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SCORE Primm 300 Post Race Quotes. See what the racers had to say… |
SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK
ROBBY GORDON, No. 77 (First in class, first overall. Gordon drove the entire race to earn his ninth career SCORE Trophy-Truck race win and second in Primm.) It was rough. Every time I would G-out hard, I would hurt my neck so I kind of cruised all day. Im sure were going to get beat here but the big picture is I think the SCORE Overall point championship is about done. When it was all said and done, though, we got the win and added to our overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck season point lead. We made one fuel stop and (changed) two tires but no flat tires never got out of the car. We just changed the tires because we were in the pit and those are our most vulnerable (tires). I couldnt afford to hurt myself so I had to cruise all day. We ran about 75 percent. We just didnt G-out anytime there were bumps we just slowed down to almost crawl speed. We tested a lot faster than we raced here. It didnt hurt my vision any; it was all my left top shoulder and neck.
ROB MacCACHREN, No. 20 (Second in class, second overall. MacCachren drove the entire race.) We started way in the back and we just had to be real cautious the first lap. We stayed behind the guy who started in front of us (Jesse Ashcraft) for three-quarters of a lap but we just couldnt get by him. At the end of the first lap, we got ahead of him and the second lap we tried to wick it up and catch back up and see where we were. We knew we were in pretty good position then and we ended up coming in the end of the second lap and I hit a big rock and we got a flat tire. John ( Vance, co-rider) got out and changed it really, really quickly and we got going again and other than that, no problems. This whole deal came together so quickly and it was great. We took it easy. We knew that most of the Primm races have been won from people being reliable and consistent and keep moving on the track and thats what we did, but unfortunately we were accessed time penalties like many others and that cost us the win and pushed us back to second. Robby obviously kept the lead on the road all day but we knew we had him on time so, especially the last lap, we just cruised and made sure that we didnt have any flat tires or any issues. (Any close calls?) When we were coming in the pit at the end of the third lap, (Brian Collins) pulled out of his pit right as Im coming to him and we both slid into the corner and we hit door to door and we both spun out. It just so happened I recovered quicker.
ROGER NORMAN, No. 8 (third in class, sixth overall. Drove the entire race.) We had three flats today and we had an accelerator cable break. That never happens. We were just scratching our heads but I guess thats racing. We were hoping to do much better. (You took a couple of laps earlier this morning in a Class 6 vehicle. (Did that help you at all in the SCORE Trophy-Truck?) Yes, thats pre-running and its the same thing (as driving). Its easy; youre not sweating, youre just going for a ride. We also lost our front shocks.
MARK McMILLIN/BRIAN EWALT, No. 23 (fifth in class, ninth overall. McMillin drove the first two laps and Ewalt drove the last two.) Ewalt said: I had a couple of flats and it was losing power real bad there I think its a fuel feed issue. Other than that, we also got a real bad vibration going on.
McMillin said: This is my second time out in this truck. The first time out, we ran a real conservative race and finished sixth and we got fourth today. I pushed pretty hard on lap 1 and 2. I got it up almost on the nose at one point but other than, no close calls.
KORY SCHEELER, No. 51 (Sixth in class, 11th overall. Scheeler drove the entire race.) Ed Stout bashed into the back of me out here, right as we got on the speed limit. He tried to knock me into the ditch. We sat there forever. They had to take my truck apart to get him off and then use a bulldozer to pull him sideways. It was a long time. It was just stupid. When the guys catch you, get out of the way. We followed him the whole way around. As you get on the 30-mile power road theres a hard right and he just plowed into me. He took off ahead of us. We passed him the exact same spot, but this time we made it stick. I watched him in the mirror. Other than that, we stopped to tighten a brake line real quick and we had two flats. This truck flies. If I can just get a clean run…
MARC EWING, No. 68 (seventh in class, 12th overall. Ewing drove the entire race.) We had two flats but no mechanical problems. We had the two flats and then the last lap was a little slow because I think we were almost out of fuel and it seemed real light and felt kind of skittish. I was definitely conservative there especially after the last flat tire. Im real excited. This is my first SCORE race and my fourth or fifth overall.
