Ricky Hood Adds To Point Lead With Dusty Win In Gallup

By Gary Jacob

Gallup, NM -- Only fast time eluded SCOA Sprint Car point leader Ricky Hood as he added to his point advantage with victories in the dash, his heat and the 25 lap feature for the Empire Cup Series at Gallup Speedway Saturday night. The drivers fought dry-slick track conditions and very bad dust limited their visibility. Hood took the lead from Jimmy Norman on lap 13, but was challenged in the closing rounds by point runnerup Marty Wilcox. Norman ran third and New Mexico's own Scott Box used the recent string of New Mexico races to climb into the top 20 in points with a fourth place run.

Jeff Branaman was the fast qualifier at 14.802 seconds on the 3/8 mile clay oval. Hood and Wilcox beat Branaman in the Sander Engineering dash and the 21 car field was split into three heat races. Steve Cushman beat Branaman in heat 1. Wilcox led John Harris to the checkered flag in heat 2 and Hood won heat 3 ahead of Zeke Ziska and Box.

Joey Moriarity and Jimmy Norman led the field down for the initial green flag in the 25 lap main. Norman took an early lead over Moriarity, Box and Kaylene Verville. Hood had lined up 8th, but raced his way into the lead on lap 13. Despite the tough track conditions, the field raced to lap 15 before the first caution dropped as Robert Hall and Harris tangled. Wilcox battled with Box and Moriarity before taking over second on lap 18. The lapped traffic allowed Wilcox to close in on leader Hood. A tap from another car sent Steve Stone spinning for the second yellow flag. On the restart, Wilcox made a run at leader Hood in turn 1, but ran out of room with the very narrow groove. The final caution fell when Hall spun in turn 2 and went unseen by the flagman in the limited visibility. He was hit by J R Patton. Hood led the four remaining laps with Wilcox right behind as Norman ran third ahead of Box, Jeff Wheeler, Verville, Branaman and Moriarity.

Hood emerged from the night with a 295 point lead over Wilcox, who is just 20 ahead of Patton and 30 ahead of Norman. Jeff Slinkard was second in points entering the race, but unwinged specialist Charles Davis Jr drove his normal mount at Gallup.

SCOA will not race again until Labor Day weekend when they have events in Show Low on Saturday night and Casa Grande on Sunday night.

Summary Fast Time-Jeff Branaman 14.802 Dash-Ricky Hood, Marty Wilcox, Branaman. Heat 1-Steve Cushman, Branaman, Jimmy Norman, Jeff Wheeler, Steve Stone. Heat 2-Wilcox, John Harris, Joe Bustillos, Buddy Ray Earle, Joey Moriarity. Heat 3-Hood, Zeke Ziska, Scott Box, Jesse Baker, Kaylene Verville. Main-Hood, Wilcox, Norman, Box, Wheeler, Verville, Branaman, Moriarity, Steve Martin, Charles Davis, Cushman, Earle, Bill Liebig, J R Patton, Bustillos, Ziska, Baker, Stone, Harris, Robert Hall, Ty Brooks.

SCOA Returns To Action With Wilcox Win At Gallup

By Gary Jacob

Gallup, NM -- The SCOA winged 410 sprint cars raced for the first time since the July 4th weekend and Marty Wilcox opened a two-race New Mexico swing by racing to victory in the Friday night main event at Gallup Speedway. He entered the night one point behind point leader Calvin Landis, but the win propelled him into first. Wilcox came from 10th starting to take the lead on lap 10 and win in his Klein Engines, Royal Purple Motor Oil sponsored Maxim. Scott Box finished second ahead of Landis and Jeff Slinkard.

The 23 car field was led through time trials by Wilcox's new track record run of 14.22 seconds. His time was more than 1/2 second faster than the old mark held by Landis. Wilcox then won the dash ahead of female star Kaylene Verville. Heat winners were Box, Slinkard and Verville. The Gallup track had received heavy monsoon rain showers during the week and the winged sprint cars raced on very tacky track conditions.

Patrick Sallaway led early in the main event, but the race was redflagged on lap 1 when Ricky Hood and Jeff Branaman tangled. On the restart, Sallaway again led over Box, Slinkard and Zeke Ziska. Wilcox took the lead from Box on lap 10 and Landis moved up to challenge Box for second. Wilcox's bid for a clean sweep was only marred by the second place heat finish behind Box. Wilcox, Box and Landis were trailed in the main event by Slinkard, Ziska, Bobby Marcum, Steve Martin and Buddy Ray Earle.

Summary Fast Time-Marty Wilcox 14.22 NTR Dash-Wilcox, Kaylene Verville, Calvin Landis. Heat 1-Butch Box, Wilcox, John Harris, Robert Hall, Ben Cheever. Heat 2-Jeff Slinkard, Rob Davis, Buddy Ray Earle, Patrick Sallaway, Bobby Marcum. Heat 3-Verville, Ricky Hood, Steve Lohn, Ty Brooks, Steve Martin. Main-Wilcox, Box, Landis, Slinkard, Zeke Ziska, Marcum, Martin, Earle, Davis, Hall, Sallaway, Steve Dunn, Wheeler, Steve Cushman, Cheever, Tom Saenz, Brooks, Steve Stone, Lohn, Harris, Hood, Jeff Branaman, Verville.