5-8-04
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Rolling Thunder Series A
Division of TRAC On Saturday May 8th, the Rolling
Thunder racers gathered at Dunlap Motorplex, fifteen in all, to try
and tame Scott Dunlap’s newest four lane creation. The track was
superb and in top condition for the race.
With bellies full of beans and dogs, the race was on. In the qualifying round robin, there were many
heat totals of 22 and 23 laps. The top contenders were laying down
occasional 24’s and even a 25.
The 25 was by RICK JOCHAM, returning to the circuit after a 2
race layoff. The car was fast and really hooked up.
Complimenting the 25 were a pair of 23’s and a 24 for a
slammin’ 95 lap total, good for first place and 5 bonus points.
Not too far off the mark, posting three 23’s and a 24, for 93
laps, was MATT PAUL. This was good for second place and 4 big bonus
points. With identical heats and total laps, was MIKE ENGELAGE,
collecting 3 points for his 93 laps, which were behind PAUL’S 93
laps by a few feet. Fourth
place, with a strong run of 91 laps, was DOUG BROWN, snatching up 2
bonus points. Rounding
out the top 5 and collecting the final bonus point of the round, was
GREG WILLEY, with a solid run of 90 laps. The last three spots to move
up to the semi were SCOTT DUNLAP (90 laps), FRANCIS MCENTEE (88), and
ROCKY GERMAN (88). The semi was another round robin, with 6 of the 8
going to the Final. For most of the racers, the pace picked up as
23’s became expected and 24’s became common. Once
again, it was JOCHAM out in front, posting another 25, which was
enough to give him 96 laps, 5 more bonus points, and the top honor
again. Right behind was BROWN, posting three 24’s and a 23 on the
Red gutter lane, for a big 95, second place and 4 bonus points.
ENGELAGE was right there with a pair of 23’s and a pair of 24’s
for 94 laps, good for 3 more bonus points. ENGELAGE was not
uncontested, however, as WILLEY and DUNLAP ran right with him, all
posting the same 94 lap total. WILLEY took the fourth spot and 2 bonus
points, and DUNLAP collected the final point for 5th. The
‘Lucky Dog’ spot, the last qualifier for the Final, was PAUL with
a 91 lap effort. MCENTEE took 7th place with 90 laps, and
GERMAN took 8th with another 88. In the final, the heats were a minute longer (4
minutes),and stamina and concentration played a big part. Again,
JOCHAM set the pace, posting 32 and 33 lap totals, pulling away from
the rest of the field….except for ENGELAGE, who was posting 32’s
and 33’s of his own. A 31 on the Red gutter lane, for ENGELAGE, proved
to be the determining factor, as ENGELAGE ended up with 129 laps and
JOCHAM finished with 130. BROWN
stayed strong and hung around the leaders for a while but, fell off on
the gutters and posted a 125 total for 3rd, and the last place on the
podium. The race for 4th was a great battle between
WILLEY, DUNLAP,and PAUL. When the dust settled among these three, it
was PAUL, whose 123 lap total was just a little better than WILLEY’S
123 total. DUNLAP had a 122, about to cross over to 123, and took 6th
place. This was a great, fun, fast, and ultra competitive race. The field keeps bunching closer and closer together, with a couple exceptions, who can usually be found at the top. Thanks to Scott for hosting a great race day and for all who came out and continue to support Rolling Thunder and TRAC Racing. Next race is Saturday May 22, at Willey’s.
Finishing
Order 1. Rick Jocham
175+5+5+5=190 2. Mike Engelage
170+3+3 =
176 3. Doug Brown
165+2+4 =
171 4. Matt Paul
160+4
=164 5. Greg Willey
155+1+2 =158 6. Scott Dunlap
150+1
=151 7. Francis McEntee 146 8. Rocky German
142 9. Greg Davis
138 10. Scott Ellis
134 11. Paul Hagan
130 12. Andrew Davis
126 13. Chris Jackson
122 14. Rob Bowman
119 15. Kyle Bowman
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NAS-T-JET Series (Presented by Rock Island Racing) A
Division of TRAC Engelage Returns To Continue Dominance
In this ‘Hi-Hype’ world that we live in, rarely does an event or a product live up to the hype it gets prior to it’s reveal to the public. On Saturday May 8th, members of TRAC were fortunate enough to experience the uncommon.....something that DID live up to the hype, and then some. For months, SCOTT DUNLAP had been working on this
new track that he introduced last Saturday, making no secret of either
its’ construction or of how great of a track it would be.
