Mars Dominates the Bill Cheesbourg
Memorial to Close Out the Wild West Shootout
By
Ryan Neuharth
Tucson, Ariz
(January 17, 2010) If Sunday nights Bill Cheesbourg
Memorial, the finale of the 4th Annual Wild
West Shootout at USA Raceway, is a harbinger of the
coming 2010 season, Jimmy Mars has put the dirt late
model fraternity on notice. Starting from the pole, Mars
captured the season's first high dollar event when raced
his BSB Manufacturing / Keyes Chevytown / Deppe
Enterprises / Wiles Driveshafts / Baileigh Industries /
Pro Power Racing Engines / MB Customs chassis to victory
lane to bookend his season opening win from one week
ago.
For Mars it was his fourth career
Wild West Shootout win, equaling him with Billy Moyer
and Steve Francis for second on the all-time list. The
series all-time winningest driver remains Terry
Phillips, who extended his total to nine earlier in the
week.
Mars would lead at the drop of the
green as he got the jump on fellow front row starter Rob
Mayea as Jeremy Payne, AJ Kirkpatrick and Randy Korte
freight trained Frank Heckenast, Jr and raced three wide
down the backstretch for third. Payne grabbed the spot
on the high side as Kirkpatrick went fourth and Korte
rounded out the top five. Heckenast, Jr was now sixth
followed by Dean Moore, Steve Drake, Mike Balcaen and
Mike Kirby.
The races only caution would
appear on lap two for a ten car mêlée in turn two which
included Clay Daly, Chris Shannon, Jack Sullivan, Billy
Moyer, Will Vaught, Lance Matthees, Pat Doar, Billy
Moyer, Jr, Eddie Kirchoff and Rylan Long. All drivers
were able to continue, however, under the yellow second
place runner Rob Mayea would retire from the event.
When the green reappeared for the
Delaware double file restart, Mars again grabbed the
lead as Payne slotted second and the scramble was on
throughout the top ten. Korte would take third from
Kirkpatrick, Heckenast, Jr would get past Moore for
fifth and Steve Drake jumped past Balcaen for sixth as
the field clicked under the flagstand to complete lap
five.
Mars was in firm command as he put
a comfortable distance between himself and Payne, while
the later also had opened a significant margin on the
rest of the field. Balcaen and John Anderson would jump
to the high side and begin charging to the front as
Balcaen moved from seventh to fourth and Anderson from
ninth to fifth. Two other drivers on the move, 16th
starting Darrell Nelson and 22nd starter
Billy Moyer, Jr would run ninth and tenth respectively
with ten in the books.
Mars would begin to experience the
back of the field on lap 11 as the shuffling within the
top ten remained fluid lap after lap. Mars continued to
stretch his lead by lap 15 as Payne remained a
comfortable second. Korte would race third, Kirkpatrick
fourth and Anderson would round out the top five. Sixth
through tenth was occupied by Balcaen, Drake, Moyer Jr,
Heckenast, Jr and Moore.
Anderson and take fourth on lap 16
from Kirkpatrick, but Moyer, Jr found the bottom grove
to his liking and jumped from eighth to fifth, while the
elder Moyer rallied from the tail of the field to run
eighth at the half-way point of the 40 lapper.
Moyer, Jr was not done as he
cruised past Anderson on lap 21 and Korte just one
circuit later to now run a distant third to Mars and
Payne. Trouble would begin to set in for Kirkpatrick as
he would backslide out of the top ten by lap 25. With 15
to go Mars advantage was half a straightaway plus
multiple lap cars over Payne, Moyer, Jr Korte and
Anderson, who were followed by Drake, Moyer, Heckenast,
Jr, Kirchoff and Balcaen.
Korte and Anderson would resume
their high-low battle for fourth with Anderson taking
the spot for good on lap 27. The best fight on the
speedway as another high-low affair between Drake and
Moyer. The two would trade sixth multiple times per lap
over the course of ten trips around the 3/8th
mile with Drake finally winning out on lap 35. With just
five to go, Mars had lapped well into the top fifteen
and was quickly approaching tenth running Balcaen.
On this night, no one had anything
for Mars as he would lap up to ninth place in a
dominating performance to capture the $10,000 Bill
Cheesbourg Memorial winners check. Payne settled for
second in his best run of the week, while Moyer, Jr.
also came home with his best finish of the week in
third.
Calvin Catlin raced from the
outside of the third row to the lead early in the
Factory Stock feature and outran Sherman Barnett for his
second consecutive feature win in his #6c car tonight.
However, in post race inspection, illegal suspension
parts were discovered, stripping Catlin of the win and
handing the win to second finishing Sherman Barnett.
