(03/24/07) The Advance Auto Parts Pro-Truck Series kicked off the 2007 season under blue skies, at the New Smyrna Speedway with plenty of excitement on and off the track. Formerly the FASCAR Pro-Trucks, it was announced during the driver's meeting that Advance Auto Parts has signed on to be the official series sponsor for 2007.
A sponsorship that brings with it a generous increase in the Advance Auto Parts Points fund, and a corporate partnership that is sure to help the series thrive long into the future.
All but one of the twenty-six trucks in attendance tripped the light in qualifying, with 14 year old, Ginn development driver Chad Akins taking down fast time with a lap of 19.784 in the Team ASE / Crabby Joes #60. Akins pulled a #9 for the inversion, setting the #21 of Scott Reeves on the pole with Matt Bowers, another Ginn development driver, on the outside of the front row in the Ginn Racing #84b.
Other notables starting inside the top ten included young Jessica Murphy (#62) starting 7th. The 16 year old Clermont, FL driver won her very first career feature event just a week ago in New Smyrna Speedway weekly racing action in the Clermont Dodge / Jimerico Construction machine.
Scott Reeves of Royal Palm Beach set the pace for the first 28 laps, slowed by cautions on lap 5 for Ft. Pierce driver Mark Mesito (#84) who spun in turns 1 & 2 and again on lap 18 for Rookie candidate Mike Marcellino (#14) spinning in turns 3 & 4.
Caution #3 came out on lap 25 after the trucks of Kevin Henry (#99) and Michael Pilla (#24M) got together. Henry was able to continue, while Pilla would find himself receiving the black flag and having to pit for repairs.
Meanwhile, George Gorham Jr (#10) out of Lakeland, FL was advancing his way up through the field from his 8th starting spot, and on lap 28, he took over the top spot from Reeves.
While Gorham Jr continued to put some distance between himself and the now 2nd place Reeves, young man Logan Bordeau (#33B) a graduate of the Orlando Speedworld JR Stock division, in just his 3rd Pro-Truck start, had worked his way all the way up to 6th from his last place starting spot.
But on lap 35, entering turn three, Bordeau made hard contact with the outside wall in turn three, collecting the trucks of Jarrad Cawley (#31) and Kevin Henry (#99). Bordeau's truck sustained the worst of the damage as he would head back to the pits on the back of the Tim's Automotive Wrecker. Cawley was able to continue as was Henry, but Henry's luck would not get any better as a flat tire on lap 41, forced the #99 Ray Anthony International machine to spin out, bringing out the final caution of the event.
Gorham Jr would lead them to green on the restart with Reeves sticking right to his back bumper for the nine lap shootout. Fast Qualifier Chad Akins, (#60) who was getting ready to perform double-duty as he would be behind the wheel of the Ginn Racing Late Model later in the evening, had worked his way up to the third spot after starting 9th on the inversion.
As they crossed the stripe, it was Gorham taking down the win with Reeves coming home second. Akins took down the third spot with Austin Howell (#96) of Daytona Beach, FL and Jessica Murphy (#62) of Clermont, FL rounding out the top five.
Murphy seemed content with the fifth place result. “We finished fifth, and that's alright” the 16 year old said, “The truck got real loose and I feel if my truck was better, I could have had a top three.” Murphy plans to compete in the Weekly Racing Series Pro-Trucks here at New Smyrna, and looks to be a strong competitor for Track Championship honors.
Gorham, who competed in a different series in 2006 said, “It feels great to win the season opener here at New Smyrna. This is actually our first win in this series, so we're happy with the victory.” When asked about his plans for the remainder of 2007, Gorham replied that he wanted to just stay out of trouble and win the points championship.