CAMERON STEELE/RICK GEISER, No. 16 (Eighth in class, 13th overall. Steele drove the first two laps and Geiser the final two.) Geiser said: Primm has not gotten any smoother. It was a good course, really. The last (second) lap the jack fell off on Cameron, so we really had to take it easy going on the last lap going up to the 16- or 18-mile marker so we wouldnt flatten a tire. We pretty much just chilled out that last lap, and going down the pavement section, we got a flat tire. We changed that and we just kept on cruising. The first jack broke, the second jack we had strapped on and it fell off, and I guess the third jack fell off, too. It was a good time.
BRIAN COLLINS, No. 12 (eighth in class, 14th overall. Collins, who drove the entire race, got dehydrated while his truck was broken down late in the race.) You dont have cold water in there. As long as youre moving its fine. When you stop, it kills you. (I stopped) because the oil lights came on. Oil started coming out of the motor. B.J. (Baldwin) towed me in, about a mile to the top of the pit. We werent far, just too far to drive on no oil. (On a collision in the pits with Rob MacCachren at the end of lap 3.) Rob just passed me in a no-passing zone; thats what it looked like to me.
CLASS 1
ARMIN SCHWARTZ/MARTIN CHRISTENSEN, No. 109 (First in class, third overall. Schwartz drove the first two laps and Christensen finished as the All-German Motorsports team won for the second year in a row.) Schwartz said: It was a perfect day except for my cold. The car was perfect. I did not plan to get out, but I saw that I could not do it even the first two laps. Christensen said: My clutch didnt work when I came into the stop sign at the first lap (third race lap, his first). I stepped on the clutch and the car kept going. It was wild. It was just one time. We dont use the clutch when we shift and I hadnt used it all lap. I had to step on it one more time before it worked. No flats; absolutely unbelievable BFGoodrich tires. Unbelievable that they can even do that, the stuff that we hit out there at speed. The suspension was great. We drove the heck out of this thing.
HARLEY LETNER, No. 113 (Second in class, fourth overall.) I drove all the way, unfortunately. I havent driven this car in like two years. Im used to the heavy cars now; these light ones beat you up. But now that were here, its fine. At mile 7 (on lap 1) it started overheating, I was pushing it a little too hard, but I just backed off the rest of the way and as it started cooling down they started giving me splits and I started pushing it harder and harder. One plug wire popped off and that was it.
PAT DEAN/DANNY ANDERSON, No. 111 (Third in class, fifth overall. Anderson drove the first two laps and Dean finished.) Dean said: We had a couple of flats and a little handling trouble. Danny Anderson started. He was doing a really good job but for some reason we just had the car really far off today and it didnt handle really well, so we did what we could do. Were happy to be here.
SHAWN CROLL, No. 114 (Fourth in class, 18th overall. Croll drove the entire race.) It was good all day. It was very nice and we had no flat tires. We were just picking people off and motoring through the field. Then, about three miles from pit 2 on the last lap and the throttle body snapped so we ended up jerry-rigging it and cruising over to the finish, where they welded it all back together enough to get us here to the finish of the race. We had a good hour of downtime so, all things considered, a top five is not that bad.
BRIAN PARKHOUSE/TOM RIDINGS, No. 104 (Fifth in class, 23rd overall. Parkhouse drove the first two laps and Ridings drove the final two laps.) Ridings said: Well, were here. We were leaking tranny fluid out of the torque converter since halfway through our last lap. We had to stop three times and put a bunch of oil in it. It was a fun racecourse. It was rough enough and Id rather it be rough any day because its more challenging that way. Sometimes some sections are just disgusting but I thought this course was fair. Consistently finishing is really nice but well have our day. Everything has just got to go right. We dont get passed when the car is right.
CLASS 1-2/1600
JUSTIN SMITH, No. 1649 (First in class, 16th overall. Drove the entire race.) I had a real good time. We had an awesome run. We knew today was going to be really rough. We knew it was going to be a little bit of an endurance sprint race. We knew we had to be there at the end. I took a rear start and we just started picking our way through and the next thing you know, we were the first car on the road. I knew then we had it on corrected time so we just watched it, kept it easy and played it smart. It was a flawless day — not one issue or one hiccup.
CODY ROBINSON/ROBERTO ROMERO, No. 1606 (Second in class, 21st overall.) Robinson said: It was a pretty good day. We had no flats. The motor ran good. The car ran good. There was a lot of dust, but it was a pretty good day. I drove the first two laps and Roberto Romo drove the last two. We just came here looking for a solid finish to hopefully keep us close in the points going into the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.
