Lovelock Speedway second night for its Frontier Days races. Same speed, less dust and close finishes.

LOVELOCK (Aug. 1): The second night of the Frontier Races at the Lovelock Speedway had a bit better weather than the previous night. There was a wind but the temperature was a bit lower and humidity higher, which helped keep the dust down.

Not to mention the track had been worked on during the day.

The officials decided to streamline things a bit so there would not be a B main or LCQ for the modifieds. Instead they’d start 23 cars after the scoring crew confirmed they could handle that many.

Zane DeVilbiss celebrates after winning the IMCA Modified main Saturday at the Lovelock Speedway.

After winning Saturday night’s IMCA feature Zane DeVilbiss, the 2010 and 2014 national champion said, “The changes from last night were mostly my attitude and a few changes we did. And my dad gave me a pep talk befoe we came out there and it seemed to help.”

When the green turned loose all 23 cars Wade Tayor was on point with Chris Sieweke, Malen Gonzalez and Jesse Gonzalez giving chase. Further back Zach Cail was moving forward as well DeVilbiss.

Soon Jeff Olschowka was second then used an inside move in Turn 2 to take the lead. By now DeVilbiss was third and closing in on the leader.

The first caution came around lap 10 of the 40-lap affair when one car stopped in Turn 3. Once the green waved DeVilbiss made is move and quickly took over the lead although Taylor was doing his best to chase him.

The next caution came after Steve McKellip stopped in Turn 2 due to a flat tire then J.D. Jurad and Steve Evenson also stopped and needed a push start.

Once racing resumed Robert Miller was after Olschowka and second place.

The next caution happened when two drivers, J.D. Jurad and Jake Aker were involved in separate but solo spins

By now the top three were DeVilbiss, Miller and Friday’s winner Cory Sample. But on the restart four and maybe five cars tangled in Turn 4.

Malen Gonzalez used the infield to miss the big tangle while Jim Lester, John Parmeley, Chris Sieweke and Jeff Macedo had to get some help to get free.

Also Zach Cail wound up on the back stretch wall and maybe lost a rear spring in his suspension although he would keep racing.

Finally the track was cleared and racing resumed. Five laps later Sample too second from Miller as they both chased DeVilbiss. And three laps later the lead trio began to catch the slower cars then were in traffic.

There was a final caution when Aker spun again but this time his car had to be towed to the pits.

In the final four laps Zane DeVilbiss had to hold off a determined Robert Miller (59).

Once that was taken care of the green waved again with four to go and this time Miller glued himself to the rear bumper of DeVilbiss. As they tore around the track there was a bit of nudging but nothing serious.

DeVilbiss was able to hold on and score a narrow victory over Miller and Sample.

Asked about those final laps DeVilbiss said, “I knew that all I had to do was to block that bottom line as it wasn’t good on top so I just parked it there. He (Miller) had a better car to drive at the end but I knew there was one line so I was just guarding the bottom.”

Then he thanked his father, “as that’s where the chassis comes from,” Tom Cat Performance, 517 Designs and his mom and dad that are back home in Farmington, New Mexico running his business so he can go play.

When the Hobby Stock main began Bob Shank was on pole first until Dennis Buehn took that spot. Right after that Tony Taylor grabbed the lead while, further back, Friday’s winner Scott Tenney was heading toward the front.

Buehn would hit the back stretch wall with a sliding blow but keep going, only slowly. This brought out the caution and he headed for the pits.

Once racing resumed Taylor was on point followed by Jeff Tuttle and Tenney with Chris Christiano fourth. Now it was a four-way duel for the lead.

The next caution came after Christiano got a flat and had to pit. On the restart Taylor took off but this time Tenney was close behind him. Round and round they went as the laps wound down.

Heading for the white flag in the Hobby Stock main it appeared Tony Taylor (11x) would have the race despite being pressured by Scott Tenney (21t).

Heading for the checkered flag Taylor made the slightest mistake as they roared through Turn 4. That was all Tenney needed as he took the lead coming out of the turn and reached the checkered flag first.

Scott Tenney celebrates after winning the Hobby Stock main. He only got the lead in the final corner before the checkered flag.

For Tenney it was a time of celebration as he’s won his last three races and collected the money for them. He’s a Senior Chief Petty Officer in the Navy and will head back to his base in Washington this week.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to get that last one there,” Tenney said. “Tony had just a little bobble and I don’t know how I got him but there was just enough there at the end. I was on him those last four or five laps but man that was fun. Now the car’s going to back in storage until I come back down, maybe in September.”

Then he thanked his girl friend Candice as she’s let him use her garage.

Asked about sponsors he said, “Probably my only one has been Dennis and Tami Buehn as they let me drive their cars and keep the winnings. And that’s pretty much how I got the money to put the car back on the track this year.”

This night there was an extra 360 Sprint Car event as a collection was taken up and those cars ran a “Dash for Cash.”

When the green waved Bob Cooney took off but a lap later the race came to a sudden halt. That’s when his son Robert Cooney hit the back stretch wall hard and his car rolled onto its side.

Officials are about to roll the car of Robert Cooney back on its wheels so he can get out. Fortunately he was not injured in the nasty looking wreck during the Sprint Car “Dash for Cash.”

The track officials and emergency crew rushed to make sure Cooney was all right and then had to roll his damaged car onto its wheels to let him out. He seemed uninjured but the same can’t be said for his car.

Once things were cleaned up the green waved again and Cooney’s father Bob took off and won the race as well as the cash.

