Menard brings home his second ASALMS Challenge Division Feature Win
By Matt Prieur
Pensacola, Florida - The 11th and final points race of the Fifth Anniversary 2007 Racing Season in the ASA Late Model Series Challenge Division Presented by GM Performance Parts is now complete and the 2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Champion and 2007 Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year titles have been decided and Champions are now crowned!
The home of the “Snowball Derby” and the “Snowflake 100”, the fast 0.500 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval of the Five Flags (FL) Speedway in Pensacola, Florida served as gracious hosts of the 2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Season Championships and the running of the USA Digital 200.
In a very thrilling 200-lap Feature that saw an ASALMS record Nine (9) lead changes among Four (4) different drivers, Eau Claire, Wisconsin veteran, Charlie Menard led 164 laps of the 200-lap affair and survived a ferocious battle with Derek Thorn to score his Second ASALMS Challenge Division Feature of the 2007 Season in an event that saw the last 100 laps run caution free!
Menard’s first win came back on June 30, 2007 up at the Cayuga (ON) International Speedway in Nelles Corners, Ontario/Canada in ironically the only other race this season that saw the second half of the event go caution free!
Thorn tried every trick he had in his arsenal on Menard but settled for second over 2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Champion, Travis Dassow who by merely taking the green flag, the West Bend, Wisconsin driver clinched the 2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Championship for his T.D. Racing Development Team.
This is the third straight ASALMS Challenge Division title for the former WalTom Racing Team that took current NASCAR Busch Series drivers, Stephen Leicht (2005) and Kelly Bires (2006) to their respective championships.
Wheaton, Illinois veteran, Eddie Hoffman finished Fourth and grabbed the runner-up position in the final 2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Points Standings. Michael Annett recovered from an earlier incident to bring home the Hard-Charger Award of the Race by rounding out the Top Five.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida Driver, Sean Murphy, who earlier in the day won the ARP Bodies/Aluminum Racing Products Fast Qualifier Award, finished Sixth in the Feature, which was good enough to win the 2007 Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year Championship by a mere Two (2) points over Derek Thorn
Peter Cozzolino was seventh and was followed by Kris Stump, 18-year-old Keeton Hanks, and David Odell turned in his career high finish by completing the Top 10.
Earlier in the day in ARP Bodies/Aluminum Racing Products Qualifying, Murphy broke the ASALMS Track Record in Qualifying as the Fort Lauderdale, Florida driver turned a 17.554 which measures out to 102.601 MPH. Josh Hamner held the track record before Murphy reset the mark, as Hamner went a 17.663 back on May 12, 2006.
2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Season Championships/USA Digital 200 UNOFFICIAL Results
Pos,,Start,,Car #/Driver,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Laps,,Status
1,,,,,,3,,,,,,,13 Charlie Menard,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,200,,,,Running
2,,,,,,5,,,,,,,5 Derek Thorn-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,200,,,,Running
3,,,,,,8,,,,,,,89 Travis Dassow,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,200,,,,Running
4,,,,,,6,,,,,,,8 Eddie Hoffman,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,200,,,,Running
5,,,,,,13,,,,,12 Michael Annett,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,200,,,,Running
6,,,,,,10,,,,,32 Sean Murphy-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,200,,,,Running
7,,,,,,7,,,,,,,11 Peter Cozzolino,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,199,,,,Running
8,,,,,,12,,,,,15 Kris Stump,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,199,,,,Running
9,,,,,,9,,,,,,,35 Keeton Hanks,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,199,,,,Running
10,,,,16,,,,,75 David Odell-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,198,,,,Running
11,,,,4,,,,,,,015 Colt James,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,198,,,,Running
12,,,,15,,,,,14 Brent Seeley-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,197,,,,Running
13,,,,17,,,,,45 Michael Simko-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,197,,,,Running
14,,,,1,,,,,,,81 Jesse Smith,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,196,,,,Running
15,,,,14,,,,,10 Johanna Long-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,191,,,,Running
16,,,,11,,,,,47 Dakota Stroup-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,100,,,,Overheating
17,,,,2,,,,,,,16 Steven Davis-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,92,,,,,,Mechanical
18,,,,20,,,,,27 Ronnie Smith-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,87,,,,,,Handling
19,,,,19,,,,,88 Robert Royce-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,22,,,,,,Accident
20,,,,18,,,,,26 Bob Varney,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,15,,,,,,Mechanical
DID NOT START: 115 Chris Purdy-R
Lap Leaders: 81 Jesse Smith-Pole, 16 Steven Davis-R 1-15, 13 Charlie Menard 16-30, 16 Steven Davis-R 31-34, 13 Charlie Menard 35-64, 5 Derek Thorn-R 65, 13 Charlie Menard 66-95, 5 Derek Thorn-R 96-102, 13 Charlie Menard 103-200.
Cautions: 4 for 15 Laps.
Time of Race: 1 Hour, 28 Minutes, 11.223 Seconds.
The month of October begins with both the ASALMS Northern and Southern Divisions in action; only this time in two separate locations as for the only time in 2007, two ASALMS Divisions will both be racing on the same day.
The ASALMS Southern Division cars and stars head out to the fast 0.375 Mile Semi-Banked Paved Oval of the Desoto (FL) Super Speedway, located South of Tampa/St. Petersburg in Bradenton, Florida on Friday and Saturday October 5-6, 2007 for the running of the Seafest 100.
Joining ASALMS Southern Division contingent over the special Two-Day Weekend will be the All-American Challenge Series Super Late Models as well as a host of support divisions including Modifieds, Street Stocks, Bombers, the Pro Challenge Series, Pure Stocks, Modified Minis, Magic 4s, and F.A.S.T. Mini Cups.
On the same weekend, the 2007 ASALMS Northern Division Championship and Rookie of the Year titles will be decided in the ASALMS Northern Division Season Championships / Oktoberfest 100 on Saturday October 6, 2007 during the 38th annual Oktoberfest Weekend!
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