Hermitage, Missouri racer Eric
Turner climbed into Jeff Sires' #02 Modified tonight and
raced from the pole to lead every lap of the 25-lap UMP
DirtCar feature event to become the sixth different
winner in the six nights of the 2010 Wild West Shootout.
Darrell Nelson, Corky Thomas and Pat Doar raced in a
tight three-car pack for second with Paul Banghart and
Bumper Jones also in a tremendous battle for fifth. As
Turner cruised to the win, Thomas stole second from
Nelson with Doar and Bumper Jones rounding out the top
five.
A-Main Finish:
Jimmy Mars, Jeremy Payne, Billy
Moyer, Jr., John Anderson, Randy Korte, Steve Drake,
Billy Moyer, Frank Heckenast, Jr., Eddie Kirchoff, Mike
Balcaen, Dean Moore, Chris Shannon, Rylan Long, Brad
Williams, AJ Kirkpatrick, Clay Daly, Will Vaught, Lance
Matthees, Darrell Nelson, Pat Doar, Mike Kirby, Jack
Sullivan, Paul Mueller, Rob Mayea
B-Main 1 Finish:
Jack Sullivan, Will Vaught, Pat
Doar, Eddie Kirchoff, Lonnie Parker, Jr., Andrew McKay,
Brad Seng, Bill Bartells, Dave Dietz, Ron Bartells, Matt
Aukland, John Lowry, Bucky Andrews
B-Main 2 Finish:
Billy Moyer, Lance Matthees, Billy
Moyer, Jr., Rylan Long, Rob Sanders, Brant Kehrer, Tyler
Reddick, Dan Henrickson, Greg Walters, Joey Moriarty,
Shane Simper, Kelly Boen, Terry Phillips
Heat 1:
Balcaen, Williams, Moore, Drake,
Mueller, Walters, Henrickson, Simper, Phillips
Heat 2:
Heckenast, Jr., Daly, Kirby,
Moyer, Jr., Sanders, Aukland, Kehrer, Moriarty, Seng
Heat 3:
Kirkpatrick, Mayea, Nelson, Long,
B. Bartells, R. Bartells, Deitz, Andrews
Heat 4:
Mars, Shannon, Sullivan, Vaught,
Parker, Jr., Kirchoff, McKay, Boen
Heat 5:
Korte, Payne, Moyer, Anderson,
Matthees, Reddick, Doar, Lowry
Modified Event Results:
A-Main: Turner, C. Thomas, Nelson,
Doar, B. Jones, Gallardo, N. O'Neal, Banghart, Ray,
Stanford, Ramirez, G. Junghans, Ward, Williamson,
Wallace, Karst, A. Turnbull, Georges, Harpole, T.
Thomas, R. Jones, C. Junghans, Edginton, Whitwell
Heat 1: Corky Thomas, David Karst,
Tim Thomas, Tim Ward, Jimmy Ray, Ryan Engalls, Nick
O'Neal, Lance Mari, Brian Graf
Heat 2: Darrell Nelson, Nick
O'Neal, Shane Edginton, Anthony Madrid, John Stinson,
Dennis Gates, Dennis Haven, Ronnie Salas
Heat 3: Pat Doar, Royal Jones,
Fito Gallardo, Jesse Williamson, Christy Georges, RC
Whitwell, Shayne Laske, Terry Haven, Derek Ramirez
Heat 4: Paul Banghart, Bumper
Jones, Chase Junghans, Greg Jenkins, Grant Junghans,
Kenny Wallace, Tyson Turnbull, Cody Skytland
Heat 5: Alex Stanford, Eric
Turner, JJ Harpole, Max Sadler, Dickie Gorham, Aaron
Turnbull, Dana Fite, Blake Jegtvig
B-Main 1: G. Junghans, A.
Turnbull, Ray, Williamson, Jegtvig, T. Turnbull,
Jenkins, Laske, Stinson, Mari, T. Haven, Engalls, Graf,
J, O'Neal
B-Main 2: Whitwell, Ramirez,
Wallace, Georges, Seidler, Sadler, Gorham, Skytland,
Fite, Madrid, D. Haven, Gates, Salas
Factory Stock Results
A-Main: Barnett, B. Walton, Romeor,
Dingus Morrow, Morehart, Churchwell, Hidalgo, Jurado,
Burdick, McEuen, McCarty Jr., L. Walton, Bauman, Leech,
Hanes, Dingus Morrow, Catlin
Heat 1: Sherman Barnett, Bill
Walton, Brad Moyer, Heath McEuen, Harland Morehart,
Derek Morrow, Lance Walton, Manny Romero, Trevor
Hidalgo, Dingus Morrow
Heat 2: Calvin Catlin, Terry
Churchwell, Bill Wall, Rod Jurado, Josh Burdick, Larry
Leech, Steven Hanes, Johnny McCarty Jr., Bryan Bauman
Moyer Goes Back to Back at the
Wild West Shootout for Third Win of the Week
Tucson, Ariz
(January 16, 2010) When history remembers the 2010
edition of the Wild West Shootout at USA Raceway in
Tucson, the conversation will surely turn to side by
side racing, spectacular finishes and dramatic late race
heroics. This Saturday night was no different. Billy
Moyer and Jimmy Mars waged a lead swapping duel over the
final ten laps in heavy lapped traffic that the patrons
in attendance won't soon forget.
