CNS Staff
Sep 19, 2017
Updated: Mar 10, 2022
(09-16-2017 Dacono CO) On a somewhat chilly late summer evening at Colorado National Speedway the Snap-On Tools Pro Truck division settled their championship by running a 30 and 40 lap feature event. While the first feature was incident free the second feature had enough drama and action to give the fans more than their monies worth. The Super modifieds also crowned their champ and the Legend cars put on a another fantastic show with a huge field of cars.
Snap-On Tools Pro Trucks
It’s always exciting when a division enters their final race of the year with a close points battle. The Pro Truck division is always one of the most competitive and they entered the night with two drivers tied for the top spot and another driver just 8 points back. All eyes were on Adam Deines and Michael Scott who were dead-locked in a tie for points. Curtis Heldenbrand also had designs on the championship sitting just 8 points back in 3rd place.
It would take two feature events to figure out who would be speaking on the podium at the awards banquet. In the first feature it seemed like all the drivers were simply playing it safe as there wasn’t much passing or action to speak of. Almost predictably the top 3 drivers would finish 1, 2, 3 with Deines winning and Scott and Heldenbrand in 2nd and 3rd.
#7 Adam Deines cruises to the win in the first of two Pro Truck feature events (Starr photo)
The second and final feature was the complete opposite of the first as it was filled with action and drama. Deines and Scott would start side by side way back in the 4th row. At the beginning of the race #36 Matt Burton grabbed the early lead but Heldenbrand was making daring moves as he maneuvered his way to the front.
As Deines and Scott were working their way to the front contact between to the two caused Scott to spin in turn 3. It was hard to tell if Scott came down on Deines or if Deines simply got into the back of Scott. Fans will likely argue what actually happened for the duration of the off-season. Deines was sent to the rear but Scott’s fate was much worse as his car was clipped by another truck during the incident causing major damage to his truck. While Scott was able to continue his chances of a top finish were essentially over. Deines was also given a 4 position post race penalty by NASCAR officials for the incident.
Michael Scott’s truck sustained major damage in a early race incident in turn 3 (Starr photo)
At this point in the race Heldenbrand was leading and actually had the championship lead based on the 7 and the 82 being at the rear of the field.
Yet Deines was clawing his way back to the front and each time he passed another driver it diminished Heldenbrand’s chances at a storybook ending to the season. Not on that but now #34 Rudy Vanderwal was pushing the #9 truck for the lead. After a late race caution Vanderwal and Heldenbrand were side by side. As the two trucks exited the final corner of the final race they leaned on each other and drag-raced to the line with Vanderwal taking the win by inches as Heldenbrand spun past the checkered flag win dramatic fashion.
#9 Curtis Heldenbrand and #34 Rudy Vanderwal battle for the lead (Starr photo)
At the finish Vanderwal edges out Heldenbrand for the win (Starr photo)
As the dust settled and the CNS crowd tried to catch their breath it was Vanderwal with the exciting feature victory and Adam Deines snagging the Pro Truck championship via his 7th place finish which placed he and Heldenbrand tied in the final points standings. Deines wins the tiebreaker and championship due to the fact he has 3 main event wins on the season while Curtis had only one. #33 Tyler Davis also crashed at the checkered flag but his 11th place finish was enough to send him home the 2017 rookie of the year.
Rudy Vanderwal celebrates in winner’s circle at CNS (Starr photo)
Adam Deines is the 2017 Pro Truck champion.
30 Lap FEATURE: #7 Adam Deines
40 Lap FEATURE: #34 Rudy Vanderwal
QUICK TIME: #82 Michael Scott 17.405
CHAMPION: #7 Adam Deines
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: #33 Tyler Davis
Supermodifieds
Luke Johnson in the 1j did a marvelous job holding off the rest of the Supermodified field for the first third of the final race of 2017. Ricky Otts, Chris Sheil and Randy Whitman were all eager for a good finish as they were locked in a tight points battle heading into the night.
Luke Johnson led the early part of the Supermodified feature (Starr photo)
Sheil’s luck would turn sour as his #33 Supermod would blow a motor on the back straight and eventually park in turn 3. On the restart Johnson remained the leader until Randy Whitman made a daring outside pass on Otts and Johnson going 3-wide coming out of turn two.
Whitman flexed his muscle building a lead on the field but Otts made a late charge and caught Whitman for the lead. The two cars battled side by side with Otts down low and Whitman up top. On the final lap the leaders approached two lapped cars and Whitman had to back off the throttle as there just wasn’t enough room for everyone to get through. Otts took advantage of the situation and bolted out front all alone to take home the exciting win as well as the season championship.
