Saguaro Speedway
Whitwell wins fourth straight on SWDRA tour
By M.J. Anderson
DirtonDirt.com correspondentTUCSON, Ariz. (Sept. 29) — Hometown driver R.C. Whitwell drove his Mike and Sue Tahtinen-owned machine to his fourth consecutive Southwest Dirt Racing Assocation victory, earning $1,000 at the 3/8-mile oval.
After the first attempt to start the race was slowed by a three-car tangle on the backstretch, polesitter James Chavez Jr. of Tucson, took the lead going into turn one on the second start with Whitwell grabbing the second spot at the exit of turn two.
Whitwell wasted little time establishing his dominance, overtaking Chavez exiting turn two on lap three and never looking back.
Lonnie Parker Jr. of El Mirage, Ariz., fought his way to second on lap 10 but couldn’t keep up with Whitwell even with a caution erasing the leader’s advantage on lap 13.
Parker settled for the runner-up finish with Chavez taking third ahead of Phoenix, Ariz., drivers Joey Moriarty and Anthony Madrid.
Notes: Whitwell also won the evening’s open-wheel modified main event. … Modified driver Dane Jorgenson drove Brad Williams’ No. 23 car to an eighth-place finish in his first Late Model start. … Jeff Manka was back in the driver’s seat in No. 36, making his first SWDRA start in a car formally driven by Jeremy Thornton and Doug Paxson. … The SWDRA tour takes a lengthy break before wrapping up the season with a Nov. 9-10 doubleheader at Canyon Speedway in Peoria, Ariz.
SWDRA @ Tucson: (1) R.C. Whitwell, (2) Lonnie Parker Jr., (3) James Chavez Jr., (4) Joey Moriarty, (5) Anthony Madrid, (6) John Cornell, (7) Chris Duchac, (8) Dane Jorgenson, (9) Steve Francis Jr., (10) Bucky Andrews, (11) Jeff Manka, (12) Doug Paxson, (13) Bruce Duckett, (14) Bud Grossenbacher, (15) Jerry Fincher, (16) Wes Hall. Heat winners: Whitwell, Parker. Dash winner: Cornell.
