Most
Magnificent in Chili Bowl Pre-Qualifier
 Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 8, 2008) – Iowa's
Josh Most came out on top of a torrid
battle for the lead to win Tuesday night's
Bass Pro Shops 25-lap Pre-Qualifying
feature event as the 22nd
Annual Dodge Chili Bowl Nationals kicked
off at the Tulsa Expo Raceway inside the
QuikTrip Center.
Most and Oklahoma's Chett Gehrke swapped the point in the
final rounds with Most taking the lead for
keeps on the 24th lap.
Most beat Gehrke to the line, with
Wisconsin's Tim Noble making a last-lap
move to snare the show position.
Indiana's Anthony Peterman was
fourth, with Illinois shoe Austin Brown
rounding out the top five.
After starting tenth, Most needed just seven laps to muscle
into the lead.
But 20th-starter Gehrke
closed in over the final circuits and
surged ahead on the 23rd lap,
only to have Most battle back in front the
next time around en route to snaring the
win aboard David Camfield's Soy City Sock
Company No. 6c Stealth.
"We probably could have been a little better (on the top
side) because somebody showed me a
nose," Most explained in the
post-race press conference.
"I was only shooting for the
top 15, so this is something new."
Fifteen-year-old Justin Mallo led the feature field to the
green flag after accumulating the most
passing points in heat race action, with
Derrick Myers alongside.
Myers surrendered his starting
position after being collected in an
opening lap tangle, with the second start
waved off as well after another tangle.
With the race going green on the next try, Mallo led the
opening lap before fifth-starter Anthony
Peterman charged into the lead.
Working the low side of the ¼-mile
clay oval, Peterman paced the next several
rounds as Most battled past Austin Brown
and Brent Rees to take over second by the
sixth lap.
Working the top side of the track, Most closed in on Peterman
and pulled into the lead exiting turn two
on the ninth lap, only to have the caution
fly for Cole Peard's turn two flip that
also collected Joe Cleveland.
Most wasted no time on the restart, charging by on the high
side to take command, with the final
caution flying after 12 laps when top-ten
contenders Samantha Taylor and Chris Coers
tangled in turn three.
Most took off on the restart, while "B" Main
transfer Gehrke had already worked his way
up to fifth.
As Most slipped away from the pack,
Gehrke quickly moved into third and began
dicing for second with Peterman.
Most's advantage began to disintegrate when lapped traffic
came into play on the 17th lap,
with Peterman and Gehrke closing in to set
up a three-car duel for the win over the
final rounds.
Gehrke finally disposed of Peterman
for second on the 20th lap and
set his sights on Most.
And when Most went high entering turn one to get around a
lapped car on the 23rd lap,
Gehrke ducked to the low side and charged
into the lead.
But Gehrke got loose exiting turn
two the next time around, allowing Most to
race back by on the high side.
Most held on over the final lap to take the win in front of
Gehrke, who settled for runner-up honors
in his Ford Focus-powered Aero Automation
No. 93c Beast.
"I learned patience last year,
so I didn't have to learn it this
year."
Badger shoe Tim Noble gained several positions over the final
half of the race, slipping by Peterman on
the final lap to snare third aboard James
Fiscus' Esslinger-powered Ferguson
Enterprises No. 71n Spike.
"I feel sorry for the guy that got fourth because I ran
him over coming to the line, he came off
the cushion and I was a little bit
sideways and we both bounced across,"
Noble commented afterward.
Peterman was fourth in Robert Peterman's B.K.C. No. 7p
Stealth, with Austin Brown rounding out
the top five in Sherry Brown's Esslinger-powered
O'Reilly POWRi No. 7a Spike.
Modified racer Eddie Martin climbed from twelfth to sixth,
with fellow sixth-row starter Blake
Fitzpatrick in seventh.
Rees crossed the stripe eighth,
with Ryan Cole and 23rd-starter
Caleb Armstrong completing the top ten.
