Bubba
Altig Saves Best for Last in Tuesday Chili
Bowl Pre-Qualifying Event
 TULSA,
Okla. (January 9, 2007) – The 21st
Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Nationals
kicked off in most spectacular fashion
with Illinois racer Gary "Bubba"
Altig making a dramatic pass in the final
corner to win Tuesday night's Warren CAT
Pre-Qualifying 25-lap feature event.
Utilizing
the topside of the ¼-mile Tulsa Expo
Raceway clay oval, Altig charged from
fourth on a restart with just two laps
remaining to nip Jordan Noblitt for the
win at the line.
Noblitt, who had just taken command
on the 22nd lap, spun across
the finish line after the pair made
contact dicing for the point, holding onto
second as a near-capacity crowd roared its
approval of the initial Tuesday night
event in O'Reilly Chili Bowl Nationals
history.
"I
came from last, but on that last restart
he (Noblitt) went to the bottom and I just
went high," Altig explained of his
monumental triumph.
"He was running high almost
the whole race when I was following him
and when I saw him go to the bottom I just
hauled it in there as hard as I could and
hoped for the best."
While
Altig topped the event for Chili Bowl
rookies and relative newcomers from his 13th
starting position, it was California lady
racer Randi Pankratz that made a valiant
effort to become the first female racer to
top a Chili Bowl "A" Main.
Pankratz
earned the pole position for the feature
and gunned into the early lead ahead of
fellow front row starter Rafe Essary.
Pankratz proceeded to lead the
opening 22 circuits, fending off several
challenges before slipping to fifth in the
frenetic final laps.
Pankratz
was first challenged by Essary, who was
mounting a charge when his powerplant gave
way after seven laps.
Jonathan Henry slipped around
Noblitt for second at the midway point and
made a run for the lead entering turn one
on the 16th lap, only to climb
Pankratz' right rear tire and flip into
the turn two fencing.
 Tony
Roney made his way past Noblitt for second
just three laps later, only to have the
move negated for another Henry flip.
Henry was done for the night after
the turn four endo.
With
just seven laps remaining, Pankratz led
the way in front of Noblitt and Roney with
Altig mired back in ninth after a cone
violation earlier in the race that had
sent him to the tail of the field.
"I
hit the cone, I was running I think tenth
and had to go all the way back to 24th,"
Altig commented of his earlier miscue.
With
the top of the track coming into form,
Altig pounded the cushion and climbed to
fifth by the time a critical caution that
also negated Noblitt's pass of Pankratz
for the point, appeared with 22 laps in
the books.
When
Joe Wipperfurth flipped a lap later, Altig
gained another position when fourth-runner
Jay Ervine stalled his mount.
Meanwhile, Noblitt had successfully
charged past Pankratz and was in the
catbird seat with a two-lap dash to the
checkered flag awaiting.
Roney
and Altig both made quick work of Pankratz
on the restart, with Altig then disposing
of Roney as the white flag flew.
Altig quickly moved in on Noblitt
and edged ahead by less than a car length
aboard the Fontana-powered Bullet
Leasing/Cathy's Manufactured Homes No. 67a
Stealth as the checkered flag flew.
 "My
car was working really good everywhere, I
could go top, bottom or middle,"
Altig explained.
"I passed a lot of cars on the
bottom up until I got to about sixth, then
Noblitt actually showed me the top and
that's the only reason I went to the
top."
Noblitt
settled for runner-up honors aboard Kevin
Noblitt's Ford-powered Columbus Silgas No.
20n Beast.
"Everybody knows in dirt
racing that if you want to protect a
position you go to the bottom, so I had to
go to the bottom and he came smoking in
there on the high side and he just barely
got around me," Noblitt commented.
Micro
ace Tony Roney took the show position in
his Midget racing debut at the helm of
Richard Roney's Fontana-powered Finish
Line Fabrication No. 1T Stealth.
Roney commented that, "I think
the car worked good on the bottom and I
think I might have had something for these
guys, but I'm happy to finish third.
It was a different race, a lot of
cars in front of me messed up and blew
motors and wrecked and I'm happy to finish
third."
Matt
Streeter charged from the 19th
position to snare fourth at the line, with
Pankratz settling for fifth.
Brian Ramstack raced from 16th
to snare sixth, with 21st-starter
Adam Trimble, 23rd-starter
Billy Osta, Mark Bush and 22nd-starter
Brad Paris completing the top ten.
The
top ten, along with eleventh through
fifteenth place finishers Samantha Taylor,
Ernie Bartley III, C.J. Sarna, Jeff
Griffin and Bill Balog earned berths in
the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night
Qualifying events.
With
the triumph, Altig moves on to Friday
night's Oklahoma Dodge Dealers Qualifying
card along with Matt Streeter, Adam
Trimble, Brad Paris and C.J. Sarna.
Runner-up
Noblitt snared a spot in Thursday night's
Bass Pro Shops Qualifying event along with
Randi Pankratz, Billy Osta, Samantha
Taylor and Jeff Griffin.
