Post by Admin on May 14, 2023 5:47:59 GMT -8
THE BULLRING 'MOTHER'S DAY' CELEBRATION
Photo Credit: Jeff Speer
Local drivers from the Las Vegas community, led by an impressive performance from teenager Kyle Keller in the NASCAR Sigma Performance Services Pro Late Models, made center stage Saturday night in Round 7 of the Star Nursery Series at the 3/8-mile paved oval Bullring at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the annual “Mother’s Day Celebration” event.
The evening had several touching moments on a windy night on the northside of the famed Las Vegas Blvd. saluting the first 100 mothers in attendance with special flowers from Star Nursery as well as a moment of silence for the passing of Bullring legendary driver and car builder thingy Cobb, a multi-time series champion at the Bullring as well as Craig Road Speedway.
But when the green flag dropped on the competition Saturday, there was heated action which kept the fans entertained throughout the evening of nine feature events.
For Keller, the Las Vegas youngster competing in the ARCA Menards West tour races as well as Bullring contests in 2023, he opened the proceedings by establishing a new Pro Late Model qualifying track record at 15.319 (88.126 miles per hour) in his No. 12 EverReady Health/BattleBorn Racing machine.
Then, in the 35-lap Pro Late Model main event, Keller had to fight his way from the seventh starting position to grab the lead from Jaron Giannini on lap 15 and then opened up a six-car length lead over Giannini, early leader Scott Gafforini, Ricky Gutierrez and veteran Linny White, who was subbing for an absent Jeff Peterson who was in Indiana with wife Kayli for her Purdue University MBA graduation.
A late race yellow flag cost Keller a big margin over Giannini, Gafforini and Bullring stalwart Justin Johnson. On the restart, Johnson went to the outside and challenged Keller for the lead before Kyle was able to take the checkered flag by 0.593 seconds. Third went to Giannini followed by Gafforini, Monty Tipton, Aaron McMorran, T.J. Roberts and Jeff Schildmeyer.
“I want to dedicate this win to the late, great thingy Cobb who was a legend here in Las Vegas for decades,” said Keller in victory lane. “thingy’s passing has everyone at the Bullring thinking of his great achievements. I also want to thank the little guy in the stands who picked the ‘seven’ card for my starting position in the main. I was able to work myself into position and get in the mix for an early move to the front. This EverReady Health car was just outstanding tonight. The BattleBorn Racing crew had this car working so well tonight. Thanks to them too!”
Some late-race controversy occurred in the always-competitive USCLI MH Building Specialists/JBM Underground Legend Cars feature as leaders Tyler Reif, Jordan Holloway, Cody Brown, Tanner Reif, Brendan Tracy and Alex Roe fought tooth and nail for the front of the field. There was bumping and shoving and hard-fought racing as usual with the fast, nimble Legend machines.
Tyler Reif, the fast qualifier, came from his seventh starting spot to take the top position on lap 11 in the 25-lap finale, but he was never able to pull a big gap as Holloway, Tanner Reif, Brown and Tracy stayed bumper-to-bumper for the majority of the event.
A yellow flag flew with just two laps remaining and the field bunched up for a wild two-lap “shootout.” And that’s what the crowd got.
Holloway, the defending Bullring track champion from Henderson, NV, made an inside move on Reif entering turn three on the last lap and Tyler slid up the track. Jordan, Friday’s 20-lap feature winner, was able to take advantage in turn four and gain the checkered flag. Reif placed runner-up with Tracy third followed by Brown, Tanner Reif, Nathan Quella, Roe, Ethan Nascimento, Gavin Ray and T.J. Roberts.
An unhappy Reif expressed his opinion to Holloway in the winner’s circle, but cooler heads prevailed in another sensational Legend Car battle between some of Las Vegas’ brightest young racers.
“That was a very intense race,” said Holloway, the 2022 U.S. Pro National Legend Cars champion. “I saw an opening there and I went for it. I don’t like to race that hard all of the time, but it was extremely competitive tonight. But it does feel good to take the win. I’m happy to do with my family here.”
Some exciting racing took place with the Super Stock doubleheader races Saturday with outstanding wheel-to-wheel battles in both 20-lappers with two new 2023 main event winners in Pahrump’s R.J. Smotherman and Don Geary of Las Vegas.
