Texas Thunder Speedway, Dodge Country opening night, 3/6/10

By J M Hallas

Killeen, Tx.,(March 6th, 2010) Venerable old Texas Thunder Speedway kicked off it’s 2010 racing season with a new look and new promoter. David Goode took over the reins from former promoter Pat Wilson with his first endevour into running a race track. Goode, a former TTS racer himself still has a son and daughter in the IMCA Modified and Southern Sportmod classes.

“It’s pretty much like I thought it would be,” said Goode about being new track promoter. “The hardest part was getting out of the racecar. The kids miss not having in the pits to help them out. I sent them to the Brooks-Shaw driving school during the off season and told them they needed to pay attention.”

Over the winter the track itself was given a face lift with several tons of dirt brought in the even out the transition out of the corners. The track width was also increased from 45′ wide to 60′ wide giving drivers more potential lines to choose from.

“We may have gotten the track a little too wet for the heats,” Goode added. “We were trying to turn it around from a Thursday practice instead of having all week to work it. It came around well for the features though.”

This season Texas Thunder Speedway’s ¼ mile, high-banked clay oval is incorporating the use of a transponder system.

Stone returns to grab IMCA Modified Main
Killeen’s Kenny Stone hadn’t turned a lap at Texas Thunder since opening night of 2009, but made his return a triumphant one. Stone, who plans on racing more close by home, started on the pole and led every lap of the 20-lapper. It wasn’t easy though. In a field boasting two former track champions, and two IMCA Modified National Rookies of the Year, Stone was hounded throughout by Cham Savage.

It was a rocky start as the 22-car field took the green for the Modified main event. Going into turn 1 several cars in the top six got out of shape with the field piling in. Getting the worst of the deal was Benji Kirkpatrick who got upside-down after his car clipped the front of Mike McCarthy. When the dust settled, twelve cars suffered some damage, with six unable to make the restart and several others seriously wounded. All drivers walked away uninjured.

As the green flew again Stone beat Brad Jordan into turn 1 for the lead with Savage giving him a quick look inside. Scooter Bates, Terry Woodall and Ken Old fell into the remaining top five spots. As the top six sorted out and Stone began inching away, Ben Ketteman got around Allen Waltermire for seventh. Ketteman slipped a lap later giving the back to Waltermire with David Goode jr. following to eighth.

Stone caught the back of the pack on lap 6, while the two past track champs, Old and Hardy Henderson battled for fifth, with Henderson getting the spot. A lap 7 caution for debris slowed the action and rebunched the field. On the restart Savage tried to get the nose in low on Stone, while Bates was trying high on Savage. Woodall slipped high from fourth, and on lap 8 went around collecting Ketteman, Doug Lorenz and Goode.

Once back to green Henderson and Old swapped fourth, within Henderson moving in on Bates. At the crossed flags it was Stone with a slight edge, Savage, Henderson, Bates and Ketteman getting by Jordan for fifth. Savage tried to close the gap on Stone diving in deeper, but Stone would get the better run off the corners.

As the lead duo approached lapped traffic, Waltermire did a half spin with Savage barely sneaking by. Henderson and George Lamphere slid to a stop trying to avoid Waltermire as the caution waved on lap 13. The top six got away clean on the now, single file restart, with Andrew Simmerman getting by Old for seventh.

The top three then gapped the fourth place battle between Bates, Ketteman and Jordan. In the final laps Stone began flexing his muscle putting some distance on Savage and Henderson. As the white flag waved Stone had built a half straightaway margin on Savage cruising the the victory in the Fat Boys Bar-B-Q, Bell County Electric Supply, McGuire Truck & Auto, Kempner Iron & Metal, Centex Motorsports powered, Hoffman H3 Chassis.

“I get a lot of help from my team, mainly Pat McGuire and this new H3 Hoffman is awesome,” commented Stone. “Week in and week out you have to have he car prepared against these guys. David(Goode) has done a great job with the track. Everything he’s put in it he’s done right. He spent the money in the right place.”

