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V8 Series at the ARCA Tire Kingdom 150 Race Report
While many of the country's racers remain stymied by one of the coldest winters in recent
memory, the V8 StockCar Series competitors were heating
up the track at the all new Palm Beach Beach International Raceway. The V8 Series was the
opening act for the ARCA Tire Kingdom 150.
A strong field of twenty seven cars was on hand at the Mo's Gold Palm Beach Sprints, February
26 & 27 . Two time GT-1 Champ Jeff Emery returned to action in the series looking to give current
champ Dave Machavern something to think about, and that he did. In qualifying, Machavern did
take the class and overall pole in his Riggins Corvette, with Bob Mitten second overall in his ex
Tony Stewart/Home Depot SPO class Monte Carlo, John McMullen was third in his ALMS Series
Orbit Racing Porsche. Emery was relegated to the fourth overall starting spot due to tranny woes.
In the GTA class, former SPEED World Challenge race winner Bob Stretch got the pole in his
Wheels America Monte Carlo.
At the Green on Friday, Mitten got the jump on Machavern with his seemingly rocket powered
Cup car, and had a slight lead as the two headed down into turn one. Machavern got into some
oil dry that had been laid down earlier and his blue Corvette skated up just a bit making contact
with Mitten. The resulting impact, slight as it was, took down Machavern's left front tire ending his
day. Charging up from the fourth spot was Emery.
The Former SCCA Trans Am Series racer quickly overwhelmed the heavy stock car in the twisty
sections and took the overall lead for good. Mitten, however was still cutting lap times that would
have qualified him in the top three for the ARCA race. In GTA, Stretch was turning consistent laps
in the 1:20's and easing away from his competition. Doug Wilson, the former stock car racer, was
having a blast dicing with the big stock cars in his GT2 class BMW M3, running lap times with the
middle pack GTA cars despite a couple hundred horsepower disadavantage.
At the Checker, Emery had the overall and GT-1 win, with Bob Mitten coming home second
overall and first in SPO. Stretch easily held on for the GTA win, with Kansas Tornado, "Burr" Keith
besting 2009 GTA champ Randy Walker for second place. Doug Wilson got the GT2 win and the
respect
of the stock car racers around him for the way he fearlessly battled them for position.
Saturday's race started with Emery and his wicked fast, winged, Fred Strube built Monte Carlo
super late model on the pole. Machavern was along side
in the Heritage Automotive Group Corvette. Bob Mitten started behind in the second row with GTA
fast guy Bob Stretch next to him.
Emery led into one at the green, but Machavern was dialed in as well and kept filling up Emery's
mirror. The duo traded the lead twice in the thirty minute sprint with Emery leading with a couple
to go. Machavern was now sweating, as his car began to overheat and he comtemplated pulling
off, only to see Emery pull up lame in front of him. Machavern nursed his ailing racer to the
checker winning overall. Lee Arnold got the SPO win in
his super late model Monte Carlo after class leader Bob Mitten found some oil on track and spun.
GTA leader Stretch suffered mechanical maladies half way through and Kansas hot shoe Ron
"Burr" Keith took over. Keith flew to a second place overall and class win over the hard charging
duo of Jay
Marshall and Randy Walker. Doug Wilson got his second GT-2 class win of the week and the
fourth of the year, despite a problematic clutch.
Wilson also set a new track record for the class, breaking Bob Turnage's year old standard.
The V8 Series wishes to thank Palm Beach International Raceway, ARCA, Race Chief Steward
Bob Ricker and his able group for all they did to make the V8 races a success.
V8 Series season long partners are instrumental in the continued success and they are: GoPro,
RaceTalkRadio.com, Sunoco, Hoosier, Goodyear, Mo's Gold, Howe Racing, FiveStar, RaceCar
Engineering, RacingJunk.com, Roehrig-Enders, GrassRoots Motorsports Magazine, Racing
Limo's, SaferRacer, Randy Lajoie and Hess Racing Products
for more information on the series check out: http://www.v8stockcar.com
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