- Wioncek and
Shuryan Split Trucks at Spartan
- July 10, 2005
MASON, MI --
Hot temps and hot on-track truck racing action greeted
the packed stands at Spartan Speedway for a ShortTrackTrucks.com
Challenge Series double feature. Keith Wioncek fought the entire
race to win Round #7 of the Challenge Series while Joey Shuryan
sailed to the win in the make-up feature for the rained out Round
#4. Justin Claucherty and Kenny Clark claimed the Zander Radio
Systems top rookie honors.
The single qualifying
session was dominated by Shuryan as he stormed to the Turbo Blue
Pole Position at his former 'home' track. Keith Wioncek, Bob
Fruit, and Kenny Clark fought over the second spot with all timing
in within
a tenth. Doug Vander Vliet rounded out the top five qualifiers.
Kenny Clark,
a former track champion at Spartan Speedway, grabbed the lead
in the early going of the first 50 lap feature event. The pack
behind Clark was certainly hungry for the lead as Bob Fruit and
Keith Wioncek fought for
the right to challenge Clark. Fruit was the first to steal the
lead away as
Clark slid high entering turn number 1. Both Wioncek and Shuryan
quickly
went low to freight train Clark back to fourth in less than one
lap.
Shuryan began to push hard passing first Wioncek then Fruit to
assume the
lead.
Lapped traffic
from the full field of trucks was sure to play a role on the
tight Spartan quarter-mile. Near the midway point of the feature,
Shuryan
found himself mired behind the lapped trucks of rookies Alex
Lewis and
Justin Scarvada who were embroiled in a titanic battle for the
14th
position. Contact between the leader and Lewis sent Lewis spinning
and
Shuryan to the back of the field.
As Shuryan proceeded
to make a run from the back of the pack, Fruit and
Wioncek treated the crowd to nearly twenty laps of wheel to wheel
racing and at least four different lead swaps. Paul Schaffer
followed closely hoping
to capitalize on a mistake by the lead duo. But that mistake
was never to
come as Wioncek pulled of a late race pass to take the checkers
over Fruit
and then Schaffer. Shuryan put on driving exhibition as he fought
back to
fourth with Rod Morrison putting in a solid drive to finish fifth.
Top
Zander Radio Systems rookie was Justin Claucherty staying stead
to finish
sixth.
The second feature
saw Rod Morrison jump out to a quick lead building it
every lap. Morrison looked unbeatable in the early going after
making
adjustments to his truck between races. However, after a mid-race
caution
bunched the field, Morrison found himself in the clutches of
Fruit. Fruit
pushed hard to gain the lead as Morrison began to lose the handle
on his
Chevy letting Wioncek, Schaffer, and Shuryan through.
Shuryan again
had an eventful race once being moved back two spots for
jumping a restart. However, he quickly settled down and began
to move work his way back up second. Shuryan then started to
apply pressure to Fruit
finally moving to the inside off of turn four and winning the
drag race into
turn one. Once in the lead Shuryan showed more patience in dealing
with lapped traffic and stayed just ahead of a fierce battle
for second between longtime rivals Fruit and Wioncek.
At the finish
it was Shuryan claiming his fourth win of the season over
Fruit, Wioncek, Schaffer, and Morrison in fifth. Kenny Clark
claimed the
top Zander Radio Systems rookie honors finishing sixth. Kelly
Doyle, Justin
Claucherty, Mike Putnam, and Bill Niedziewicki rounded out the
top ten.
The ShortTrackTrucks.com
Challenge Series moves on to the Dixie Motor
Speedway for Round #8 of the 2005 Championship series. Check
out
www.ShortTrackTrucks.com for more information.
|
