Hulsey,Budlong, Martin and Barnes Take Wins
Bob & Ray Ingram
7-11-2015

The Dirt Track @ Sandia Speedway, Albuquerque, New Mexico. With light to heavy rain all around the race track there was a lighter than expected turnout of cars and fans, but the drivers who did come out put on a very good show for the hardy fans in attendance. Mother Nature has not been kind to local area racing the last few weeks but should be better the rest of the year.

The 305 Winged Sprints had a short field of only 6 cars due to some of these drivers running down south, however the drivers on hand put on some great racing. The heat race saw the beautiful Neon Green & Orange #65 of El Paso driver Richard Wilbee take the win in front of the #21P of Paul Whitehead with the #77X of Las Cruces driver C.J. Hulsey taking 3rd place. The top 4 cars in this race were never more than a few car lengths apart most of the way. The main-event saw local hero Chuck Jackson in his #49 shoot out from his outside front row start and jump out to a fairly large lead and looked like a win could be in the offing. However there was a red flag situation when the #21P of Paul Whitehead lost his steering entering turn #1 and took a hard tumble off the end of the track. Fortunately Whitehead was uninjured but his night was over. When the race resumed Jackson again jumped out to the lead with the rest of the field in hot pursuit. After leading for the first 11 laps Jackson was passed by the #77X of Hulsey who had to battle the rest of the way with the #65 of Wilbee, at the checkered it was Hulsey taking the win with Willbee taking second and the #12 of Jerry Mosher taking the final podium position.

The X-Mods had 13 cars to run their 2 heat races and main-event. Heat #1 saw the #11X of Clay Gossett looking good as he took off from his pole position start and lead the first few laps. As Gossett was leading the next 6 cars were fighting side by side and trying to catch up. There was a yellow caution flag as the #15 of Dee Yates who was running strong lost a drive shaft and came to a stop in turn 4. With the rest of the field on his bumper Gossett had his hands full as he tried to hold off the father and son duo of Steve and J.R. Bonesteel who raced side by side for serveral laps as they tried to run down Gossett. At the checkered flag it was a close victory for J.R. Bonesteel with his dad Steve just a few feet behind him, Gossett was able to hang on to a close 3rd place finish. Heat #2 was a very interesting and exciting race as it started out as one of the fastest X-Mod races ever and ended as probably the slowest race ever. The #1X of Todd Budlong took off from outside the 2nd row and jumped out to a very large lead and was pulling away with the #1 of Mychal Lucero and the #28 of Skimmer Leathem battling each other for the 2nd spot. With 2 or 3 laps to go a sudden rain began to fall and made the racing surface slicker than snot on a door knob. As the cars began to slow it appeared that the #1 of Lucero was able to get just a little more bite than #1X Budlong and began to close the distance. At the checkered flag it was Budlong taking the victory by maybe as much as 6 inches in front of Lucero with the #28 of Leathem coming home a close 3rd. Leathem has really been running strong the last couple of shows after nearly totally destroying his car on the front stretch wall a few weeks ago. The main-event again saw the #1X of Todd Budlong take off from the front row and take a fairly comfortable lead but the battle behind him was strong with 5 or 6 drivers trying to run him down. Once again the father and son duo of the Bonesteels were running side by side and bumper to bumper with the #1 of Mychal Lucero in their effort to chase down Budlong. With only a few laps to go the #0 of J.R. Bonesteel suffered mechanical problems and was forced to leave the fray leaving the elder Bonesteel, Lucero and others to try to run down Budlong. Todd Budlong was not to be denied tonight as he went on to take a comfortable win in front of the dueling Lucero and Bonesteel. At the end it was Budlong, Steve Bonesteel, Lucero and the #29 of Mike O'Neal in 4th with the #28 of Skimmer Leathem taking 5th.

