picture(Zach Daum, Michael Pickens and Shane Golobic)
The first night of the 2010 Chili Bowl is in the books, and it was a great night of racing. The night started off with New Zealand’s Michael Pickens, sporting a custom V-8 motor, winning the first heat race by half a lap from the pole. RJ Johnson from Phoenix, AZ made a drive from 8th to 3rd in his heat race, which put him 5th in points going into the qualifiers. Zach Daum and Steve Buckwalter were the top two in points after the heat races.
There was plenty of excitement in the qualifiers. Zach Daum drove from 6th to 2nd in the first qualifier to remain on top of the points and claim the pole for the A-main. Steve Buckwalter was making a huge move from the 3rd row on the first lap when he jumped a wheel and took a tumble down the back stretch. This misfortune put him starting 5th in a B-main. Shane Golobic made a charge from the back to 3rd in his qualifier putting him 5th on the grid for the A-main.
The Vacuworx International Race of Champions was highlighted by a first lap tangle that put defending Champion Sammy Swindell on his head in turn 4. Brad Loyet won the race from the pole leading all of the 20 laps. Brad Kuhn almost made a charge to challenge Loyet but just never was close enough.
The first B-main was one of the best races of the night. Dave Darland led every lap, he and Steve Buckwalter pulled away from a 5 car battle for the last two transfer spots. Colby Copeland, Greg Bragg, Paul White, Jon Stanbrough and Danny Lasoski were putting on a great show racing for 3rd and 4th when a last lap crash caused a green white checkered finish. Stanbrough, who came from the back row to 3rd, hit the cone on the restart sending him to the back of the field. In a one lap shootout Copeland and Bragg took the transfers over White and Lasoski. RJ Johnson won the 2nd B-Main with Missouri young gun Andrew Felker pressuring him the last few laps. Randi Pankratz and WoO Late Model star Rick Eckert took the final transfer spots into the A-main.
The A-main was the highlight of the night, Zach Daum led the beginning of the race from the pole. Michael Pickens, Tyler Walker and Shane Golobic all closed the gap in lapped traffic to make a 4 car race for the win, and the 3 transfer spots to Saturday night’s Finale. After contact between Pickens, Walker and Golobic with 3 laps to go, Tyler Walker was sitting backwards on the track. Pickens led the field to the green and went to the cushion, Daum raced to the inside and they were side by side til the last lap. Coming into the last corner Pickens pulled down to block and missed the bottom, 18 year old Zach Daum drove by in turn 4 to pick up his first Chili Bowl Victory. Daum, Pickens and Golobic are locked into the A-main on Saturday night.