| FORT WORTH, TX; Two races remain in the FFRL
Diamond Series with tonight's event at Texas and then in two weeks
at Homestead-Miami. Three time Diamond Champion, Duck,
continues to hold the lead, but the #76 of CamBurr has been chopping
at that lead for the past couple weeks. Going back to the 2006
season, at this time it was the #32 of Sean who threatened to take
the Championship. And now, CamBurr in the Automotive Recyclers
Silverado. |
| Comparing notes with the 2006 season, the #17
finished the year with a total of 3 wins and 7 top five's. The
Championship won by a mere 28 points over Sean's Full Throttle #32.
Sean in turn had 1 win, at Homestead-Miami, and 8 top five's.
Currently, the #17 holds 4 wins with 7 top five's while CamBurr puts
the challenge up with 7 top fives and an additional top 10.
Could the Diamond Series have a new Champion? Two strong runs
from the #76 and repeats of the last two races for the #17, you bet.
Tonight at Texas could either seal the fate or bring huge momentum
into Homestead. |
| In practice only one driver jumped into the range
of over 180 mph, the #94 of Redgar in the Delta Ford F-150.
Knowing what is at stake tonight, CamBurr's #76 was right up there
with a 179.928. |
| Going into qualifying, the Jack Daniels Toyota
Tundra driven by Grunt takes the pole for the first time this season
in the Diamond Truck Series with a 176.529 mph lap. On his
right will be the #17 Hills Brothers Ford with a 176.459. In
row two we have the #43 Kodak driven by Oddball with a 176.442 on
the inside for third. Taking the fourth spot was the #41
Parrotdice Chevy driven by Q-Ball with a 176.407. And filling
in the final spot in the top five was the #32 of Sean in the
Powerade Toyota with a 176.269. |
| When the pace truck goes in to start the race,
Grunt leads the field down into turn one. Racing on the high
side, the #17 breaks loose coming out of two sliding across the
field collecting Oddball in the process. Both drivers spin to
the apron on the inside with minimal damage. Taking the next
few laps under pace, the field was ready to take the green only to
have a repeat occurrence going into turn three by the #41 of Q-Ball.
With the spin collecting Roller's NRT Ford, Sean's Powerade Toyota,
and Redgar's #94 Delta Ford, it was labeled as the wreck of the
night. Though each driver was able to return to the field,
things suddenly went from bad to worse for the #41 team. Going
back in on the third time by under caution, a reconnecting #8
Landmark Labradoodle Chevy and teammate to the #41, entered the
field in the internet buffer zone driving through the #41 on pit
road to finish Q-Ball's night. |
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| Like the Sportsman Cup Series, the race at Texas
was an odd one to say the least. After the field retook the
green on lap eleven, just a few laps later the #21 MoMoney Silverado
headed to the pits and then proceeded to the garage with terminal
problems. It wasn't until lap 26 when the first challenge for
position took place and it was the #76 of CamBurr overtaking the #17
of Duck for the third spot. Two laps later, CamBurr extends
his position by passing the #77 of Ruger. In the meantime, the
#17 of Duck is having problems losing ground to the #43 of Oddball. |
| On lap 33, CamBurr hits the wall coming out of turn
four putting him into the infield losing five positions.
Running at about 90 mph, the #76 keeps control and exits the grass
into turns one and two. What will save the #76 is the
scheduled green flag pits that are about to unfold with the #07 of
Grunt giving up his lead to the #77 of Ruger being the first to pit. |
| The order of the field would get mixed up when a
few drivers get caught with their pit road stop when the next
caution would fly on lap 37 after the #54 of Roller in the NRT hits
the outside wall extremely hard coming out of turn two. With
only two tires firmly on the ground, he putts his smoking Ford F-150
to the garage. Ruger would lead the field into turn one
followed by Oddball and CamBurr. Two drivers; Grunt and Billy
the Kid, would race the leaders to fight for their laps back.
For the next twently laps or so, Grunt and Billy took a good amount
of ground over the rest of the field while the leaders search to
find a way to keep them a lap down. On lap 66, the #94 Delta
Ford set off the caution with a blown engine giving Grunt and Billy
their well earned laps back. |
| The restart on lap 71 brought to Grunt what he
didn't want. After racing so hard to get his lap back, contact
from the #76 of CamBurr in the middle of turns one and two put the
#07 Jack Daniels to the outside wall only to rebound back to the
lower. |
| A total of 13 lead changes came about by 7
different drivers with the #32 of Sean leading the most laps with
37. Grunt came in close with leading 35 laps while Bill the
Kid led 22 and Ruger leading 17. The rest of the laps were
made up by Duck, Oddball, and CamBurr each gaining the 5 points. |
| As the race neared it's final stretch, passing
became minimal. Ruger and Duck passed CamBurr on lap 103 and
by the end of lap 105, Ruger and CamBurr passed Duck right back to
put the #17 in fourth and CamBurr in 3rd. 117 laps were
scheduled tonight so let's move to the last five laps of the race. |
| Only three drivers have a chance to take the win
with the #32 of Sean taking the lead. Running at .08 seconds
behind, Ruger in the #77 Ford looks for the opening while keeping
the pressure on Sean. CamBurr sits back in third at .18
seconds waiting. Coming out of two on lap 112, the #32 exits
to the medium side of the track refusing to open up the inside.
And since it worked so well, he would try it again on lap 113.
Racing down the back stretch, Ruger jumps way low on the track
getting his nose in underneath the #32 as they head into turn three.
Sean keeps to the middle groove while Ruger takes the lower, but the
#77 has to slow to keep from sliding up the track into the side of
Sean. The #32 keeps his momentum despite the challenge keeping
the lead as they exit turn four. |
| It took almost an entire lap for Ruger to pick back
up the momentum even with the help of CamBurr. On lap 114,
Ruger tries to make the pass on the outside heading into turns three
and four. Halfway around, the #77 has his nose our front but
Sean pulls it back with a better exit as they race down the stretch
across the line. Into one and two, the #32 puts enough
distance on the outside lane where they tuck back in at single file
regrouping to try again. |
| Down the back on lap 115, Ruger fakes to the high
side and then cuts to the inside lane quickly catching the #32 off
guard. They head into turn three with Ruger low and Sean in
the middle. Ruger has to keep his Ford riding on the inside
lane and does so just inches away from making contact to the #32.
Sean makes a daring move by keeping the #77 low without any margin
of error. One slip, and Sean would have regretted his
decision. But it paid off and they continue on in the same
order crossing the line. |
| Coming out of two on lap 116, the #77 or Ruger
clips the outside wall taking a loss in momentum. CamBurr
chooses to keep in third as they remain in single file. With
the white flag now out, just one lap remains till the checkered.
Down the back stretch Ruger closes back in on the #32 while looking
ahead they are approaching the #43 of Oddball. The Kodak Dodge
shouldn't be a problem though with only two turns remaining in the
race. Heading into turn three, the #77 gives it all he has
left. Going wide, he overshoots the turn and Sean keeps to the
low side for a smooth exit out of turn four. With the
checkered flag out, Sean in the Powerade Toyota takes the win at
Texas. |