Roney
advanced to Wednesday's Creek Nation
Casino Qualifying Showdown by virtue of
his third place finish, with Brian
Ramstack, Mark Bush, Ernie Bartley III and
Bill Balog also earning Wednesday starting
berths.
Ervine,
Pankratz, Griffin, Essary, Altig, Henry,
Wipperfurth, Joey Fabozzi and Ramstack
each captured heat race wins for the
69-car Warren CAT Pre-Qualifying field.
Garrett Hood and Brian Harvey
topped twin "C" Main action,
with Streeter and Balog topping the twin
"B" Mains.
Colorado's
Dave Scroggs became the official first
flip victim of the 21st Annual
O'Reilly Chili Bowl Nationals when he went
for a wild ride down the frontstretch in
the evening's third heat race.
Other heat race flippers were
Jonathan Cornell and Hood.
Terry
Goodwin and Jody Rosenboom both got upside
down in the First "B" Main, with
Second "B" Main tumblers
including Brian Carter, Dakoda Armstrong,
Leroy Holler and Billy Mentgen.
There
were no injuries.
The
21st Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl
Midget Nationals continues with Wednesday
night's Creek Nation Casino Qualifier,
with racing action slated to get under way
at 6:15 p.m.
 Tuesday
Night’s 21st Annual Chili
Bowl Nationals Warren CAT Pre-Qualifier
Results:
Heat Races (8 Laps - Top 18 in
passing points to A Main; Next 32 to two B
Mains; Balance to C Mains)
Heat 1: 1. Jay Ervine, Litchfield, Ariz.; 2. C.J. Sarna, Palm Desert,
Calif.; 3. Brad Paris, Brownsburg, Ind.;
4. Kellen Love, Lincoln, Neb.; 5. Kaylene
Verville, Avondale, Ariz.; 6. Todd McVay,
Lee’s Summit, Mo. DNS - Matt DeWitt,
Houston, Texas; Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla.
Heat 2: 1. Randi Pankratz, Atascadero, Calif.; 2. Matt Streeter, Lathrop,
Calif.; 3. Kyle Bellm, Nixa, Mo.; 4. Adam
Trimble, Pueblo, Calif.; 5. Brian Carter,
Frisco, Texas; 6. Kellen Conover, Sumner,
Ill.; 7. Randy Monroe, Jr., Hampton, Va.
DNS - Harley Hollan, Broken Arrow, Okla.
Heat 3: 1. Jeff Griffin, St. Helena, Calif.; 2. Mark Bush, Cumming, Ga.;
3. Cameron Beard, Atwater, Calif.; 4.
Austin Brown, Millstadt, Ill.; 5. John
Ricketts, Burleson, Texas; 6. Jody
Rosenboom, Rock Rapids, Iowa; 7. Dave
Scroggs, Arvada, Colo.; 8. Jacob Slotten,
Menasha, Wis.
Heat 4: 1. Rafe Essary, Farmington, Ark.; 2. Jordan Noblitt, Columbus,
Ind.; 3. Billy Osta, Rotterdam, N.Y.; 4.
Chris Walker, Oak Grove, Mo.; 5. Dakoda
Armstrong, Newcastle, Ind.; 6. Eddie
Martin, Ada, Okla.; 7. Terry Goodwin,
Phoenix, Ariz.; 8. Leroy Holler,
Independence, Mo.
Heat 5: 1. Gary Altig, Mechanicsburg, Ill.; 2. Tony Roney, Herculaneum,
Mo.; 3. Brian Harvey, Hanford, Calif.; 4.
Buddy Luebke, Stoughton, Wis.; 5. Jonathan
Cornell, Sedalia, Mo.; 6. Steve Stone,
Mesa, Ariz.; 7. Kerry Sandusky, Chicago,
Ill. DNS - 02 Bryon Walters, Beaver Dam,
Wis.
Heat 6: 1. Jonathan Henry, Stockton, Calif.; 2. Samantha Taylor, Bonney
Lake, Wash.; 3. Doug McCune, Fort Worth,
Texas; 4. Alex Harris, Simi Valley,
Calif.; 5. Josh Most, Red Oak, Iowa; 6.
Brian Harvey, Hanford, Calif.; 7. Roy
Larkin, Tulsa, Okla. DNS - Kevin Burgess,
Stotts City, Mo.
Heat 7: 1. Joe Wipperfurth, Sun Prairie, Wis.; 2. Bill Balog, Layfayette,
Ind.; 3. Todd Plemons, Arvada, Colo.; 4.
Steve Davis, Norco, Calif.; 5. Dalton
Cole, Pryor, Okla.; 6. Eddie Sauer, Davis,
Ill.; 7. Doug DeWitt, Sunnyvale, Calif.
Heat 8: 1. Joey Fabozzi, Norco, Calif.; 2. Ernie Bartley III, El Cajon,
Calif.; 3. Todd Kimmel, Avon, Ind.; 4.
Tayler Malsam, Sammamish, Wash.; 5. Tom
Everhart, El Cajon, Calif.; 6. Toni Kruck,
Copalopa, Australia; 7. Garrett Hood,
Concordia, Kan.
