After busting my misconception last year that dirt track racing in the desert of Arizona would be like watching off road racing in a sandstorm, I returned to Tucson International Raceway to kickoff my 2014 racing season with two nights of the Winter Extreme featuring the NDRL Late Models and CDM Modifieds. And Friday night's Late Model main event has set a rather high bar for the rest of the season to be compared to!
Billy Moyer, who has won more Winter Extreme events over the years than any other driver, and local favorite R.C. Whitwell who won last Saturday's opener of the six-race series would bring the field to green for thirty-laps with a $3,000 top prize awaiting tonight's winner. Riding the cushion on a three-grooved race track Whitwell moved to the front with Moyer giving chase until the first caution of the event waved when Sprint Car ace Donny Schatz spun in turn three on lap four. On the restart Tim Fuller moved to second and applied the pressure to Whitwell who now worked the top line through three and four before closing the door on Fuller down low in turn one. Moyer was stalking the lead duo in third while Iowa native Ryan Gustin moved past Shane Clanton for fourth to continue his march forward after starting seventh.
Fuller was able to stick his nose under the leader a couple of times and with heavy slower traffic just ahead this one was about to heat up before the caution waved again on lap thirteen for Mason Ziegler. While it looked like Fuller was faster before the caution, Whitwell changed that perception by pulling away from his challengers when the green flag returned opening up a comfortable lead with ten laps remaining. The race now appeared to be for second as the Arizona driver continued to build his lead, but with just seven laps to go and riding the cushion strong through turns three and four Whitwell's car suddenly jerked to the right and slowed to a halt at the start of the frontstretch.
Fuller would now assume the point for the restart with Gustin and Moyer paired up behind him and Gustin immediately went to the top to challenge for the lead. One lap he would make progress on Fuller, and the next lap he would lose ground, but with two circuits remaining Gustin found a bite off four and had a run on the leader entering turn one after taking the white flag. The top two were wheel-to-wheel off of turn two and Gustin nosed ahead down the back stretch and into turn three, but as Fuller found his perfect line around the bottom of the final two turns, Gustin slipped a little higher than before allowing the driver from New York to take the checkered flag in a thriller. Moyer would race in for the third spot, Jimmy Mars made a solid run coming from the seventh row to fourth as Shane Clanton completed the top five.
Iowa drivers Justin Kay and Chris Simpson each found themselves in one of the three Last Chance races for the night as 56 Late Models tried to make the 24-car field. Kay started at the back of the thirteen-car lineup for the second B-Main and despite an early race brush up with Rick Ortega he was able to race his way up to fifth, three spots shy of making the show. Simpson had the pole for the third Last Chance qualifier, but when he was called for jumping the original start officials moved him back to row two behind Jason Papich. NASCAR Truck Series competitor Matt Crafton started next to his teammate Papich, but went for a spin down the back stretch on the opening lap collecting another of Arizona's top drivers Lonnie Parker Jr. On the third try at a start Papich, obviously forgetting how he had been awarded the pole in the first place, fired too early and Simpson was put back on the pole. When the race was finally able to stay green Chris ran away for the win, then later started twenty-first in the feature and made a strong run up to tenth.
The twenty-lap Modified feature would close out the evening with Clarence, Iowa's Brad Dierks going from the pole position. Fellow front row starter Johnny Scott used a high-to-low move to take the lead on the opening lap, but Dierks came back strong to drive around him on the high side in turn one to take the lead on the second trip around. Ricky Thornton Jr. was on the move from his third row start and he powered by Dierks in turn two to take the lead at the mid-race point. Austin Arneson slowed with a flat tire with six laps remaining pulling the only caution of the event with Dierks and North Dakota's Cody Skytland lining up behind the leader for the restart. Dierks slid back to fifth as Skytland picked up the chase of the leader, but there would be no catching Thornton on this night as the Arizona driver kept the $1,000 top prize in state. Skytland was impressive taking the runner-up spot after starting thirteenth, Dierks fought back late to finish in third while Jake O'Neal and Stormy Scott completed the top five.
Action continues both Saturday and Sunday in Tucson with the first of those two on my schedule.
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