BUZZ SODEMAN MORE COLUMNS SPECIAL TO THE PVT Dan Snowden was among the competitors at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a recent stock car race. Advertisement

Chris Blair, vice president of racing operations, and John Bisci, media relations manager for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, along with driver J.J. Nunn, tested the dirt half-mile oval, the day after the increasingly successful Duel in the Desert.

Once these three gentlemen posted the event on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Web site, the chat rooms and racing sites were abuzz with questions and more questions.

What kind of gears seemed to be the most asked question as drivers dusted off cars that have had sat silently for an entire season, for whatever reason.

Some of the participants were so anxious that they had their cars sitting at the pit gate before the 'Duel' even completed its last lap.

This was a chance to show the new power brokers that there is indeed a contingent of racers and fans who will turn out for a Sunday afternoon race that doesn't have NASCAR or Nextel Cup as a prefix.

Despite a slim crowd in the stands, a good time was had by all. Sprinkled amongst the usual spectators were Jim and Lin Deinis and Kelly Monahan, who were fixtures at the Pahrump Valley Speedway and are an integral part of the history of the storied track.

Dan Fitzgerald showed up to cheer on Clifton King and at least for one day, "It was all good." Unfortunately, the practice session took its toll on several drivers who were looking to make an impression.

Nunn's car suffered the loss of a wheel and axle, Pahrump's Mike Lysinger dealt with clutch demons, 2006 Pahrump super stock champion Rick VanBuytene apparently got all the rust washed off his car and suffered from maladies, as well.

Other bomber drivers who were ailing were Jason Gray, whose car's engine was ready to blow, and Dale Walters, who was also dealing with his own gremlins.

The undercard consisted of mini stocks and super stocks. There were the retro Legends and Nevada Cam Coupes and an exhibition by the ultra-sleek looking Bandaleros. The headliners were the bombers; perhaps the most popular class at the Pahrump Valley Speedway.

You can call them bombers, Detroit Iron or just plain tuna boats. Quite simply they carried the Pahrump track and they were primed and ready for 50 laps of bumpin' and bangin'.

It was only appropriate that they would open the show not to Michael Puffer's "Let's get ready to rumble," but the golden chords of Chet, the former voice at the Pahrump track.

The inaugural 50-lap bomber feature looked like it was going to be dominated by Bryan Gerald.

Drivers were holding back and with just five laps left, the action heated up with Gerald getting into the newly crowned Bull Ring bomber champion, Larry Dittman.

The subsequent contact put Dittman on the point with Billy Bob Grasser locked to his rear bumper like a heat seeking missile.

After the white flag was displayed, Grasser used a lapped car as a screen and outraced Dittman to the checkered flag.

Gerald held on for third. Heat winners were Gary Wyatt, the 2006 Vegas Bull Ring bomber champion, and Dittman.

A special shout goes to Richard Weseman, who for whatever reason has never had what could be called a competitive race car, at the Pahrump track.

The thrill of all that open space and the wind whipping through the windshield had not only his bomber looking stout but also his mini stock.

The mini stock 20-lap feature was won by Pahrump's Eric Slusher, who took the point on lap 19 and was never seriously challenged.

The relatively yellow free race (only one for a blown tire on a car driven by Pahrump's Chad Broadhead) had Michael Brown and Brandon Madden rounding out the podium. The heat winner was Slusher.

Dan Snowden, behind the wheel of a new super stock that has won five of six races, faced a formable list of adversaries, most notably George Fronsman from Surprise, Ariz.

Fronsman was taking a break after running a very successful season in a IMCA Modified. In a race that came down to one car or another handling just a little bit better, it was Fronsman claiming the 20-lap crown. Fronsman made it look easy, leading from green to checkered flags.

Second was Dan Katzer while Perry Misener rounded out the top three. Snowden, who was battling near the top three most of the race, settled for fifth. Heat winners were Fronsman and Manny Avila.

An unusually large turnout of beautifully prepared cam coupes may have established them as a support division at the Bull Ring next season.

In Pahrump, the cam coupes appeared destined for the Smithsonian. Donny Berger used 50 plus years of racing experience to seal the deal in the feature. Pahrump's Frank Bridwell wheeled his mount into the second position followed by Chris Hewitt.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the Bull Ring Legend racers arrived in large volumes to support the Day after the Duel.

These are asphalt racers and they looked fast on the dirt. Dustin Ash, the 2007 super late model champion and NASCAR's Whelen All-American Champion, was dominant throughout the 20-lap main event, leading 19 laps.

Lapped cars played a part in determining the winner as Karl Forman and Mike Gubler took advantage of them to snatch the victory from Ash. The order of finish was Forman, Gubler and Ash. The heat winner was Bear Rzesnowicky.

With the drop of the bomber checkered flag, the oval track racing season came to an end in Southern Nevada.