FASTRAK Clash

THREE DRIVERS CLAIM INITIAL VICTORIES ON CHEVY PERFORMANCE NIGHT

Jonathan Davenport, Rob Williams and Paul Pardo Take Checkered Flags

ROSSBURG, OH (June 30) — Saturday’s Chevrolet Performance night victory lane celebrations were emotional at Eldora Speedway as three first-time winners claimed triumphs. Jonathan Davenport, Rob Williams and Paul Pardo captured the FASTRAK Pro Late Model, UMP DIRTcar Modified and Eldora Stock Car feature events respectively, in a fast-paced program.

It took a pair of starts to get the FASTRAK 40-lap affair underway, but once the field sorted themselves out, it was Davenport out in front with a comfortable lead. By the fifth circuit around the .500 mile clay oval he had built himself a 12-car length lead; however, behind him the action was hot and heavy.

Eric Cooley was busy holding off Brian Connor for runner-up honors in the early stages, as former Eldora Modified champion Chad Ruhlman was working his way through the field. Ruhlman passed two cars on lap 7 to move into fourth place behind Davenport, Cooley and Connor; using his knowledge of the Eldora layout.

A lap 13 caution flag bunched the field up one more time, but the results were the same on the restart as Davenport jumped into the lead over Cooley. Ruhlman used the restart to move into third spot while Max Blair moved into fifth behind Connor.

Blair’s charge to the front ended on lap 37 as he tagged the wall in turn one; which set up a wild three lap chase to the checkered flag. Davenport and Cooley maintained their mastery of the field on the restart, with a hard-charging Jimmy Schiltz turning in a stellar drive to finish third ahead of Wayne Robertson and Ruhlman who dropped to fifth at the checkered flag.

For Williams, it was a tearful moment in victory lane. The Eaton, OH has been chasing that elusive first win for nearly 20 years, with a determined drive ending his personal drought.

When the green flag fell, polesitter Brian Post led the field around for the first lap, with Williams, Nick Katterhenry, Mark Kowarsch and Scott Bowersock following in close pursuit. Williams set up his move down the backstretch and charged into turn three to execute an Eldora ‘slide job’. It worked well with Williams taking over the lead he was to hold to the finish.

A spirited three-car battle behind him found Post, Kowarsch and Matt Westfall trading paint as Katterhenry dropped to the pits following a multi-car skirmish exiting turn two. That trio waged a torrid battle, but had nothing for Williams despite a near spin on the final lap. He crossed the finish line four car lengths ahead of Post, while Kowarsch, Westfall and Ryan Sutter completed the top five.

Lady Luck refuses to shine on Earnie Woodard. After taking the lead from Pardo on lap three, Woodard had clear sailing and appeared to have an Eldora win to his credit. That all changed on the final lap, as Woodard’s hood broke loose and caused him to slow down into turn one. Pardo seized the moment to regain to the lead which he was to hold to the finish, as Andy King also slipped under Woodard to capture runner-up honors. Woodard hung on to a third-place finish ahead of Shawn Phillippi and Casey Barr.