Get comfortable kids, our staff member voted “Least Likely to Win Any Performance Based Award” Josh Wichers checks in with a TBARA report that leaves nothing to the imagination.

Enjoy.

Date: July 30, 2011

Track: Desoto Speedway

Series: TBARA (Tampa Bay Area Racing Association)

Admission:

Adult (13 & up) – $15

Kids 12 and Under – FREE

Pit Pass – $30

# of Sprint Cars: 19

Who Won:

Heat 1 – John Gilbert Jr.

Heat 2 – David Steele

Heat 3 – Troy DeCaire

Feature – DAVID STEELE

The Finish: 91- David Steele, 29- Gary Gimmler, 68- Troy DeCaire, 18- Shane Butler, 2- Larry J Brazil Jr., 22- Johnny Gilbertson, 19- Keith Butler, 81- Stan Butler, 51- Mark Gimmler, 221- Matthew Hall, 7- John Gilbert Jr., 31- Channing Conley, 9- Jimmy Alvis Jr., 21- Jimmy Alvis Sr., 69- Ric Voisey, 15- Rex Hollinger, 8- Steve Heisler (DNS), 41- Ray Bragg II (DNS).

Crowd Grade: A+. This was by far the best crowd that I’ve seen at Desoto Speedway in several years. I’m most certain that the return of South’s elite touring series played some role in that.  I also heard that there were radio spots and even some television advertising to announce the return of the TBARA to their high banks. It was a little concerning as we rolled out for our second round of practice with only a dozen or so spectators sitting in the grandstands. But I can’t blame them. The heat was sweltering and unrelenting at that time of day. I would have much rather been enjoying the comforts of AC as well. The crowd grew rapidly as it neared the 7:00 pm start time to what was quite possibly 2,000 fans. As the field of cars formed for their signature 4 abreast salute to the fans, you could hear the eruption of cheers over the nearly 13,000 horsepower as they paraded down the front stretch.

Track Grade: A-. The racing surface at DSS provides some of the most exciting short track pavement racing of any track in the country. Wide, high banked corners will test the bravery of the best of them. It’s not uncommon to see plenty of 3 wide, and even some occasional 4 wide action at DSS. The grounds at DSS leave a little to be desired. But I will say that this was the tidiest that I’ve seen it in a long time. Pit road is still really rough and could desperately use a resurfacing. It’s probably not bad for a stock car that has enough ground clearance to miss small children, but when you only have 3 1/2″, it’s hard not bottom out in some of the crevices.

Drinks Ordered: N/A. I know…. , I know ….. it’s against my religion to not at least try the sweet tea, but I honestly did not have time to wander towards the concession stand. We did however collectively consume over 36 bottled waters and 3 sugar free Rockstar Energy drinks throughout the day.

Food Ordered: N/A. Again, I must apologize for not at least sampling the fine cuisine provided by the track. A huge thanks goes out to Richard and Jonea Boyer for cooking hot dogs, brats, and bbq chicken after the feature. Richard is not only one of the best wrenches in the business, but he twirls a mean set of tongs too!! Thanks for the yummy groceries guys.

Series Grade: A-. I will always be a loyal TBARA follower. I understand that it’s hard for guys (and girls) to get excited when we’ve only had three races thus far in 2011. But when we are given an opportunity to get together and do what we love, I feel as if we all need to band together and support it. I was truly hoping to see 25+ cars on Saturday night at DSS. I also understand that it may have been rather short notice for some teams that still have their stuff apart. But with the next race at DSS not until August 20th, we all have nearly 3 weeks to make it happen. As always, the group that gathered put on a great show for the fans that came out. Hopefully we can get the 25+ cars at the next race and show the promoters across Florida and the southeast what they are truly missing out on.

FSCF.com Driver of the Race: Gary Gimmler. I and anyone that meets this guy will agree ; Gary Gimmler is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. But on Saturday night, Gary proved Aristotle’s theory wrong – Nice guys don’t finish last. This particular night, they finished 2nd. Gimmler started P1 for the feature and led the field to one of the fastest starts I’ve ever witnessed. He also led the first lap before succumbing to the mastery of His Holiness in turn 2 of lap 2. But Gimmler didn’t let the loss of the position phase him as he chased after the former champion. Gimmler was able to hold off the persistent charge of 2010 MSXRSS champion, Troy DeCaire, to follow Steele across the stripe to pick up his best finish of the season.

