Prescott Valley Raceway
Parker gets first SWDRA victory at Prescott Valley
By M.J. Anderson
DirtonDirt.com correspondentPRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. (Sept. 15) — Lonnie Parker Jr. of El Mirage, Ariz., captured the Southwest Dirt Racing Association event at Prescott Valley Raceway for his fifth series victory of the season. Parker started on the pole with Tommy Hussak III on the outside and never relinquished his lead in the 25-lap main event.
Parker jumped into the lead at the green flag followed by Hussak, Brad Williams, Jamie Throckmorton and Mark Fowler in pursuit. Visiting WDRA driver Jason Davis from Grand Junction, Colo., was the first driver out when he lost a fuel pump belt on the first lap.
By the sixth lap, the frontrunning Parker, Hussak, and Williams began lapping slower cars. A caution appeared on lap eight when Wes Hall spun in turn two. On the restart, