Rattlesnake racers pick off weak links

A crash or a t-bone didn’t spell misfortune for every driver at Rattlesnake Raceway last weekend with racers both old and new surging to the top of the points list.

Results

Saturday: While Jim Paulk won the first heat of the Gen-X races, crowd favorite Chris Jimenez flipped the script to win the main race. Stephanie Hornback came third in the first heat but second in the main race.

Galen Reece took the first heat of the SS4 over Steven Crooke who took back first in the main race, followed by Reece at second and Janet Lyford who won third in both races.

After four heats of the Hobby Stock races, David Ausano came first in the main race despite coming second in his heat to Jimmy Berhorst, Cody Morris took second in the main race and Mikki Beauchat third.

Bob Cooney took first in the Sprint race but fell to fifth in the main race. Trey Walters took first in the main race followed by Joe Hood, Dave Steverson and Wade Lumsden.

Sunday: Jimenez led the pack once again in both the first heat and the main race followed by times by Hornback at second and Paulk in third who had a chance to take the main if not for a red flag.

Reece also took both the first heat and main race of the SS4 followed by Crooke who won second in the main and Lyford who took third again.

Ausano rolled out of the first heat after a collision with Jesse Irwin with both Ausano’s right side tires ripped at the chords, though he ultimately took first in the first heat. Ausano fell to seventh in the Hobby main while Beauchat won first followed by Bob Vaden and Cody Morris.

Cory Sample won the main IMCA followed by Jeff Olschowka in second and Joel Myers in third, the two of which were first and second in the first heat of four heats.

Cooney dominated the first heat and main Sprint race with a commanding lead and little variance in the order behind him. Hood and Stevenson took second and third behind Cooney in both races.

Points leaders: Jimenez leads the Gen-X racers with 120 points followed by Hornback at 114.

Torri Edgington, who won the second heat over Beauchat by photo finish despite being t-boned earlier, still leads Hobby Stock with 108 points followed by Michael Bartlett at 96 and Jeff Tuttle at 94. Berhorst is fourth with 92 while Morris, Shane Cazel and Beuchat tied for fifth at 91 each.

Sample leads the IMCA bracket with 107 points followed by Mike White at 103 and Robert MIller at 102.