. The only thing that could have made it better is if there would have been 24 cars.
FSCF.com Driver of the Race: LJ Grimm. As impressive as it was to watch Gary Gimmler hold off Dude Teate and David Steele for 27 laps and 2 cautions, it was more impressive to watch a 17 year old open wheel modified transplant start dead last and work his way up to a 7th place finish. Grimm, a 17 year old high school senior at Armwood High School , was making his sprint car debut in the 81 car for Butler Motorsports. That’s right , debut !! The “Seffner Sizzle” started at the tail of his 9 car heat race and came across the stripe 6th to secure a transfer spot for the feature. But due to his rookie status, Grimm was made to start in the scratch position for the A Main. Grimm quickly made his way to the front at the drop of the green flag. By lap 6, Grimm had put half of the field behind him and was running in the 9th position. By lap 15, Grimm had pulled to back bumper of seasoned veteran, Mark Gimmler, and was challenging for the 8th spot. On lap 18, the “Sizzle” made a bold pass to the outside of Gimmler getting into turn 1. Grimm then set his sights on Larry J Brazil Jr. and the 7th position. By lap 21, Grimm had caught and passed Brazil Jr. and was charging towards current points leader, Johnny Gilbertson. Grimm settled in behind Gilbertson for the remaining 9 circuits to pick up a solid 7th place finish. If this was any indication of what’s yet to come, you may want to take our advice and get his autograph now.
FSCF.com Hard Luck Award: John Gilbert Jr. Each and every driver that makes the long trek from their shop to the track is much appreciated in this economy. But John Gilbert Jr. has got to be considered for the ‘Most Dedicated’ award. John and his team make the extremely long trip from the Florida Keys each week to compete with the TBARA. After having a strong 2nd place finish in his heat race, Gilbert Jr. started the feature inside of row 4 . During the parade laps, it appeared as if there may have been a problem with the rear panhard bar on the 7 car. On lap 6, Gilbert’s car was collected in the backstretch wall and sent him spinning across the track in front of the field. Thankfully no one else was involved in the incident, but Gilbert’s night came to an abrupt end as he was taken off the track on the hook of a tow truck.
Other Notes:
- Special thanks once again go out to Consolidated Heating and Air Conditioning for being the title sponsor for the evening’s events. It is great sponsors like this that make it possible for us to continue to do what we love. If you’re in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, please stop by and tell them thanks.
- Heat 1 saw Ric Voisey and Matthew Hall on the front row . As the green flag flew, Dude Teate quickly took to the point followed by his teammate, David Steele. On lap 5, Johnny Gilbertson had worked his way to the front from his 7th starting spot and powered by Steele on the outside coming off turn 4 . With the white flag out , Gilbertson had caught Teate and was challenging for the win. They came off turn 4 side by side, but it was Teate picking up the win by a narrow margin. Teate was followed by Gilbertson, Steele, Gary Gimmler, Mark Gimmler, LJ Grimm, Voisey, Rex Hollinger, and Hall .
- Francis Crowder and Jimmy Alvis Sr. were slated to lead the field to the green in heat 2 . After a brief hot laps session, the 21 of Alvis Sr. was pulled to the high side of turn 3 for a safety inspection by club officials. Alvis Sr. was pushed to the pit area and would not rejoin the race. Crowder opted to take his 17 car to the back for the start, putting Channing Conley and Larry J. Brazil Jr. on the front row. When the track went green, it was Brazil Jr. who took the early and commanding lead. The man on the move was Mickey Kempgens. Kempgens, who had started in 8th, was up to 4th by lap 2. Kempgens got by the pole sitter, Conley on lap 8 to pick up 3rd. Brazil Jr. had stretched out nearly a straightway lead in the caution free affair and was followed to the finish by John Gilbert Jr., Kempgens, Conley, Shane Butler, Jimmy Alvis Jr., and Crowder.
- The feature lineup saw rookie hot shoe, Channing Conley beside retiring veteran, Gary Gimmler on the front row. Gimmler beat Conley into turn 1 to take the lead. On lap 3, while still holding onto a solid 2nd, Conley slowed coming off turn 4 and came to a rest against the wall at the entrance of turn 1 to bring out the nights first caution. Conley was pushed to the infield and was retired for the night. As the field was regrouped for the single file restart, it was Gimmler at the point with Dude Teate, Larry J Brazil Jr., David Steele, and Mark Gimmler tucked in closely . The caution would wave for the final time on lap 6 as John Gilbert Jr. hit the wall on the backstretch and slid to a stop in the infield . Gilbert was taken off the track on the hook. While the clubs race director was tending to the broken car of Gilbert, the field was realigned and the track decided to restart the race. As the racers barreled into turn 1 wide open, the caution lights came back on the speedway. Thankfully there was no damage caused by the obvious lack of communication between track officials and club officials … another reason that I strongly believe in the series having their own flagman. The field was lined up once more with Gimmler still leading the way. ‘Double G’ would pace the field for the remaining 24 laps to pick up his first victory of the season. As Gimmler pulled away, the battle to watch was with teammates Teate and Steele as they battled for 2nd.
- Hard charger of the race goes to rookie sensation, “The Seffner Sizzle” LJ Grimm . Grimm started 17th and came home 7th. Other notables were Mickey Kempgens who started 11th and finished 5th, Shane Butler who started 9th and finished 4th, and David Steele who took the green in 8th and came home 3rd.
- Thanks to Buff Fritz, newly crowned TBARA president, for completely butchering my name in the drivers meeting, calling me “Todd Mathis.”
- I’m not completely sure what happened, but there were NO … zero … zip … regular push trucks there on Saturday night. We as racers appreciate all that you guys do and hope that you’ll be back for the next race. It will only take one incident from the track push trucks for everyone to see how valuable you are to our show.
- As the field lined up for the feature , the racers showed their respects to those we have lost recently for 2 laps by means of the missing man formation. Most notably no longer with us are Dave Scarborough and Larry Brazil.
- As of now, the TBARA’s next race will be back at Desoto Super Speedway on October 29th for the annual Halloween Spectacular.
Race Reporter: Josh Wichers
