TIM MILLMAN GETS CAREER 1ST IN MODIFIEDS - 10/4/03
By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE (10/4/03) – Coming into Saturday night’s 25-lap Big Block Modified feature, most of the talk centered about the points battle for the championship but at the end of the night the focus had switched to the first career victory for driver Tim Millman of Milford, Del. and his car owner, New Jersey’s Tom Sparks. Millman led in the early laps only to have his lead taken away from H.J. Bunting. Bunting’s bid for the win ended three laps short when he suffered a flat rear tire while battling with Millman for the win. In the companion 15-lap Modified Lite feature, Bobby Walls, III of Ridgely, Md. overcame an early race spin and avoided a late race pileup to post his second win of the season.
Cliff Foskey led the first lap of the Modified feature but the yellow was quickly out for a tangle with Scott Smith and Larry Crouse. Foskey controlled the restart but Tim Millman cranked up the horses and took the lead on lap two. H.J. Bunting was making a mad dash from his sixth starting spot and pulled into second on lap four. He immediately went to work on the leader capturing the top spot for lap seven.
The second yellow of the night was out on lap 10 when Crouse again came to a stop. At the halfway sign the top five were Bunting, Millman, Foskey, Beau Wilkins, and Norman Short. Foskey and Wilkins swapped the third spot on lap 18 just as the caution was out for a third time for Chris Glanden who knocked off a radiator hose.
Millman was working the bottom groove with Bunting running the extreme top. On a couple of occasions, Millman was able to stick the nose of his Bicknell chassis up on the inside of Bunting, With three laps left to go, Bunting slowed at the top of the turn bringing out the final yellow as he limped back to the pits with a flat tire.
Millman was again the leader with Wilkins challenging in second and Deron Rust making a late race charge to take third. The order would not change as the trio drove under the checkered flag.
“I really, really have to thank Tom Sparks,” said an emotional Millman. “You know I was ready to give up on this and he talked me into coming back and gave me way better equipment than I’ve ever had. Wilkins ended up 1.3 seconds back in second with Rust, Foskey, and Short rounding out the top five.
Sixth through tenth were Rick Bishop, Robert Dutton, Gary Simpson, Ricky Johnson, and Craig Mullins. Mullins had played it conservatively in the main and his finish was good enough to earn him his third point championship at the speedway. Mullins, Wilkins, and Bishop won the heats with Dana Walker winning the consolation.
The Modified Lite feature was a rough one with no less than eight caution flags. Bobby Walls spun in the first turn collecting Nick Hendricks, Landis Musser, and Andy Hammond. On the restart Herb Tunis led the first lap before the yellow was out again for Porkchop Davis. Mike Vammino took second from Tom Curtis on the restart but Curtis battled his way back to take and then take the lead on lap six. Jon Callaway followed into second and at the halfway point the top five were Tom Curtis, Callaway, Walls, Nick Sapp, and Glenn Richards.
Callaway took the lead on the next circuit as Curtis spun. Callaway’s drive ended on lap 12 as he slowed down the back straight to bring out the yellow. On the restart, cars scattered coming off the fourth turn with Richards, Sapp, Hammond, Vammino, Dale Hawkins, and Mike Stratton all involved.
Walls was the new leader with Tom Curtis avoiding the melee ending up back in second. Walls drove to his second win of the season in the Snappy’s Bar & Grill/Gene’s Limousine/Pro/Durham. Tom Cutis finished in second with George Richards, John Curtis, and Herb Tunis rounding out the top five. Sixth through tenth were Callaway, Hawkins, Stratton, Sapp, and Richards.
RESULTS: 25-Lap Modified Feature: 1. TIM MILLMAN; 2. Beau Wilkins; 3. Deron Rust; 4. Cliff Foskey; 5. Norman Short; 6. Rick Bishop; 7. Robert Dutton; 8. Gary Simpson; 9.Ricky Johnson; 10. Craig Mullins; 11. Duane Rust; 12. Tad Cox; 13. Rich Scagliotta; 14. Michael Roscoe; 15. Glenn Richards; 16. H.J. Bunting; 17. Bobby Watkins; 18. Scott Smith; 19. Chris Glanden; 20. Larry Crouse; 21. Sparky White; 22. Dana Walker; DNQ: Craig Ott; Jesse Hill; Glenn Richards; Bob Lilick; Ron Myers; John Keller; Ronald Ford; Howard O’Neal.
15-Lap Modified Lite Feature: 1. BOBBY WALLS, III; 2. Tom Curtis; 3. George Richardson; 4. John Curtis; 5. Herb Tunis; 6. Jon Callaway; 7. Dale Hawkins; 8. Mike Stratton; 9. Nick Sapp; 10. Glenn Richards; 11. Andy Hammond; 12. Landis Musser; 13. Mike Vammino; 14. Porkchop Davis; 15. Joe Warren; 16. Nick Hendricks; 17. Nick Sapp; 18. Rick Disharoon; DQ: Lloyd Adkins.