Happily, as we all arrived, we were delighted to find that it
was, indeed, a great track, and in great shape. Throughout the course
of the day, there were absolutely no issues with the track, the lap
counter/timer, or anything. THAT, is definitely a rarity. There’s
always something that comes up on a raceday that demands attention
but, not this day. Well done, Scott!! As the day began, 2003 Rolling Thunder Racing
Champion, MIKE ENGELAGE, returned to the NAS-T-JET Series, after a 2
race absence, and picked up right where he left off, without missing a
beat. Series leader ROCKY GERMAN, coming off victories in both of the
races that ENGELAGE missed, was on a mission to give ENGELAGE his
first non-first place finish but, from the early going, it appeared
that this would not be. In the Qualifying Round Robin, ENGELAGE (#44 Hot
Wheels Gran Prix) was relatively flawless, posting a pair of 14’s
and a pair of 15’s, while most racers were posting 12’s and
13’s. This 58 lap total was good for first place and 5 big bonus
points. Host, SCOTT DUNLAP (#88 UPS Taurus) and GREG DAVIS (#18
Interstate Monte Carlo) also had a heat where they posted a 15, which
placed them in second and third, respectively. DUNLAP had three 14’s
to accompany his 15, for a 57 lap total and 4 bonus points. DAVIS had
a pair of 14’s to go with his 15 but, a 13 on the Red gutter lane
was enough to keep him in third, with 56 laps, good for 3 bonus
points. Fourth place went to RICK JOCHAM (#29 Goodwrench Monte Carlo),
‘bushwhacking’ in the NAS-T-JET Series for the first time this
season, finishing up with 55 laps, and earning his first 2 bonus
points. GERMAN (#12 Alltel/Sony Taurus), with 55 laps of his own,
collected the last bonus point for his efforts. Sixth place,
heretofore known as the ‘Lucky Dog’ spot, isn’t worth any bonus
points but, it is worth a trip to the Final. That spot went to CHRIS
JACKSON (#45 Sprint Intrepid) for his solid 51 lap total.
Current series runner-up, MATT PAUL (#99 Exide Taurus),
had big trouble on the Yellow gutter lane, and didn’t ever get
hooked up the way he usually does, and for the first time, missed the
Final. I doubt he’ll miss the next one! In the Final, ENGELAGE took off quickly, as could be expected. DUNLAP, however, wasn’t letting ENGELAGE out of his sight, as the two battled back and forth for position during every heat. DAVIS, in that sweet Interstate #18 car, was moving along pretty quickly himself. JOCHAM started out strong, as well. JACKSON had some gutter trouble to start and GERMAN had immediate car trouble, losing a good 2 or 3 laps to a sputtering engine, and with the competition being what it is nowadays, that pretty much sealed a 6th place finish. Posting a total of three 15’s each, ENGELAGE and DUNLAP made it a two man race for the checkers. As the final flag came down, it found ENGELAGE just ahead of DUNLAP in track position, as they both posted whopping totals of 59 laps! DAVIS, with a 15 of his own, held off JOCHAM , 57 to 56, for third place and JACKSON held off the efforts of GERMAN both with 52 laps, for fifth place and his first Top 5 finish. Way to go, Chris! It was a fast fun race, full of paint tradin’ and guys using guys for guardrails….just the way a NASCAR race should be! Thanks to all who participated and who continue to perpetuate the enjoyment obtained from NAS-T-JET racing. Speaking of enjoyment, DUNLAP laid out a bevy of beautiful char-broiled dogs, with beans, chips, and plenty of liquid refreshment as well, that were enjoyed (and devoured) by all. Scott, we’re givin’ you an A+ for hosting on this one! The next race is on Saturday May 22, at Willey’s in Riverside. Willey also knows a thing or two about hosting a race! C ya there….and remember to always “Keep it in the slot as long as you can!”
FINISHING
ORDER 1. Mike Engelage 175+5+5=185 2. Scott Dunlap 170+4 =174 3. Greg Davis 165+3 =168 4. Rick Jocham 160+2 =162 5. Chris Jackson 155 6. Rocky German 150 7. Matt Paul 146 8. Andrew Davis 142 9. Mickey Hurtado 138 10. Greg Willey 134 11. Francis McEntee 130 12. Kyle Bowman 126 |
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