Point Leader Hallmark Back In CLMA Winner's Circle

By Gary Jacob

Denver, CO -- After an off weekend to allow the teams to support the big dirt late model show in Ely, Nevada, the Colorado Late Model Association returned to action at Rocky Mountain National Speedway Saturday night. Point leader Brett Hallmark from Grand Junction passed Don Post with just two laps remaining to score another $1,000 win. Post ran second and Jeep Berry made only his second 2002 appearance in the Denver area with a third place finish.

The 18 car turnout was split into three heat races. Hallmark won the first from the pole with his GRT as third starter Ken Brack ran second. Also from Grand Junction, Berry won heat 2 from the pole with Bill Sabin second over last starter Jim Beaman. Jim Clifton was a scratch from heat 3 as Rod Glenn won from an outside front row start with last starter Post second. Hallmark and Berry shared the front row for the dash and Hallmark led a couple laps before Berry raced by with his GRT for the six lap win. Hallmark was second ahead of Sabin. In the lineup for the 25 lap feature, Sabin and Post shared the front row with Glenn and Brack in row 2 as Hallmark and Berry shared row 3. The 25 lapper was slowed by just 3 caution flags. Sabin led the opening lap over Post, Brack and Hallmark. Hallmark raced into third on lap 2 and Berry was fourth a lap later. Post passed Sabin for the lead on lap 4 and the Berry-Hallmark duel continued with Berry into third on lap 6. J T Botts spun for the first yellow flag on lap 7. Hallmark retook third from Berry on this restart. On lap 8, Curt Daniels spun and was hit by Clifton to force another yellow. Both were able to continue in the race. On lap 10 with Post still leading, Hallmark got by Sabin for 2nd as Berry ran fourth over Beaman. On lap 13, Glenn spun forcing both Botts and Clifton to also spin. This was the last caution and both Botts and Clifton were sent off the track for being involved in two yellows. Berry passed Sabin for third on lap 14. Rick Lieser was a late dropout and Hallmark made his winning move around the unsung Post on lap 24. Post ran second ahead of Berry and Sabin with Brack making a late charge to fifth. Beaman continues to impress in the second John Kuchar car as he ran 6th to Kuchar's 7th. Previous race winner Mike Cox was 8th ahead of Glenn and Scott Lewis.

Hallmark's point lead is 121 over Kuchar, 161 ahead of Cox and 169 in front of Lieser. Brack and Clifton round out the top six in points as Dave Garmann dropped to 7th when he towed east to run a three race weekend with WDRA.

Summary Dash-Jeep Berry, Brett Hallmark, Bill Sabin. Heat 1-Hallmark, Ken Brack, John Kuchar, Steve Lewis, Kevin Wright. Heat 2-Berry, Sabin, Jim Beaman, Rick Lieser, Mike Cox. Heat 3-Rod Glenn, Don Post, Chris Persichetti, Scott Cimfl, J T Botts. Main-Hallmark, Post, Berry, Sabin, Brack, Beaman, Kuchar, Cox, Glenn, Scott Lewis, Wright, Steve Lewis, Curt Daniels, Cimfl, Persichetti, Lieser, Botts, Jim Clifton.

Clean Sweep Gives Hallmark Five Wins In Six Races

By Gary Jacob

Denver, CO -- Even with the biggest field of the season in action, Brett Hallmark from Grand Junction, CO made it five wins in six races on the CLMA schedule when he scored a clean sweep Saturday night at Rocky Mountain National Speedway. Hallmark started outside front row in his heat, the dash and the 25 lap feature, earning $1,000. After several successful Midwestern runs, Kelly Boen returned to the series and ran second with Dean Moore from Grand Junction finishing third after Moore set the early pace in the 25 lapper.

The 21 car turnout allowed for three full heat races and veteran Jim Clifton came from third starting to the lead on the first lap of heat 1. Clifton won the event with Rock Springs, Wyoming long tow Kevin Wright second over Jim Beaman. Hallmark beat pole starter Boen on the start of heat 2 and he raced his GRT Chassis to the win with Boen second over Rick Lieser. Heat 3 saw Chris Persichetti pit prior to the green flag. Moore was a wire to wire from outside front row with pole starter Mike Cox second over Scott Lewis. The top 2 finishers in each heat advanced into the Leary Racing Products Dash and Hallmark was a wire to wire winner from his outside front row start. Moore and Boen were dueling when they made contact and Moore got a flat tire. Wright spun trying to fend off Boen in the duel for 2nd with Boen finishing second ahead of Clifton and Cox.

