BUZZ SODEMAN The Buzzman SPECIAL TO THE PVT Jim Eiland, 69 years young and a resident of Taft, Calif., refuels his vintage sprint car at the Pahrump Valley Speedway, last weekend. SPECIAL TO THE PVT The No. 15 sprint car also appeared at the quarter-mile dirt oval. Advertisement

After nearly six hours of racing, countless yellow flags and a black flag that up until Saturday had been dormant, I declare the winner of the Fall Festival to be the fans that were still around at 1 a.m.

It is a tribute to the racers that at least half of the near capacity stands witnessed the culmination of two nights of racing.

Saturday evening brought out several racers who hadn't participated in Friday evening festivities and this was true in outlaw karts, whose numbers swelled to over double from Friday.

Austin Black realized the importance of the term "clean air," as he not only fought off the challenges of 2006 track champion Taylor Bonetti but also dealt with an unusually dry and dusty track.

The conditions, as well as, the racing frenzy generated by the Fall Festival were responsible for several yellow flags.

There was also more than the usual banging and bumping, as the youngsters took full advantage of their time in the spotlight. While my race results are totally unofficial, I'm not sure who rounded out the podium but I believe that it was Cole Hammick again visibility was poor at best.

A couple more mini stocks joined the party Saturday, but it didn't diminish the action on the track. After Friday night's feature winner Frankie England was squeezed into the frontstretch wall, visitors to the track were guaranteed a new feature winner.

The aggressive driving surely must have been an omen to new flagman Steve Slusher. He responded by issuing warnings to drivers. Mike Lysinger took advantage of great restarts and lapped traffic to capture the main event.

The win didn't come easy as fan favorite Terri Little had worked her way through the pack to actually pass Lysinger on the backstretch. Lysinger fought back and relegated Little to second as they passed under the flagstand.

"Rapid Rick" VanBuytene, seeking to capture track championships in two classes within the same year, was a solid third. Heat winners were John Burch Sr., Tony Martin and Bill Delahunte.

The mini stocks have one more race before their premier event, the Pahrump Valley's version of their Mini Stock Nationals. The Nationals are scheduled for Oct. 21.

Dustin "Harry Potter" Oliver has assured me that he will be on the track with Firebolt Quidditch prominently displayed this coming weekend. I have become a fan of this youngster, who has taken my good-natured ribbing in stride.

The nearly indestructible bombers were the next to test the patience of Slusher and his yellow flag. Their ranks increased by one over Friday with the addition of Junior Warton; unfortunately, his fellow competitors didn't allow for any beginner's luck.

Phil Goodwin became the first driver to lay claim to the title Fall Classic champion. Goodwin completely dominated the division, capturing both heats and main events over the two days. The Fords of Anthony Finley and Bill Delahunte chased Goodwin's 1984 Oldsmobile 88 to the checkered flag.

To give you an indication of this class' indestructibility, Wade Pearson's 1976 Monte Carlo took a shot between the wheel well and the driver's side door hardly a dent more like a scratch.

Friday evening, J.J. Nunn took the measure of the turn four wall and barely slowed down. There's something to be said about the rolling iron that came off the assembly line in the mid-seventies.

If the minis and bombers tested the reserve of flagman Slusher, the super stocks came very close to pushing him over the edge.

At some point or another, every driver deserved at least a warning from the dreaded black flag, an indication that retirement to the pits is forthcoming. Stacy Stinson, Mike Suber, Dale Daffern, Beau Gott, and Frank Bridwell were sent fuming to the pits in what has always been a rock'em, sock'em division.

The usually amicable Flyin' Bryan Wulfenstein was given a warning, but he was able to finish second in the feature just behind 15-year old Peanut Gott, who also claimed a heat win.

I have been told that this is Gott's first feature win this season. Doug Humphries was unable to repeat in the main and settled for third. Humphries was obviously down in power compared to Friday night's win.

Speculation in the spectator stands was that he needed more gear for the changing track conditions. The hard-luck racer had to be Daniel Katzer, who led most of the race and was clearly in the cat bird's seat until his right tire blew.

He held on to finish the race, but the car sustained considerable sheet metal damage.

Dan Snowden captured the other heat win in a race that welcomed first time track competitor Garrett McCaslin. The rude awakening of being passed on each side by the super stock young guns may have had McCaslin wondering if eight seconds on a bronco was a picnic compared to 20 minutes on a track surrounded by sometimes misguided horsepower.

