Big Wins Highlight a Dramatic Night at the SNM Speedway

After early afternoon rains soaked the Southern New Mexico Speedway the track was very heavy to start things off as the Speedway hosted the 2nd annual Special Olympics Benefit Night with the Barnett Harley Davidson USRA Western Modifieds, Rick?s Performance Center Street Stocks, and the Legends of the Southwest.

Riding on a challenge brought down by Royal Jones, the 3 time Ricks Performance Center Street Stock Champion Mike Rosales had a lot riding on his performance. Challenged to start last on the night?s A-Main, Rosales originally was going to get $25 per car he passed donated to the Special Olympics but by the time the green flag dropped, it has grown to $100 per car passed as Triple J Excavating,

Southwest EviroTech, and Barnett Harley Davidson each matched the $25 challenge. On top of needing to pass some cars, Rosales was also given a top five challenge as several Speedway Employees, fans, local business and racers put as much as $400 each if Rosales could pull off a top five from the back.

Outside the challenge, fellow racer Patrick Beach brought over $600 to donate from the good people in Deming, New Mexico. All together there was nearly $2,000 on the line before green flag ever dropped.

Before the challenge however, heat races had to be run with Ronnie Bell and Ron Frazier taking Late Model wins. Allen Gattis and Robert Sheppard won the Legend heats as Aaron Harrison, Paul Telles Jr., and Patrick Beach won in the Street Stocks. Modified heats went to Dickie Gorham, Holly Jones, Rick Ortega, and Jacob Gallardo.

Trophy Dash wins belonged to Dr. Dave Deetz in the Late Models and Mike Rosales in the Street Stocks. The Modifieds with 29 cars on hand did run a B-Main with Jake O?Neil scoring an exciting win over Phillip Houston and Roger Owens.

A-Mains began with the UMP Late Models hitting the track for twenty laps with the 88 of Donnie Newcomb jumping to the race lead. Battling in the runner up spot, the 58 of Martin Robinson would work the low line on the 88 but with success as the caution waved with three laps in the book as the 43 of Garrett Alberson came to a stop with flat tire. Back to green and the car on the move was the 72 of Jeff Wyman.

Taking the runner up spot, the 72 would set his sights on Newcomb; pulling side by side for the race lead. Taking the top spot on the high line, the 72 would begin to pull away in a hurry. Passing the halfway point of the nights A-Main, the battle on the track was again for the lead as the 72 began to use slower cars to his advantage to build a huge advantage over Newcomb.

Starting to move his way through the field, the 37 of Dr. Dave Deetz would run into the top five with less than six laps to run. Battling for second, the 37 would work on the 88 of Newcomb but with the laps winding to zero the checkered flag would fly for the 72 of Jeff Wyman. Donnie Newcomb, Dr. Dave Deetz, Ron Frazier, and Martin Robinson rounded out the top five.

To the Legends for twenty laps and the 5 of Joe Cuilty would jump to the race lead to start things off. Starting to pull away, the fight on the track was for third between the 32 of Morgen wright-Pfeifer and the 72 of Robert Sheppard with Sheppard holding the spot before the caution waved for the 20 of Austin Hood. Into the Delaware Double File Restart the car on the move was the 3d of Don Reynolds.

Jumping from fifth to third as the green waved, Reynolds would go to work on the 72 as Sheppard ran in second. On the move from the back, the 43 of Curt Barnett would break into the top five but it would not hold as Barnett nearly spun; taking to the infield and keeping the green displayed. Back up front, the battle for second would go to the 3d of Reynolds as the field raced to ten laps to go.

With handling problems starting to effect the 72, Sheppard would fall out of the top five as the battle shaped up for the lead. To the back bumper of Joe Cuilty, the 3d would to the race lead with just under seven laps to run. Trying to run the 3d back down, things for the 5 of Cuilty would get ugly as a spin off the exit of turn four would collect the 95 of Donnie Reynolds; flipping the 95 and forcing the red. Reynolds would get out of the car, take a quick look, and then climb right back in to restart the race at the tail of the field.

Back to green with four laps to go, the fight was for third as Allen Gattis and Curt Barnett battled. Running second, the 32 of Morgen Wright-Pfeifer would work on running down the 3d but with no success as Don Reynolds took the win. Morgen Wright-Pfeifer, Allen Gattis, Curt Barnett, and Vince Malone rounded out the top five.

The green would fly and the fight was on in the Rick?s Performance Center Street Stocks as twenty laps got underway with three wide racing before the caution waved for the 88 of Ozzie Noder who was running third on the opening lap. Back to green with nineteen laps to run, Paul Telles Jr. would show the way as three wide racing continued for fourth with the 48 of Mike Rosales, after starting eighteenth on the field, making the pass only to give up two spot in the next corner.

On the inside line, the 00 of Stevie Rey Gutierrez and the 3 of Patrick Beach would race by as upfront the lead was till all Paul Telles Jr. Four laps in, sixteen laps to run and Patrick Beach would get the car sideways off of turn four; saving the car from the spin but falling out of the top five. Marching through the field, the 00 of Stevie Rey would now go after the 31jr of Jacob Rodriguez for the runner up spot.

