By J M Hallas
Fort Worth, Tx.(March 4th, 2011) The 4/10 mile semi-banked dirt oval at Texas Motor speedway played host to its annual Texas World Dirt Track Championships. Over 200 Modifieds and Limited Modifieds took to the track Friday night in search of the seven qualifying spots that would lock them in to Saturday nights big championship events. Drivers and teams from seven states signed in including two drivers from as far away as Pennsylvania.
Drivers would qualify through heat races taking the top sixteen in passing points to the A-Qualifier. C-mains and B-mains would be run to fill the remaining spots in each of the qualifiers.
Allen Aces Modified Main
Midlothian's Chase Allen earned the top spot in Friday nights A-Qualifier going wire to wire for the win. C. Allen out gunned polesitter Clyde Dunn jr. to grab the lead at the start of the 15-lap main event. C. Allen had things going his way until the final laps when Terry Phillips, who came out of the B-main, ran him down using the high side. Phillips gave it the ol' college try on the final lap, but settled for the second transfer spot.
As green waved on the 23-car field C. Allen came out of turn 2 with the lead followed by Dunn, Jason Teague, Dennie Gieber and Dee Gossett. A mid pack tangle saw several cars involved, but all continued on without caution. But parts on the track brought out an early caution on lap 2. On the restart C. Allen got a good jump on Dunn, who had a slight advantage over Teague and Gieber.
As the top five sorted out, John Whittington got by Steve Whiteaker jr for sixth. Whiteaker gave up the transfer spot to Phillips on lap 4 as he sailed by on the top side. Gieber got under Teague on lap 5 for third while Whittington and Phillips were side by side for sixth. Robert Metz brought out a yellow on lap 7 when he spun in turn 2.
Once back to green Phillips used the bottom to get by Gossett for fifth, with Whittington trying the top to grab sixth. At halfway it was C. Allen, Dunn, Gieber, Phillips and Teague, who lost fourth to the charging Phillips. Eric Tomlinson was next to loop it in turn 2 for lap 8 caution. As green waved again Phillips was back up top going around Gieber.
Showing his car would work high or low Phillips then dove under Dunn for second as Whittington took fourth from Gieber. Whittington then picked off Dunn leaving him wheel to wheel with Gieber who got the position a lap later. Phillips closed on C. Allen with two to go and the battle was on. As the white waved Phillips went high and gave C. Allen his best shot, but came up a bit short. Behind C. Allen and Phillips, Whittington, Gieber, Dunn, Teague and Cody Smith grabbed the remaining transfer spots.
A pole dash on Saturday will set the top seven starting spots for the 40-lap Championship event.
Modifieds(Top 7 locked in for Sat. A-main)
30 Chase Allen, Midlothian
75x Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo
5w John Whittington, Vidor
8 Dennie Gieber, Jacksonville
88xxx Clyde Dunn jr. Sunnyville
117 Jason Teague, Tahlequah, Okla
18s Cody Smith, Kaufman
1 Dee Gossett, Amarillo
23 Howard Willis, Dayton
89 Steve Whiteaker jr. Corpus Christi
87 Justin McCoy, Quillan
75 Patrik Daniel, Wills Point
9H Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La
88xx Bobby Malchus, Red Oak
85 Thomas Tillison jr. Welston, Okla
98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan
121x Bobby Ruffin, Crandall
66 Greg Burt, Enid, Okla
