Texas World Dirt Track Championship @ Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, 3/4-5, 2011
By J M Hallas

Fort Worth, Tx.(March 4th, 2011) The 4/10 mile semi-banked dirt oval at Texas Motor speedway played host to its annual Texas World Dirt Track Championships. Over 200 Modifieds and Limited Modifieds took to the track Friday night in search of the seven qualifying spots that would lock them in to Saturday nights big championship events. Drivers and teams from seven states signed in including two drivers from as far away as Pennsylvania.

Drivers would qualify through heat races taking the top sixteen in passing points to the A-Qualifier. C-mains and B-mains would be run to fill the remaining spots in each of the qualifiers.

Allen Aces Modified Main
Midlothian’s Chase Allen earned the top spot in Friday nights A-Qualifier going wire to wire for the win. C. Allen out gunned polesitter Clyde Dunn jr. to grab the lead at the start of the 15-lap main event. C. Allen had things going his way until the final laps when Terry Phillips, who came out of the B-main, ran him down using the high side. Phillips gave it the ol’ college try on the final lap, but settled for the second transfer spot.

As green waved on the 23-car field C. Allen came out of turn 2 with the lead followed by Dunn, Jason Teague, Dennie Gieber and Dee Gossett. A mid pack tangle saw several cars involved, but all continued on without caution. But parts on the track brought out an early caution on lap 2. On the restart C. Allen got a good jump on Dunn, who had a slight advantage over Teague and Gieber.

As the top five sorted out, John Whittington got by Steve Whiteaker jr for sixth. Whiteaker gave up the transfer spot to Phillips on lap 4 as he sailed by on the top side. Gieber got under Teague on lap 5 for third while Whittington and Phillips were side by side for sixth. Robert Metz brought out a yellow on lap 7 when he spun in turn 2.

Once back to green Phillips used the bottom to get by Gossett for fifth, with Whittington trying the top to grab sixth. At halfway it was C. Allen, Dunn, Gieber, Phillips and Teague, who lost fourth to the charging Phillips. Eric Tomlinson was next to loop it in turn 2 for lap 8 caution. As green waved again Phillips was back up top going around Gieber.

Showing his car would work high or low Phillips then dove under Dunn for second as Whittington took fourth from Gieber. Whittington then picked off Dunn leaving him wheel to wheel with Gieber who got the position a lap later. Phillips closed on C. Allen with two to go and the battle was on. As the white waved Phillips went high and gave C. Allen his best shot, but came up a bit short. Behind C. Allen and Phillips, Whittington, Gieber, Dunn, Teague and Cody Smith grabbed the remaining transfer spots.

A pole dash on Saturday will set the top seven starting spots for the 40-lap Championship event.

Modifieds(Top 7 locked in for Sat. A-main)

1. 30 Chase Allen, Midlothian
2. 75x Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo
3. 5w John Whittington, Vidor
4. 8 Dennie Gieber, Jacksonville
5. 88xxx Clyde Dunn jr. Sunnyville
6. 117 Jason Teague, Tahlequah, Okla
7. 18s Cody Smith, Kaufman
8. 1 Dee Gossett, Amarillo
9. 23 Howard Willis, Dayton
10. 89 Steve Whiteaker jr. Corpus Christi
11. 87 Justin McCoy, Quillan
12. 75 Patrik Daniel, Wills Point
13. 9H Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La
14. 88xx Bobby Malchus, Red Oak
15. 85 Thomas Tillison jr. Welston, Okla
16. 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan
17. 121x Bobby Ruffin, Crandall
18. 66 Greg Burt, Enid, Okla
19. 05 Rod Slack, Fort Worth
20. 15j Jared Webb, McKinney
21. 45t Eric Tomlinson, Waco
22. 410 Brad Doherty, Ennis
23. 955 Robert Metz, Luberton
24. 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall—DNS

White on his Way to A-Main
The former USAC Silver Crown Champ, and NASCAR Truck driver, Paul White(Temple) took a step towards a win in a second class. White, who took a Modified championship win in 2008, got by early leader Rodney Sanders on lap 2. From there White eased away from the 24-car field going unchallenged to the checkers.

Sanders grabbed the point coming out of turn 2 to lead the 15-lap trailed by White, Danny Hebert, Nick Shenberger and Derek Grigsby. White used the bottom to get by Sanders on lap 2, with Grigsby moving into third. Grigsby then pressured Sanders for second, while Steve Whiteaker jr got by Shenberger and Tommy Davis jr for fifth.

Shenberger then spun from his qualifying spot on lap 5 for the races only caution. On the restart the top three got away clean with Whiteaker getting inside D. Hebert for fourth. Whiteaker then picked off another position snagging third from Sanders. At halfway it was White, Grigsby, Whiteaker, Sanders and D. Hebert in the top five.

Back in the pack a former double class winner, Troy Taylor was pulling Sean Jones through traffic as they worked their way until had trouble and fell out. With five laps to go White was easing away from Grigsby and Whiteaker. White rolled on to the checkers with a comfortable margin over the duo, with Sanders, D Hebert, Davis and Jake Upchurch securing the final transfer spots.

Limited Modifieds(Top 7 locked in for Sat. night)

1. 2w Paul White, Temple
2. 69 Derek Grigsby, Marshall
3. 89 Steve Whiteaker jr., Corpus Christi
4. 02x Rodney Sanders, Happy
5. 9D Danny Hebert, Duson, La
6. 17 Tommy Davis jr, Seagoville
7. 124 Jake Upchurch, N. Richland Hills
8. 49 Chris Cleveland, Dallas
9. 10g Mike Goodson, Ardmore, Okla
10. 103 JC Howell, Mabank
11. 23M Jimmy Day, Greenville
12. 9H Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La
13. 94 Sean Jones, Mansfield
14. 12m Howard Willis, Dayton
15. 09 Robert Elliot, Clinton, Okla
16. 71m Terry Pritchett, Palmer
17. 9 Kinzer Edwards, South, Okla
18. 39 Jimmy Staats, Edgewood
19. 34 Michael Walker, Pearland
20. 7m Danny Morris, Ada, Okla
21. 25x Tony Staats, Terrell
22. 22n Nick Shenberger, Sharon, Okla
23. 56 Troy Taylor, Fort Worth
24. 5T Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla