Flores blows his top, gets first USRA Modified win in El Paso

Wild and reckless is a great description of tonight at the El Paso Speedway Park as the USRA Modifieds and Late Models go topless for the fans. Fortunately the cars where Rajin and the drivers where ready. 5 classes and over 60 drivers showed up to showdown tonight and with that much passion for speed in the air, things are bound to get crazy!

 

Super Trucks would have five drivers pushing for the win tonight but it was the 501 of Jaime Bejerano who came out on top after an action packed Feature event. Action actually started on the very first lap as the 22 would lead it easily but the 98, 501 and 44L went three wide for second in turn 2! The 501 won that battle as he finally cleared Rusty Bowen in 98 after 3 laps and would waste no time from there! As he passed Rusty down the backstretch he would absolutely bomb the inside and smoke the 22 of Chris Dermine to lead lap 4! It would be two laps of smooth sailing for Jaime before the 44L of Ismael Garcia would clear the 2 and look for the lead. The 44L will make it all the way to the bumper of the 501 in 5 laps and as they take the white flag he is doing everything he can to get by for the win. With some great driving from Jaime Bejerano he will hold off and win this one by a length! Ismael Garcia got all the way to the bumper for the lead but that is where he stayed and will take home the second [place money tonight. This is the second win for Jaime Bejerano this season and he did with great a show,

 

The Casa Nissan Legends would go down as an awesome race like usual as the 7 of Luis Esquivel would take that car to victory in about as good looking race as his blue and yellow fireball of a car. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Esquivel as he really had to work hard for this win. After two laps the 902 of Mike Zuloaga would dolphin dive turn three to the inside of the 7 and lead lap 3! Two more laps complete and we are 5 in with 10 to go as the top 4 go nose to tail to make this explosive! Luis Esquivel has got his 7 machine working on the way low line all the way around tonight but he cant seem to make anything stick and the laps are ticking away. Unluckily for the 902 but very lucky for the 7, we have a caution on the 8th and we will have a Delaware style restart with 8 to go. A clean restart is always a good thing and we are in luck for those tonight. The 902 is stepping out from the field but here comes the 237 of Steven Arellano into turn 3 low looking for the lead! Arellano cant make it stick and he will fall off the pace just slightly. They ran 2 more laps as the 902 pulls away but once again caution flies forcing Mike to give up that big lead and restart. Only 6 circuits remain here as the 237 sits in the inside row 2 with the 7 just to his outside door. On the restart the 902 gets a great jump again but Luis Esquivel isn’t having that anymore and he will throw a hook onto Zuloaga’s bumper and away they go! The 7 will waste NO time and into turn 4 he goes high right around the 902 and he will lead at the stripe with 5 laps to go!! The next three laps have Esquivel showing the way and gapping out but the 237 has finally cleared the 902 for second and with two laps to go he is going to step on the gas. Steven Arellano proves to be too far back and Luis Esquivel is going to take his 7 machine all the way to victory. Steven Arellano will have to be happy with second in this but the final lap action really comes from our fifth place finisher Gunner Harris. Harris bombed past the 902 on the last lap backstretch run and had forced third when he got loose in turn 3 and was passed back by the 902 and the 72. Harris really kept things interesting there and will round out the top 5 in fashion.

 

Modifieds are the third race of the night and definitely did not disappoint as Fireball Donovan Flores would pick up his very first win in and A-Modified and boy oh boy did he make it fun! An early caution in this one would send the J17 hopeful of Jake Gallardo to the rear and we restart with 19 laps. This is where Donovan Flores would come in and show the field what it means to drive a racecar because he wasn’t looking back after this point! The 07 was going gone until 16 laps remaining when the G17 of Fito Gallardo would pass for second like a Rajin Rocket! Flores is on fire up front and holding steady with Fito at 8 lengths but lappers in the way with 10 to go and Fito has caught him quickly! The 49 of Duane Murphy has made his way to second but being a full straight away behind Fito is not going to do him any good. With 6 laps remaining Fito is turning faster laps and is right there on the bumper of Flores but its going to take some Fito Fashion Magic to win this one. Fito uses lappers and slams the low line and here he is nose to nose! Flores must really want that win because in true champion skill he blocks Fito low and will retain the lead at the line by about a foot! After that spectacular block from Flores, Fito has slipped back a little but with 3 laps to go it seems he has found the fast line again and here he comes to make the last ditch effort for the win. Lappers are going to be factor again for Donovan as he has a pack of four in front of him with Fito on his tail! Both drivers are diving the bottom hard to clear the lappers but before they can come back around for the white flag, CAUTION will wave for the J17 of Jake Gallardo who has spun turn 3 again. The J17 will have to leave the racing surface for causing that caution but now Fito Gallardo has a shot at the win from inside row 2 as we will have a GREEN, WHITE, CHECKERED in this USRA modifieds main event. A surprise on this restart is the Flyin’ 50 of Robert Adams to second from the outside of row 2! Fito got left on that restart and now Flores has a straight shot at the lead as the 50 focuses on holding off the G17 for second. Fireball Donovan Flores wins his first USRA A-Modified Main event and does it by holding off the man Fito Gallardo for almost every lap off this one. Robert Adams will fight of Fito Gallardo for second as Fito will settle for third in the Modifieds. Fireball had this to say about his first win and how the track played into it tonight; “This first win feals great. The car was on fire and I could just run the diamond tonight. Anywhere I needed to be I could put the car there. It really helped that the track was fairly smooth and to get this win tonight makes me so stoked.”

