Mike Murgoitio Dominates Night Two

Mike Murgoitio Dominates Night Two

 by Gene Cannon 

Wyatt King seized his pole position opportunity with a great jump over Chris Ratterree as they brought the field to the line for Saturday night’s main event.  Sierra Jackson started fourth but jumped quickly to the outside of Ratterree for second, but by then King had built a comfortable lead.  Behind the leader Johnny Giesler was making his surge to the front using his favored high groove to go around Jeff Montgomery.  Darren Spiers had mechanical issues and pulled to the top of the track and was able to exit safely.  Meanwhile, up front King found himself fighting traffic just eight laps into the 50 lap main event.  Mike Murgoitio was working Ratterree for third and finally found a little space on the bottom, with a little help from traffic.  The field was brought to caution with 37 laps remaining, when Jeff Montgomery darted into turn one under Giesler and Ratterree as they were trying to negotiate lapped traffic.  The presence of Montgomery, turned Ratterree a little sideways and Giesler made contact with Ratterree, sending Giesler to the backstretch wall.  With the savvy work of his crew they were able to get the car back on the track before the drop of the green flag. 

            The double file restart put Jackson to the outside of King on the front row, as they brought the field to the line mayhem was waiting along the front wall, and it collected Jeff Montgomery.  Montgomery was third row outside, with a lapped car directly in front of him and Ratterree to his inside.  Ratterree looked to make a move under the lapped car of Mitch Holte, Holte moved up the track to try and avoid contact with Ratterree, but instead found his self touching Montgomery who was trying to make his move around Holte on the high side but had nowhere to go, but the wall.  Montgomery was clearly frustrated as he climbed out of the car and looked over the bent front axel, knowing his night was done.  The accident was cleared and the cars were lined back up for another double file restart.  Jackson used the outside groove to take the lead from King, but King kept her in his sights, the two leaders approached lapped traffic again with 28 laps remaining. Jackson looked for her move, and while she waited, King did not, he quickly shot to the bottom of Jackson and used the lapped car as a blocker to retake the lead.  Jackson did not go quietly though, a lap later Jackson returned the favor to King, as she used lapped traffic to box King in and made her move to the bottom.  Lurking in the shadows, patiently waiting to make his move was Mike Murgoitio, like a lion stalking it prey he sat on the rear bumper of both cars.  “Being behind the leaders in traffic is a huge advantage.  They know you’re coming, but they don’t know how close you are.  I showed them my nose to let them know I was there and to hopefully force them into making an error.” Murgoitio commented after the race.  Murgoitio forced the mistake he was looking for when King rushed into a bad decision and allowed Murgoitio around him for second.

Towards the back of the field, Giesler was wheeling his car back to the front and received a little help from Mitch Holte; Andy Alberding was trying to go under Holte to put him a lap down, when Holte made contact with Alberding sending him to the infield, Alberding was able to save the car but lost his position to Giesler.  Giesler received even more help when Ryan Newman spun at the exit of turn two, bringing out another caution and bringing the cars together for another double file restart.  Giesler had moved to seventh, but still had more ground to gain.  On the restart, Murgoitio wasted no time jumping out in front of Jackson, who spun her rear tires exiting turn four, it was just enough to give Murgoitio the advantage on the restart.  But Jackson would receive another shot when a third caution was thrown for Mitch Holte when he drew contact with Matt Hein.  Hein ran over the front of Holte and slammed the front of his car violently to the racing surface; Hein’s car was able to continue without stopping.  Holte spun to the infield and was able to restart and rejoined the field.

            Jackson’s second opportunity was more successful as she ran side by side with Murgoitio down the front stretch and through the first turn, but exiting turn two Murgoitio was too much and pulled out to the lead.  “Driving behind her (Jackson) for a few laps I could tell she had used up her rear tire.  I was saving by tire and with about 27 laps left I decided it was time to go.”  Murgoitio said of his pass on Jackson.  Murgoitio ran away from the pack with ten laps and would easily drive to victory lane.  Sierra Jackson would hold on for second, followed by an impressive run by Wyatt King in third.  Johnny Giesler would make a few more passes before the checkered flag and finish an astounding fourth.  Scott Aumen was quiet most of the night and was able to pick up a top five finish.  Bryan Warf couldn’t make lightening strike twice, but he was able to find himself towards the front yet again with a solid sixth place finish.  Chris Ratterree had himself a weekend to remember, finishing third the first night and following it with a seventh place finish.  Andy Alberding fought from his 13^th starting position, avoided some issues to squeak into the top ten with an eighth place finish.  Vern Scevers also had a great weekend, going back to back top ten finishes, and rolling the car on the trailer both nights.  “That’s a win right there, two top tens and the car rolled on the trailer.”  Scevers laughed after the race.  Matt Hein had a less than par weekend for his own standards, and despite his own disappointment he managed to hang on to round out the top ten.  Justin Mack made a pass, with one lap to go, on Hein, but Hein was able to regain the position, leaving Mack just outside the top ten.  Greg Middendorf, Kirk Wartman, Rick Brown, Ryan Newman and Mitch Holte would round out the field.  Cody Veenstra, Todd Coleman, Jeff Montgomery and Darren Spiers did not finish the event.