All 21 cars were able to start the 25 lap feature with heat winners Moore, Hallmark and Clifton in the front 3 spots ahead of the three second place heat finishers. Moore raced into a quick lead over Wright and Clifton with Hallmark falling back to 4th. On lap 2, Hallmark took third from Clifton. Boen passed Clifton for fourth on lap 3. Both Hallmark and Boen shuffled Wright back to 4th on lap 4. Clifton and Cox tangled forcing a spin by Clifton that produced the only caution flag on lap 6. On the restart, Moore, Hallmark and Boen put on a three wide duel for the top spot and Moore maintained his slight advantage. Clifton and Craig Baukema both pitted with car woes. On lap 17, Hallmark and Boen both passed Moore for the 1-2 slots. Boen then attempted to wrest first from Hallmark, but couldn't complete a pass. The 25 lapper was quickly run with just one minor caution. Moore finished third ahead of Rick Lieser, Cox, Wright, Ken Brack, Don Post, Butch Clark and Beaman. It was a tough night for John Kuchar, the only driver other than Hallmark with a 2002 win. He ran 11th in the feature and Hallmark's point lead is now 61 points over Kuchar. Lieser is 23 points back of Kuchar and 17 ahead of Brack. Brack holds just a single point advantage on both Garmann and Cox. Clifton is 7th as Rod Glenn missed the race due to his engine problems of the previous weekend. Modified star Gary Dechant made his dirt late model debut with a 14th and it was also the first dirt late model race for Beaman. Clifton and Temco Trailers have teamed up to produce a two seat dirt late model to allow fans to get the experience of circling the dirt ovals.

Summary Dash-Brett Hallmark, Kelly Boen, Jim Clifton. Heat 1-Clifton, Kevin Wright, Jim Beaman, Don Post, Bill Sabin. Heat 2-Hallmark, Boen, Rick Lieser, Dave Garmann, Butch Clark. Heat 3-Dean Moore, Mike Cox, Scott Lewis, Ken Brack, Craig Baukema. Main-Hallmark, Boen, Moore, Lieser, Cox, Wright, Brack, Post, Clark, Beaman, John Kuchar, Lewis, Garmann, Gary Dechant, Sabin, Chris Persichetti, Bill Smith, J T Botts, Scott Cimfl, Baukema, Clifton.

Brett Hallmark Stays Red Hot With Another Clean Sweep

By Gary Jacob

Denver, CO -- The only driver from the western edge of the state to be running a full schedule with the Colorado Late Model Association, Brett Hallmark from Grand Junction stayed red hot by charging to wins in both his heat race and the 25 lap feature Saturday night at Rocky Mountain National Speedway. After winning the heat race from the pole, Hallmark started his GRT late model in the 4th position for the 25 lap feature. He paced the final 15 laps for the win with veteran Jim Clifton second after he also scored a heat win.The third heat winner, Rod Glenn, was third in the main event as the drivers battled heavily rutted track conditions caused by rain and snow the previous day. This was the second straight race for the traveling series at RMNS.

The series brought 17 cars to this event and they were divided into three heat races. After a three wide pass on the opening lap, Glenn came from 4th starting to win the first ten lap heat race over Mike Cox and Ken Brack. Hallmark drew the outside front row starting spot for heat 2 and was never challenged. Pole starter Dave Garmann ran second over third starting Kevin Wright. Previous race winner John Kuchar started on the pole for the third heat, but surrendered the lead to 4th starter Clifton on lap 1. Clifton won with Kuchar second over Scott Cimfl. Cimfl strained his motor and was a feature scratch to leave a 16 car field for the 25 lap feature. Clifton and Cox shared the front row with Glenn and Hallmark in row 2 as Garmann and Kuchar rounded out the front three rows. The ageless veteran Clifton raced into the lead at the start with Cox pulling alongside on lap 3. Cox could never finish the pass. On lap 6, Cox clipped a rut and spun to a stop for the first yellow flag. J T Botts elected to pit during the caution period. On lap 8, Brack also hooked a rut and spun for the last yellow flag. On lap 11, Hallmark passed Clifton for the top spot. Bill Smith retired on lap 12. Hallmark and Clifton ran away from the field over the final rounds with Glenn third over Wright, Garmann, Kuchar, Scott Lewis, Rick Lieser and Don Post. Running for the first time since his injuries at the big Albuquerque race, Terry Loos ran 14th.