 

USRA Street Stocks are up next and Robert Vega would make this interesting throughout but come away victorious at the wave of the checkered flag. However, did things get heated quickly out there tonight! The 10 would jump to the lead early but into turn 3 Robert Vega in 327 would get a little frisky and slam the 10 car hard on the inside. The 327, L750 and the 10 would all collect in this but L750 of Todd Froats would dart through the infield and regain his position inside the top 5. This would bring out the caution for the 327 who cant get moving again but the 29 of Ted Cain has jumped to the lead after that scuffle and leads us back to green with 14 to go. The 29 and the 10 of Jesus Chacon Jr. are going to jump the field on this and both are looking to dominate tonight. The 10 will stay on the bumper of the 29 for the next 8 laps but he cant make anything stick and with 6 circuits remaining we have another caution in this feature main event. Fortunately For Robert Vega he had worked his way back to third and it’s this restart that gave him the chance to take the win. Vega makes very quick work of the top two as he will dove low into turn 3 and steal the lead right away from Ted Cain. Just as the 327 crosses the line to lead that lap the 42 of Brent Dryer will blow his motor and caution for the third time.  This restart will show 5 to go on the scoreboard and the 327 is going to put in the work up front as the 29 and L750 go at it for second. It takes the 29 two full laps to clear Todd Froats and with three to go he is just too far back to make any moves on the 327 who is just dominated this race. The 327 of Vega will win after a very rough start and the 29 of Ted Cain will come very close but no cigar tonight as he settles with a second place finish. Todd Froats crosses in his L750 machine just behind the leaders for a great run to round out the top 3.

 

Now on to the fastest cars to touch the speedway tonight. Southwest Late Models!!! 18 cars will start this main event as the 12 of Greg Jelvik will miss the main event. Tonight the Late Models go without their roof’s to put on a great show for the fans from inside the cockpit. The Chief Cliff Hansen 911 will lead us to the green for this 25 lapper with Billy Roy Harris just to his outside in 57.  The 57 will jump to the lead early over the 22 but G17 of Fito Gallardo to second in just two laps after starting sixth. The G17 makes quick work of the 22 and after 3 laps the 57 and G17 will check out over the field but caution will end that gap as we restart with 22 laps to go. The 57 will drag us back to green but they don’t complete another lap before caution flies again. There is a car smashed to the front stretch wall and we will clear them out and go back green. Billy Roy will nail the restart but it’s the G17 top shelf in turn 3 and around he goes for the Fito Fashion lead! The 57 will start to slide back and around goes the 744 of Scott Logston and 29 of Mercedes Abercrombie for second and third. Mercedes started in 11th and with 16 to go she will pass Scott Logston in turn 3 and start looking for Fito up front. Fito is half a straight ahead but lappers are looking to be in Mercedes favor. Caution is going to be the lifesaver for Mercedes as with 15 to go caution waves for the 357 who has spun in turn 2. Miracle for Mercedes as she has a good shot to win it now. G17 and 29 are pulling from the 744 and 3K after that restart but with 8 to go the G17 has hit the lapped cars again. As Fito cuts lapped cars like a hot knife through butter it only takes 2 ½ laps and away he goes again. Just as Fito hits another clump of lappers caution waves for the last time in this one with 4 laps to go. It’ll be a Fito Fashion restart up front as he hits it almost perfect. Mercedes is trying to stick close on the bottom in every turn but tonight is not the night for her FITO GALLARDO will win this Topless race in G17 by half a car length! A great run from Mercedes but tonight her 29 car will have to settle for a second place after she started mid pack in 11th. The 3K of Keko Perez battled with the Scott Logston for third all night and he will round out the podium after that hard fought finish.

 

Amidst pictures and smiles Fito Gallardo had this to say about his great run tonight.
“The car ran good in the mains after being real tight in the heats but fortunately I could put it anywhere on track I needed and get the job done. The track was a little rough and I was getting a little tired there towards the end because I had to drive the modified tonight as well. I knew Mercedes was coming fast on that outside so I just drove my race and it worked out in my favor. A couple of adjustments for tomorrow night and we will be good to go.”

 

If you missed us tonight we go racing again here next Friday with the Border International 305 Winged sprint cars

Gates open at 5:30

Racing starts at 7:45

Come hungry for action and you wont leave empty handed. See you there!