When the dust finally settled it
was the Hall of Famer Moyer who steered his L&D
Trucking, Banner Valley Hauling, Henderson Motorsports,
Cooley Transportation, Universal Concrete, Performance
Rod & Custom, Watters Auto Land, New Vision Graphics,
Victory Circle M1 chassis into victory lane for the
third time this week. The win tied Moyer for second
all-time in Wild West Shootout wins with Steve Francis
at four, and severed as the 717th triumph of
his career.
Will Vaught would earn the pole
and grab the lead at the drop of the green as Moyer ran
second followed by Lance Matthees, Jack Sullivan and
Mars who rounded out the top five. Moyer would waste no
time in applying the pressure to Vaught as they two
would race side by side for the top spot on lap one.
Vaught would surrender the lead on lap two and Moyer
would immediately open a comfortable margin by lap five.
Chris Shannon was also quickly on the move as the former
Western All-Stars Champion dispatched of Kelly Boen, Pat
Doar and Darrell Nelson to run sixth when the races
first yellow appeared on lap ten for a spinning AJ
Kirkpatrick and Frank Heckenast, Jr to the inside of
turn one.
Shannon would gain another
position on the Delaware double file restart as he took
fifth from Sullivan as Moyer continued to lead. Mars
would use the low side to take third from Matthees on
lap twelve just before the races second yellow when
Blaine Doppler smacked the turn three concrete. Moyer
again would lead away from the restart with Vaught
second, Mars third, Matthees fourth and Shannon rounding
out the top five who quickly shuffled into single file
formation.
Lap fifteen would see the
appearance of 14th starting Jeremy Payne in
the top ten as he rode tenth, as teammate and Wednesday
night winner Terry Phillips was eleventh from 21st.
Mars came to life at the halfway mark and began the task
of finding away around Vaught for the runner-up spot as
the two raced wheel to wheel on lap 16. Glued to the
inside hub Mars made the move stick in turn two on lap
18 and set off in search of the leader.
Phillips would move by Payne for
tenth on lap 19 and with just ten to go Mars was reeling
in Moyer. Moyer worked the middle as Mars clung to the
inside as the race for the lead was now side by side in
lapped traffic. Mars would take the lead on lap 21 and
opened up a three car length advantage in a pocket of
clear race track as Moyer gave chase. Action toward the
rear of the top ten began to percolate as both Boen and
Phillips would move past Nelson sliding the Minnesota
double-duty racer back to 10th with five to
go.
Moyer was now all over the rear
deck of Mars who was once again in the thick of heavy
lapped traffic in his preferred low line. Having
experimented with the a lane off the bottom earlier in
the event, Moyer snuck to the right rear quarter of Mars
on lap 26 as the two crossed the line to put 27 on the
board.
With Mars trapped behind a lapped
car in turn one, Moyer would make the move around the
outside and regain the lead he surrendered a dozen
circuits earlier. Over the final three trips Moyer would
work the traffic like a master and secure the win for
the second night in a row, his third conquest of the
week.
Calvin Catlin took the lead at the
start of the Factory Stock feature event and drove off
as a tremendous battle between Barnett, Wall, Walton and
Romero waged on throughout the entire 20-lap affair.
Catlin ran uncontested to the win and Barnett hung
strong to come across the line in second ahead of
Romero.
2009 USA Raceway track champion RC
Whitwell looked as if he was going to cruise to his
first feature win of 2010 on Friday night, only to break
a driveshaft with three laps remaining, ending a sure
feature win, so tonight 9th starting Whitwell
was not going to be denied. Wednesday night's feature
winner Derek Ramirez took the lead from outside of the
front row and looked as if he was going to race to his
second Wild West Shootout feature win of the season
until 4th starting Bumper Jones began to reel
him in and pressure Ramirez for the race lead. The duo
raced each other hard for the top spot as Whitwell
picked his way through traffic. Once Whitwell got to
third, he reeled in the leaders and on a late race
restart, Whitwell blasted from third to first and ran
away with the win over Jones and Ramirez.