FSCF.com Hard Luck Award: Rex Hollinger. You read it right. For those of you that are message board savvy, you know him better as the “Boneman”. This was Rex’s very first night in a sprint car. Hollinger showed great promise during the practice sessions and managed to stay on the lead lap of his caution free heat race. Not bad considering he was lined up against some of the TBARA’s best like John Gilbert Jr., Mark Gimmler, Larry J Brazil Jr. and his car owner and current points leader, Johnny Gilbertson. As the feature rolled onto the track and the cars were given the green for some hot laps, Hollinger slowed and pulled the 15 car to the infield with a flat right front tire. While the field was aligning for the parade lap, Hollinger was pushed to the pit entrance and left helpless. He was forced to watch his very first feature take the green flag as he waited for his crew to retrieve him. From my understanding though, Hollinger has agreed to a 5 race contract deal with Gilbertson Motorsports and should be back in action again soon. If Saturday was any indication, we may be seeing Hollinger’s name on the coveted TBARA Rookie of the Year trophy.

Other Notes:

• Special thanks go out to Carbone Motorsports and Consolidated Heating & Air Conditioning for stepping up as title sponsors for the return of the TBARA to DSS. Drop these guys a line and say thanks if you’re in the Sarasota/Bradenton area. Without people like them, this wouldn’t be possible.
• Steele Performance Heat 1 saw Larry J Brazil Jr. and Mark Gimmler perched on the front row. It appeared as if Gimmler didn’t fire on the initial start and the field was regrouped for a complete restart. On the 2nd attempt, it was Brazil again jumping to the lead from his P1 spot, but it was again called back. Officials determined that Brazil had jumped both starts and penalized him by sending him to the rear. After the lineup shuffle, John Gilbert Jr. found himself on the pole for the third and final attempt at a clean start. Gilbert used Brazil’s misfortune to lead the pack into turn 1 and held fast to the point for the entire 8 laps. Gilbert was chased to the checkers by Gimmler, Johnny Gilbertson, Brazil, and Rex Hollinger. The 8 car of Steve Heisler pulled off on lap 4 with a flat right front.
• Landrum Springs Heat 2 was brought to the green flag by pole sitter Matthew Hall and David Steele. Steele jumped out to a commanding lead and led the caution free affair wire to wire. Steele took the checkered flag with his nearest opponent over a straightaway to his rear. Dude Teate, Stan Butler, Hall, Jimmy Alvis Sr., and Ric Voisey followed Steele to the finish.
• Gary Gimmler and Channing Conley led the Performance Fabrication (aka Hurricane Chassis) Heat 3 to the green flag. Going into turn 1, Troy DeCaire took his 68 machine to low side and made the 3 wide pass on Gimmler and Conley. Gimmler stayed in close proximity of DeCaire, but couldn’t muster a challenge for the lead. The battle to watch was for the third spot. A fierce sibling battle was waging between Keith and Shane Butler. The brothers battled wheel to wheel for all 8 of the caution free laps. DeCaire was followed to the checkers by Gimmler, Keith Butler, Shane Butler, Conley, and Jimmy Alvis Jr.
• Electricity filled the air as the “pavement pounders” took to the track for their feature event. As lightning shimmered in the distance across the sultry summer night sky, the anticipation and energy in the stands grew to a culmination. It was the moment that they had all been longing for. Nineteen of the best drivers and machines in the state were about to blister the surface of Desoto Speedway for the first time this year. As the field of stars came together to create one of the most amazing sights in motorsports, the crowd rose to their feet with a roar that could be heard over the engines before them. Gary Gimmler and Matthew Hall brought the thundering herd to the flag stand in grand fashion. Gimmler jumped to the early lead going into turn one. Gimmler would lead the field for only the first lap before being overtaken by David Steele on lap 2. Troy DeCaire moved quickly from his 6th starting spot to take over third. Outside polesitter, Hall, would settle comfortably into the 4^th spot. As Steele broke free from the pack, Gimmler and DeCaire battled for the 2nd spot, with rookie Hall matching their every move. The first caution of the night wouldn’t wave until nearly the halfway point on lap 14. It was for the 221 of Hall who had spun in turns 3 & 4, bringing his stellar performance to an abrupt and heartbreaking end. Hall was able to re-fire, but had to join the field at the tail of the lead lap. With the field back in formation, it was Steele leading Gimmler, DeCaire, and Larry J Brazil Jr. back to the green flag. This time, Gimmler didn’t let Steele get out of his sight, as he and DeCaire diced through lapped traffic in an effort to catch Steele. The final caution of the night would slow the field on lap 28. This time it was for Keith Butler who had spun coming off of turn 4 and covered the apron with sand. Butler was able to keep his mount running, but had to tag the field in the scratch position as a result of bringing out the caution. A 2 lap shootout was set for Steele, Gimmler, and DeCaire. Steele used his experience to get a great restart and put some distance between himself and Gimmler. As the white flag wove and the field passed under the “Wild Child” for the final time, Brazil and John Gilbert tangled before entering turn 1. As a result, both drivers lost valuable track position. Fortunately they were both able to keep their cars going and the track stayed green. Unfortunately for Gilbert, he spun coming off of turn four and finished as the last car on the lead lap. He was running 5th at the time of the incident. Steele took the double checkered flags and the sweep in front of Gimmler, DeCaire, Shane Butler and Brazil.

