datasets.iitb.crawledDocs.yn_08Oct08_file_280 Maven / Gradle / Ivy

    community VOICE | Welcome, crappiekrazy | Search: Site Web > | | Font Size Related Multimedia Other Articles in this Category Most Viewed Stories Most Commented Stories Most Recommended Stories Save & Share this Article These icons link to social bookmarking sites where you can share this story and discover new Web pages. Allen revels in Modifieds title | 0 October 8, 2008 - 12:56AM ALTAMAHAW - After burning his No. 10 car's tires on the backstretch and then playfully blasting a second dose of smoke on the pumped-up inhabitants of Ace Speedway's VIP area, Brad Allen climbed out and lost himself last week in Victory Lane. That's where a legion of fans gathered to rejoice and soak in the history surrounding Allen's three-peat Modifieds championship - the first time any driver had won three straight titles in any division since the track became sanctioned by NASCAR in 1990. Allen held nothing back, and everything came pouring out. There were all sorts of emotion, appreciation, personal life frustration and perspective attached to his latest championship in Ace's top support class. The Burlington driver also paused to reflect on the manner in which he accomplished the unprecedented. "We probably didn't do this the way we should have this year," he said. "My dad, he wants to race to win every week. We raced the system. We sat out some races. But when the Chase came, I told them I'd be ready." Indeed, Allen checked in fourth this season in terms of total Modifieds points accrued. But he delivered four runner-up finishes and two victories in the Champion Chase's season-ending format of eight races. He produced his sixth victory of the season in last week's first of two 25-lap races, events which became the ultimate deciders in the Modifieds title pursuit. That winning performance allowed Allen to take a six-point lead on Josh Nichols into last week's nightcap. Allen then placed second in the finale while Nichols wrecked and finished last (11th) after battling with Richard Bailey for the race lead. "It's been a rough year for me personally," Allen said. "It's crazy when you've got to find sanity in a race car. It's an insane sport. And these people that help me, they're insane for helping me, putting up with the crap I put them through." Nine drivers won Modifieds races at Ace this season in what unquestionably evolved into the track's most balanced division. Allen admitted he benefited from Ace's rulebook in last week's opening 25-lapper. He and Jesse Ingle III, who piloted Allen's backup car, started on the front row after posting the division's fastest qualifying times. Meanwhile, Nichols, despite qualifying third fastest, was forced to start at the rear of that 13-car field because he entered last week having won back-to-back races. "I heard some stuff about the lineup and stuff like that," Allen said. "But that's just some of the rules we have over here that I don't agree with and a lot of people don't agree with. But you've got to go by them." n LATE-SEASON SIZZLE: Ziggy Zimmerman led from green flag to checkered flag and pulled away in dominant fashion to win last week's 35-lap Limited Sportsman race at Ace. With back-to-back victories in the division and three wins in his last four starts, Zimmerman might be the track's hottest driver. But his roll hasn't significantly altered the division's Chase standings, where leader John Moore maintains a 12-point edge heading into the Oct. 18 season finale. "It's kind of hard to win the championship with Bobby (Griffin) and John running so good," Zimmerman said. "We're 1-2-3 every week, and you can't gain much ground. But we're going to try to take this Ford and see if we can't win them out the rest of the year." n DOWN TO THE WIRE: Just two points separate Michael Tucker and A.J. Sanders at the top of the Chase standings in Mini Stocks, meaning Ace's Oct. 18 finale could emerge as a winner-take-all proposition. Sanders' back-to-back victories have chopped down Tucker's lead, which stood at 10 points in recent weeks. "I don't give up," said Sanders, who has guaranteed he will successfully defend his Mini Stocks title. "We didn't come this far to lose this championship. That's why I made that statement. If there's anything I can do, I'm going to win this championship." In Modifieds, Sanders has driven the No. 77 car from Bill Wilder's stable to two straight third-place finishes. "I don't care if I have to race five cars a night, as long as you're racing and running good, that's what you want to do," he said. "They give me a pretty good car. You can't take that away from Bill Wilder and the whole team, what they do. They set it up. I don't even see the car until I come to the race track." n ON THE SCHEDULE: Ace breaks from racing this week due to a scheduled stop from the Southern Tractor Pullers Association on Friday and Saturday.   Reader Comments From the editor: Many of you have expressed concerns about some of the harsh anonymous comments from readers. To remedy that, we are introducing new features. You can create your own blog, publish your news and share your photos with the community. Once you fill out a simple form and leave a verifiable e-mail address, you can set up your profile page. It will display all of your contributions and allow you to track issues and easily connect with others. We want our site to be a place where people discuss and debate ideas that foster stronger communities. We built this for you. Please take care of it. Tolerate broad thinking, but take action against obscene or hateful material. 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