Ten in and ten to go, the 31jr. and the 00 were on the back bumper of Telles for the lead after the 48t was held up in slower traffic but some quick moves would see the 48t hold the race lead as the battle for second continued in a big way between Rodriguez and Gutierrez with the 00 finally get the pass done with five laps to go.

Running down Telles, the 00 on the inside line would work side by side with the 48t in a good battle as Stevie Rey shot the top spot before the caution waved.

A three lap dash for the finish and the fight was on as the 48t was on the prowl on the inside line but cars spinning in turn four would call for the caution as Patrick Beach lost a tire and David Coy ended just off the track in a cloud of steam. Setting up for another dash, this time with two laps to the finish and Stevie Rey had twin 48?s right on his back bumper with the 48t of Paul Telles forcing the caution as he came to a stop on the high side of turn two.

Two to go, take 2, and Stevie Rey again showed the way to the green as things were about to get interesting as the 31jr of Jacob Rodriguez had the run on the 00 for the race lead as the field raced to the white flag. After spinning on the start of the race, the 88 of Noder was third as the field raced down the back straight-a-way with the fight for the win.

Side by side, the 31jr and the 00 raced hard into the final two turns of racing with both cars making contract. With both cars pushing up the track, the only things stopping this battle was going to be the wall as both cars slammed into the outside concrete, straightening both drivers out for a drag race to the checkered flag but on the inside line, the 88 had other things in mind as Noder shot to the bottom, slid up the track and went three wide with all three cars mere feet from the finish and all three cars tied up against the wall as Ozzie ended up on the wall, going on two wheels to the win.

Jacob Rodriguez would edge out Stevie Rey for second with Mike Rosales and Paul Telles Jr. rounded out the top five. Passing 13 cars, Rosales earned $1,300 on the passing challenge plus nearly $1,000 extra for earning a top five. All going to the Special Olympics.

With drivers from all over the southwest set to take the green, the field of 24 USRA Western Modifieds took the green for thirty laps with the 24 of Rick Ortega shooting to the lead form outside the front row.

Into second, the 40f of Dana Fite would get the run on the 23 of Kevin Clark; bringing the 121 of Holly Jones with him into third. On the high side and pulling away, the 24 of Ortega would soon have the field on his back bumper as the caution waved for the spun G17 of Fito Gallardo who had just fought his way into fifth. Back to green and the 121 would race into second as the 40f of Fite, trying to reclaim the spot would go around the force another caution.

Back to green and the car on the move was the 131 of Royal Jones but the caution was looming again as the 23 of Kevin Clark lost the handle on his car; shooting across the track and collecting the J17 of Jacob Gallardo. Able to restart, the J17 would be given his spot back in sixth on the track as the 23 was charged with the caution and sent to the back.

Twenty four laps from the checkered flag and the car on the move was the 71h of Phillip Houston, who had to race his way in via the B-Main. Cracking the top five after starting fourteenth, the Odessa, Texas racer would go to work on Royal Jones for fourth as Story Scott went to work on the 71h before the caution waved for the 121 of Holly Jones who spun while running second.

On the restart 0n of Jake O?Neil was the next car making moves as the B-Main winner was locked and loaded on the inside line; going three wide for fourth as the 111 of Bumper Jones threw his name into the mix to make it four car battle to be in the top five. Taking away fourth on the inside line, the 0n would go to work on Royal Jones for third as the 99 of Tipton worked all over the track trying to get the pass for the lead on Ortega until another caution waved for the spun J17 of Jacob Gallardo.

To the restart and the 0n of Jake O?Neil with a dynamite restart would pull of a monster slide job on the 24 for the race lead as the field raced to fifteen laps to go. Back to caution for the spun car of Sherman Barnett, the field got set into the Delaware Double File Restart with Jake O?Neil, Terry Tipton, and Phillip Houston making up the top three drivers with twelve laps to run.

From restart to red, the 9 of Jimmy Ray would flip off the top of turn one. Ray would be ok as the race resumed with O?Neil leading Houston and Jones. Fighting for second, the 131 of Jones would steal it away from the 71h of Houston with win it or wear it slide job before the caution waved again for the spun 23 of Kevin Clark; his second of the race thus earning the black flag.

Back to green and the battle for second was on again between the 131 and the 71h with Jones holding the spot and going after O?Neil for the race lead. Forced to run the highline, the 131 would run down the 0n but the roughness of the highline would allow O?Neil to hold on for his first win at the Southern New Mexico Speedway. Royal Jones, Phillip Houston, Stormy Scott, and Bumper Jones rounded out the top five.

The next show at the Speedway will be August 20th as the Renegade Sprint Car Series returns to the Southern New Mexico Speedway. Gates to the grandstands will open at 5:30pm with racing getting underway at 7:45pm.

General Admission on August 20th is $10 with discounts for kids 11-15, Military, Seniors, Law Enforcement, and University. Kids 10 and under get in the grandstands for free.

The Southern New Mexico Speedway is located 11 miles west of Las Cruces at the Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds. Take exit 132 off I-10, turn left to Robert Larson Blvd., and then head west to the Speedway. For turn by turn directions, log onto www.snmspeedway.com/maps.php.

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