Cole, Justin Melton, Myers, Taylor, Joey Fabozzi, Most,
Fitzpatrick, Mallo, Martin and Peterman
topped heat race action for the 76-car
field.
Melton was originally slated to
start the feature fourth row outside but
was relegated to the tail when forced to
the work area for quick repairs to get his
mount to fire.
Melton bounced back to finish
twelfth.
Larry Campbell and Colby Copeland topped "C" Main
action, with Joe Cleveland and Gehrke
winning the twin "B" Mains.
Don Hammer, Doug Nunes, Jay Mounce and Tyler Robbins each got
upside down in heat race action.
Robbins flipped in his
"C" Main as well, with Campbell
flipping in his "B" Main.
Brian Portschy and Peard both
tumbled in the main event.
There were no injuries.
With the triumph, Most advances to Friday night's O'Reilly
Auto Parts Qualifying event along with
Peterman (fourth), Fitzpatrick (seventh),
Armstrong (tenth) and Austin Mero (13th).
Runner-up Gehrke moves on to Thursday's Warren CAT Qualifier
along with Austin Brown (fifth), Rees
(eighth), Eric Todd (eleventh) and
Cleveland (14th).
Third-place finisher Noble moves to Wednesday night's Creek
Nation Casino Qualifying Showdown along
with Martin (sixth), Cole (ninth), Melton
(twelfth) and Portschy (15th).
The balance of Tuesday's field will start out in the early
portion of Saturday's Bass Pro Shops
Championship feature events.
Tuesday Night's Bass Pro Shops Pre-Qualifier Results:
Heat Races (Top 18 in passing points to A Main; Next 32 to B
Mains; Balance to C Mains)
Heat 1:
1. #11R Ryan Cole, Porter, OK; 2.
#89JR Todd McVay, Lee’s Summit, MO; 3.
#33S Austin Smith, Chino Hills, CA; 4.
#99J
Robby Josett, Santa Clarita, CA; 5.
#11D Doug DeWitt, Sunnyvale, CA; 6. #11H
Garrett Hood, Concordia, KS; 7. #6P Trish
Dover, Springfield, NE; 8. #1B Scott
Crystal, Overland Park, KS
Heat 2: 1. #36J Justin
Melton, Flower Mound, TX; 2. #73E Brian
Portschy, Plymouth, WI; 3. #51C Brent
Camarillo, Ventura, CA; 4. #10P Will
Pierce, Lee’s Summit, MO; 5. #5W Kurt
Davis, Milwaukee, WI; 6. #45 Don Hammer,
Clinton, IL; DNS - #78C David Budres,
Beloit, WI; #4M James Sweeney,
Placerville, CA
Heat 3: 1. #25X Derrick
Myers, Stonington, IL; 2. #7T Eric Todd,
Falcon, MO; 3. #93C Chett Gehrke, Broken
Arrow, OK; 4. #11X Ricky Williams,
Clinton, OH; 5. #83 Kurt Blackaby,
Bentonville, AR; 6. #31C Larry Campbell,
Van Buren, AR; 7. #12J Jay Mounce, Downs,
IL; 8. #27C Doug Nunes, Kingsburg, CA
Heat 4: 1. #17S Samantha
Taylor, Bonney Lake, WA; 2. #87D Brent
Rees, Arvada, CO; 3. #4R Bobby Ross, St.
Joseph, MO; 4. #15B Danny Burke, Houston,
TX; 5. #92 Brandon Wagner, Lafayette, IN;
6. #21S Lee Beckwith, Channahon, IL; 7.
#9B Cameron Beard, Atwater, CA; 8. #0K Don
O’Keefe Jr., Pittsboro, IN
Heat 5: 1. #84 Joey Fabozzi,
Norco, CA; 2. #7A Austin Brown, Millstadt,
IL; 3. #33a Chris Coers, Columbus, IN; 4.
