MULLINS WINS LAST LAP SHOOT-OUT - 8/25/01
MULLINS WINS LAST LAP SHOOT-OUT TO WIN IN DELAWARE MODS By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE - It all boiled down to a final lap shoot-out between then leader Bobby Wilkins and Craig Mullins in Saturday night's Pepsi/Valley National Gases 25-lap Modified feature. When the checkered dropped, Mullins had made the last lap pass to regain the lead he had lost with three laps to go, giving him his fourth win of the season. Eddie Towers returned to the Modified Lite wars and recorded his fifth win of the year.
Rookie Andy Best was impeccable at the start of the 25-lap feature from his pole starting position. Chad Marvel worked by Kyle Strickler for second with Craig Mullins following into third by lap three. Cliff Foskey charged into the fourth spot but a broken suspension would end his drive on lap four.
Mullins grabbed the second spot on the restart. Best maintained the lead through a series of cautions. Strickler climbed back into second until lap nine when Mullins regained the position and continued his charge by taking the lead on lap 11. At the halfway sign the top five were Mullins, Best, Bobby Wilkins, Norman Short, and Marvel.
Wilkins got by Best for second on lap 16 just before the yellow flew for Strickler who slowed on the track. Marvel moved into the third spot on the restart and the yellow was out again as Ricky Johnson climbed the wheel of H.J. Bunting and flipped. Amazingly, Johnson was able to restart the car and continued on the restart from the rear.
On lap 22, Mullins pushed high in the second turn and Wilkins out raced him to the third turn for the lead. The final yellow was out on the last lap when Best, who was running in fourth, spun in the second turn.
As the white flag flew on the restart, Wilkins got out of shape in the second turn and Mullins took advantage of the mistake to duck under the leader to regain the lead. Mullins held on to the checkered in his Gene's Auto Sales/Subway/Troyer. It was his fourth win plus one tie this season. Wilkins, Marvel, Short, and Deron Rust rounded out the top five. Mike Covey finished in sixth and Johnson remarkably returned from his flip to finish in seventh. Dave Simmons, Chris Glanden, and Bunting rounded out the top ten. Mullins, Strickler, and Glenn Reed won the heats and Rick Bishop won the consolation.
Eddie Towers was back after a couple of weeks absence due to engine woes. Towers was quickly back in top form grabbing the lead on the first lap from his fifth starting spot. Jon Callaway gave early chase before Nick Hendricks moved into second. Bobby Walls climbed to the second spot by lap six and at the crossed flags the top five were Towers, Walls, Danny Martin, Hendricks, and Callaway.
On several occasions, Walls pulled along side of Towers but could not complete the pass. Towers went on to his fifth win of the season in the P.J.'s Armory/Coastal Marine/Pro Suzuki. Walls finished in second with point leader, Judd Mills coming from the rear of the field to finish in third. Martin and Callaway rounded out the top five. Sixth through tenth were Herb Tunis, J.R. Steele, Landis Musser, David Dill, and Jason Cahall. Walls and Erik McKinney won the heats.
This Saturday night the United Racing Club Sprint Cars return to Delaware International Speedway to run a 15-lap non-qualifiers race and their 25 lap feature events only. There will be no heat or consolations for the traveling Sprint Car Show. They will join our Valley National Gases – Big Block Modifieds, Late Models, Modified Lites and Street Modifieds. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 7 p.m.
RESULTS: 25-Lap Pepsi/Valley National Gases Feature: 1. CRAIG MULLINS; 2. Bobby Wilkins; 3. Chad Marvel; 4. Norman Short; 5. Deron Rust; 6. Mike Covey; 7. Ricky Johnson; 8. Dave Simmons; 9. Chris Glanden; 10. H.J. Bunting; 11. Andy Best; 12. Al Shawver, Jr.; 13. Ellsey Conover; 14. Kyle Strickler; 15. Ted Taylor; 16. Scott Irwin; 17. Cliff Foskey; 18. Doug Beach; 19. Gary Simpson; 20. Rick Bishop; 21. Duane Rust; DNS: Glenn Reed.
15-Lap Modified Lite Feature: 1. EDDIE TOWERS; 2. Bobby Walls, III; 3. Judd Mills; 4. Danny Martin; 5. Jon Callaway; 6. Herb Tunis; 7. J.R. Steele; 8. Landis Musser; 9. David Dill; 10. Jason Cahall; 11. George Richardson; 12. Glenn Richards; 13. David McNatt; 14. Joe Warren; 15. Andy Hammond; 16. Patrick Argo; 17. Mike Vammino; 18. Dana Walker; 19. Lucky Kohland; 20. Nick Hendricks; 21. Erik McKinney; 22. Mike Stratton; 23. John Curtis.