Bordeau wins Race, Reeves wins Championship at New Smyrna Speedway
by Jane Smith
Logan Bordeau, sixteen year old racer from Apopka, took the big prize in the 100 lap race
Samsula, FL (November 24, 2007) Emotions were high at New Smyrna Speedway Saturday night as the Advance Auto Parts Pro Trucks ran 100 laps for their Championship race. With the top two only six points apart, both drivers were nervous as a cat. With a field of twenty six trucks, anything can happen and both knew it.
Points leader Kevin Henry set fast time and also pulled the 0 pill starting the field straight up. Scott Reeves, sitting only six points behind Henry, started alittle further back and would definitely have to work his way up to the front and finish at least three spots ahead of Henry for the Championship.
After an on-track autograph session and a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Chad Akins, the 2006 Pro Truck Champion, gave the command to start your engines and we were off to the races.
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Henry quickly took the point on the green over Logan Bordeau, Scott Bishop, Dalton Zehr, and Travis Hanson. As they fought for position, the caution came out on lap 5 for Phil Luizzo, Jarred Cawley, and Michael Pilla. All were fine but rejoined the field in the rear for the restart.
The race goes back green on lap 9 as Henry continues to lead the way over Bordeau, Bishop, Zehr, Hanson, Austin Howell, Jessica Murphy, Scott Reeves, and George Gorham, Jr.
Jessica Murphy puts the heat on Howell for sixth as Reeves follows Murphy for seventh putting Howell in eighth. Just as racing is heating up, Jen Crossman brings out the yellow as she spins rejoining the field in the rear. Henry once again holds the point followed by Bordeau, Bishop, Zehr, Hanson, Murphy, Reeves, Gorham and Howell.
Gorham is looking high and low to pass Reeves but each time Reeves shuts the door and holds his position. But on lap 20, Jen Crossman spins again in turn 2 bringing out the yellow once more.
Lap 22 sees the green as Henry leads the way over Bordeau, Bishop, Zehr, and Hanson. Henry begins to build his lead seeing that Championship right before him but 78 laps are left and there are no guarantees in racing. Gorham once again puts the heat on Reeves but Reeves quickly shuts the door.
Suddenly on lap 28 Gorham spins in turns 1 and 2 due to lap traffic. Gorham is giving back his spot and the race goes back green. As the racers chase Henry, the caution comes out again for Jim Campbell who has spun low in turns 1 and 2. At this time Gorham quickly goes down pit road for a few adjustments on his truck.
On the restart, Bordeau begins to put alot of heat on Henry for the point but Henry holds him off while Hanson finds himself going side-by-side with Jessica Murphy for fifth. Murphy is running the outside with Hanson on the inside. Just as Hanson really feels the heat, A.J. Factor spins at the bottom of turn 2 bringing out the yellow.
Bordeau once again looks on the restart to pass Henry but Henry will have nothing to do with it. Murphy, who has taken over fifth, goes high giving Reeves the opportunity to slip by and take over fifth as Murphy settles into seventh.
On lap 49, midway, Bordeau takes advantage of Henry's slip and passes Henry for first. Henry quickly gathers the truck back up for second followed by Bishop, Zehr, Hanson and Reeves. Murphy goes high and Reeves goes low for sixth but Reeves holds his position as Murphy settles back into seventh.
But Murphy is not done and tries once again taking over sixth as Reeves goes seventh. In the meantime, Bordeau sets sail on the field with a half lap lead over everyone. Jim Campbell brings out the caution as he spins in turn 2 which somehow Bordeau does a great job of avoiding the spinning car. Campbell is fine and rejoins the field in the rear of the lead lap.
On the restart, Zehr puts heat on Bishop for third but Bishop holds strong. Bordeau continues his lead over Henry, Bishop, Hanson and Zehr. Zehr and Hanson give the crowd a great show as they go side-by-side for fourth. But Zehr proves he is the stronger truck and holds his position in fourth as Hanson must settle for fifth.
Bishop now puts the heat on Henry for second but Henry is too strong and holds him off. Bishop runs low, Henry high as Henry slides just alittle allowing Zehr and Hanson to move pass him for third and fourth and Henry in fifth. Now the top two in points are right behind each other - Henry in fifth and Reeves in sixth.
Lap 90 sees the yellow for Jessica Murphy who has spun on the backstretch. Since the last 10 laps must be under green, the race restarts on lap 90 as Bordeau leads the way over Bishop, Zehr, Reeves, Hanson, Henry and Gorham.
Then the heartbreaking moment arrives when Henry suddenly slows and is forced on pit road. Thinking he might be out of gas, it is sadly discovered that he has lost his MSD Box and is out of the race and no longer in the lead for the Championship.
With only a handful of laps to go, Bordeau crosses the checkered followed by Scott Bishop, Dalton Zehr, Scott Reeves, and Travis Hanson. Both Bordeau and Reeves celebrate in Victory Circle as Reeves is the new 2007 Advance Auto Parts Pro Truck Champion.
OFFICIAL RESULTS NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY, NOVEMER 24 ADVANCE AUTO PARTS PRO TRUCK 100 CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Logan Bordeau 33b 2 Scott Bishop 22 3 Dalton Zehr 119 4 Scott Reeves 21 5 Travis Hanson 141 6 George Gorham 10 7 Ricky Moxley 38 8 Austin Howell 96 9 Mark Evans 50 10 TJ Chamber 57 11 Keith Lilly 87 12 Jarred Cawley 31 13 Bill Stacy 32 14 AJ Factor 62X 15 Jim Campbell 73 16 Steven Thompson 20 17 Kevin Henry 99 18 Jessica Murphy 62 19 Phil Luizzo 27 20 Jen Crossman 54 21 Blake Koch 34 22 Mark Mesito 84 23 Buck Buchanan 7 24 Ricky Bullard Jr 00 25 Michael Pilla 24M 26 Tim Bagnall 01
