WEAVER WINS ON DOUBLE POINTS NIGHT AT THUNDER MOUNTAIN
Chris Weaver won his third Modified feature of the year last Saturday night on Don’s Automotive Mall night at Thunder Mountain Speedway. Other winners on the final double points night of the year included Chad Cook who clinched the Sportsman title with his win, Street Stock point leader Mark Wainwright, who put a serious crimp in the rest of the field with a win, Doug Stack took another win in the Pure Stocks, Point leaders Harold Humphrey and Ken Stafford in the Four Cylinder classes and finally Paul Larow got closer in the Thunder Dogs and finally newcomer Frank Fuller became the fourth different winner in the Thunder Pups.
It took him fifteen laps to get there but once in front, Chris Weaver was the man of the hour as he put the clamps on the rest of the Modified field. The race within a race saw Mike Colsten come out on the short end of a three way battle and go to the pits on lap three. He returned nine laps later but was essentially out of both the on track race and the season point race. One time winner Jeff Sheely led the early going with Colsten being the only early caution. Chris Weaver move into second on lap ten and hounded Sheely for the next five circuits. Behind them it was the other Weaver, Brian with Jim Gabriel Jr., Doug Worthing, Eddie White and Mike Decker all dueling for the next spots.
The battle for second went right down to the end with Brian getting second and putting himself in the driver’s seat for point championship with Colsten finishing seventeenth and Paul Jensen finishing tenth. Mike Decker, whose ben the hottest driver on the track last month nipped Gabriel for the third spot with White getting fifth.
The twenty lap Sportsman go has Chad Cook asserting himself early. Cliff Pierce led the first three circuits before Cook forged to the front from his seventh starting spot. Once in front Cook stayed there for the rest of the distance and clinched his second point championship in a row. Billy Spoonhower followed Cook to the front but was unable to mount a challenge for the win and had to settle for second. Brian White came from an early race spin to take third with Shaun Walker coming from his twelfth starting spot to get fourth while Brian Decker took fifth.
The twenty lap Street Stock feature was perhaps the best race of the night with point leader Mark Wainwright coming from his ninth starting spot, primarily on the outside to grab off the win. Harold Humphrey took the early lead from his pole starting spot and led the first fifteen laps while the real race was going on behind him. Both McKernan’s, Ed and J. T., Rick Davis, Larry Hillis and Wainwright were trading spots. Wainwright was doing it the hard way on the topside and got to Humphrey on lap sixteen. Wainwright led the rest of the way and took him his fifth win of the year. Ed McKernan took third, Humphrey slid to third while J. T. McKernan was fourth and Chris Stull made a late race charge to get fifth.
The twenty lap Pure Stock feature was a wild affair with Doug Stack taking home another victory. Bret Welch was the early leader. He was followed in the front by Howard Jones, Jamie Rosh and finally Stack on lap thirteen. Finishing second was Jones, point leader Buck Mills, Dick Stark and Rosh. Point chaser Mike Wilbur was sixth.
The Four Cylinder Modified point chase is over. Ken Stafford went out early and went unchallenged for the victory. Challenger Gordie Isham gave it a valiant effort but come up short. The forty year veteran chased the teenage Stafford all year but wound up second both in the on track race and the season point race. Duane Knapp took third, John Powers took fourth and Mark Reynolds was fifth.
Harold Humphrey, Bob Doolittle. Four Cylinder Stock feature. Different Day, same result. Fifteen laps on Saturday night. Humphrey, the point leader stays there with a win over Doolittle. Mitch Hurlburt was third with John Wilcox and Fred Newton II completing the top five.
Paul Larow gained a little ground on Tim Parker with a win in the Thunder Dog feature. Parker came home second after Jeff Wilcox’s blown motor put him back to fifth at the finish. Ben Poirier came home third and Brady Foster was fourth.
Frank Fuller won the twelve lap Thunder Pup feature go after Amber Patrick was penalized one spot because of contact with Walt Case. Patrick was credited with second while Case came home third.
This week will be the final point race at Thunder Mountain with a couple of titles still up for grabs. All classes, Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stock, Pure Stock, Four Cylinder Modified, Four Cylinder Stock. Thunder Dogs and Thunder Pups will be in action. Gates will open at 4:00 with racing to begin at 6:30.