Heat 9: 1. Brian Ramstack, West Bend, Wis.; 2. Billy Mentgen, Arvada,
Colo.; 3. Trish Dover, Springfield, Neb.;
4. Mallory Armfield, St. Joseph, Mo.; 5.
Matt Sargent, San Jose, Calif.; 6. Will
Pierce, Lee’s Summit, Mo.; 7. Ryan Ameln,
Hollister, Calif.
C Mains (Top 2 transfer to
Back of corresponding B Main)
C Main 1: 1. Garrett Hood, Concordia, Kan.; 2. Terry Goodwin, Phoenix,
Ariz.; 3. Steve Stone, Mesa, Ariz.; 4. Joe
Duvall, Chelsea, Okla.; 5. Eddie Sauer,
Davis, Ill.; 6. Matt DeWitt, Houston,
Texas; 7. Kellen Conover, Sumner, Ill.; 8.
Roy Larkin, Tulsa, Okla.; 9. Jacob Slotten,
Menasha, Wis. DNS - 5K Kevin Burgess,
Stotts City, Mo.
C Main 2: 1. Brian Harvey, Hanford, Calif.; 2. Leroy Holler, Independence,
Mo.; 3. Bryon Walters, Beaver Dam, Wis.;
4. Ryan Ameln, Hollister, Calif.; 5. Toni
Kruck, Copalopa, Australia; 6. Doug
DeWitt, Sunnyvale, Calif.; 7. Kerry
Sandusky, Chicago, Ill. DNS - Dave Scroggs,
Arvada, Colo.; Harley Hollan, Broken
Arrow, Okla.
B Mains (Top 3 advance to A
Main)
B Main 1: 1. Matt Streeter, Lathrop, Calif.; 2. Adam Trimble, Pueblo,
Calif.; 3. Billy Osta, Rotterdam, N.Y.; 4.
Matt Sargent, San Jose, Calif.; 5. Trish
Dover, Springfield, Neb.; 6. Mallory
Armfield, St. Joseph, Mo.; 7. Kaylene
Verville, Avondale, Ariz.; 8. Jonathan
Cornell, Sedalia, Mo.; 9. Alex Harris,
Simi Valley, Calif.; 10. Todd Kimmel,
Avon, Ind.; 11. Chett Gehrke, Broken
Arrow, Okla.; 12. Josh Most, Red Oak,
Iowa; 13. Tayler Malsam, Sammamish, Wash.;
14. John Ricketts, Burleson, Texas; 15.
Garrett Hood, Concordia, Kan.; 16. Jody
Rosenboom, Rock Rapids, Iowa; 17. Todd
McVay, Lee’s Summit, Mo.; 18. Terry
Goodwin, Phoenix, Ariz.
B Main 2: 1. Bill Balog, Layfayette, Ind.; 2. Brad Paris, Brownsburg, Ind.;
3. Dalton Cole, Pryor, Okla.; 4. Chris
Walker, Oak Grove, Mo.; 5. Eddie Martin,
Stilwell, Okla.; 6. Doug McCune, Fort
Worth, Texas; 7. Austin Brown, Millstadt,
Ill.; 8. Randy Monroe, Jr., Hampton, Va.;
9. Will Pierce, Lee’s Summit, Mo.; 10.
Buddy Luebke, Stoughton, Wis.; 11. Kellen
Love, Lincoln, Neb.; 12. Tom Everhart, El
Cajon, Calif.; 13. Billy Mentgen, Arvada,
Colo.; 14. Steve Davis, Norco, Calif.; 15.
Leroy Holler, Independence, Mo.; 16.
Dakoda Armstrong, Newcastle, Ind.; 17.
Brian Carter, Frisco, Texas DNS - Brian
Harvey, Hanford, Calif.
 A Main (25 laps - Top 15
Advance to Qualifying Nights)
1. Gary Altig, Mechanicsburg,
Ill.; 2. Jordan Noblitt, Columbus, Ind.;
3. Tony Roney, Herculaneum, Mo.; 4. Matt
Streeter, Lathrop, Calif.; 5. Randi
Pankratz, Atascadero, Calif.; 6. Brian
Ramstack, West Bend, Wis.; 7. 73I Adam
Trimble, Pueblo, Calif.; 8. Billy Osta,
Rotterdam, N.Y.; 9. Mark Bush, Cumming,
Ga.; 10. Brad Paris, Brownsburg, Ill.; 11.
Samantha Taylor, Bonney Lake, Wash.; 12.
Ernie Bartley III, El Cajon, Calif.; 13.
C.J. Sarna, Palm Desert, Calif.; 14. Jeff
Griffin, St. Helena, Calif.; 15. Bill
Balog, Lafayette, Ind.; 16. Jay Ervine,
Litchfield, Ariz.; 17. Joey Fabozzi,
Norco, Calif.; 18. Joe Wipperfurth, Sun
Prairie, Wis.; 19. Dalton Cole, Pryor,
Okla.; 20. Jonathan Henry, Stockton,
Calif.; 21. Todd Plemons, Arvada, Colo.;
22. Rafe Essary, Farmington, Ark.; 23.
Kyle Bellm, Nixa, Mo.; 24. Cameron Beard,
Atwater, Calif.
|
