Troy Regier, driver of the S&S Motorsports supermodified, gives a thumbs up to the crowd after winning the annual Harvest Classic at Madera Speedway in Madera, Calif. Saturday night. Regier also won the 2005 championship for the Supermodified Racing League. Photo by Jack Rhyne
It must have something to do with being a farmer.
Troy Regier driver of the baby blue No. 98 S&S Motorsports supermodified racecar, mowed down car after car during the Harvest Classic at Madera (Calif.) Speedway Saturday to win the Harvest Classic Twin 50s and the 2005 Supermodified Racing League Championship.
All under a harvest moon.
Regier won his sixth supermodified championship (1998-'99-'00-'01-2004-'05) bringing with it the second championship (2004-2005) for car owners Tom Silsby and Steve Shaw - S&S Motorsports of Carson City. This gives Regier three wins this season at Madera - located less than an hour's drive from his home in Dinuba in Central California - and eight main event wins in 10 races overall.
"It was a good night," Regier said after the two races. "The crew gave me what I wanted (in the car.)"
For the Harvest Classic, the drivers would earn points through qualifying and finishing position in each of the 50-lap races. Whoever earned the most overall points, would be declared the winner.
Regier posted fast time with a 12.539 on the 1/3-mile oval. Second-fast qualifier was A.J. Russell with a 12.564, and third went to Jeff Russell with a 12.760. As fast qualifier, Regier drew from six cards to determine the invert number for each of the main events. The number drawn was eight, putting Regier on the outside of the fourth row for the start of the first race. Laps under yellow would not be counted.
The first of five cautions came out on lap 8 after A.J. Russell broke a drive line. Regier had advanced to fifth position. The second caution came on lap 21 as the car of Dave Marsili slowed to a stop on the front stretch. Regier was now in second, behind race leader Kirk Wartman.
At the restart of the race, Regier nosed his way inside Wartman on the front stretch, taking the lead as the cars entered turn 1, and never looked back.
"The crew did a fantastic job getting the car just right," Regier said after the first race. "It made it fun and made it easy."
Shaw noted Regier sputtered to a stop on the front stretch at the conclusion of the first race, as he was nearly out of fuel.
"We have never, ever used that much fuel," said Silsby. "We actually ran 117 laps in that first race. Fifty green and 67 under caution. That was ridiculous.
"But we made some minor changes in between and had no concerns at all with the car. The car is usually rock solid because it's maintained very well. Overall, this season, we had an 80 percent win ratio. We're pretty happy with that."
The second 50 laps would be a complete invert of the finishing order of the first race for all cars on the lead lap, but in a single-file restart. Laps under yellow were counted.
At the drop of the green flag on race two, Regier wasted no time in working his way to the front, passing one then two cars at a time. He took the lead on lap 7 and easily drove away from the field. He was focused and in charge.
At the third caution of the race at 10:30 p.m. the race was called at lap 34 due to time curfew. No matter, Regier had a 15-car length lead over Mike Baisch in second with nobody left to challenge him.
"It was a good night," Regier said. "I didn't think I'd get through the second '50' as fast as I did. It was a cool way to end the year."
"We put a good car under Troy and he did the rest," Shaw said. "It was a great way to finish the season and give us momentum into next year."
Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.