Rob Connell has been driving with a renewed vigor and has dedicated every race to his father, Whispering Bill Connell, who has been ailing of late.

This new dedication has also seen Rob driving with a more reckless abandon or purpose and it was never more evident than his win in the pro-4 feature.

Eric Sheinberg also helped him out, when early race leader Terri Little was broadsided right under the flagstand.

Little was left wondering, what could have been her first pro-4 feature win, while she sat in her car at the end of the hook.

Sheinberg would rebound from the incident and take second, while Terri's husband Cory made it into third. Seems neither Little was destined to capture the checker as Cory had the lead early in the race only to spin out and get passed. Pro-4 2006 track champion Marty Mclaugh was the victor in the heat.

The Sharron clan brought back their micro sprints; they were optimistic that their appearance would generate a renewed interest in their division.

Unfortunately, the irritating sound of six or seven of these mini missiles over a 10- to 15-lap race really doesn't help their cause. There's no mistaking the fact, that when properly tuned, these mighty mites are very fast.

The Sharrons indicated in their Friday main event, that they were turning laps quicker than the IMCA's feature. I find that there is no comparison between the two. Eddie Sharron (whose machine is considerably quieter than others in the class) rebounded from a second place finish in the heat to lay claim to the feature event.

Pahrump's Bob Clark finished second, well ahead of third-place finisher Erin Sharron. Errol Sharron was the heat winner, with Rick VanBuytene claiming third.

Clark matched his second- place finish in micro sprints with a second place finish in Nevada Cam Coupes.

Brett Iverson swept the slim field, taking the heat and main which found Todd Nunnally's older brother, Will, taking third.

A copilot in a two-seater coupe that had been previously campaigned by Steve Stringer accompanied Nunnally. Will became an unwilling participant in an accident that claimed heat race leader Sam Stringer.

Nunnally was several laps down when he got out of shape and gathered up Stringer right under the flagstand.

Stringer left with what appeared to be severe rear end damage. As a testament to the thrash that takes place in the pits, Stringer was able to make the main but was far less competitive.

By the time that the IMCA Modifieds entered the track, conditions had deteriorated beyond the dry slick that track champion Leland Hibdon had hoped for.

Announcer Ray Elam aptly described the track as "trying to drive on ice."

Randy Thornell found the track conditions to his liking and powered his way to the checkered flag.

The track conditions dictated the pace and what could have been a heavyweight bout turned into nothing more than a lightweight prelim.

The difference between Friday night and Saturday's main events was clearly evident when all top five IMCA modifieds arrived at the checker totally intact.

Todd Nunnally, in his Bulletproof transmission- sponsored ride, took second. Following in order were Jon Jensen, Joe Haresky and Hibdon.

IMCA heat races dealt with a tacky track and resulted in closer competition and some attrition.

Thornell dogged Jensen throughout heat one and waited until turn four on the last lap to get underneath the BMS chassis of Jensen, then he won the drag race to the checkered flag.

Josh Stringer had a strong third-place finish. Attrition took its toll in heat two as only two cars survived to the checker. Jim Bonetti rebounded from contact with the backstretch wall on Friday to take the heat win.

Nunnally was in close pursuit and settled for second. Boozer Gott would have sealed down third but left for the pits (the last to do so) and received a DNF. Levi Kiefer's car suffered a blown engine and was parked for the remainder of the evening.

The vintage sprints and midgets only ran a heat race apiece and with tongue in cheek humor, it may have been past some of these elder statesmen bedtime.

In all honesty, these gentlemen were very accommodating and excellent representatives for their organization, the Western Racing Association.

Shelby York, 72-years young, from Placentia, Calif., won the Midget heat.

Les Stark, who is 77 years old, and hails from Apple Valley,Calif., was second.

The youngest on the podium was Donny Meltonfrom San Bernardino, Calif. Melton was just a mere 70.

Three-time Santa Maria Speedway track Champion, Kenny Van Blargen (74 years old) of Paso Robles, Calif., bested youngsters Tony Simon (55) of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and Steve Waugh (65) from Barstow, Calif.

What makes Simon's feat more significant is the fact that he piloted the Ford V-8 roadster with one arm. Simon lost his arm in a sprint car accident in 1974 at the historic Ascot Speedway. When Simon straps in, the need for speed overcomes what many would consider a handicap.

Also in this race were two gentlemen that are 83 years young, Bill Gerard from Santa Ana, Calif., and Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee, Walt James from Acton, Calif.