HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Mini Stocks round the first turn at Pahrump Valley Speedway. HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Keith Gotts' Modified gets worked over in the pits. HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Mini Stocks head for the finish line. Advertisement

The Pahrump Valley Speedway was so packed on re-opening night Saturday that attendees were going home to bring back their own lawn chairs.

"It was pretty busy night," said owner Chad Broadhead, who got things started in the heavy heat around 7:30 p.m. and finished up as rain was threatening around 12:30 in the morning.

"People really miss the old track," he said. "They just had a good time. We were doing family passes, gave out a lot of stuff, and the food was cheap."

Most of the crowd stayed through the races, he said. "It was just a good night. Overall it was an awesome, awesome night."

Sixty-six vehicles were involved in seven different classes. Broadhead said he tried to get going at 7 p.m., but there were still cars lined up down Basin Road to the DMV building at that time.

Broadhead said he had been working toward Saturday's opening since last November and had hoped to open for business in May, "but it was just the way things were going."

As for the action on the track, there were a lot of yellow caution flags and even a smattering of black flags for rough driving, he said. "Basically we came out and showed them, 'You guys will give a little bit, but you can't walk on us just because we're new at this.'"

The track held up well, said Broadhead, even after two years of peace and quiet.

Rookie driver Austin Sanders was a pleasant surprise, taking the win in the main event for the mini stocks. "His first race ever, and he gave them the show of a lifetime," Broadhead said.

The next event is Aug 1. "That's when the dwarf cars will be here, mini stocks, pro stocks, street stocks, classic coupes and I believe the bomber," Broadhead said.

Bombers

1. Billy Grasser

2. Anthony Finley

3. Derick Day

Modified Minis

1. Rick Gast

2. Bubba Ray

3. John Dearborn

Coupes

1. Frank Bridwell

2. Michael Hildebrand

3.Jamie Hall

Modifieds

1. Dan Fitzgerald

2. Robert Smotherman

3. Jerry Buesig

Mini Stocks

1. Austin Sanders

2. John Burch

3. Sue Smotherman

Street Stocks

1. Dale Daffem

2. Mike Peteros

3. Pete Wallace

Pro Stocks

1. Wyatt Ehrp

2. Bryan Wulfenstein

3. Dan Snowden