Next stop for the Advance Auto Parts Pro-Truck Series will be at Bronson Motor Speedway on April 21st. For more information on this searies, or any of the FASCAR Touring Series, log onto: www.FASCAR.org
Race Results from new Smyrna Speedway March 31, 2007
Advance Auto Parts Pro Truck 50
Pos Driver Truck # 1 George Gorham, Jr. 10 2 Scott Reeves 21 3 Chad Akins 60 4 Austin Howell 96 5 Jessica Murphy 62 6 Matt Bowers 84 7 Travis Hanson 141 8 Chad Pierce 30 9 Mark Mesito 84 10 Mark Evans 50 11 Chris Lewellan 19 12 Bill Stacy RN 32 13 Michael Pilla 24m 14 T.J. Chambers 57 15 Kevin Henry 99 16 Ron Dubeau 11 17 Jarrad Cawley 31 18 Tim Gertsch 29 19 Mike Marcellino 14 20 Nevin Gainey 17 21 Ricky Moxley 38 22 Logan Bordeau 33b 23 Clinton Clark 97 24 Cody Carlbert 06 Tim Bagnall DNS 01 Steve Thompson 20
Late Model - Features Pos Driver Car # 1 Jason Boyd 26 2 Chad Akins 60 3 David Gibbs 47 4 Amanda Tonchuk 18 5 Michael Seay 10 6 Brennan Palmiter 27 7 Sam Watts 73
Late Model - Heats Pos Driver Car # 1 Jason Boyd 26 2 Chad Akins 60 3 Brennan Palmiter 27 4 Amanda Tonchuk 18 5 Michael Seay 10 6 David Gibbs 47 7 Sam Watts 73
Mini Stock - Features Pos Driver Car # 1 Ted Vulpius 71 2 James Dixson 6X 3 Rex Christensen V3 4 Benjamin Zell 10 5 Mark Broat 6 6 Joseph Gerard 5 7 Jeff White 15
Mini Stock - Heats Pos Driver Car # 1 James Dixson 6X 2 Rex Christensen V3 3 Benjamin Zell 10 4 Mark Broat 6 5 Jeff White 15 6 Joseph Gerard 5 7 Ted Vulpius 71
Sportsman - Features Pos Driver Car # 1 Donny Williams 111 2 Philip Luizzo 27 3 Muglach Gary 31 4 Paul Kitner 911 5 Ambrose Griffin 05 6 Bruce McGonigal 6 7 Herbert Dyal 79 8 Dale Howard 63
Sportsman - Heats Pos Driver Car # 1 Donny Williams 111 2 Philip Luizzo 27 3 Muglach Gary 31 4 Paul Kitner 911 5 Ambrose Griffin 05 6 Herbert Dyal 79 7 Bruce McGonigal 6 8 Dale Howard 63
Strictly Stock - Features Pos Driver Car # 1 Doug Wolf 70 2 Eddie Rush 71 3 Wiiliam Skip Wager 43 4 Brent Bruner 20 5 Jody Roberts 13 6 Harry Armstrong 77 7 Judy Dorton 26 8 Eric Wolf 69 9 Richard Goodrich 86 10 John Layne 00 11 Jeffrey Lewis 51 12 Todd McCreary 6.7
Strictly Stock - Heats Pos Driver Car # 1 Doug Wolf 70 2 Wiiliam Skip Wager 43 3 Harry Armstrong 77 4 Eric Wolf 69 5 Eddie Rush 71 6 Brent Bruner 20 7 Richard Goodrich 86 8 John Layne 00 9 Jody Roberts 13 10 Judy Dorton 26 11 Jeffrey Lewis 51 12 Todd McCreary 6.7
Super Stock - Features Pos Driver Car # 1 Bobby Holley 56 2 Billy Boggs 9 3 Michael Wofford 15 4 Vince Keeler 32X 5 George Spears 18 6 Steve Green 32 7 Mike Dahm 21 8 Edward Michalak 44 9 Richard Stone 777 10 Bruce McGonigal 22 11 Edward Barber 23 12 James Frisbie 3X
Super Stock - Heats Pos Driver Car # 1 Bobby Holley 56 2 Billy Boggs 9 3 Vince Keeler 32X 4 Bruce McGonigal 22 5 Michael Wofford 15 6 Mike Dahm 21 7 Edward Michalak 44 8 Steve Green 32 9 Richard Stone 777 10 George Spears 18 11 Edward Barber 23 12 James Frisbie 3X