BRIAN WILSON/SAMMY EHRENBERG, No. 1601 (Fourth in class. Wilson drove the first two laps and Ehrenberg drove the final two.) Ehrenberg said: We had to stop every lap for gas but other than that, it was pretty good. Weve only got the 18-gallon (fuel) cell, so that was a pretty big handicap. The course was very rough but nothing out of the ordinary. Im glad to be here at the finish. I live here (in Las Vegas) and this has always been my worst course. Its nice to finish.
Wilson said: We had the car built and Kreger put that fuel tank in for us and we figured that 18-gallon tank was going to be OK but its not enough to make two laps here. We had to take that chance. We werent sure if we were going to make it so we just made sure we stopped every lap and put gas in it. Were going for the points so we wanted to be safe. We took it easy today and made sure we got in the top five. And we did.
CLASS 3
DARREN SKILTON, No. 302 (First in class. Drove the entire race.) It was a nice, easy drive. We tried to put pressure on everybody and let them make the mistakes. By the time we got halfway around the second lap, there was nobody within 20 minutes of us so we stopped and checked everything. We stopped and pulled a 5/1600 car that was on its lid and then we stopped at each pit just to check the car over. It was a nice easy drive and the car ran great we didnt even stop for gas. It was a good Primm course because it was a lot of fun stuff and then some rough but not so rough that it was miserable and it was fast enough to be fun. Now we get ready for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.
CLASS 5
CARLOS ALBANEZ, No. 519 (First in class. Drove the entire race.) We lost the starter. I guess we bottomed out, so our linkage was pinched on our fuel line so we werent getting enough fuel. The starter cables and bolts came off so we were rocking the car, and that was super difficult in the sand. That was at mile 59 (on the last lap). Everything was real good up until that point. Without pre-running, we werent sure how the course was going to be so we had to pull into our pits a couple of times to modify our shocks. We did that and we did well. Were really, really happy about it.
CLASS 5/1600
ALONSO ANGULO/MARIO REYNOSO, No. 551 (First in class. Angulo drove the first two laps and Reynoso, the 2007 class champion, drove the final lap.) Crew member Jorge Torres interpreted for Reynoso, who said: There were no problems at all. Nothing. We loved the race.
CLASS 7
DAN CHAMLEE, No. 700 (First in class. Drove the entire race.) We had one electrical problem in the middle of the second lap that cost us about 10 minutes but other than that, everything went fast. We lost a couple of positions at the start. We couldnt see a thing because of all the dust and we drove into a berm and got high-centered on a berm before we got out of the stadium. We caught everybody again by the middle of the lap but it wasnt a great way to start. Were real excited about this one because its a new truck and its won every race its been in. Ive got a championship on the line going into the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 so were excited about that.
CLASS 7SX
NORM TURLEY, No. 742 (First in class. Drove the entire race.) Our new tires worked great in the back. You could stop in the sand and still get going. We had a really good day. We had one issue. We lost a front left spring. We were down for about 10 or 15 minutes. Other than that, we just kept it at one constant speed. The whoops were really bad. On that last lap, the whoops all changed. They became really whoops. The dust was terrible. And then when we got around the mountains, wed come into the sun. We had a good race among the 7SX trucks and then it seemed like we all had problems around the same time. It was a good race, though.
CLASS 8
CLYDE STACY, No. 839 (First in class. Drove the entire race.) It was absolutely great. The course was great and we had a lot of fun out there. We had no problems at all. (Being the only starter in Class 8) We drove the way we would normally drive we didnt push it too hard. It was pretty enjoyable. Were going to run the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in a couple of months and then see what well do next year, but well probably run two trucks again next year.
CLASS 10
MIKEY LAWRENCE, No. 1000 (First in class, eighth overall. Drove the entire race.) I rolled it all the way over on the last lap. I dont know what happened and I lost a minute when I rolled it over. I landed on my wheels but it took a minute to start it and then I kept going. We stopped once for fuel and that was it. I basically just have to show up to the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 (to win the championship). We won the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 and the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 so well be going for the (Mexico) sweep in November.
