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Top 5 in Chico highlights weekend for Stephen Allard
By Gary Thomas
April 30, 2007... Coming off a season best second place finish last Friday in Chico, Stephen Allard and 1m Racing looked to get more of the same this past weekend. 1m Racing competed at Silver Dollar Speedway Point Race #5 on Friday evening and on Saturday made the haul down to Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway to compete in the Golden State Challenge Series sanctioned Pombo/Sargent Classic.
Stephen began Silver Dollar Speedway Point Race #5 by qualifying the 1m Racing, Cross Creek Trucking, Finley Farms, Johnny’s Lock & Safe Rocket, a season best fifth quick with a lap of 12.573. SA lined up fifth in the night’s second heat race and brought home a fourth place finish to transfer the Graph X Designs, Platinum Powder Coating, JP’s Paint & Body, Miller’s Glass No. 1m into the 25 lap feature.
Fast qualifier Jonathan Allard pulled the number four pill so it put Stephen inside the third row for the feature. Stephen ran a steady and smooth 25 laps and at the checkered flag he scored a fourth place finish aboard the Chico Bail Bonds, Hunt Magnetos, Bell Helmets, Tom Rolfe Trucking, Rocket Chassis machine. It was another solid night for SA and the 1m Racing team as it was the third finish of fourth or better in the last four weeks.
On Saturday Stephen and 1m Racing made the haul down to the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway for the annual Pombo/Sargent Classic. It was our first time running with the Golden State Challenge Series since the two day Hanford show in mid-March and the first time 1m Racing competed at the Thunderbowl this season. Last year Stephen picked up a win at the track during the Chris Faria Memorial showing that he knows how to get around the ultra fast 1/3 mile clay oval.
29 cars signed into the pits for the Pombo/Sargent Classic and Stephen started off the night by qualifying the Superior Dairy, DMI, Medi-Pro Billing No. 1m 10th quick with a lap of 13.971 around the 1/3 mile clay oval. Stephen then started from the outside of the second row in heat race number two. He was running in fourth when a caution came out on lap three. After going back green the front wing on the 1m machine came loose and he then lost the fourth spot a couple laps later. At the checkered flag Stephen sat in fifth putting him into the night’s B-main.
The 12 lap B-main saw Stephen start from the pole and he jumped into the lead as the green flag came out. After a few laps he began to feel some pressure from Tommy Tarlton and around lap six he surrendered the lead to him. Stephen remained cool and ran the rest of the race in second to transfer into the main event.
The 30 lap Pombo/Sargent A-main was run on a very tricky racetrack which had become very dry and dusty in turns three and four. Stephen found this out before the race started as he got loose in three and four on the warm up lap and he spun to stop, forcing him to start the feature from the rear of the field. It even turned worse as a car slowed on the opening lap and stacked a few cars up which resulted in Stephen getting hooked onto Jim Skinner to bring out a red flag. After going to the pits Stephen returned for the restart.
The race took forever to complete as 10 additional cautions appeared throughout the remainder of the 30 lap contest. Stephen avoided the spins and got back up to finish 10th and salvage what he could.
This coming Friday will see Stephen and 1m Racing compete at Silver Dollar Speedway for Point Race #6. Stephen has moved up to fifth in the Silver Dollar Speedway point standings and will look to get season win #1 this Friday. Gates will open an hour earlier than usual on Friday as an autograph session will be taking place outside the main gate.
For more news and info on Stephen Allard and 1m Racing log onto http://www.stephenallard.com
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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