Parker, Jr. scores Third Total Seal SWDRA win at Canyon

Parker, Jr. Captures Third Total Seal SWDRA Win at Canyon Speedway Park

By Ryan Neuharth

Peoria, Ariz (July 17^th, 2010) – Lonnie Parker, Jr’s. quest for his seventh Total Seal SWDRA championship took another positive step forward with his third win of the season Saturday night at Canyon Speedway Park. Parker captured the initial lead from his outside front row starting spot, surrendered it to Anthony Madrid on lap 13, recaptured it just three laps later and motored uncontested to his three win of the season.

Running a rapidly deteriorating high line early in the 30-lap event, Parker jumped to an early lead leaving fellow front row starter Jerry Fincher to battle a returning Anthony Madrid and a rapidly advancing Jason Noll. Madrid, driving Mike Tahtinen’s GRT, would capture second on lap three using his preferred low-line and closed on the leader. Noll meanwhile, making his third appearance of the season in Mike McKinney’s #6, would ride fourth after starting eighth when the races first yellow appeared on lap four.

With the bottom lane occupied, Ricky Thornton, Jr. joined Parker on the top shelf after the restart as the series point’s leader looked to close on his closest pursuer up front. Two more yellows would be displayed before lap 10 as John Cornell and John Romero found themselves facing oncoming traffic in separate single car incidents.

Back under green Parker would again nudge ahead of Madrid – a noted bottom feeder – who discovered the moisture down low and used what became the preferred grove to run side by side with Parker for several laps before taking the lead on lap 13. Behind the leaders a great race for third was taking place as Thornton, Noll & Fincher engaged in a lane swapping duel that wouldn’t be settled until the closing stages of the event.

The second half of the top ten was experiencing its own transformation as Keith Noyes from ninth, Brad Williams from 10^th, Cory Hemphill from 15^th, and Tommy Hussek III from 14^th occupied positions sixth through nine.

Two more yellows on lap 14 for Jimmy Jelvik would bunch the field for the final time as Parker, now running in Madrid’s tire tracks, searched for an opportunity to retake the point. However, knowing Madrid’s record of success around Canyon’s low line, Parker doubted whether that opportunity would present itself.

When Madrid’s car began to falter as a result of a sticking right front break, it opened the door for Parker to use his new life to roll around the inside, retaking a lead he would not relinquish over the final 14 circuits. “The top was fast early” Parker said from Victory Lane “but starting up front you don’t know what the track is doing or where everyone else is running. I’d rather start in the second row sometimes to see how the race plays out.”

Parker immediately opened a comfortable margin on Madrid who was now left to fend off challenges from Noll and Thornton. IMCA Modified regular Noll also took advantage of Madrid’s misfortune, taking over the lead chase position with thirteen to go as Thornton moved in on the ailing 24 car. Madrid would hold on for third at the checkers and lamented on what could have been. “It was fast but when the brake started to stick it would just push off the bottom,” Madrid said after the race. “I was trying to use less brake when I got the lead, but when I got to lapped cars I had to use them (the brakes) getting in the turn.

Not bad for just jumping in the car and seeing what it would do.”

For Parker, his 61^st career Total Seal SWDRA allowed him to inch closer to Thornton in the point standing as the season prepared to enter the second half. Just how long that second half will be remains to be seen. The next event, schedule for August 7^th at Tucson Raceway Park, has been cancelled as the track will not have completed its transition from asphalt back to dirt.

Main Event

Lonnie Parker, Jr., Jason Noll, Anthony Madrid, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jerry Fincher, Brad Williams, John Cornell, Cory Hemphill, Keith Noyes, John Romero, Mark Harrison, Tommy Hussek III, James Chavez, Jr., Brad Whitfield, Jimmy Jelvik, Joey Moriarty – DNS

Heat 1

Harrison, Romero, Fincher, Cornell, Noyes, Chavez, Jelvik, Hemphill

Heat 2

Thornton, Noll, Madrid, Parker, Williams, Whitfield, Hussek, Moriarty – Scratch