England Conquers New Paris in Saturday Night Action
Denny England of Warsaw, Indiana won Saturday’s 30 lap Hoosier Outlaw Sprint Series feature at the New Paris Speedway. England pushed his G&K Well Drilling, Ace Radiator, Pro Strip, Tri-Star Trucking sponsored Vortex chassis with Hogue power around current point leader Greg Wheeler on the nineteenth lap in lap traffic to deliver the win. Wheeler finished second ahead of Mike Astrauskas. Jerry Caryer and Ron Koehler rounded out the top five.
The weather again favored great racing as the HOSS/Marathon pavement kings with wings took to the quarter mile speedway. The banking description falls somewhere between slight and moderate, but the trigger for excitement lies in the track’s layout. Built as a smaller Darlington (but before Darlington if you must know) turns one and two are the tight end while three and four are the big corners. In the afternoon sun the track surface punishes the heavy foot while challenging a car’s qualifying setup. These 800 horsepower sprint cars would keep the drivers and fans on the edge as qualifying progressed. Early fast timer was Chris Jagger of Milford. Joe Rebman, winner last weekend at Iowa’s Hawkeye Downs, put up a 15.275 second lap midway through the session but Denny England would take the Indy RV Center Fast Qualifier Award for the week with his 11.978 lap. Doug Berryman’s track record of 11.880 would remain intact.
Heat first heat race rolled off and Tom Paterson would take the front row lead over Dale Wood. Turn two immediately refuted the maneuver as Tom’s yellow Jenkins Automotive car slipped grip ahead of the pack. The field bumped and banged around the 11 car as Paterson performed an excellent namesake Tipover slightly wrinkling the top wing. Back on his wheels after a minute, he rejoined the tail of the field. On the restart Dale Wood led before Doug Berryman passed with three laps left to collect the heat race win. England’s 84 was third. The second heat was headed by the 77b of Steve Burch alongside Sam Davis in the 43. After eight fast laps Joe Rebman’s black 77 flashed by for the win ahead of Sam Davis and Sand Lake, Michigan’s Mike Astrauskas. The third and final heat paired the 6 of Sondi Eden with Ed Kenens’ red 35. At the green flag Michael Tarlton in the 9 car drove to the lead as the field worked the opening lap. Lap two saw Rick Baker attempt the pass on Sondi Eden but he would jump Eden’s right rear tire and pummel the outside wall. Baker, shaken but not stirred, was done for the night. The field was realigned and Tarlton would take his first HOSS/Marathon heat race win over Wheeler who fell by less than a car length at the stripe.
The intermission was ripe with excitement as the rained out fireworks of last weekend were sent off. At precisely the end of the aerial display the HOSS/Marathon sprint cars were fired off and the field formed up to salute the New Paris fans. The features are radio broadcast on WAWC 103.5 fm (Syracuse) and announcer Jerry Cannon along with HOSS announcer Scott Stine had their hands full as the field would down to the green flag. At the drop Sam Davis and Jimmy Holloway connected putting Davis into the turn one wall. Shotgun starter Steve Burch spun to avoid and the field would line up again. The second take put Mike Astrauskas to the point ahead of Doug Berryman and Joe Rebman with Greg wheeler and Denny England in tow. Wheeler got by Astrauskas on the tenth circuit but just behind lurked England. Wheeler opened a gap in lap traffic but England soon matched the red and white 7 car move for move as the two separated from their pursuers. England took measure of Wheeler and on lap nineteen took over the top spot. Wheeler faded in the closing laps after mounting a short counterattack eventually dropping to third behind Joe Rebman.
England stopped for pictures in victory lane before post race weight check. He then returned his winning racer to its trailer before joining Jerry Cannon in the tower for the radio interview. Another great night of racing for the HOSS/ Marathon Sprint cars.
Never Heard of New Paris Speedway?
New Paris Speedway is a veritable field of dreams in the short track racing world. Like the baseball movie, it lacks most everything that isn’t necessary . The lines are long at the concession stand early and the restrooms a little later. Traffic was backed up for a half an hour or better waiting to park for the evening. The grandstands don’t glimmer in the afternoon sun. The suites don’t obscure the view of the lowbuck seats because they don’t exist here. The pit lane has a ’your turn, my turn’ flow to it that inevitably becomes strained during the heat of racing. The National Anthem singer is determined by a weekly audition contest (two young ladies performed a duet, beautifully) Coolers are standard equipment, and grilling by tail light along the backstretch is considered haute cuisine. The retaining walls bear the scars from years of standing guard against the wayward racecar.
It all fits together in a script too good for Hollywood. Generations have circled this little speedway chasing local fame and far off fortune. Recent vacancies to these dusty pits include NASCAR Busch battler David Stremme as well as the newest NEXTEL Cup racer Chad Blount (43rd Sunday in Chicago). The years of competition behind these two family names alone are enough to validate any short track’s credentials. Drivers and fans from years gone by point to the track and go into a “back in ’54 we had….” stories without a prompt. The common ground is everyone is here to see the best racing, and its still going on at New Paris.
7-10-2004 New Paris Speedway
Qualifying: 1. 84-Denny England; 2. 77-Joe Rebman; 3. 7-Greg Wheeler; 4. 1R-Doug Berryman; 5. 3A-Mike Astrauskas; 6. 27-Chris Jagger; 7. 75C-Jerry Caryer; 8. 10-Ron Koehler; 9. 9-Michael Tarlton; 10. 28-John Witter; 11. 4S-Jim Holloway; 12. 4B-Rick Baker; 13. 46-Dale Wood; 14. 43-Sam Davis; 15. 35-Ed Kenens; 16. 11-Tom Paterson; 17. 77B-Steve Burch; 18. 6-Sondi Eden; 19. 17-Roger Anderson
Heat One: 1. 1R-Berryman, 2. 46-Wood, 3. 84-England, 4. 75C-Caryer, 5. 28-Witter, 6. 11-Paterson
Heat Two: 1. 77-Rebman, 2. 43-Davis, 3. 3A-Astrauskas, 4. 10-Koehler, 5. 77B-Burch, 6. 4S-Holloway
Heat Three: 1. 9-Tarlton, 2. 7-Wheeler, 3. 35-Kenens, 4. 27-Jagger, 5. 6-Batts, 6. 4B-Baker
Feature: 84-England, 7-Wheeler, 3A-Astrauskas, 75C-Caryer, 10-Koehler, 1R-Berryman, 27-Jagger, 9-Tarlton, 77-Rebman, 11-Paterson, 28-Witter, 77B-Burch, 6-Eden, 35-Kenens, 46-Wood, 4S-Holloway, 43-Davis, 4B-Baker, 17-Anderson