BUZZ SODEMAN The Buzzman SPECIAL TO THE PVT Mike Lysinger of Pahrump raced at Mohave Valley Raceway and plans to compete in some other races in his blue-and-gold car. Advertisement

As the racing season heads for the checkered flag, there is some serious money up for grabs for modified drivers, including Pahrump's Michael Lysinger, on Saturday at Mohave Valley Raceway.

Lysinger took his new car to the track, located just north of Needles, Calif., that bills itself as the fastest third-mile in the West.

Lysinger, along with what the announcer/promoter/owner Joe Morbito described "as a busload of supporters from Pahrump", not only won a heat race but also the feature in the Hornets division on The Night of Champions.

This is the first time that Lysinger has raced in five months. In earning the cash and the trophy, he soundly defeated the newly crowned 2007 Hornet Track Champion, Keith Cottom, by nearly a straightaway.

The victory catapulted Lysinger into a 16th place in track championship points, tying him with another Pahrump racer, Terri Little.

The five-month layoff certainly didn't dull Lysinger's reaction to the drop of the green, as he made a bold move that rocketed his car from inside the second row to first before turn one. The immaculate blue and gold car was never challenged and even managed to lap a couple opponents before heading to victory circle.

After accepting the trophy and applause, Lysinger complimented the track promoter "on the pristine condition of the track. It was the smoothest track I have ever been on."

Lysinger admitted to being a little sore after driving his car for the first time.

"I didn't even get a chance to hot lap the car and it was my first time behind the wheel of this car in a race. It was scary fast and stuck to the track like it was on rails," said Lysinger, who thanked his sponsors -- Bullet Proof Transmissions, VanBuytene Landscape Maintenance, Las Vegas Tattoo, Accents Performance Automotive out of Indio, CA, Grease Monkey, Buzzman Photos and special friend, Rhonda.

Three-wide racing over the last several laps highlighted the IMCA Modified feature won by Rick Durica, who edged Dan Fitzgerald and Ronnie Williams.

Rounding out the top five were Billy Meyer and Jeff Shepherd. Fitzgerald finished 13th in the track standings with 286 points.

Lysinger is now looking forward to $5,000 to win event at Bakersfield, Calif.; that race is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 27. It is tentative because the promoter is seeking pre-registration (a new and innovative way for promoters to determine if there is interest in the event and if it will pull what the promoter hopes will be a large field).

Lysinger is promising a stable of three to five cars for the opening of Death Valley Raceway in early 2008. There will be more on this later.

Dan Snowden, driving crew chief Billy Couch's super stock, instead of his usual Nova, was fifth in the Super Stock main event. Snowden finished 11th at Mohave; he also had the highest race finish average of all super stock drivers.

Another big money show that just concluded this past weekend was held in Tulare, Calif. The Tulare Thunder Bowl hosted the U.S. Western Modified Nationals with a $20,000 to win payday.

Racing that began on Thursday and continued through Saturday wasn't without problems, according to Pahrump's Leland Hibdon, a modified driver and chassis builder.

"I heard that the track conditions were pretty bad and getting worse. Several drivers sustained damage to their cars," said Hibdon, who had some friends compete at that track.

The worsening track conditions caused the cancellation of further racing action on Thursday after heats were concluded, with racing to resume on Friday morning.

According to track officials, "the 50 truck loads of new clay that was added to the racing surface over the last month was being temperamental as various rough spots had developed."

Jason Hughes from Oklahoma came back on Saturday to win the $20,000. Hughes also started from the inside of the second row and withstood the stout challenge by Bobby Hogge IV, of Salinas, Calif., who earned $10,000.

Hughes' teammate, Tommy Weder Jr., was third and received $5,000.

Pahrump's Todd Nunnally has a verbal commitment that Jay Noteboom will drive his Bulletproof Transmissions, Harris-chassis modified in the Duel in the Desert at Las Vegas.

Nunnally was also approached by officials at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway about donating his ride for an All-Star dirt-track race Oct. 27.

Several NHRA straight liners want to find out what it's like to turn left. Nunnally is still trying to decide if the offer is worth the possible damage to his racecar, "I'd do it if I knew that John Force (now out of the picture due to a catastrophic crash) or Cruz Pedregon was racing my car."

Las Vegas driver Jeff Talley has already committed a couple of his modifieds for the event, which is the undercard for USAC sprint and CRA midget races.

Pedregon, Ron Capps and Gary Scelzi have some time in other race machines than their usual Funny car rides.

Speaking of the NHRA, its founder, Wally Parks, passed away last week at the age of 94.

Jason Pike had expressed an interest in competing in at a big money race at the Texas Motor Speedway dirt track which ran this past weekend. The purse was a $2,000 to win, but I understand that business kept him here in Pahrump. No results were posted on the TMS website.

Speaking of Pike, it was announced last week that the Pike family has turned over the operation of the Death Valley Raceway to Rick VanBuytene, who is now listed as the director of operations/promoter at the facility, located in the Amargosa Valley.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the rebirth of the AZNEV racing series with Mohave Valley Raceway. I am told there is a test and tune tentatively scheduled in the next four to six weeks.

Mohave Valley Raceway will host its Western States Modified Nationals Oct. 12-13; the rain date is Oct. 14. Heat races will be lined up by entry dates on entry blanks on their website. The winner of this event will pick up $3,000.

Other large payout events include Abilene, Texas, ($3,000 to win - Oct. 19-21), Beatrice, Neb., ($3,000 to win - this weekend), and the Duel in the Desert at the LVMS dirt track ($5,000 to win, possibly with a Deal or No Deal option - Nov. 15-17).