Smotherman, in the popular Al Budd-owned No. 17 super stock car, made a strong first impression with the new mount, coming from sixth to the lead by lap 10 and held off the challenges of multi-time Bullring winner this year, Jason Kiser, and veteran Sam Jacks. At the finish, the former Skid Plate champion won by 1.210 seconds over Kiser followed by Jacks, Bill Paddock Jr., Fred Kiser Jr. and Jacob Quartaro.
In the second 20-lap feature to wrap up the evening’s festivities, it was Geary, a podium finisher this year but never a winner, who jumped out the lead and drove a strong pace as J. Kiser, Jacks and Smotherman applied pressure the entire distance. A late-race caution period set up Kiser for an inside move on Geary, but Don held the outside line and took his first win. At the checkered, it was Geary, J. Kiser, Smotherman and F. Kiser.
Both Super Stock winners enjoyed a popular victory lane celebration Saturday after two exciting and entertaining mains.
When it comes to entertainment at the Bullring, it is always tough to match the wildness in the 12-lap Skid Plate finale and Saturday’s version didn’t disappoint with a 14-car field.
As usual, spins and loops highlighted the action with Greg Matta holding the margin early as recent winner Greg Lee, in only his fifth race, made a steady move up the field in his No. 21 car. Another 2023 Bullring winner Jeff Dailey drove to the lead on lap 3 and kept a good pace through the maze of spinning machinery.
On lap six, it was Lee to the front with a consistent, smooth run as Ken Coombs, who suffered through mechanical problems throughout the day, closed at the end of the event. But Lee was too tough to beat again for his second consecutive win followed by Coombs, former track champion Ben Williams, Matta, Daily and police officer Berenice Hernandez.
Also scoring a second straight main event at Bullring Saturday was always-personable Rob “P” Pfaffly in the 20-lap Nostalgia Street Rods Outlaw Factory Stocks main event. Multi-time Bullring race winner Matt Frady Jr., looked to have the win in hand with his quick No. 00 machine pacing the field from the drop of the green. But Pfaffly closed in on Frady with two laps remaining and grabbed the lead on lap 18. At the finish, it was Pfaffly by 0.845 seconds over Frady with former track champion Michael Miller rounding out the podium. Fourth went to Pete Meyer and fifth to Sheri Goldstrom.
Recording his second consecutive NASCAR 602 Modifieds feature victory Saturday was local star Sam Jacks in his quick No. 29 BattleBorn Racing mount. At the green, Jacks jumped out to the lead and never looked back. Second went to young Californian Brenden Ruzbarsky in the No. 51 car followed by Brian Williams, Jimmy Petrie and Ben Williams.
Keeping the local theme going Saturday was defending USCLI MH Building Specialists/JBM Underground Bandoleros champion Ashton Leonard of Henderson, NV, with an impressive 2.661-second victory in his No. 17 car. Leonard bested Keaton Harbison, Logan Gresser, Joseph Montoya and Amelia Suell.
The only non-Las Vegas race winner Saturday was 11-year-old Vito Cancilla of Martinez, CA, as the fifth grader dominated the Junior Late Model 20-lap feature with his No. 13 Nascimento Racing machine. Cancilla won by 1.791 seconds over recent Bullring winner Cameron Carraway followed by Bryson “Cowboy” Brown, Leonard, Alex Eskandari and Brody Manning.
In the night’s opening event, the seventh round of the popular “Battle of the Badges” between the police officers and the firefighter featured North Las Vegas Fire Department’s Ty Olson and Matt Peltier as well as Britton Hoffman of the Clark County School District Police Department and Parker Steele of the Boulder City Police Department. The four-lap kickoff race saw plenty of action as usual with Olson driving a solid, smooth pace and taking the 29.885-second win over Hoffman followed by Steele and Peltier. The win for the firefighters was their third of the year, compared to the police officers’ four. There will be two more “Battle of the Badges” preliminary events before the big finale with nine drivers in the July 3 “Night of Fire” for the “Badges Championship.
NEXT RACE: The 2023 Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway presented by Star Nursery race schedule continues on Saturday, June 3, with “Summer Fun Night,” the eighth round of the 10-race Star Nursery Series. Remaining Bullring events in 2023 include June 17 “A Night to Remember/Throwback Night,” July 3 “Night of Fire,” Oct. 13 “Star Nursery 150” with the ARCA Menards Series and Oct. 28 with the Star Nursery Classic. Adult general admission for the majority of the Star Nursery Series events is $8.00 with children 12 & under free at all Bullring events. For more information, please contact the LVMS ticket office online at www.LVMS.com.
For more details on race results, please visit LVMS online at www.lvms.com
