Riverside Int'l Speedway
Riverside gives Camponovo CCSDS sweep
By Ben Shelton
Comp Cams Super Dirt SeriesWEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (June 22) — Pole-starting Ross Camponovo of Clarksdale, Miss., completed a weekend sweep Saturday on the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series with a victory at Riverside International Speedway, leading all 35 laps while surviving a last-lap challenge.
Camponovo, who entered the weekend without a tour victory, earned $2,000 at West Memphis in following up his Friday night victory at Camden (Tenn.) Speedway.
Ashley Newman of Ripley, Tenn., finished a close second at the quarter-mile oval while a trio of Arkansas drivers rounded out the top five: Jon Kirby of Russellville, Robert Baker of Bryant and Jeff Floyd of Walnut Ridge.
The race was slow-starting when Robert Baker tagged an infield tire on the first corner, spinning up the track and collecting several drivers to trigger a red flag.
On the complete restart, Camponovo took the lead with Kirby, Newman and Joseph Long giving chase. The leader worked lapped traffic after just a few laps and stayed in control before a lap-15 yellow appeared for series points leader Kyle Beard, whose car had nosepiece damage.
After a final caution a lap later, Camponovo edged out to a comfortable lead. But his straightaway margin was erased in the late las as Newman closed in. On the final lap, Newman drove under Camponovo to edge ahead on the backstretch. But Camponovo used a strong high-side turns in turns three and four to go back ahead and earn a narrow victory.
Notes: Camponovo’s winning car is powered by an RPM Racing Engine and sponsored by Camponovo Farms, Young Farms Partnership, Marion Towing and Schaeffer’s Racing Oil. ... Jeff Floyd earned the Larry Shaw Race Cars Hard Charger $100 bonus with his 13th-to-eighth run. ... Allen Murray was awarded the Quarter Master Hard Luck Award when mechanical woes after time trials forced him to scratch from the balance of the program. ... Other drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Larry Potter and Joshua Kahler. ... CCSDS officials announced late June races have been postponed to August. Events at Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee, Okla., and Crawford County Speedway in Van Buren, Ark., have been rescheduled for Aug. 9-10. ... Next up on the series is a July 6 stop at Greenville (Miss.) Speedway.
Comp Cams @ Riverside: (1) Ross Camponovo, (2) Ashley Newman, (3) Jon Kirby, (4) Robert Baker, (5) Jeff Floyd, (6) Chandler Petty, (7) Kyle Beard, (8) Mason Oberkramer, (9) Lynn Irwin, (10) Clay Fisher, (11) Austin Rettig, (12) Kody Mea, (13) Joseph Long, (14) Tommy Surrett, (15) Ricky Vandergrif, (16) Dillon Knight, (17) T.J. Hughes, (18) Keith Craft, (19) Mike Carr, (20) Lynn Beach. Fast qualifier (among 23 cars): Camponovo. Heat race winners: Camponovo, Kirby, Long.