Where They Are Next: The TBARA will be back at Desoto Super Speedway on August 20, 2011. Look for there to be a better car count as the points battle turns the heat up. Points leader Johnny Gilbertson will be doing everything he can to capture his first TBARA championship. He leads defending champion Shane Butler by only 9 points.

Race Reporter: Josh Wichers

Friend of the website Gary “Walk Quietly But Carry A Big” Johnson roamed the pits and snapped some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

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The full moon was out and the TBARA was opening their 2011 season…

Date: March 19, 2011

Track: New Smyrna Speedway

Series: TBARA

Admission: $20 General Admission, $35 Pit Pass. It should be noted that our Editor at Speed showed up Friday night for practice and misunderstood the pit pricing and only had $15 on him. The pit warden took Brian’s $15 and let him oweski for Saturday. Classy move – A+!

Number of Sprint Cars: 28 sprint cars were ready to do battle.

Who Won: Heat wins went to Steve Heisler (his first ever with the TBARA!), Shane Butler and DJ Hoezle. Feature win went to 2010 TBARA champ Shane Butler. This was the first ever win at New Smyrna for “The Bushnell Bullet” and this after the team lost their primary sponsor in the off season. Shane kept the Hickernell powerplant wound up down the straights and worked the outside when most drivers weren’t and Shane definitely earned this one and made his intentions known that he wants back-to-back championships.

Shane Butler in Victory Lane for the first time at New Smyrna Speedway.

Crowd Grade: A+. Want to know why? This was a very healthy crowd to begin with and the vast majority of the poor souls that suffered through the USAR late model race (that’s not just my opinion, ask anyone that was in the stands…) stayed for the sprint cars. After a very long and painful evening for the TBARA teams, to see all of those fans up there was great. We salute you sprint car fans that hung around! It goes without saying that the TBARA needed to prove they could put butts in seats and I don’t know what more proof you could have asked for Saturday night.

Food Ordered: Cheeseburger. I wanted a corn dog, but they were out when I ordered.

Food Grade: C-. The cheeseburger was adequate, but I’m giving New Smyrna a C- because this used to be one of my favorite tracks to grab a meal because they had things like fried mushrooms, potato pancakes and my personal favorite – apple bites. They even used to have the ladies with the mini donut stand. Now it’s just the same boring track food you can get anywhere. I still love you New Smyrna since you’re my home track, but let’s get the food offerings back to where they were two years ago.

Drinks Ordered: Pabst Blue Ribbon, on draft, bitches.

Drinks Grade: B-. Alright, I was stoked about the PBR, but the following must be said. For at least three years now, every time I go to New Smyrna they run out of Yuengling on draft halfway through the night. Consistently. Why is that? I mean, it happens every damn time. Thank god they had PBR on draft to save the day. And trust me, with that god awful late model race, they moved a lot of beer Saturday night.

