SUCKOW WINS VERY FIRST MAIN EVENT AT FALLON:
Pacific Coast Fastrak DirtCar Series by Bill Poehler/ Fallon, Nevada April 28, 2007- In the first race of a new season, it's a safe bet that one of the cagey veterans will win.
On a rare occasion, though, you find a rookie like Steve Suckow.
The 42-year old from Hillsboro, Oregon passed defending Pacific Coast Fastrak DirtCar Series champion Greg Walters on the first lap and 35 Main event revolutions around the 1/4-mile high banked dirt oval that is Fallon, Nevada's Rattlesnake Raceway later, Suckow drove into victory lane for the first time.
A veteran driver in modifieds and street stocks at Sunset Speedway Park in Banks, Oregon was making his first start in the Walter Racing-prepared Rayburn chassis No. 37 in the PCFDCS' season opener.
The series made its 2007 bow with a record 20 crate engine late models, all making the tow from Oregon and Washington to the Nevada desert.
Jason Wines of Lebanon, Oregon set fast time with a lap of 14.651 seconds with 16-year-old Bill Workman Jr. of Canby, Oregon - making his first start in the Jerry Schram-owned late model - timing in second fast at 14.674 and Salem, Oregon's Terry Ferrando timing in third at 14.721.
Wines, second in series points a year ago, led all 10 laps of the first heat race from pole position with Eric Sayre of Vancouver, Washington in second and Jimmy Schram of Vancouver, Washington in third.
In the second heat race, Suckow, from his outside pole, passed the young Workman for the heat race win. Jerry Schram of Vancouver, Washington finished second with Robby Ireland of Banks, Oregon in third.
For the third and final heat race of the evening, Walters, out of Banks, also drove from the outside pole for the win followed by brother Jason Johnson of Gresham, Oregon and Ferrando.
In the four-lap trophy dash, Walters led every lap for the win, followed by Suckow, Wines and Workman, setting the first two rows of the field for the main event.
On the start, Walters and Suckow were side-by-side through the first turn, but coming out of turn two, Suckow dove to the low side and passed Walters by the time they exited turn three. Suckow would then check out to a four-car length lead until the first caution on lap nine when Ferrando and Scott Puncochar got together and spun.
But under caution Walters ran over his own skid plate and his left rear tire went down. His crew was able to fix the flat under caution, but he was sent to the back of the pack in 16th position.
On the restart, Wines, newly moved to second place, went around Suckow coming off turn four onto the front stretch, but Suckow cleared Wines in turn one. Wines went after Suckow on ensuing restarts and got beside Suckow coming out of turn four on the restart on lap 19, but Suckow was determined to win.
On lap 24, Ireland had moved his way up to third and worked his way to the inside of Wines, but the two cars touched and Ireland hit the inside berm, damaging his left front suspension and was out of the race. With Wines up high, he tried to pass Suckow, but checked up near the front stretch wall and Workman moved by to second before the caution flag negated the pass.
Suckow went on to snag his first win with Wines in second. Jerry Schram came on strong at the end to place third. Walters had moved up to tenth by lap 21 and with two laps to go passed Workman for fourth place. 18-year-old Branden Lindberg rounded out the top five after starting 10th and fellow youngster Workman finished sixth. Jimmy Schram placed seventh with Darvin Tramel of Aurora, Oregon placing eighth in his first series race, Tim Myers of Madras in ninth and Johnson rounding out the top 10. J.P. Pagel of Brightwood finished 11th with Ferrando in 12th, the final running car.
Recording DNF's were 13th place Eric Sayre, Ireland, Micah Burkley of Redmond, Oregon, Kevin Rogers of Banks, Oregon, Ron Prevost of Banks, Oregon, Puncochar, Michael Abarca of Redmond, Oregon and Jeff Biffle of Vancouver, Washington.
The series next moves to Madras Speedway May 5 before touching down at the home track of Sunset Speedway Park May 12.
RACE SUMMARY:
Fast Time- Jason Wines 14.651
Heat 1: Wines, Sayre, Jimmy Schram, Puncochar, Biffle, Burkley.
Heat 2: Suckow, Jerry Schram, Ireland, Workman Jr, Tramel, Rogers, Abarca.
Heat 3: Walters, Johnson, Ferrando, Lindberg, Meyers, Pagel.
Dash: Walters, Suckow, Wines, Workman Jr.
Main Event: Steve Suckow Hillsboro, OR. Car# 37, Jason Wines Lebanon, OR. Car# 41, Jerry Schram Vancouver, WA. Car# 16, Greg Walters Banks, OR. Car# 97, Branden Lindberg Monroe, WA. Car# 88, Billy Workman JR Canby, OR. Car# 64, Jimmy Schram Vancouver, WA. Car# 22s, Darvin Tramel Aurora, OR. Car# 62, Tim Myers Madras, OR. Car# 27, Jason Johnson Gresham, OR. Car# 76, JP Pagel Brightwood, OR. Car #72, Terry Ferrando Salem, OR. Car# 12, Eric Sayre Vancouver, WA. Car# 53 DNF, Robby Ireland Banks, OR. Car# 88i DNF, Micah Burkley Redmond, OR. Car# 30 DNF, Kevin Rogers Banks, OR. Car# 92 DNF, Ron Prevost Banks, OR. Car# 15 DNF, Scott Puncochar Hillsboro, OR. Car# 14 DNF, Michael Abarca Redmond, OR. Car#20 DNF, Jeff Biffle Vancouver, WA. Car# 60 DNF.
Pacific Coast Fastrak Series
Walters Racing Website