Sunday, September 26, 2010

VanDoorn Leads Most Laps at Columbus, but Needles leads the Most Important One

(Photo Courtesy of www.maineventracingseries.com)

Needles Gets Second Main Event Final Victory, Gentry’s Fifth
By Todd Ridgeway

Steve Needles took his No. 14 Gentry entry to the front from the eighth starting position to grab the Main Event Racing Series (MERS) checkered flag in a hard fought battle at Columbus (OH) Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon. Car owner Terry Gentry is now a five time winning owner of the MERS annual Final event at Columbus. Needles now is a two time winning driver and only the second ever two time winner of this event. Gentry has two wins each with drivers Needles and Terry Senneker, along with one win from the late Lee Anderson. What started out rough, with a battle of wills, ended up on cruise control for Needles.

Pole sitter Mike Luberda, Jr. would bring the 24 car field to the green with 2009 CRA Super Series points Champion, and current 2010 points leader, Johnny VanDoorn along side to make it an all Michigan front row. It did not take long for the fireworks to start as just after the green was displayed to start the 100 lap race VanDoorn got just a fender ahead as the two leaders reached turn one. Very close racing and some contact was made, stacking the field up behind. Cars scattered as better than half the field was either sideways or setting in the infield. Once the mess was cleaned up and cars refired it would be a complete restart. Luberda, Jr. was now eliminated moving VanDoorn to the pole and 2010 MERS Champion Jimmy Carter to the outside point. Once again the green was put out and this time VanDoorn shot like a rocket to the point and started making laps. As laps continued VanDoorn would open up a whale of a lead putting down some very fast lap times and lapping cars by lap eight. Meanwhile, Needles was working his way to the front and by lap 25 he was second trying to catch the leader VanDoorn. At lap 70 was a caution that would now bring the field back together. Now with track position made up Needles had a chance on the restart. As soon as the green came out Needles got under VanDoorn and the two went door to door for three continuous laps. Lots of fenders met and tires rubbed as the two fought it out. Ultimately Needles was able to push to the point and once there he took off. Needles was not to be denied and sailed comfortably to the checkers. VanDoorn did get one other shot as there was a late race caution, but it was not meant to be. Following the pair across the line was Donnie ‘Zero’ Hill third, Mike Stacy fourth, and Paul Pelletier rounded out the top five.

“Well, the whole name of the game is saving tires and staying clean for the first 50 laps,” notes winner Needles. “It kind of helped us out when those guys all piled up on the first lap. We just stuck to our game plan and saved tires for about 50 or 60 laps. Then we had the caution at lap 70, and it was go time. I think he (VanDoorn) spun the tires a little bit, he tried to snooker us by brake checking us then when he went to take off the tires spun and I snuck underneath him. We got door to door in turn one and then banged wheels for a couple of laps. It’s just hard racing, and that’s the way it is here, its fun. My car was great, consistent, and stayed under me the whole distance. I love this place, I don’t know what it is about it, but it suits my driving style,” finished the happy winner.

Leading the majority of the laps but coming up just one position shy, Johnny VanDoorn was a little down. “The car just kind of faded there at the end. Really a good weekend, just a little disappointed, we really wanted to win, but you can’t win them all. I guess it’s the way it goes sometimes. I am not sure what happened there at the start, I don’t feel as though I did anything wrong, I mean I was way up high by the flag stand there at the start. Just disappointed,” finished VanDoorn.

Getting caught up in the start may lay and banged up, then having to come from the tail of the field as a result, Donnie “Zero” Hill grabbed third. ‘We had a good car it’s just ashamed, a bunch of cars got banged up and then we had to come from the tail. The car was beat up and being my home track I know how to compromise a little bit to get back around here. All in all third place with a beat up car isn’t bad. The front end got bent up pretty good. It knocked the toe out, bent the spindles, and everything else. We will be doing the Main Event again next year and give it another shot,” finished Hill.

36 cars where on hand for qualifying and practice in the two days leading up to race day. Needles set quick time around the capitol city oval with a lap of 12.919. The top eight qualifiers where locked in and Mike Stacy won the B Main race. Four provisional went to Scott Baker, Harold Fair Jr., Shawn Stroble, and Josh Smith. The race was slowed by one red flag at the start and seven yellow flags on the day. Veteran Late Model driver and consistent MERS driver Burgess White was awarded with a brand new Lefthander Chassis for the up coming 2011 season. The presentation was made prior to the on track action in the Columbus winners circle.

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