FSCF.com Driver of the Race: One word – GILBY! Johnny Gilbertson scored a second place finish in the feature, his best ever in the TBARA and he was a rocket out on the track doing it. When I got to the track Saturday, after practice, I asked a pretty smart guy who was fast and he replied, “the usual suspects…Steele, Troy, Shane, but you might want to keep your eye on Gilby.” Gilby started ninth in his feature and picked off some good cars to get toward the front of the field. And he got practically no sleep all week, putting the car together after he got home from work, so well done Gilby! I’d also like to give a shoutout to the confusingly named Johnny Gilbert who had a Progressive motor under the hood that was just screaming down the straights. He could have been right up there at the end had he not spun under caution. Also worth noting was Jimmy Alvis Sr. drove a hell of a race to come home third.

FSCF.com Hard Luck Award: This could actually go to a bunch of drivers, but I’m going with Troy DeCaire who posted second quick time in practice behind Dave Steele and then blew up and was done for the night. Steele is also a candidate after his late race tangle with Shane Butler. Bo Hartley also didn’t get to start the feature due to motor problems and same goes for “Double G” Gary Gimmler. Lots of drivers had motor issues as New Smyrna just eats them up.

Other Notes:

• There was a lot of drama for the TBARA with the USAR renting the track and their cars having grip issues running after the sprint cars were at the track, which forced the normally scheduled heat races to be pushed to the very end of the evening, with the teams getting a 15 minute intermission afterward to get ready for the feature. Stan Butler deserves an atta’boy for keeping heads cool, making sure the TBARA would eventually race, and also get paid. Also, Buff Fritz very clearly communicated to the teams when and where we were to be ready when it was all said and done. And Katrina Butler deserves an atta’girl for keeping the clubs affairs in order throughout the night and also posting live race updates to the Butler Motorsports Facebook and Twitter. This was very much a TBARA team effort to pull the night off.
• The end of this race was shaping up to be a barn burner as Dave Steele ran down Shane Butler in lapped traffic and then went inside in Turn One, only to have Butler come back on the outside. Two abreast they went down the back straight, with Steele pulling ahead when all of a sudden he went into the backstretch wall hard. Who was to blame can be debated, but this was a very big hit (once again) for Steele and he walked away unharmed (and very angry) which is testament to the build quality of his Diablo chassis.
• Speaking of the end of the race, TBARA members, for the love of God, vote in a rule change that gets the lapped cars out of the way with under five laps to go. I would have loved to have seen Gilby line up behind Butler on the last restart and see what he could have done with him, and so did everyone else in attendance. I know that’s the rule, I’m saying change it. Think of the fans in the stands.
• There were lots of musical chairs going on, but Larry Brazil Jr. deserves some praise for his drive in Mac Steele’s #2 entry. Larry loves nothing more than a lot of horsepower and to gas it as hard as he can, so it was interesting to see what he could do with what was probably a shade less horsepower than what he was used to in the #20B he usually drives. Well Larry was doing a damn fine job until he had to pull off late in the race with motor issues.
• Keith Butler did an impressive job to put a very darty car out front for a while until he got picked off by brother Shane and started to drop back, eventually dropping out of the race.
• Dennis Misuraca got a turn in the #87 car that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing piloted lately by Jimmy Alvis Sr. at the CFWS races. Dennis had his night end early unfortunately.
• Channing Conley (whose 10 Questions you will see shortly) did a nice job of keeping his nose clean in his TBARA debut and getting some laps under his belt, coming home just outside of the top ten.
• Australian Craig Skene had a tough go of it in the Mathis Racing #90 and after talking to Craig about the handling issues he was experiencing, that’s one tough Aussie to hang on as long as he did.
• We were looking forward to seeing Richard Burnett back in action in a Team Gilby second entry but unfortunately he pulled off in the feature after noticing his feet were getting soaked with fuel. That’s a pretty good reason to pull off, but we know Mr. Burnett will get the car sorted out soon enough as he’s a damn fine wrench.
• Sonny Hartley simply does not slow down. I don’t think anyone else put their sprint car down on the flat in Turn One more than Sonny. He jammed it down in there plenty but always gave room to the poor soul he was trying to pass. Sonny is damn fine entertainment.
• Those of you that saw Penrose Racing and guest driver Steve Heisler at East Bay at the end of  last year for the FMSA race saw us all get very mad at each other, yell at each other and walk off in separate directions. Well Saturday night “The Hustler” was in the Minakis #8 and literally had no crew, so Penrose Racing crewed the car. Not that we had a lot to do with it, but Steve got his first ever TBARA heat win and came home sixth in the feature. Seeing the joy on someone’s face that just won his first ever TBARA heat race is a special moment, so the lesson here kids is that life is short, don’t hold grudges.