“I haven’t run here since opening night of last year I’ve got a new baby girl now so I’ll be racing closer to home. Last year when we ran at Heart o’ Texas on Fridays most of he year. I’ll be here more this year.”

“I don’t really know what happened behind me,” added Stone about the huge lap 1 pile up. “But there were a lot of good cars torn up. I’m glad to see everyone was alright.”

Dodge Country IMCA Modifieds
5K Kenny Stone
C4 Cham Savage
63 Hardy Henderson
12 Scooter Bates
37 Ben Ketteman
3j Brad Jordan
15 Andrew Simmerman
52 Ken Old
7g David Goode jr
97 Doug Lorenz
20 Mike McCarthy
19 George Lamphere jr
49 Lee Chasse
3w Terry Woodall
44 Allen Waltermire
247 Bill Lecompte
717 GW Egbert IV
78 Trevor Egbert
11H Wesley Hamilton
47 Benji Kirkpatrick
44x Joe O’Bryan
44s Joe Spillman

IMCA Modified heats,
Heat #1
717 GW Egbert IV
78 Trevor Egbert
5K Kenny Stone
11 Wesley Hamilton
52 Ken Old
63 Hardy Henderson
7g David Goode jr
44x Joe O’Bryan

Heat #2
3w Terry Woodall
97 Doug Lorenz
3j Brad Jordan
19 George Lamphere
20 Mike McCarthy
49 Lee Chasse
247 Bill Lecompte

Heat #3
12 Scooter Bates
47 Benji Kirkpatrick
15 Andrew Simmerman
C4 Cham Savage
44 Allen Waltermire
44S Joe Spillman
37 Ben Ketteman

Welborn’s Win Sweeps Sportmods
Ronnie Welborn made his long trip from Princeton pay off as he took the heat-feature wins in the IMA Southern Sportmods. Welborn held off early challenges from Mark McDaniel. In the waning laps, Welborn eased ahead while McDaniel and Randy Doyle scrapped it out for second. At the finish it was Welborn taking the checkers in the Baxter Motorsports ride by a half straightaway.

The front row of Welborn and McDaniel stayed side by side through lap 1 with Welborn getting the nose ahead to lead. Behind the lead duet, Doyle, Mitch Tierney and GW Egbert IV fell in line. McDaniel kept the pressure on Welborn the first few circuits. Doyle slipped over turn 2 giving up third to Tierney on lap 3. Doyle closed back in on Tierney taking the spot back on lap 5.

The races only caution waved on lap 6 when Lyndon Kirk went over the turn 2 hill with a flat left front. On the restart Doyle and Tierney continued to fight for third as Welborn inched away from McDaniel. At halfway it was still Welborn, McDaniel, Doyle, Tierney and Egbert in the top five.

Doyle then began to put some heat on McDaniel for second getting inside him on lap 10. As they fought it out for second, Welborn began to increase his margin. Doyle got under McDaniel in turns 1-2 nearly getting along side. The two made slight contact, but neither skipped a beat. With the white flag in the air, Welborn had added to his advantage motoring to the win by half a straight.

**Welborn was already loaded and gone before I could get quotes

Danny’s Transmissions IMCA Southern Sportmods
20 Ronnie Welborn
11m Mark McDaniel
65 Randy Doyle
48 Mitch Tierney
717 GW Egbert IV
9 Olin Dillard
8 Jared Rady
13 Sarah Goode
40 Albert Wininger
7g David Goode jr
11 Lyndon Kirk

IMCA SSM heat,
20 Ronnie Welborn
11m Mark McDaniel
717 GW Egbert IV
65 Randy Doyle
11 Lyndon Kirk
48 Mitch Tierney
9 Olin Dillard
40 Albert Wininger
13 Sarah Goode
7g David Goode jr
8 Jared Rady