Muhler holds off Smith for the win but Savage secures the points championship.

Saturday, 15 October 2011 21:53

#95m Cris Muhler maintains only a small lead over #31 Rick Smith on route to a main event win.

(Dacono, CO - 10-15-2011) On one of the most entertaining race nights of the season at Colorado National Speedway #95m Cris Muhler battled side by side with #31 Rick Smith to take the Purifoy Chevrolet Championship Night I. However it was #74 Dan Savage that earned enough points to secure the 2011 CNS track championship in the Gillet Vet Late Model division.

Gillet Vet Late Models
All the marbles were on the line in the Gillet Vet Late Model division and the points championship was still up for grabs for the last race of the season. #74 Dan Savage had a small points lead on #12 Bruce Yackey and it would take 100 laps to sort it all out on Purify Chevrolet Championship Night I at Colorado National Speedway. To secure a track championship Dan Savage needed to stay within 10 finishing spots of Yackey who was running strong in the third place with just a quarter of the race in the books. #95m Cris Muhler looked strong and maintained a narrow lead over #78 Darren Crocker. Eventually Crocker took the lead from Muhler but some bumping and grinding caused Crocker to spin down the back straight. Muhler was now back in the lead and #31 Rick Smith was along side. Great side by side racing thrilled the crowd and Yackey fans held their breath as Savage and Yackey made contact in turn four. Yackey only slightly bobbled but it was just enough to allow #108 Jace Hansen to slip by and grab the 3rd spot. The action up front was incredible as Muhler and Smith raced door handle to door handle for dozens of laps. Rick Smith was giving it everything he had, diving low under Muhler and was able to pull up on him each lap but Muhler was quicker out of turn two and held on for the thrilling victory. Smith came in 2nd, Yackey was 3rd, impressive rookie #7 Adam Deines was 4th and #108 Jace Hansen rounded out the top 5. Dan Savage played it safe and rode out the last few laps allowing a few cars to safely pass making sure to stay far from trouble and finished in 8th but it was more than enough to win a well deserved 2011 CNS Late Model championship.

Heat race winners: #12 Bruce Yackey, #78 Darren Crocker, & #95m Cris Muhler


NTC Logistics Super Stocks
Another huge field of NTC Logistics Super Stocks lined up for the last main event of the 2011 season and #39 Jack Nugent grabbed the early lead over #3 Michael Cox. Nugent has been dominating all season long so it's no surprise that he won the points championship as well as the prestigious division IV NASCAR championship. While leading the race and with just 5 laps to go Nugent suddenly slowed coming out of turn 4, turning the lead over to #46 Rick Lothert who went on to win the feature. #3 Michael Cox was close behind Lothert, #19 Scott Miller was 3rd, #13 Jason Morris was 4th, and in fifth place it was #23 Harry Livermore Jr. Yet it was the Perfection Auto Body, Pro Automotive #39 who took home the biggest trophy of all in the form of a season points championship.

Heat race winners: #3 Michael Cox, #19 Scott Miller, & #39 Jack Nugent


A Comfort Shack Figure 8s
The final race of the year for A Comfort Shack Figure 8's thrilled the crowd with several close calls in the "X". The drivers showed their skills lap after lap threading the needle and collecting cheers from the fans. The championship in the Figure 8's had already been decided and Smokin' Joe Martinez had secured that honor several weeks back. Smokin' Joe had family commitments on this night so he left it to the rest of the drivers to sort things out.  It was just a couple weeks ago when #52 Jared "Wally" Wall took the checkered flag but on this night the only flag Wally took was the black flag as he left the track halfway through the race in a cloud of black smoke.  His brother #15 Jereme Wall led the entire race from flag to flag surprising the rest of the field who just couldn't catch him. #10 Nick Martinez and #23 Big Al Duran came in 2nd and 3rd.

Heat race winners: #10 Nick Martinez & #15 Jereme Wall


ERA Supermodifieds
Madera California's #31 Kyle Vanderpool and New Caney Texas's #40 Ricky Otts showed up at CNS to take on Colorado's best supermodified drivers. They made their presence known right away finishing one and two in their heat race. Before one lap was complete in the feature event the action on the track heated up as #33 Chris Sheil, #51 Joe Priselac, and #3 Harold Evans (the 2011 track champion) got tangled up in turn 3. All the drivers were okay yet only Evans was able to continue. After the restart #02 Johnny Pickard showed everyone the quick way around the track and built a huge lead on #3 Evans, and #31 Kyle Vanderpool who made a hair-raising pass down low on #2 Richie Castor Jr. With just 10 laps to go Ricky Otts in the #40 found himself up on his side against the turn 3 wall which brought out the red flag, Otts was okay but his night was done. Pickard was docked two spots for jumping the previous restart which gave Evans the lead but on the final lap of the race, California's Kyle Vanderpool nudged Evans in turn 3 and snuck underneath to take the checkered flag. While Evans was a bit hot under the collar for the way the race finished he was able to cool himself off basking in the glow of his 2011 track championship.