Race Reporter: Todd Michaels

Oh yeah, one more thing…I was talking to “The Smooth Operator” Mickey Kempgens, who sadly was not racing, and he asked me if I knew why Tommy Nichols was so fast. I told him I didn’t and then Mickey responded, “because Tommy’s got himself a pretty new girlfriend and he’s runnin’ on love…”

Date : 11.06.2010

Track : Citrus County Speedway ( Inverness, FL )

Series : TBARA

# of Sprint Cars : 19

Admission :
Grandstand – $13
Seniors – $9
Kids – $5
Family Pack ( 2 adult and 2 kids ) – $30
Pit Pass – $25

Who Won :
Heat 1 - Jimmy Alvis Sr.
Heat 2 – Ben “Flash” Fritz
Feature - “The Commando” BRIAN GINGRAS

The Finish :
1-Gingras, 0-Teate, 2-Alvis Sr, 41-Bragg, 11x-Riddle, 18-Butler, 3x-B Hartley, 68-Kempgens, 5w-Gilbertson, 16-Fritz, 78-Carreno, 01-Hall, 21-Alvis Jr, 61-Faulconer, 6-Hurst, 81-S Hartley, honest attempt- 04-O’Sullivan, 70-Nichols, DQ- 19-Stephens.

FSCF.com Driver of the Race : Brian Gingras. “The Commando” showed us that the grass really is “green”er on the other side. Using the powerplant that he borrowed from Robin and Gary Green, Gingras has won the last 2 races that he’s entered at Citrus County Speedway. His most recent was with the newly formed USAC Southeast Sprint Car Series, and this one coming against some of the best machines and drivers in the country with the TBARA. Gingras charged from his 8th starting spot to the 3rd position by lap 4. By lap 10, he had pulled to the rear bumper of Jimmy Alvis Sr and was challenging for the point. On lap 18, during a single file restart, Gingras dove to the inside of Alvis Sr in turn 1 and didn’t look back. He led the remaining 12 laps around the bullring with former champ, Dude Teate, in hot pursuit. Teate would pose a threat to Gingras a few times, but Gingras was able to power his way into victory lane.

FSCF.com “Hard” Luck Award : Tommy “Gun” Nichols. On the very first lap of competition for the night, even before taking the green flag, the 11 of Bryan Riddle drifted up the track coming out of turn 4 and into the 70 car driven by Nichols. The result of the contact was Nichols hitting the turn 4 wall “hard” and ripping the right front shock tower from the chassis. With major damage to the chassis, Nichols was unable to repair his Miller Motorsports mount. You could see the dejection on Nichols’ face as he watched the feature from the stands, and not from the cockpit. I’m sure it was “hard”!

Track Grade : A. Citrus County Speedway remains on my top 2 list of favorite tracks in this state. They run a very smooth program and a very tight ship! There is no BS tolerated by the race director. They have great concessions and reasonable prices for both admission and concessions.They have a great track for racing. It’s a nearly perfect situation. They ran 10 different classes, yes 10, on Saturday night including a 50 lap Super Late Model race and the TBARA Winged Sprint Cars! Where else can you go and see the best of the best that Florida has to offer on the same night ?? And they have egg rolls ! And they have $2 beer in the pit area (after the last race starts, of course)! It just doesn’t get much better for short track Saturday nights .

Crowd Grade : A-. Critter and the gang at Citrus County Speedway continue to put people in the stands. I’m not sure if it’s one thing in particular, or a great combination of alot of factors, but there is always a good crowd on hand at CCS. It’s nice to see a track owner and “promoter” still doing their job to put people in the seats. There are plenty of tracks in this state that could definitely take lessons from what Critter is doing, and has done for years in this sleepy little rural community on Florida’s Nature Coast.

Series Grade : B+. The TBARA pulled into Citrus County Speedway for their season finale with 19 pavement pounders. The field was a little weak by TBARA standards without some of the star power that they generally attract. ”His Holiness” Dave Steele, Travelin’ Troy DeCaire, “Blazing” Larry Brazil, and Hustlin’ Steve Heisler were all absent from competition on Saturday night. Nonetheless, the group of stars that had gathered and aligned put on a great show for all that were present. With points leader Shane Butler, and 2nd in command, Dude Teate, only a few points apart, the stage was set for a dramatic and emotional night of racing.

