5-10-08
The Riverside
FANatic
By Alan Plummer
Welcome to the first edition of the Riverside FANatic for the 2008 racing season
at Riverside Speedway, a P.A.S.S. sanctioned speedway.
I’m already getting the feeling that this will be a great year for
Riverside. Entries seem strong in
every division. I know of a few
good racers who are taking some time off this year, there are many rookies this
year compared to past years.
The Daredevil Rookies started the evening out.
Many of these youngsters come from racing families, so you think the
parents would be used to what goes out on the track.
I heard one father, a racer himself, say he’d almost rather go down the
frontstretch on his roof than watch his kid race.
The adrenalin must be pumping so hard, watching your child, dodging
obstacles, trying to pass, wanting them to go faster, or slow down.
It’s only the beginning of the season, by the end of the year all the
parents will be proud of their child’s accomplishments, and hopefully have a
little less anxiety. Starting on
the pole was the 7 of Benjamin Belanger, with the 31 of Brent Ming outside.
I’m told Ming has already rolled the car in practice, but was right back
out there. Ming initially took the
lead then Belanger slipped by, as Ming falls back.
The 3 of Lyndsay Dawson moved into 3rd on lap 3.
On lap 8 the yellow flew for the 25 of Stephan Donahue spinning around.
Belanger took the restart.
Ming and the 0 of Erin Hudson get together in turn 1 bringing out the caution.
Belanger again takes the restart over Dawson.
The yellow flew on lap 12. A
decision was made to go with a single file restart.
On lap 14 Ming moved back into 2nd, but get together with the
2 of Nick Gilcris, with Ming spinning around, bringing out the yellow/checkers.
The win goes to Belanger followed by Gilcris and the 94 of Jerrad
Ainsworth.
The Daredevil Veterans were up next.
The 47 of Randy Whittum started on the pole, with the 07 of Manville
Powers outside. Powers took the
lead with Dylan Switser in the 62 moving to 2nd, and the 5 of Jesse
Switser to 3rd. Dylan
and Jesse each advanced a spot on lap 2, and on lap 3, the 12 of Brett Gervais
moved into 3rd. The
Switsers battle for the lead from laps 4 to 8, with Jesse moving into the lead.
Gervais overtakes 2nd on lap 10.
Cameron Bowen, in the 93, spins on lap 17 bringing out the caution.
Gervais initially takes the restart, but Jesse Switser quickly regains
and takes the win. Gervais takes 2nd,
and the 77 of Brandon Lambert takes 3rd.
The Dwarf cars were up next.
The 4 of Nate Brown started on the pole, with the 20 of Bobby Riley outside.
Brown took the lead, and the 22 of Dana Huoppi moved to 2nd,
and Eric Hall in the 2 moved to 3rd.
Hall spins around on lap 4.
Brown gets a nose on Huoppi on the restart, they go back and forth till lap 23
when they get together and spin in turn 1.
Ernie Laplant in the 28 takes the restart and the win, followed by the 98
of David Hartshorn, and Hall.
The Street Stocks had a great night, without a single caution.
The 04 of Nathan Swallow started on the pole with the 1 of Michael McGee
outside. Swallow took the lead, and
the 76 of Tori Delabruere moved into 3rd, then 2nd.
On lap 2 Michael Smith in the 22 moved to third.
The top 3 settled in, and ran a smooth race, working the lapped traffic
just before the finish. Swallow
takes the win, followed by Delabruere and Smith.
Swallow lost the clutch after taking the checkers and had to be pushed to
victory lane.
The Super Stocks were the final Riverside division of the night.
The 37 of Jason Rogers started on the pole, with the 31 of Brian
Middleton outside. Middleton took
the lead then fell back quickly giving Rogers the lead, as the 01 of Brian
Gosselin moved to 2nd, and the 12 of Luke Shannon moved to 3rd.
The yellow flies on lap 7 for the 21 of Matt Carbone who spins in turn 3.
Gosselin takes the lead, then Rogers regains.
Rogers spins on lap 10. Gosselin takes the lead.
On lap 21, the 18 of Ron Watson overtakes 3rd.
Gosselin takes the win, followed by Shannon and Watson.
The PASS Modifieds were up next.
This normally is my favorite division, with few cautions and lots of
bouncing off each other, but for some reason there were many cautions this week.
The 14 started on the pole, not sure who it was, couldn’t find any
listing on the PASS website.
Outside his door was the 33 of William Dixon.
The 14 took the lead, as the 6 of Troy Morse moved into 2nd.
There was a series of 3 yellows, with Morse taking each restart.
On lap 7, the 03 of Gary Norris Jr. moved into 3rd then to 2nd
on lap 10. The yellow flew again on
lap 16. Morse again took the
restart. Dixon and the 14 get
together on lap 23, sending Dixon into the tire barrier off turn 1.
Morse again takes the restart, as the 9 of Mark Lucas moves to 3rd.
Morse and Norris get together on lap 29 sending Morse off turn 1.
Lucas takes the restart, and the win.
He is followed across the line by the 66 of Andy Shaw, and the 29 of Greg
Ellis.
The final event of the night was the PASS Outlaws.
The 55 of Jimmy Renfrew held the pole, with the 60 of Dale Shaw to his
outside. Renfrew took the lead, as
the 17 of Scott Alexander moved to 3rd.
On lap 11 the 25j of Gunnar Josselyn, and the 25 of Mike Thomas got
together in turn 1. Renfrew took
the lead on the restart. On lap 21,
the 22 of Mike Harnish moved to 3rd.
On lap 22 the 01 of Joe Decker goes off turn 1.
Renfrew and Shaw are neck and neck on the restart, with Renfrew taking
the lead, and Harnish sneaking into 2nd.
Jamie Swallow Jr. in the 04 goes off turn 1 on lap 28.
Renfrew again takes the leak. The 09 of Jeremy Davis spins to the infield
but continues on his own. In the
scrambling to avoid him, Harnish takes the lead and Shaw regains 2nd.
On lap 49 the 53 of Allan Wilson overtakes 3rd, then on lap 53
he overtakes 2nd. Wilson
was slowly reeling in Harnish when a caution came out in his favor, but he
couldn’t capitalize on the restart.
Harnish took the lead again, and the victory, followed by Wilson and Shaw.
Next Saturday May 17th, is the NAPA Spectacular: Bobby Shores
Memorial. On the card will be the Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Stocks,
Angels and Daredevils, and Cyclones.
Post time 6 p.m., hope to see you there.
Pictures and archived FANatic articles can be seen at
http://racing.apcomptech.com
If you have any questions or comments email me at
riversidefanatic@apcomptech.com