USAR: Ritch overcomes poor qualifying to capture third win of season
22 September 1999
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Asheboro, NC -- Just as the AutoLock secures your
vehicle from theft, Michael Ritch proved to the 32-car starting field at
the Caraway Speedway that he is still a threat to be reckoned with when he
claimed his third victory this year in the USAR Hooters ProCup Series at
the AutoLock 250 presented by Aloe Lu-Ya.
Ritch, a resident of High Point, NC, was one of the local favorites at the .455-mile oval in Asheboro, NC, and had his work cut out for him. Starting from the middle of the pack at 15th, Ritch then had to battle his way to the front during the 250-lap caution-plagued event.
Ritch took the lead from Steven Christian with eight laps remaining in the event. Ritch went on to take the checkered flag just .8-seconds in front of Series Points Leader Bobby Gill, who was followed by reigning Hooters ProCup Champion Jeff Agnew, Andy Thurman and Christian chomping at his rear bumper.
"The Competition Motorsports/Jackaroo Sauces team had to put up with a pretty mean driver," said Ritch. "I was really ill. I knew that we had a dominant car but I was pretty ill with myself for qualifying poorly. I really wanted to set this thing on the pole. Being so close to home, I wanted to give the fans my best. The team kept telling me to be patient. Patience paid our way and kept us out of trouble. It feels great to have the Jackaroo Sauces Chevrolet back in victory lane."
The intensity rose with every lap as the 250-lap dogfight raged on in the close confines of Caraway Speedway, treating fans to seven lead changes among six drivers. There were also 15 caution flags for 94 laps with one red flag for seven minutes while safety crews cleaned up the debris and fluids from a crash involving local favorite Justin Labonte, Johnny Rumley, Mart Nesbitt, Chad Beahr and Trent Owens. Accidents claimed the front running cars of Mario Gosselin, Johnny Rumley, David Hyder, Justin Labonte and Tim Clayton.
With only 25 laps to go, the last of the caution flags flew when Gosselin was fighting to keep Ritch behind him while he tried to pass Christian for position. The left-front quarter panel of the No. 0 Lucas Oil Products Chevrolet and the right-rear of the No. 10 W. J. Plemons Investments Chevrolet came together and sent Gosselin spinning like a top, slamming into the backstretch wall just before the entrance to turn three. Ritch dove under the spinning Gosselin and Christian but Christian maintained position.
At the restart it was Gill, Christian, and Ritch on the outside and with the lapped cars of Derrick Kelley and Jay Fogleman lined up on the inside.
"On the last restart, I knew that Fogleman was going to be really tough to get around," said Ritch. "He had a tough car all night. With all the oil dry on the track, you were going to have to get on the bottom and keep it there. We were able to get under Bobby (Gill) because Fogleman and Kelley were keeping him on the high side.
"We were faster than the zero car was on fresher tires," Ritch continued. We got around him and just tried to keep it out front. We did and its great to be back in victory lane."
Bobby Gill continued to show why he is Mr. Consistency with a second place finish in the AutoLock 250 and was able to stretch his lead over Fogleman to 110 points. Gill did get the Naturally Fresh Foods Ford Taurus into the lead for 49 laps.
"We just didnt have the strongest car," said Gill. "Our engine was a little down this race but well come back strong next time. We finished second and that will help us in the points race."
Jay Fogleman, who led 60 laps, appeared to have the car to beat when he collected the $1000 Lucas Oil Products Halfway Leader Bonus. Fogleman run was spoiled when he had a tire go flat just before a restart of the race and consequently lost two laps.
Labonte collected his first Discount Auto Parts Pole in USAR Hooters ProCup competition. Labonte, from nearby Trinity, NC, who led the most laps by leading the first 77 circuits of the event also looked as if he too had the car to beat, but was caught up in an accident shortly after the mid-way point in the race.
Wisconsin native Scott Wimmer piloted the No. 25 Jackaroo Gold Meat Sauce Chevrolet from deep in the field to finish sixth. Wimmers improvement of 15 positions during the AutoLock 250 earned him the W.J. Plemons Hard Charger Award.
Christians strong run and fifth place finish earned him the $1,000 Miller Lite Rookie of the Race Award and also put him 20 points ahead of Mardy Lindley in the $10,000 Miller Lite Rookie of the Year Award.
"We had a shot to win this race," said Christian. "We just got hung up on the outside and Michael was able to get underneath us. I hate it for the team. But we had a great run and great car. I felt like a pinball out there trying to keep the Lucas Oil Products Chevrolet up front. We finally got into the lead and came home with a top five.
"I hate we got into that deal with Mario," Christian continued. "Hes running for the points and all, but I was just trying to protect my line and not lose another position."
"Im having a lot of fun racing Mardy for the Miller Lite Rookie of the Year. It adds a different level of action and excitement to what he and I are doing every race. I like racing him. Hes a super racer."
Andy Thurman turned in his third top-five and fifth top-10 in six races. The No. 47 Naturally Fresh Mountain Spring Water Ford Thunderbird finished a battle-scarred fourth.
"What a crazy race," said Thurman. "The Naturally Fresh crew did a great job at getting us out of the pits after that first lap crash without losing a lap. I didnt think that we had much of a chance after that but the damage was cosmetic and the car was really good. I wore out my first set of tires trying to make up lost ground but the second set were really good.
"What a crazy finish. I was sitting there with 10 laps to go thinking we have a chance to win this thing with half the car torn off," Thurman continued.
"It was a good race for us and we are really looking forward to Greenville-Pickens next week. Hopefully, well get the Naturally Fresh Spring Water car in victory lane soon."
The AutoLock 250 presented by Aloe Lu-Ya will be aired on Speedvision Friday, September 24 at both 9 p.m. and midnight and then again on Monday, September 27 at noon.
The next stop on the $1.5-million USAR Hooters ProCup Series schedule will be at Greenville-Pickens Speedway for the Dan Duncan Memorial Hooters 250 on Saturday, September 25. Be on hand to watch Mario Gosselin and Derrick Kelley duel it out for $25,000 bonus if they can win their second of the Four Champions Challenge races or will one of the other stars of the Hooters ProCup Series hold them off.
Other drivers that have entered the Dan Duncan Memorial Hooters 250 are Eddie Pearson, Tim Clayton, Jabe Jones, Mardy Lindley, Mike Cope, Don Sprouse, Marty Ward, Toby Porter, Jerry Rector, Jimbo Mann, Don Satterfield, Chris Everett as well as the regular stars and cars of the USAR Hooters ProCup Series.
The gates will open at 3 p.m., qualifying at 5 p.m. and an autograph session at trackside at 7 p.m. The green flag will wave at 8.pm. for the Dan Duncan Memorial Hooters 250. Followed by the Allison Legacy Series cars.
Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.