Heat race winners: #31 Kyle Vanderpool & #3 Harold Evans

DEMO X
18 cars, trucks, vans, and station wagons showed up to race in the wild and crazy DEMO X that featured dust, crashes, smashes, and a all-out knock-down drag-out fist fight in the middle of the track. When the dust settled and the bloody noses were cleaned up the real winners were the fans that were treated to one of the best nights of racing ever at Colorado National Speedway.

Late Models
1 #95m Chris Muhler       
2 #31 Rick Smith, Gering, NE, 07 Monte Carlo
3 #12 Bruce Yackey, Greeley, CO, 07 Monte Carlo
4 #7 Adam Deines, Longmont, CO, 97 Cutlass
5 #108 Jace Hansen       
6 #77 Dave Finley, Brighton, CO   
7 #27 Roger Avants, Littleton, CO, 2010 Monte Carlo
8 #74 Dan Savage, Aurora, CO, Fusion
9 #95 Todd Finley       
10 #39 Jack Nugent, Lafayette, CO, 03 Impala
11 #4 Bradley Tilton, Cheyenne, WY   
12 #11 Darren Robertson       
13 #78 Darren Crocker, Brighton, CO, 11 Impala
14 #99 Kyle Shanahan       
15 #99B Nicholas Brimlee, Broomfield, CO   
16 #6 Trent Phillips, Hemingford, NE, 09 Monte Carlo
DNF #55 Jesse Runkle, Lakewood, CO   
DNF #23G George Maldonado, Colorado Springs, CO   
DNF #66 Darren Bucklan, Greeley, CO, Monte Carlo
DNF #84 Matt Zwingelberg, Aurora, CO   
DNF #13 Joni Cowan, Gering, NE, Monte Carlo
DNF #2V Rudy Vanderwal       
DNF #08 Mark Neff       
DNS #91 Chris Atkinson, Cheyenne, WY, 08 Monte Carlo

Super Stocks
1 #46 Richard Lothert, Loveland, CO, 78 Nova
2 #3 Michael Cox, Littleton, CO, 86 Impala
3 #19 Scott Miller, Brighton, CO, Impala
4 #13 Jason Morris, Denver, CO, 77 Nova
5 #23 Harry Livermore, Englewood, CO, 85 Monte Carlo
6 #61 John Humphrey, Cheyenne, WY, 79 Monte Carlo
7 #75 Emilio Abeyta, Denver, CO, 84 Cutless
8 #77 Kevin Keller, Englewood, CO, 79 Nova
9 #02 Darrell Smith, Littleton, CO, 85 Caprice
10 #25W Jared (Wally) Wall       
11 #95 Todd Finley       
12 #90 Kyle Patee, Thornton, CO, 75 Chevelle
13 #84 Brian Eubank, Fort Collins, CO, 85 Monte Carlo
14 #4 Dusty Fisher, Englewood, CO, 79 Monte Carlo
15 #25 Kathy Calkins, Denver, CO, 78 Monte Carlo
16 #94 Brent Cave       
17 #65 Gordon Dornan, Arvada, CO   
18 #7 Ethan Penrod       
DNF #39 Jack Nugent       
DNF #17    Jeremy Barclay, Brighton, CO, 80 Malibu
DNF #52    Don Patterson       
DNF #42    Dave Witzke       
DNF #72    Hans Brewster, Henderson, CO, 75 Nova
DNS #18    Chris Pinelli, Arvada, CO, Nova

Super Modified
1 #31 Kyle Vanderpool       
2 #3 Harold Evans       
3 #2 Richard Castor Jr       
4 #02 John Pickard       
5 #14 Joe Gallegos       
6 #7 Ian Tolen       
DNF #12 Mike Anderson       
DNF #58 Matt Griffin       
DNF #40 Ricky Otts, Broomfield, CO   
DNF #51 Joe Priselac       
DNF #33 Chris Sheil       
DNS #1 Stevie Gallegos   

Figure 8s
1 #15 Jereme Wall
2 #10 Nick Martinez
3 #23 Al Duran
4 #28 Vic Johnson
5 #17 Harry Livermore jr
6 #20 Lance Proctor
7 #50 Justin McKeachie
8 #5 Dennis Summers
9 #19 Bruce Wall
10 #81 David Smith
11 #52 Jared Wall
12 #03 Luke Zike
13 #05 Buddy Hohn