#6J Justin Hendricks, Stillwater, OK; 5.
#58 Cole Peard, Quincy, CA; 6. #37C Colby
Copeland, Rossville, CA; 7. #31X Joe
Duvall, Chelsea, OK; 8. #6 Brian Carter,
Frisco, TX
Heat 6: 1. #6C Josh Most,
Red Oak, IA; 2. #11C Joe Cleveland,
Delphos, KS; 3. #63R Kyle Robbins, New
Castle, IN; 4. #175 Brian Camarillo,
Ventura, CA; 5. #76 Kellen Conover,
Sumner, IL; 6. #48 Lee Little, Mustang,
OK; 7. #14H Chris Burns, Bethany, OK; 8.
#35T Tyler Robbins, Collinsville, IL
Heat 7: 1. #73I Blake
Fitzpatrick, West Terre Haute, IN; 2. #97K
Caleb Armstrong, New Castle, IN; 3. #10F
Kelly Ferrell, Chaplin, CT; 4. #17X Billy
Mentgen, Golden, CO; 5. #4C Dalton Cole,
Pryor, OK; 6. #33X Scott Fennell,
Littleton, CO; DNS - #32K Kirk Kubik, Long
Beach, CA
Heat 8: 1. #6M Justin Mallo,
Cheyenne, WY; 2. #50J Jeff Griffin, St.
Helena, CA; 3. #63 Paul Perkins, Bristol,
WI; 4. #98D Dave Scroggs, Arvada, CO; 5.
#8M Dan Mecum, Marengo, IL; 6. #83H
Jonathan Halford, Tulsa, OK; 7. #22WA Eric
Young, Covington, WA
Heat 9: 1. #1X Eddie Martin,
Ada, OK; 2. #25M Austin Mero, Kingsburg,
CA; 3. #6E Rafe Essary, Fayetteville, AR;
4. #75D Andrew Deal, Caney, KS; 5. #2D
Steve Davis, Norco, CA; 6. #51W Scott
Walton, Inola, OK; 7. #93H Brian Harvey,
Sherman, TX
Heat 10:
1. #7P Anthony Peterman,
Crawfordsville, IN; 2. #71N Tim Noble,
Madison, WI; 3. #7C Doug Frye, Wheatland,
MO; 4. #28 Nathan Smith, Valencia, CA; 5.
#15K Brandon Knupp, Troutman, NC; 6. #1F
Mike Fulper, Cumberland, OH; 7. #10 T.J.
Smith, Fresno, CA
C Mains (Top 2 transfer to back of corresponding B Main)
C Main 1:
1. #31C Larry Campbell, Van Buren,
AR; 2. #15K Brandon Knupp, Troutman, NC;
3. #9B Cameron Beard, Atwater, CA; 4. #48
Lee Little, Mustang, OK; 5. #1B Scott
Crystal, Overland Park, KS; 6. #93H Brian
Harvey, Sherman, TX; 7. #6P Trish Dover,
Springfield, NE; 8. #0K Don O’Keefe Jr.,
Pittsboro, IN; 9. #14H Chris Burns,
Bethany, OK; 10. #35T Tyler Robbins,
Collinsville, IL; DNS - #1F Mike Fulper,
Cumberland, OH; #83H Jonathan Halford,
Tulsa, OK; #78c David Budres, Beloit, WI
C Main 2: 1. #37C Colby
Copeland, Rossville, CA; 2. #31X Joe
Duvall, Chelsea, OK; 3. #12J Jay Mounce,
Downs, IL; 4. #10T T.J. Smith, Fresno, CA;
5. #32K Kirk Kubik, Long Beach, CA; 6. 33X
Scott Fennell, Littleton, CO; 7. #21S Lee
Beckwith, Channahon, IL; 8. #51W Scott
Walton, Inola, OK DNS - #45 Don Hammer,
Clinton, IL; #22WA Eric Young, Covington,
WA; #27C Doug Nunes, Kingsburg, CA; #6
Brian Carter, Frisco, TX; #4M James
Sweeney, Placerville, CA
B Mains (Top 3 advance to A Main)
B Main 1: #11C Joe
Cleveland, Delphos, KS; 2. #63 Paul
Perkins, Bristol, WI; 3. #97K Caleb
Armstrong, New Castle, IN; 4. #75D Andrew
Deal, Caney, KS; 5. #83 Kurt Blackaby,
Fayetteville, AR; 6. #4R Bobby Ross, St.