Mitch Holte led the field to the start line for heat one, but it was the veteran Rick Brown that would claim the early race lead.  Brown pulled his signature move through turns one and two, driving the car in hard and showing Holte his nose, forcing Holte to surrender the lead.  Chris Ratterree used the outside to pass Greg Middendorf for fourth.  But it was Sierra Jackson stealing the show, she moved from his seventh starting position to sixth, and then moved around Middendorf for fifth, a lap later she made her move around Ratterree.  Vern Scevers was not as easy a task as the rest, Jackson tried the top of the track on the front stretch, but Scevers drifted towards the wall and Jackson was forced to get on the brake when the two touched tires.  Jackson would eventually get around Scevers and would settle for third.  Rick Brown was the run away winner, followed in a distant second by Holte, Jackson, Scevers, Ratterree, Coleman and Middendorf would round out the field.

            Even in a new car, this man proved he was fast.  Ron Larson, a day after totaling his car climbed into a new car he had never driven before and from the pole of heat two he was dominating the entire way.  But the race wasn’t without excitement.  Darren Spiers was forced way up the track through turn one and made a sudden move towards the bottom of turn two.  Ryan Newman was in the process of trying to make his move under Spiers and the two nearly drew contact, it also resulted in Johnny Giesler having to check up go avoid contact.  It didn’t detour Giesler who had his sights set on transferring to the A main, Giesler went to work on Newman and was able to go around him on the outside groove.  Spiers was next in Giesler’s crosshairs, and after two laps of following Spiers, Giesler finally found the hole he was looking for on the bottom groove.  Larson would hold on to his large lead, followed by Kirk Wartman, Brian Warf, Wyatt King, Giesler, Spiers, Newman and Tim McCuthan rounded out the field.

            The most exciting heat race of the evening came in heat three.  As the cars raced side by side into turn one, Mark Floyd lost control of his #86 machine and was caught by the water barrels in turn one.  After the track crew cleaned up the mess and the drivers help dry the track they lined up for a complete restart.  Again the field came to the line, but Justin Mack, trying to get a little jump on Andy Alberding off the front row, left early.  The caution came out, Mack was warned and the cars realigned.  Mack and Alberding led the field for the third time and the third time was a charm, both drivers rocketed through turns one and two side by side, down the backstretch and into turn three.  It was there that the rear end of Mack’s car slid out just enough for Alberding to gain the advantage.  Behind the leaders, Matt Hein found himself sliding to the back of the field and the car never looked quite right for him.  Mike Murgoitio on the other hand, had his car dialed in just the way he wanted.  He was able to pick cars off from any area of the track he desired.  After a little contact with Jeff Montgomery, Murgoitio was able to slip under Montgomery, but Murgoitio didn’t stop there, he pulled the same move on Cody Veenstra and Scott Aumen.  With one to go he closed the gap between himself and Mack, coming out of turn four he made his move under Mack, but was unable to complete the pass at the line.  Alberding would finish first, followed to the line by Mack, Murgoitio, Aumen, Veenstra, Montgomery and Hein.

            Matt Hein entered the weekend leading Andy Alberding and Sierra Jackson in the points standings, but after night one he had surrendered his lead to Jackson and allowed Alberding to come within just a few points.  Jackson’s impressive weekend on her home track gives her small cushion going into the championship race at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Oregon.  Hein and Alberding hope to have the same home track advantage Jackson gained over them this past weekend.  But Jackson is literally and figuratively sitting in the drivers’ seat for this last week of the 2011 season; a solid finish for her would represent the first woman in ASA/NSRA history to ever win a series championship.  While Hein looks to be the spoiler, he has a tall order ahead of him.