After intermission and the Dwarf Car main the Sprint Cars took to the track again. And once again Bob Cooney just drove away from everyone.

Three cautions slowed the pace but on every restart he was gone and roared off to claim the victory. The race for second wasn’t settled until the end when Loren Cooney was able to take second after holding off Jeff Macedo for most of the race.

Bob Cooney takes the checkered flag as he wins the 360 Sprint Car main on Saturday evening.

During the awards ceremony Cooney said, “I learned throttle control tonight, last night I burned the tire off but tonight I didn’t. The bottom worked for me so that’s where I stayed.”

Then he thanked the Phillips Brothers, Cooney Farm, his sons Robert and Loren and wife Loretta. And he gave special thanks and appreciation to those that donated money to the Dash for Cash purse.

He was also thankful his son Robert wasn’t hurt in his crash.

Just before the Dwarf Car main the racers of Gene Winters stopped and had to be pushed to the pits. And Friday’s winner Rodney Sweet didn’t start even though he won the heat race.

This meant it was a Winters family race as all three cars left were driven by family members.

At the end Christopher Winters won the race followed by his brother and father.

Christopher Winters after winning the Dwarf Car main where he had to beat both his father and brother.

As he was getting his trophy Winters said, “They put on a good show for sure and they’re pretty quick to I’ve got to beat the once in a while. It as really rough as all the corners had divots and it was hard to keep the car stable.”

Then he thanked his parents for their help in making it possible for him to race.

Asked about the money he said with a laugh, “I’ll go home with it and I’ll let them know about it.”

The track ends its 2015 season on Friday, August 21st when all the classes compete on this bullring for the final time this year.

OTHER RACING NEWS

• After sweeping the Indianapolis weekend and closing to within 23 points for making this year’s Chase, Kyle Busch ran out of gas at Ponoco and finished 21st after starting on the pole. His brother Kurt started sixth in Sunday’s race and finished 37th.

Brendan Gaughan started Saturday’s Xfinity race in Iowa third but ended up fifth at the finish.

There will be a video showing the opening laps of all the feature races later this week.

If you enjoyed this article please “like,” it and share it as widely as possible. Comments are welcome.

RESULTS

Lovelock Speedway – Frontier Day Races

• Saturday, Aug. 1

IMCA Modifieds:

Heat #1: 1. Joel Myers, 2. Cory Sample, 3. Don Childs, 4. Trevor Gurley, 5. Jake Aker

Heat #2: 1. Jeff Olschowka, 2. Jesse Gonzalez, 3. John Parmeley, 4. Jim Lester, 5. Steve Evenson*

Heat #3: 1. Wade Taylor, 2. Malen Gonzalez, 3. Jeff Macedo, 4. Randy Artz, 5. Steve McKellip*

Heat #4: 1. Chris Sieweke, 2. Zane DeVilbiss, 3. Shawn LaRocque, 4. J.D. Jurad

Heat #5: 1. Robert Miller, 2. Andy Strait, 3. Keith Walsh, 4. Zach Cail**

Main (40-Laps): 1. Zane DeVilbiss, 2. Robert Miller, 3. Cory Sample, 4. Randy Artz, 5. Jeff OLschowka, 6. Joel Myers, 7. Wade Taylor, 8. Malen Gonzalez, 9. Don Childs, 10, Jesse Gonzalez, 11. Shawn LaRocque, 12. Chris      Sieweke, 13. Andy Strait, 14. Jim Lester, 15. J.D. Jurad, 16. Zach Cail, 17. Steve Evenson, 18. Keith Walsh, 19. Jake Aker*, 20. Jeff Macedo*, 21. John Parmeley*, 22. Steve McKellip*, 23. Trevor Gurley*

Hobby Stocks:

Heat #1: 1. Michael Bardtlett, 2. Tony Taylor, 3. Jason Irwin, 4. Dannie Buehn, 5. Bob Shank, 6. Rick Ellison

Heat #2: 1. Scott Tenney, 2. Paul Shamlian, 3. Jeff Tuttle, 4. Chris Christiano, 5. Shirley Reeves

Main (25-Laps): 1. Scott Tenney, 2. Tony Taylor, 3. Jason Irwin, 4. Paul Shamlian, 5. Chris Christiano, 6. Bob Shank, 7. Jeff tuttle, 8. Shirley Reeves, 9. Dennis Buehn, 10. Michael Bartlett*, 11. Rick Ellison**

360 Sprint Cars:

Dash For Cash: 1. Bob Cooney, 2. Loren Cooney, 3. Jeff Macedo, 4. Orry Stevens, 5. Roert Cooney*

Heat #1: 1. Orry Stevens, 2. Robert Cooney, 3. Loren Cooney, 4. Joe Hood, 5. Howie Garretson*

Main (30-Laps): 1. Bob Cooney, 2. Loren Cooney, 3. Jeff Macedo, 4. Orry Stevens, 5. Dan Stevens, 6. Joe Hood, 7. Meith Mikaelsen, 8. Howie Garretson*, 9. Robert Cooney**

Dwarf Cars:

Heat: 1. Rodney Sweet, 2. Christopher Winters, 3. Steven Winters, 4. Nick Winters, 5. Gene Winters*

Main (15-Laps): 1. Christopher Winters, 2. Nick Winters, 3. Steven Winters, 4. Gene Winters*, 5. Rodney Sweet**

*- Did Not Finish

** – Did Not Start

*** – 2 Yellow DQ