Joseph, MO; 7. #92 Brandon Wagner,
Lafayette, IN; 8. #7C Doug Frye,
Wheatland, MO; 9. #11X Ricky Williams,
Clinton, OH; 10. #51C Brent Camarillo,
Ventura, CA; 11. #175 Brian Camarillo,
Ventura, CA; 12. #10F Kelly Ferrell,
Chaplin, CT; 13. #8M Dan Mecum, Marengo,
IL; 14. #11H Garrett Hood, Concordia, KS;
15. #98D Dave Scroggs, Arvada, CO; 16. #76
Kellen Conover, Sumner, IL; 17. #31C Larry
Campbell, Van Buren, AR; 18. #15K Brandon
Knupp, Troutman, NC
B Main 2: 1. #93C Chett
Gehrke, Broken Arrow, OK; 2. #33A Chris
Coers, Columbus, IN; 3. #58 Cole Peard,
Quincy, CA; 4. #10P Will Pierce, Lee’s
Summit, MO; 5. #50J Jeff Griffin, St.
Helena, CA; 6. #33S Austin Smith, Chino
Hills, CA; 7. #17X Billy Mentgen, Golden,
CO; 8. #31X Joe Duvall, Chelsea, OK; 9.
#37C Colby Copeland, Rossville, CA; 10.
#28 Nathan Smith, Valencia, CA; 11. #4C
Dalton Cole, Pryor, OK; 12. #6J Justin
Hendricks, Stillwater, OK; 13. #2D Steve
Davis, Norco, CA; 14. #5W Kurt Davis,
Milwaukee, WI; 15. #15B Danny Burke,
Houston, TX; 16. #11D Doug DeWitt,
Sunnyvale, CA; 17. #99J Robby Josett,
Santa Clarita, CA; 18. #6E Rafe Essary,
Fayetteville, AR
A Main (25 laps - Top 15 Advance to Qualifying Nights)
1. #6C Josh Most, Red Oak, IA; 2.
#93C Chett Gehrke, Broken Arrow, OK; 3.
#71N Tim Noble, Madison, WI; 4. #7P
Anthony Peterman, Crawfordsville, IN; 5.
#7A Austin Brown, Millstadt, IL; 6. #1X
Eddie Martin, Ada, OK; 7. #73I Blake
Fitzpatrick, West Terre Haute, IN; 8. #87D
Brent Rees, Arvada, CO; 9. #11R Ryan Cole,
Porter, OK; 10. #97K Caleb Armstrong, New
Castle, IN; 11. #7T Eric Todd, Falcon, MO;
12. #36J Justin Melton, Flower Mound, TX;
13. #25M Austin Mero, Kingsburg, CA; 14.
#11C Joe Cleveland, Delphos, KS; 15. #73E
Brian Portschy, Plymouth, WI; 16. #63 Paul
Perkins, Bristol, WI; 17. #33A Chris Coers,
Columbus, IN; 18. #63R Kyle Robbins, New
Castle, IN; 19. #84 Joey Fabozzi, Norco,
CA; 20. #17S Samantha Taylor, Bonney Lake,
WA; 21. #6M Justin Mallo, Cheyenne, WY;
22. #58 Cole Peard, Quincy, CA; 23. #89JR
Todd McVay, Lees Summit, MO; 24. #25X
Derrick Myers, Stonington, IL
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