VMRA news by Mike Clother

Jones wins again at PA

With the help of race sponsor NuTread Tires the Vintage Modifieds made the trek to Port Angeles Speedway for a night of fire works and open wheel racing.   For the second race in a row Jim Jones set fast time and won the main event from the back of the field. Jones is currently in second place to Bob Fulmer in season points, but the gap is closing quickly.

During hot lapping the rain began falling and cars were flagged of the track. The promoter remained optimistic.  The track’s crew did an awesome job of drying the track even while a slight mist was still falling and after a 45-minute rain delay time trials began.  Jones set the fast time of 16.001 seconds just .003 seconds faster than Fulmer.

The B heat was won from the 2nd row by defending champ Mike Clother after he was able to pass Robert Rux and Ike Hoskinson who ended up 4th and 5th.  Josh Wyne in the only Ford powered car finished 2nd followed by John Mustered.  Rookie Josh Petersen started in the rear and finished there.

The A heat was full of action.  Paul Fields sat on the pole in Chuck Peterson’s car; Dave Trapp was to his right.  Kiel Hobbs and Bob Fulmer followed them with Jim Jones in the rear.  Right from the start Jones began passing on the high side, as did Kiel Hobbs.  Soon Hobbs was leading with Jones attached to his rear bumper.  On lap 5 contact between Fields and Fulmer sent Fields’ car spinning around turn 4 and brought out a caution flag.  On the restart, with 3 laps remaining, Jones dogged Hobbs looking for a weakness that he was unable to find.  Hobbs finished 1st with Jones a very close 2nd.  Further back on the track Fulmer led Trapp and Fields to the flag.

The scheduled 35-lap feature main event started with a bang.  Ike Hoskinson led from the pole position with Clother right behind.  On the first turn of the first lap further back in the field Dave Trapp bumped Paul Fields sending his car sideways hitting one of the huge tires surrounding the inside of the racing surface.  As the two spun Kiel Hobbs, who had started just behind Trapp, was unable to avoid them and drove his right front tire up the left door and into the window of Trapp’s car.  After the cars separated Trapp remained on the track, Hobbs pitted to check for damage and Fields retired with a bent front suspension.   A complete restart was called for. Once again Hoskinson jumped into the lead followed by Clother.  As the field fell in to single file Jones was working his way from the back.  On lap 5 Clother was finally able to make a move on Hoskinson beating him into turn 3 and then pulling away.  Clother had a full straightaway lead for a couple of laps until Jones moved into 2nd and began his final charge.   At lap 11 Jones was knocking on Clother’s door.  Two laps later Clother made the fatal mistake of driving in too hard and giving Jones the chance he needed.  Jones moved under the sliding car of Clother and completed the pass into first   About that same time, lap 15 or so, Dave Trapp was running into John Mustered in turn one.  The caution flew for the second time as John backed his car away from one of those huge tires and the track crew swept up the gravel.  Mustered’s car suffered a bent spindle but was able to continue.  On the restart Clother was able to stay with Jones for a few laps as the two put some distance between themselves and the rest to field.  As the laps progressed Jone’s car only got faster and he drove off into the sunset to nearly half lap lead and his third feature win of the season.  Clother held on to finish second just ahead of the very fast Ford of Josh Wyne who was followed by Fulmer, Rux and Hobbs.  Mustered , Hoskinson, and Pedersen rounded out the top 10.  The points race is the tightest it has been in 15 years.   Only a handful of points separate 1st from 7th.  The next race, July 26th at South Sound Speedway should be a thriller.  Can Jones make it 3 in a row and take over the championship lead?  It will be worth a trip to the racetrack to find out.