Ricky Otts celebrates the win and the championship (Starr photo)
FEATURE: #13 Ricky Otts
FAST DASH: #34 Randy Whitman
QUICKTIME: #34 Randy Whitman 14.907
CHAMPION: #13 Ricky Otts
Legend Cars
It wasn’t championship night for the Legend cars but you couldn’t tell that from the action on the track. 27 Legend cars took the green flag and Lakewood Colorado’s Adam Pechman in the #25 car assumed the early lead. In the first 3 laps the lead changed hands several times as Pechman, Darrell J Stewart, Cody Dempster and finally Chris Eggleston all took turns leading the race.
The Legend Cars lineup for their feature event (Starr photo)
Once Eggleston had the lead he would never relinquish it and go on to take the win. Kyle Clegg would hound Chris the entire race but never be able to make a move to get by for the lead. Behind Eggleston and Clegg, Danny Medina in the #15 car would take home 3rd place and Stewart and Dempster would finish 4th and 5th.
Chris Eggleston in winner’s circle at CNS (Starr photo)
Kyle Clegg will take his large point lead into the final race of 2017 on Challenge Cup Saturday October 7th
FEATURE: #22 Chris Eggleston
FAST DASH: #66 Kyle Clegg
DASH: #27 Ray Oakley
QUICKTIME: #66 Kyle Clegg 18.746
DEMOX
Lite Division: #62 Daniel Rebstoock
Heavy Division: #8 Tyler “Pigpen” Jones
30 Lap Pro Truck Feature
Pos No. Name Hometown
1. 7 Adam Deines Longmont
2. 82 Michael Scott Cheyenne
3. 9 Curtis Heldenbrand Arvada
4. 8 Jeff Walbaum Brighton
5. 6D Rick Duckworth
6. 5W Troy Witthar Eastlake
7. 34 Rudy Vanderwal La Salle
8. 36 Matt Burton Englewood
9. 04 Bobby Durand Thornton
10. 33 Tyler Davis (R) Thornton
11. 11J Steve Johnson Loveland
12. 49 Chris Cox
13. 07 Adam Hilton
14. 65 George Green Firestone
40 lap Pro Truck Feature
Pos No. Name Hometown
1. 34 Rudy Vanderwal La Salle
2. 9 Curtis Heldenbrand Arvada
3. 8 Jeff Walbaum Brighton
4. 49 Chris Cox
5. 5W Troy Witthar Eastlake
6. 36 Matt Burton Englewood
7. 7 Adam Deines Longmont
8. 6D Rick Duckworth
9. 11J Steve Johnson Loveland
10. 07 Adam Hilton
11. 33 Tyler Davis (R) Thornton
12. 04 Bobby Durand Thornton
13. 65 George Green Firestone
14. 82 Michael Scott Cheyenne
Supermodifieds
Pos No. Name Hometown
1. 13 Ricky Otts New Caney TX
2. 34 Randy Whitman Ft. Collins
3. 02 Johnny Pickard Pueblo
4. 11 Tom Adler
5. 18 Cody Curry
6. 1j Luke Johnson Bennett
7. 52 Floyd Schiller Hudson
8. 33 Chris Sheil
Legend Cars
Pos No. Name Hometown
1. 22 Chris Eggleston Thornton
2. 66 Kyle Clegg Westminster
3. 15 Danny Medina Colorado Springs
4. 30 Darrell J Stewart Arvada
5. 48 Cody Dempster Parker
6. 3 Wayne Barlock Jr Peyton
7. 6 Scotty Scott Arvada
8. 32 Blair Cooper Arvada
9. 05 Nick Cooper Loveland
10. 13 Jason Hulvey Thornton
11. 46 Zach Witherwax Arvada
12. 25 Adam Pechman Morrison
13. 23 Austyn Radosta Pueblo
14. 51 AJ Canda Castle Rock
15. 16 Travis Roe Thronton
16. 03 Darrell L Stewart Arvada
17. 19 Larry Pachello Arvada
18. 08K Krystal Faulkingham (R) Westminster
19. 9 Terry McBride Edgewater
20. 33 Dean Kallas Golden
21. 56 Matthew Ratzlaff Monte Vista
22. 26 Chris Brunker Lakewood
23. 34 Al Matthews Frederick
24. 20 Kynzer Riddell Westminster
25. 62 Roy Dunlap (R) Cheyenne
26. 27 Ray Oakley (R) Pine
27. 88 Paul Himler Erie