A-Main Finish:
Billy Moyer, Jimmy Mars, Will
Vaught, Lance Matthees, Chris Shannon, Jack Sullivan,
Pat Doar, Kelly Boen, Terry Phillips, Randy Korte,
Jeremy Payne, Darrell Nelson, Rob Sanders, BillyMoyer,
Jr, John Anderson, John Lowry, Brad Seng, Mike Balcaen,
Dean Moore, Steve Drake, Frank Heckenast, Jr, Tyler
Reddick, Blaine Doppler, AJ Kirkpatrick
B-Main 1:
Rob Sanders, Randy Korte, Terry
Phillips, Dean Moore, Matt Aukland, Brad Williams, Rob
Mayea, Lonnie Parker, Clay Daly, Bill Bartells, Art
Lacy, Jeff Biffle, Dave Dietz, Mike Kirby, Paul Mueller
B-Main 2:
John Lowry, Frank Heckenast, Jr,
Billy Moyer,Jr, Brad Seng, Eddie Kirchoff, Rylan Long,
Andrew McKay, Clay Daly, Mark Carroll, Joey Moriarty,
Dan Henrickson, Greg Walters, Shane Simper, Nick
Bartells
Heat 1:
Matthees, Boen, Vaught, Reddick,
Mueller, Mayea, Biffle, Simper, Phillips
Heat 2:
Moyer, Anderson, Payne, Long, N.
Bartells, Aukland, Daly, McKay, Henrickson
Heat 3:
Mars, Shannon, Kirkpatrick,
Parker, Jr, Balcaen, Kehrer, Williams, Lacy, Walters
Heat 4:
Doar, Doppler, Sanders, Drake,
Korte, Moyer, Jr, Seng, Moriarty, Kirby
Heat 5:
Sullivan, Nelson, Heckenast, Jr,
Lowry, Kirchoff, Moore, Carroll, B. Bartells, Dietz
Passing Points Top 16 Official:
Vaught, Moyer, Matthees, Sullivan,
Nelson, Mars, Doar, Boen, Shannon, Drake, Anderson,
Doppler, Balcaen, Payne, Kirkpatrick, Reddick
Modified Event Results:
A-Main: Whitwell, B. Jones,
Ramirez, Stanford, N. O'Neal, Wallace, Gallardo, Karst,
R. Jones, Williamson, G. Junghans, Georges, Banghart,
Jegtvig, C.Junghans, T. Ward, Harpole, J. O'Neal,
Thomas, Ayers, Nelson, Herring, Villineueva, S. Ward
Heat 1: Fito Gallardo, Royal
Jones, Paul Banghart, Scott Ward, Tim Ward, Neal
Flowers, Dean Deming, Lance Mari, Shayne Laske
Heat 2: Toby Herring, Jesse
Williamson, Cody Alvarez, Kenny Wallace, Ed Turnbull,
Pat Doar, Tim Thomas, Ryan Engalls, Ronnie Salas
Heat 3: Nick O'Neal, Chase
Junghans, Cody Skytland, David Karst, Jack Kokot, John
Stinson, Jake O'Neal, Terry Haven, Dennis Gates
Heat 4: Bumper Jones, Mike
Villineueva, Shane Edginton, Jeff Sires, Christy
Georges, Corky Thomas, Hugh Hagerstrand, Dennis Haven,
Brian Graf
Heat 5: Darrell Nelson, RC
Whitwell, Chad Ayers, Alex Stanford, Max Sadler, Grant
Junghans, Dickie Gorham, Greg Jenkins
Heat 6: JJ Harpole, Derek Ramirez, Aaron Turnbull,
Marlyn Seidler, Jimmy Ray, Clay Daly, Blake Jegtvig,
Adam Crippen
B-Main 1: Ay
ers,
Jegtvig, J. O'Neal, G. Junghans, Doar, Stinson, Laske,
Gorham, Kokot, Mari, Edginton, Hagerstrand, Sallas, D.
Haven, A. Turnbull, Alvarez, E. Turnbull, Deming
B-Main 2: T. Ward, S. Ward, C.
Thomas, Georges, Jenkins, Ray, Seidler, Sires, T. Haven,
Gates, T. Thomas, Sadler, Skytland, Flowers, Graf, Daly,
Crippen, Engalls
Factory Stock Results
A-Main: Catlin, Barnett, Romero,
Wall, B. Walton, Jurado, Jones, Moyer, Leech, McEuen,
Dingus Morrow, McCart Jr., Derek Morrow, Morehart, L.
Walton, Hanes, Hidalgo, Leeds, Hawver, McEuen Jr.,
Babers
Heat 1: Calvin Catlin, Sherman
Barnett, Bobby Babers, Bill Walton, Dylan Jones, Johnny
McCarty Jr., Harland Morehart, Steven Hanes, Lance
Walton, John Leeds, Larry Leech
Heat 2: Bill Wall, Dingus Morrow,
Manny Romero, Heath McEuen, Derek Morrow, Brad Moyer,
Rod Jurado, Trevor Hidalgo, Jim Hawver, Heath McEuen Jr.