05 Rod Slack, Fort Worth
15j Jared Webb, McKinney
45t Eric Tomlinson, Waco
410 Brad Doherty, Ennis
955 Robert Metz, Luberton
16 Chris Henigan, Marshall---DNS
Modified B-mains(Top 4 to A-main)
B-main 1
75 Terry Phillips
66 Greg Burt
88xx Bobby Malchus
23 Howard Willis
2g Kenny Gaddis
00 Jesse Stovall
5t Randy Timms
86j Travis Johnson
11A Alan Oliva
82 Brandon Houk
10 Kyle Schmidt
71 Robert Baker
121 David Winslett
87k Jimmy Littlejohn
41 Jacob Pirkle
51 Micah Thompson
01` Colby Smith
32 Kevin Clement
34 Mickey Lassiter
74 Jeremy Payne
88H James Harper
B-main 2
16 Chris Henigan
18s Cody Smith
410 Brad Doherty
45t Eric Tomlinson
12x Cory Babbitt
20 Rodney Sanders
18 Chase Junghans
81B Cody Simpson
25D Donnie Shipp
14T Tristan Dycus
56 Trot Taylor
2 Kenny Sweet
151 Tommy Phillips
18 Tim Clonch
1s Ronny Sigman
63 Ryan Whitworth
B1 Channin Berry
Modified C-mains(Top 4 to back of B-main)
C-main 1
86j Travis Johnson
82 Brandon Houk
51 Micah Thompson
121 David Winslett
12p Jeff Herbers
60 Jason Ilich
36t Trent Dorman
13x Brandon Byars
77x Shawn Greenlee
12 Jim Armstrong
C27 Chase Del Rio
104 Joshua Hemby
90 Josh Uchtman
160 William Gould
22s Scott Hilburn
21 Jason Borlace
781 Trevor Egbert
707 PJ Egbert
79 Shane Campbell
C-main 2
56 Troy Taylor
14T Tristan Dycus
151 Tommy Williams
25D Donnie Shipp
4r Derick Ramirez
15x Ryan Humphrey
8j Dustin Hyde
68 Brandon Watson
33x Brad Pannell
12g Jeremy Green
39 Rick McCommas
74j Jasen Hammond
717 GW Egbert
31 Michael Martin
19T Tony Osburn
D11 David Hennan
34N CH Nix
15B Tomas Blackwell
Modifieds(Top 16 in passing points to A-Main)
Heat 1
87 Justin McCoy
23 Howard Willis
71 Robert Baker
00x Chance Bishop
5t Randy Timms
36T Trent Dorman
25D Donnie Shipp
82 Brandon Houk
31 Michael Martin
114B Clay Bischel
P53 Brandon McElroy
Heat 2
410 Brad Doherty
63 Ryan Whitworth
89 Steve Whiteaker jr
11A Alan Oliva
2 Kenny Sweet
151 Tommy Williams
1S Ronnie Sigman
51 Micah Thompson
15B Thomas Blackwell
51j Nicholas Littlejohn
39 Terry McCommas
Heat 3
8 Dennie Gieber
60B Mike Bowers
1 Colby Smith
87K Jimmy Littlejohn
18 Tim Clonch
22S Scott Hilburn
60 Jason Ilich
15 Tony Hudlin
121 David Winslett
34N CH Nix
Heat 4
1 Dee Gossett
955 Robert Metz
45T Eric Tomlinson
88H James Harper
186 Jeremy Gossett
B1 Channin Berry
D11 David Hennan
68 Brandon Watson
8j Dustin Hyde
12 Jim Armstrong
4R Derick Ramirez
Heat 5
88xxx Clyde Dunn jr
32 Kevin Clement
121x Bobby Ruffin
20 Rodney Sanders
34 Mickey Lassiter
14T Triston Dycus
707 PJ Egbert
86j Travis Johnson
79 Shane Campbell
19T Tony Osborn
07 Bob Lane
Heat 6
05 Rob Slack
12x Corey Babbitt
15j Jared Webb
311 Neal Debord
81 Cody Simpson
104 Joshua Hembey
190 Shawn Stevenson
12g Jeremy Green
90 Josh Uchtman
77x Shawn Greenlee
198 Zach Gossett
Heat 7
9H Shane Hebert
18s Cody Smith
5w John Whittington
10 Kyle Schmidt
25 Craig Moss
41 Jacob Pirkle
C27 Chase Del Rio
74 Jason Hammond
33x Brad Pannell
10p Brian Parker
15H James Huddleston
Heat 8
30 Chase Allen
75 Patrik Daniel
00 Jesse Stovall
75x Terry Phillips
2g Kenny Gaddis
56 Troy Taylor
15x Ryan Humphreys
60H Kip Hughes
160 William Gould
781 Trevor Egbert
Heat 9
85 Thomas Tillison jr
98 John Allen
12t Tyler Townsend
16 Chris Henigan
7 Rick Lovelady
12p Jeff Herbers
13x Brandon Byers
55 Nelson Allridge
9k Shane Killingsworth
Heat 10
88x Bobby Malchus
117 Jason Teague
66 Greg Burt
74 Jeremy Payne
18j Chase Junghans
78Billy Jack Brutchin
21c Cody Schnicrp
56x Tony Jackson jr
21 Jason Borlace
717 GW Egbert IV
