Arizona Motorplex
Boen rebounds after liftgate woes in Tucson
By M.J. Anderson
DirtonDirt.com correspondentTUCSON, Ariz. (Nov. 3) — Kelly Boen's night at USA Race Park got off to a bad start when his red No. 07 fell out of the liftgate of his hauler, knocking two crew members to the ground. That no one was injured was good news, and the news continued to be good as the Henderson, Colo., driver raced to a $2,000 victory, his first-ever on the Southwest Dirt Racing Association.
Lonnie Parker Jr., who wrapped up his fourth consecutive SWDRA championship at the previous event, settled for second with former series champion Adam Crippen, Brad Williams and Wayne Noyes rounding out the top five in a 30-lap race slowed by a single caution on lap 28.
Ron Bartels and Adam Crippen started on the front row with Crippen taking control early in the race. Parker, who started sixth, was up to second after just four laps as he tried to chase down the leader.
By the 10th lap, though, Parker had his hands full with a charging Boen, who grabbed the second spot. Three laps later, Boen was running door-to-door with Crippen and he was in command by the race's midpoint with Crippen, Parker, Mark Fowler and Williams in pursuit.
Boen continued a blistering pace on a surface that allowed three-wide racing, but lapped traffic slowed his progress on lap 23. Parker took second from Crippen on lap 25 and a caution flag three laps later slowed the action when Karl Tipton slammed hard into the turn-four wall, his car nearly flipping. He wasn't injured.
Boen won the two-lap dash to the checkers with Parker and Crippen chasing him to the finish line. Lee Hoy hit the frontstretch wall at the flagstand while battling with Joey Moriarity.
Notebook
Boen's Rocket Chassis is sponsored by AFCO and Roadrunner Fabrication. ... Country Gardens Nursery and Bob Small Racing sponsored the event. ... The event drew 29 drivers. ... Heat race winners were Brad Williams, Mark Fowler, Joey Moriarity and Adam Crippen. Lonnie Parker Sr. won the consolation race. ... Boen raced from the tail in the second heat race to earn a runner-up finish behind Fowler. ... Moriarity, a sprint car driver, was making his first start in the Total Seal-sponsored car. ... Jerry Fincher was knocked out of action by a wreck in the fourth heat. ... Another driver failing to make the feature was Mike Balcaen of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Balcaen was dominating the fourth heat when he was struck by engine trouble. The Canadian plans on staying in Arizona for Nov. 8 and 10 action at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix.
