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Tommy Tarlton Wins Exciting GLR Investments Main Event

By Gary Costa

WATSONVILLE, CA (5-15-09) – Easton's Tommy Tarlton has had nothing less than bad luck come his way in two out of the three GLR Investments 360 Sprint Car Series races held at John Prentice's Ocean Speedway. Tarlton literally knocked the stuffing out of the monkey that has been clinging onto his back as he charged to victory winning his first race of the season at the ¼-mile speed plant in an electrifying Round No. 4, 30-lap main event.

Tarlton's win makes him the fourth different driver to win a feature event in the four races held thus far this season in GLR Investments 360 Winged Sprint Car competition.

The feature event front row was comprised of veteran racer Craig Smith and Round No. 3 winner Justin Sanders. Experience and youth would stampede off of turn-4 and bring the 22 car starting field down to the green flag. Smith rocketed into the lead and Sanders would follow. Evan Suggs showed the field that he was going to be a contender in the event as he instantaneously went to work on Sanders from his fourth starting spot.

The yellow would fly on lap-5 for a stalled Billy Chester. When racing resumed, cars began taking advantage of the top groove that built up on the tacky surface. Tarlton, point's leader Brent Kaeding, Ronnie Day and Cory Eliason would go upstairs to advance their positions. The racing would intensify as the race laps clicked off. A fierce three-way battle broke out for the second spot that included Sanders, Suggs and Kevin Pylant. Suggs eventually got around Sanders and had his sights set on race leader Smith.

At the halfway point in the race, Tarlton moved the Tarlton & Son, Inc., No. 21 Maxim within striking distance of the leaders. Tarlton was still working the top of the racetrack and was able to get around the second place running Suggs. On the 18^th lap, Tarlton hung it out in turns 1-2 and made a bold move on race leader Smith. The Paul Baines wrenched machine stuck and Tarlton began to distance himself from the field.

Disaster would strike on a lap-24 restart. Heading down the backstretch, seventh place running Anthony Simone and Brad Furr (who sat fifth in the points), came together and Simone ended up taking a nasty series of flips. The Simone Farms No. 10 would finally come to rest upside down in the infield with Furr stopped in turn-3. Simone would walk away from the nasty incident and Furr was able to make repairs and rejoin the field.

When racing resumed, Suggs proceeded to take his Riley Collins Body Shop, Suggs Racing No. 33E to the top of the racetrack in turns 1-2 and put a stunning pass on the racy Smith. Pylant then began pressing Smith with the two of them racing inches apart. Smith would fend off Pylant's advances and hold onto third.

Rounding out the top ten were Ronnie Day from eighth starting spot, Justin Sanders, Cory Eliason from tenth, Ricky Wright, Jr. from the seventh row, Wes Guterriz from 12^th and Brent Kaeding from 15^th.

"What a race! It feels so good to win here," a jubilant Tarlton said. "Once I took the lead, I was smiling through my helmet! My crew gave me a great car tonight….man this feels so good! To be able to win in this series is just such a phenomenal feeling!"

"We were running pretty well out there," second place finisher Evan Suggs beamed. "We have a real good baseline setup that we start with and then we go from there. I do feel that we have a shot at the championship if we continue to remain consistent."

"I lost the power steering and the car became really hard to drive," third place finisher Craig Smith explained. "I'm in the best shape of my life, and I thought I was falling out of the saddle! I feel real fortunate to get a podium finish."

Bud Kaeding scored quick time out of the 23 cars in attendance piloting the Sala/Matherly Motorsports No. 19 Maxim, turning a 12.191 lap. Kaeding's lap would just beat out Suggs by a mere five-thousandths of a second. Unfortunately Kaeding's night would go downhill from there. Kaeding, who came into the race second in points, lost an engine going into turn-1 on the first lap of Heat No. 1. sidelining the San Jose hot shoe for the rest of the evening

Pleasanton masher Brad Furr won the first heat race in the Furr Motorsports No. 2. Suggs put on a show on his way to winning the second heat race. He won the electrifying race from his fourth starting spot. The Scott's Valley shoe charged to the front of the field and checked out. Ronnie Day was hooked up and flying in the Tim Werbach owned No. 20. The Salinas veteran convincingly won the third heat race.

The next event for the GLR Investments Winged 360 Sprint Car Series will be held Friday June 5^th.

Quick Time: Bud Kaeding 12.191

Heat Race No. 1: (8 laps) 1. Brad Furr, 2. Tommy Tarlton, 3. Justin Sanders, 4. Devon Ostheimer, 5. Wes Guterriz, 6. Mike Stallings, 7. Wayne Katen, 8. Bud Kaeding.

Heat Race No. 2: 1. Evan Suggs, 2. Cory Eliason, 3. Craig Smith, 4. Keith Day, 5. Brent Kaeding, 6.Matt Sargent, 7. Jerry Wise, Jr., 8. Billy Chester.

Heat Race No. 3: 1. Ronnie Day, 2. Ricky Wright, Jr., 3. Kevin Pylant, 4. Anthony Simone, 5. Kurt Nelson, 6. Steve Osborne, 7. Jason Newton.

Round No. 4 Feature: (30-Laps) 1. Tommy Tarlton, 2. Evan Suggs, 3. Craig Smith, 4. Kevin Pylant, 5. Ronnie Day, 6. Justin Sanders, 7. Cory Eliason, 8. Ricky Wright, Jr., 9. Wes Guterriz, 10. Brent Kaeding, 11. Steve Osborne, 12. Brad Furr, 13. Devon Ostheimer, 14. Jason Newton, 15. Keith Day, 16. Mike Stallings, 17. Kurt Nelson, 18. Anthony Simone, 19. Jerry Wise, Jr., 20. Matt Sargent, 21. Wayne Katen, 22. Billy Chester.

WTG team tarlton. was paul turning the wrenches? don't things turn the opposite way where he is from? don't tell him, maybe that was his edge!

to indy and beyond!!