Summary Heat 1-Rod Glenn, Mike Cox, Ken Brack, Chris Persichetti, J T Botts. Heat 2-Brett Hallmark, Dave Garmann, Kevin Wright, Scott Lewis, Rick Lieser. Heat 3-Jim Clifton, John Kuchar, Scott Cimfl, Don Post, Terry Loos. Main-Hallmark, Clifton, Glenn, Wright, Garmann, Kuchar, Lewis, Lieser, Post, Persichetti, Brack, Cox, Curt Daniels, Loos, Bill Smith, Botts.

Hallmark Stays Hot With Rocky Mountain Win

By Gary Jacob

Denver, CO -- Brett Hallmark from Grand Junction, Colorado continued his early season hot streak by racing to a 25 lap win as the Colorado Late Model Association visited Rocky Mountain National Speedway for the first time in 2002. Hallmark has now won two of the first 3 races on the season schedule as he holds a 10 point lead over defending series champion John Kuchar, who finished 3rd. Kuchar won the other point race in 2002. With all the series events on the eastern half of the state, Hallmark has to make the long tow from his Western Colorado home, but he was also racing all of the Arizona races before the Colorado action started. Hallmark wheels a GRT Chassis. Rick Lieser climbed into fourth in points with a second place run.

There were 19 late models on hand and Kuchar won the first heat race from the pole with Lieser second ahead of Dean Moore, who towed east from Grand Junction for the first time in 2002. Rod Glenn won heat 2 from the pole with 6th starter Mike Cox second over Scott Lewis. Scott Cimfl lost an engine to end his night. Hallmark won heat 3 from third starting. Ken Brack led early, but faded to a third behind Dave Garmann. Kelly Boen spun for the only yellow flag. Boen had run a big national event in Kansas City on Wednesday night, finishing 13th in a $5,000 to win race won by Terry Phillips.

Bill Smith joined Cimfl as a feature scratch leaving 17 cars to run the 25 lap feature. The front of the lineup had Hallmark and Lieser on the front row with Kuchar and Glenn in row 2 as Cox and Garmann shared row 3. Hallmark took a quick lead and was never headed. By lap 8, he was half lap in front and passing lapped cars. Lieser continued run with Hallmark, but still finished a strong second. Kuchar was able to fend off the challenges of Moore to finish third. Despite losing an engine on the final lap, Brack ran fifth over Glenn, Grand Junction's Butch Clark and Cox. Garmann was 9th over Jim Clifton. Don Post ran 11th in his first dirt late model feature. Aaron Loos was filling in for his father Terry Loos, who is still recovering from injuries suffered in Albuquerque in April. Boen was no factor, finishing 16th.

Hallmark is 10 points ahead of Kuchar, 35 ahead of Glenn, 36 ahead of Lieser and 38 ahead of Cox. The series returns to Rocky Mountain National Speedway on May 25 and then runs at I-76 Speedway on June 1.

Summary Heat 1-John Kuchar, Rick Lieser, Dean Moore, Don Post, J T Botts. Heat 2-Rod Glenn, Mike Cox, Scott Lewis, Jim Clifton, Chris Persichetti. Heat 3-Brett Hallmark, Dave Garmann, Ken Brack, Butch Clark, Kelly Boen. Main-Hallmark, Lieser, Kuchar, Moore, Brack, Glenn, Clark, Cox, Garmann, Clifton, Post, Persichetti, Curt Daniels, Botts, Lewis, Boen, Aaron Loos.