ARCA Trucks: Guinn's misfortunes become Clay's triumph
17 July 2000
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
South Amherst, Ohio--David Clay is now the official 'King
of
the County' - Lorain County Speedway that is.Clay, in his own Carlisle Electric-Community Nat'l Bank Chevy S-10, capitalized on the misfortunes of early race leader Chad Guinn to win the 100 lap ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series main event Saturday night at Lorain County Speedway. It was the second consecutive ARCA Truck triumph for the Carlisle, Ohio driver and third of his career.
Veteran Johnny Witham, in the Pate Manufacturing-Fab Shop Ford, finished second ahead of Troy Marciniak's A&A Manufacturing Chevy in third with Joseph Wormcastle in the Witwer Racing-Votaw Electric Chevy trailing in fourth. Point leader Robbin Slaughter, in the Carmen's Vacuum-NAPA Auto Parts Ford, completed the top-five.
Clay started the night out right with the Hoosier Tire Pole Award but lost the top-spot at the onset to Guinn who pulled out to a five-length lead in his Sonic Expediting Ford Ranger while Clay trailed in second. Guinn continued to maintain his advantage ahead of Clay and Witham lined up in third while Marciniak, Wormcastle, Slaughter and Paul Hahn waged a thrilling door-to-door war for fourth through seventh.
But as the race neared halfway, Guinn's machine began to spit and sputter with fuel pump problems giving the lead to Clay who was there for the offering. Guinn spent several laps on pit road replacing the pump and later returned to action in time to finish 15th seven laps back while Clay continued out front with Witham trailing in second. Firmly in command, Clay continued to stretch his advantage while Witham raced hard to reel in the eventual winner but time ran out when Clay charged under the final stripe for the well-deserved win. Marciniak, Wormcastle, Slaughter and Hahn dazzled the healthy Lorain County audience with extremely tight truck racing and raced underneath the checkered flag side-by-side, 2 rows deep with Hahn, in his Hahn's Collision-Eversole & Associates-Fox Auto Parts, picking the tail-end of the mix in sixth. Tully Esterline, in the Spangler Candy Company Chevy, finished hot on their heels in seventh in front of Pete Wormcastle, Michael Carter and Todd Braun to complete the top-10.
In addition to his winning pay, Clay also picked up the Cloyes Gear Halfway Leader Award as well as the Revenge Pole-Win honors and the Hawk Best Brake of the Race Award. Joseph Wormcastle, who started 13th, won the Ed & Company Hard Charger Award for advancing the most positions.
The versatile ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series will next appear on the quarter mile LaSalle Speedway clay oval in LaSalle, Illinois on August 5th before heading to Marne, Michigan on August 12 for the Berlin ARCA 100.
Text provided by ARCA
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