The Street Stocks had 8 cars to run 2 heats and a main-event. Heat #1 had youngster Rob Moseley in #74M take the win over the #33 of Devon Gates who has moved up from the Cruiser class but has been forced to miss a few weeks due to mechanical woes, coming home in 3rd was young lady driver Madison Conrad in her pretty red #76. Madison also has moved up from the Cruiser class and is doing a very good job. Heat #2 saw 3 of the 4 cars running side by side the entire race with the #143 of Danny Gross Jr. taking the victory in front of the #99 of hard charging Joel Duke with the #M77 of Cameron Martin a very close 3rd place. The main-event saw the #99 of Joel Duke jump out to the lead with the rest of the field nipping at his heels. After leading the first several laps Duke gave up the lead to a VERY fast #143 Danny Gross Jr. who looked like he might pull away from the field but with only a few laps to go the #143 erupted in a ball of smoke entering turn #1 and was done for the night. After a race long duel with several other drivers the #M77 of Cameron Martin held on for the win in front of the #99 of Joel Duke with the #74M of Rob Moseley taking home 3rd spot.

The Winged Mini-Sprints had 6 cars to run a single heat and their main-event. The heat race saw veteran driver Mike Barnes #72 take the win in front of a couple of youngster in the #22$ of Ian Stroud taking 2nd and the #38 of Travis Oldfield in 3rd. The main-event saw 3 veteran drivers finish in front of the 3 newcomers as the #72 of Mike Barnes completed a sweep of the night as he finished in front of the #619 of Lalo Saenz and the #9X of Eric Smith.

Here are the complete UNOFFICIAL results.

305 Winged Sprints
Heat #1 and only #65 Richard Wilbee, #21P Paul Whitehead, #77X C.J. Hulsey, #49 Chuck Jackson, #50X Jerry Higgenbothan, #12 Jerry Mosher DNF

Main-Event #77X C.J. Hulsey, #65 Richard Wilbee, #12 Jerry Mosher, #49 Chuck Jackson, #50X Jerry Higginbotham DNF, #21P Paul Whitehead DNF

X-Mods
Heat #1 #0 J.R. Bonesteel, #00 Steve Bonesteel, #11X Clay Gossett, #25 Derek Dietz, #54D Shawn Dutcher, #15 Dee Yates DNF, #55 Kimbry Ward DNF

Heat #2 #1X Todd Budlong, #1 Mychal Lucero, #28 Skimmer Leathem, #29 Mike O'Neal DNF, #50 Squeaky Mendoza DNF, #54 Tim Hooper DNF

Main-Event #1X Tood Budlong, #00 Steve Bonesteel, #1 Mychal Lucero, #29 Mike O'Neal, #28 Skimmer Leathem, #11X Clay Gossett, #15 Dee Yates, #25 Derek Dietz, #50 Squeaky Mendoza DNF, #0 J.R. Bonesteel DNF, #54 Tim Hooper DNF, #55 Kimbry Ward DNF, #54D Shawn Dutcher DNS.

Street Stocks
Heat #1 #74M Rob Moesley, #33 Devon Gates, #76 Madison Conrad, #82 Gerald Haste

Heat #2 #143 Danny Gross Jr., #99 Joel Duke, #M77 Cameron Martin, #48 Dan Glass

Main-Event #M77 Cameron Martin, #99 Joel Duke, #74M Rob Moesley, #76 Madison Conrad, #82 Gerald Haste, #48 Dan Glass, #33 Devon Gates DNF, #143 Danny Gross Jr.

Winged Mini-Sprints
Heat #1 and only #72 Mike Barnes, #22$ Ian Stroud, #38 Travis Oldfield, #619 Lalo Saenz, #9X Eric Smith DNF, #5JR Tyler Grier DNS

Main-Event #72 Mike Barnes, #619 Lalo Saenz, #9X Eric Smith, #22$ Ian Stroud, #38 Travis Oldfield, #5JR. Tyler Grier DNS

Have A Great Day
God Bless Everybody