COREY KEYSAR, No. 1001 (Second in class. Drove the entire race.) We had a great race no flats, no problems at all. This is a great course for this car. It was very well marked and I dont think no pre-running was an issue. They did a great job marking the course and there were plenty of people out there to tell you where to turn. I didnt have any dust the first two laps and then I started running into slower cars. But these guys (on the team) did a great job of telling me how far back the other cars were and I was just trying to stay ahead of them, corrected time, without beating the car up. And (the No. 1000 team) does a heck of a job. Theyre so consistent; its hard to beat those guys.
SCORE LITE
RONNY WILSON/L.J. KENNEDY, No. 1203 (First in class, 19th overall. Wilson drove the first lap and Kennedy drove the final three.) Kennedy said: It was pretty decent. Ronny had a flat on the first lap. I had a flat on the second lap and then on the third lap, I had a power steering ram bolt fall out so I drove 20 miles with that. We got to a pit and they put one in and we got going again. Other than that, we had no problems. The course was the same as always but there were a lot more rocks this year. All in all, though, its a great course. Its got rough parts and its got fast parts a little bit of everything. I like it.
RICK ST. JOHN/ADAM PFANKUCH, No. 1200 (Second in class, 22nd overall. Pfankuch drove the first two laps and St. John drove the final two.) St. John said: We had our share of problems. We basically were chasing an electrical problem that was making the motor run half-power almost the whole second two laps. We tried a few things and stopped a few times but could never figure out what it was. Its moving, so youre afraid to stop too long and start taking things apart. It would come around for a mile or two so we just put up with it for two laps. Ive got so many gauges in this thing that I could tell it wasnt hurting the motor so I just kept going. We went for it today. We cant win the points unless (Brent) Parkhouse DNFs and to try to out-survive them is just boring. I just told Adam today to go for the win and were going to do that at the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, too.
BRENT PARKHOUSE/BRIAN BURGESS, No. 1249 (Third in class, 24th overall. Parkhouse drove the first two laps and Burgess drove the second two.) Burgess said: We were leading the points so we just wanted a strong finish. We had a 40-point lead coming in and second place today (Rick St. John) was second in points, so they gained a few points on us. I had one flat on the first lap but that was it. Other than that, it was just dealing with the traffic that we got behind after the flat. There wasnt much passing out there today.
BILL HERNQUIST/RICK ELLISON, No. 1201 (Fourth in class. Hernquist drove the first two laps and Ellison the second two.) Ellison said: It was good day. No flats and the car ran great. Bill had a flat, but it was a situation (at mile 47) where they had to bring him two tires. So he was down like 20 minutes. That was it. It was fun. I just didnt want to tear Bills car up. The Volkswagen power I couldnt believe the power it has down low.
STOCK FULL
JUSTIN MATNEY, No. 879 (First in class. Drove the entire race.) It was pretty good. We had a few problems but nothing too crazy. We had a steering box issue — the steering stabilizer was fading away. Other than that, it was pretty solid. It was typical Primm: Its rough and its rocky. We started in second and we moved into first at about mile marker 10 or so and we just stayed there the rest of the run. The dust was something to worry about all day. Were going to run the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 next.
STOCK MINI
GAVIN SKILTON, No. 779 (First in class. Drove the entire race.) It was a fun day. It ended fun. This morning, the dust was pretty outrageous. The early morning dust slowed down my lap speed. It will be interesting to see lap times between the first and second (laps). It was a flawless day, no problems; I never got out of the car. It was a slightly different course than weve run the last couple of years. (Did you like it better?) Its the Nevada desert. Its rocky and silty and always rough. Its always a challenging course. We had zero issues with the Ridgeline. No flats.
PROTRUCK
ROB REINERTSON, No. 234 (First in class. Drove the entire race.) No mechanical problems at all. It was perfect. We had a Class 8 (vehicle) get ahead of us when we pulled into the pits and then I couldnt pass him. We kept catching him and then we had to back off. It was brutal; we lost probably 15 minutes, at least. We only had to stop for fuel — that was it. We never had to get out of the truck.
CLASS 17
MIKE SHAFFER, No. 1701 (First in class. Drove the entire race.) It was a perfect day. We had no problems at all. The course was rough in a station wagon this (Jeep Cherokee) is a soccer-mom mobile. We had some dust issues but the sun was hidden behind the clouds for a while there but the cloud cover kind of helped. We were the only one (in class 17) but I still drive hammer down. It was a great race. We didnt push it too hard maybe 95 percent. The car ran perfect. Weve won the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 three years in a row and were going for number four.
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