HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Advertisement

The festivities at the Pahrump Valley Speedway kicked off Saturday night with a heat race in the Outlaw Karts division.

It was refreshing to see youngsters finally getting a jump-start into the world of competitive auto racing.

Perhaps their fathers might want to take notice on how their sons and daughters react to the pressures of running a race.

"Little Monster" Donovan Williams just edged out Austin Black at the checkers with division points leader Taylor Bonetti taking third. The Outlaw feature, another exciting finish, found Black taking the checker by half a kart over Williams, with Bonetti again claiming third.

The Pro 4 feature was decided by quite possibly the slimmest of margins, the circumference of a nerf bar. Marty Mclaugh was the happy recipient of the extended checker flag over Court Connell. Season point leader Steve Slusher was right in the mix for third.

What's remarkable about Mclaugh's victory was that he spun out early in the race and was relegated to the back of the pack and still survived for the win. Mclaugh also claimed the heat win.

Nevada Cam Coupes were next on the track, providing for another close win. Steve Stringer may have led from flag-to-flag but he had a mirror and side window of Bob Clark.

Clark was as pesky as ants at a picnic, pulling alongside of Stringer, only to be relegated to second place in the turns. Stringer was able to drive much deeper into the turns than Clark, thus pulling out the victory.

Mike Gray took third. Stringer was the Cam Coupe heat winner, as well.

Getting deeper into the racing program, the Super Stock class demonstrated how the effects of the heat were finally getting tempers to the boiling point. About half way through the race, Frank Bridwell started to flex his muscles and made taking the checker look easy. John Pietorazio was a distant second with Daniel Katzer, Dan Snowden and Dale Daffern rounding out the top five.

Tempers reached the boiling point as Snowden and points leader, Rick VanBuytene, exchanged 'pleasantries' between turn three and four prior to exiting the racing surface. VanBuytene was the heat one winner, with the highlight of that race seeing Milos Petaros almost disappear into a mud hole just off the racing surface in turn four.

Mud and water engulfed the car and required extrication by "the Hook."

Aaron Stalker grabbed the checker in the second heat.

I'm an IMCA junkie -- I admit it! The ground pounding, fire-belching modifieds arch up like male toms vying for the eye of the local female on the front and backstretches. They hike the left front wheel coming out of the turns under full power as they pass the grandstand in a blur of color. The smell of alcohol is euphoria for even the most timid fans. This is racing in its rawest form.

An uncharacteristically dirty car was what greeted me at the Jim Bonetti hauler. I asked the amiable Bonetti "didn't you have enough money to get your car washed?"

Bonetti prides himself on the appearance of any vehicle that he has ever piloted, from dwarf car to late model to the IMCA. Jim went on to explain that, "he was trying to change a recent string of bad luck and a dirty car just might be the key."

Heat one found IMCA rookie Ryan Roath, in his Excelerated chassis, taking the checker flag, further establishing his second place standing in the IMCA Western Region rookie-of-the-year race.

Roath is a former "King of the Hill" brawler and his crew chief fought in the "Toughman" contests. The real "Monster," Ronnie Williams wheeled his Shock chassis into second. Levi Kiefer and his BMS chassis IMCA finished third. Roath led from flag-to-flag.

Heat two found Bonetti's Skyrocket chassis taking a step closer to fulfilling his dream of getting the "monkey off his back." He not only captured the win; he made it look incredibly easy.

Jerry Buesig Jr. claimed second place, with Jon Jensen following a close third. The track was quickly transforming itself into a racing surface that promised to produce high-speed action for the feature event.

Ryan Cottrell started on the pole, flanked by Kiefer. For awhile it looked like the main would boil down to a photo finish between Kiefer and Bonetti, who provided the large crowd with some of the best side-by-side driving ever seen.

The anticipation of that close finish faded when Kiefer tossed a tire scattering the "rail birds" between turns one and two. Jeff Talley was black-flagged after he refused to bring up the rear after one of the many yellow flags diminishing the quality of the feature.

Judging by the reaction of the racing faithful, a beautiful hauler and show-quality car doesn't necessarily equate to a large backing of supporters.

The race ended with Bonetti realizing his prediction and Todd Nunally suffering a melt down in turn four as Jason Pike, in his Dirt Works, screamed by to claim second. Third went to Roath with Leland Hibdon taking fourth in his Craft chassis.

Kenny Olinger, crew chief for Kiefer, running in only his second modified race, claimed fifth in his GRT chassis IMCA. Tempers continued to boil and then simmered once Pahrump's finest arrived on the scene.

After the dust had cleared from the IMCA finale, the trophies handed out, and pictures snapped, the Mini Stock class brought to end an enjoyable, albeit hot evening of racing. I like to think of the Mini stocks as a primer class for further advancement up the learning curve of racing classes.

The extreme speeds witnessed by the IMCA feature diminished considerably when these "mighty mites" took the track.

The feature was anti-climactic and sort of ho-hum. Joe Rogers Jr. outlasted the largest field of competitors, followed to the checker by Rick Gast, Terri Little, Bill Delahunte with Tony Martin rounding out the top five. Heat race winners were Rick VanBuytene and Little.