Food Ordered : N/A.

Food Grade : A+. If you missed the last race report that I wrote, then you missed the fact I am not only the tardy race reporter, but the crew chief on the 3x machine driven by “Hollywood” Bo Hartley. And you would have also missed that besides all of the zeros on my paycheck, the food at the 3x hauler is second to none. This week, we were treated to some of the best chili that I think I have ever put a spoon in. Eddie Sanchez, a fireman and paramedic in the greater Tampa Bay area, brought heaven in a crock pot on Saturday night. He couldn’t have picked a better night to make fresh, hot grilled cheese sandwiches and chili. The temperatures dipped down into the 30′s on Saturday night, but our team was warm from the inside out. Also circulating through the pit area was heard to be some of the best white chocolate chip, pumpkin, macadamia nut cookies in the country. Troy DeCaire may have gotten props a few months ago for having the best looking tshirt crew circulating through the grandstands, but I think that he was just bested by the anonymous cookie chef. From what I understand. there was a very attractive young lady walking around with said tub of cookies.

Other Notes :

- In Heat 1 action, Jimmy Alvis Sr dominated, leading all 8 laps from the pole and collecting the win. The “Bushnell Bullet” Shane Butler followed Alvis Sr to the checkers after starting in the 6th spot. Heat 1 also saw the “hard” impact of Nichols into the turn 4 retaining wall on lap 1.

- Ben “Flash” Fritz chased the DeCaire Motorsports #41 piloted by Ray Bragg II for 4 laps before taking taking the point and the checkers in the 2nd Heat. Fritz took the lead on a heroic 3 wide power move going into turn one on lap 5. After clearing Bragg, Fritz checked out on the field and was chased by Gingras the final 2 circuits.

- Tony Carreno made his first sprint car start ever in the Miller Motorsports #78. Carreno is a long time open wheel modified racer that made the jump to sprint cars.

- Also making his first start in a winged sprint car was Matthew Hall. Hall was in the DeCaire #01 machine. Hall had driven for DeCaire in the USAC Southeast Sprint Car Series, but had never tried it with a a wing. Unfortunately, Hall’s night came to an early end as he suffered terminal engine failure on lap 13.

- With his pilot’s license in hand, and several hours behind the yoke of a Citaborca aircraft, Sonny Hartley decided to take flight to a whole new dimension. This time with the landing gear down. On lap 1 of the feature, as Hartley flew down the frontstretch, something in the cockpit caught his right foot and wouldn’t allow the throttle to return. Hartley rode up the Jersey style barrier in turn 1 and went up and over the wall. Hartley came to reat atop a tractor tire on the outside of the wall. Thankfully, Hartley landed the car on all 4 wheels and was unharmed.

- With championship implications at hand, the pressure to perform was on for several drivers in the field. The most critical being between Shane Butler and Dude Teate. Teate was mathematically within reach of Butler at the start of the feature. Teate did nearly everything that he could by finishing 2nd, but came up short in the championship race, as Butler finished only 4 positions to his rear. Ben Fritz needed to finish 4th or better in the feature to clinch a 4th spot in the overall points battle. But as fate would have it, on lap 24 (while running in the 4th spot) Fritz dove into turn 3 trying to advance his position, and spun after the car hooked something on the apron of the track. Fritz was pushed off and rejoined the field at the tail. He was able to drive back to 10th, but would have to settle for a fifth overall.

- An on track altercation between Mickey Kempgens and Dakotah Stephens after the checkered flag had flown resulted in a disqualification of Stephens. It was said that Stephens ran into Kempgens under caution, the result of which is a $500fine and a 10 race suspension for Stephens. It’s very evident that rough driving will not be tolerated by the TBARA.

- Congrats to the 2010 TBARA Champion, Shane Butler. Butler avoided a close call on lap 1 of his heat race as Nichols hit the wall “hard” and cars danced to avoid the debris.

- Twelve of the 17 cars that started the feature were still running at the end. This was a very welcome site after the disappointment in Mobile a few weeks ago.

- Dude Teate had an incredible charge from his 11th starting spot to come home 2nd. Had the season been 2 races longer, Teate may be atop the points at the end. He and the BioBased.US team have made great strides since their missteps during SpeedWeeks and should definitely be favorites to win it all next season.

Race Reporter : Josh Wichers