Rhonda Costa-Landers/Nevada AppealS&S Motorsports supermodified driver Troy Regier in the No. 98 makes an inside pass in turn 2 on Justin Belfiore, No. 8, during their heat race Saturday at Madera Speedway in Madera, Calif. Regier won the heat race and the 50-lap main event at the Supermodified Racing Association's season opener Saturday.
MADERA, Calif. - Troy Regier, driver of the No. 98 S&S Motorsports supermodified gave an impressive show Saturday with at the season-opening race of the Supermodified Racing Association at Madera Speedway in Madera, Calif.
Regier not only posted fast qualifying time at the one-third mile track, he won his heat race (after starting at the back) and easily took the 50-lap main event, lapping all but the second and third-place cars in the field of 16.
"When I first got in the car for hot laps today (Saturday), the car felt real good," Regier said. "I'm happy."
The team wasn't so happy Friday during practice sessions. Changes were made to the shocks, tires, torsion bar, panhard bar, top wing, gears and brakes, in efforts to find the best set up. After nearly six hours work, they were hoping for the best.
"It all worked - Troy's pretty happy again," said co-owner Tom Silsby. "It's nice to have this figured out at the first race of the season."
Regier was passing low on the inside and immediately moving up the track to take another car on the high side. On the restart after the first caution, Regier made a pass on the inside of Mike McCann for the lead in turn 1, and found out he lost his front brakes.
"I had to keep pumping them to get them to come back," Regier said.
"He can do anything with that racecar," said Steve Shaw, co-owner. "Troy really is a great driver."
Other Nevada cars making the race were Dale Lamborn of Carson City, who unfortunately may have broken a drive line at the start of the race.
"One of two shafts in the rear end broke," Lamborn said. "I won't know until we start looking at it, and, how bad it is.
"The car tached out at 10,000 rpm. And that's as high as the tachometer goes."
Driving for Courtney Lewis and Mike Burts of Reno, is Ernie Coppo Jr. Coppo started in the fifth position and finished fourth, one lap down.
"I was loose at the beginning then started running a good line," Coppo said. "It felt good.
"The car started coming in at the end of the race. Courtney and Mike put a fantastic car together."
From Dayton, owner/driver Whitey Jansenn was running fairly well when the car developed a vibration and he pulled to the infield on lap 12.
"The car felt good until then," he said.
Coppo won the first heat race with Martin McKeefery of Milpitas, Calif. finishing second and Lance Jackson Kingsburg, Calif. third. Regier won the second heat with Justin Belfiore of Ipswich, Mass. taking second and Bobby Dalton of San Martin, Calif. third. Jeff Russell of Boise, Idaho won the third heat with Lamborn finishing second and Kenny Kinchen of Clovis, Calif. taking third. Dalton also won the trophy dash.
"I'm thankful to the guys for the hard work they put in on the car," Regier added. "The car's driving like it should."
Finishing second in the main event was Russell, Dalton third, Coppo fourth and rounding out the field were: McKeefery, Kenny White, Lance Tatro, Kinchen, Jackson, David Gassett, Donne Large, Belfiore, Mike Johnson, Janssen, McCann and Lamborn.
DNA Racing teammates Eric Silsby and Amy Barnes did not make the race.
Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.