Central Arizona Raceway
High-running Kirchoff sneaks around Sullivan
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
Eddie Kirchoff (5) catches Jack Sullivan (18). (DirtonDirt.com)
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 16) — Eddie Kirchoff never met a cushion he didn't like. With most of Central Arizona Raceway's Wild West Shootout action held during the daytime, the track surface hasn't provided the moist conditions necessary to build up a cushion, the ridge of mud around the high side drivers frequently use to guide their cars around the track. | Slideshow
Things were different on Wednesday night, the third leg of the miniseries and the only event held under the lights from start to finish. The 25-year-old Kirchoff was trying to figure where his car was fastest, and it didn't take him long to decide to try the cushion.
"I did the only thing I knew how to do: I just threw it in there against the corner and stood on it," the Gillette, Wyo., driver said. "The car wasn't working anywhere else."
Kirchoff made the right move as his high groove got better and better in the 30-lap feature. Polesitter Jack Sullivan ruled the first 21 laps of the race in a low groove that seemed to give up over the final laps of the unsanctioned feature.
With just over three laps remaining, Kirchoff swept around Sullivan exiting turn four. Sullivan edged back ahead a few times over the last few laps, but Kirchoff's high-side momentum carried the three-time NAPA Series champion to the checkered flag for perhaps the biggest victory of his career.
Thankfully toward the end there, I think the bottom started going away in (turns) three and four," Kirchoff said, "and I think Jack started slipping up a little bit there and losing traction, and that's kind of when I got the high line on him."
Sullivan, who won the 2006 Wild West Shootout finale, thought he was in good shape until seeing Kirchoff's No. 5 fly by.
"That's part of leading a race. You just don't really know what's going on behind you. Honestly, I was wondering if the top was better down there (in turns three and four), but they don't allow you to give signals here, and it's kind of hard to communicate," said the 32-year-old Sullivan. "The bottom just kind of went away there, and the top, and momentum starts, and that's kind of what happened there. He got a better run off of four there and just beat me at the line. Congrats to him, I'll catch him next time."
John Anderson of Omaha, Neb., who started 12th, finished third while 19th-starting Andrew McKay of Edina, Minn., bounced back from a heat-race accident to finish fourth in his first Central Arizona feature of 2008. Tucson native Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., rounded out the top five. David Murray of Oberlin, Kan., a four-time IMCA modified champion, ran among the top three in a Jess Anderson-owned car over the first 21 laps, but a deflating left-rear tire over the final 10 laps spoiled the 40-year-old's impressive run.
Kirchoff, who started sixth and earned the second spot for good by the 16th lap, had timing on his side. "I didn't want to show my cards too early, so I kept on hesitating and taking my time until I saw the flagman hold out his fist," he said. "I assumed that meant five to go, and that's when I started going as hard as I could go."
Notebook
Eddie Kirchoff's MasterSbilt from Mars entry has a Jay Dickens Racing Engine and sponsorship from ESSI Motorsports, Dagwood Lettering and Graphics and K&K Import Repair. ... Kirchoff is a three-time champion on the NAPA Muscular Dystrophy Association Series (2004-06) and is tied with Eric Mass (who is also in Central Arizona) for the career lead in all-time NAPA victories with 13. ... Kirchoff branched out in 2007 by capturing the Colorado Late Model Association championship and following the United Midwestern Promoters Summernationals. ... The feature was slowed by five caution flags, none for serious incidents, but it often took several laps to reset the lineups. ... Keith Noyes spun between turns one and two on the fourth lap. ... Another caution appeared on the ninth lap after three cars in a row (Paul Mueller, Mark Voigt, Mark Tahtinen) went over the turn-two banking. ... Terry Phillips slowed with a flat tire on the 12th lap. ... Jeremy Payne got turned around in turn two on the 13th lap, but officials blamed Trevor Glaser for the spin and Payne was returned to his fifth spot. ... Glaser was black-flagged during a lap-21 caution after officials charged him with spinning Voigt between turns one and two. ... Brad Looney went over the banking in his heat race and then ran into trouble at the start of his consolation race. ... Among newcoming drivers to the Arizona action were Paul Mueller of Bismarck, N.D., who brought along Cody Skytland of Edmore, N.D., to drive his backup car. Ed Turnbull of Estevan, Saskatchewan, also joined the action along with Brad Seng of Grand Forks, N.D., who returned to his own No. 12 after Wisconsin driver Pat Doar subbed in the car Jan. 12-13. Steve Drake of San Luis Obispo, Calif., winner of the inaugural Central Arizona winter action in 2001, also made an appearance but struggled. Drake's No. 11x got banged up in his heat race and then broke a fuel pump in the consolation race while running in a transfer spot. ... Keith Noyes was back in his No. 3 after modified driver Jason Noll had subbed in the car in Sunday's action. ... Randy Carder competed in the crate division Saturday but returned on Wednesday to run with the Super Late Models. ... The Wild West Shootout wraps up over the weekend with a $3,000-to-win event on Saturday and a $7,500-to-win event on Sunday.
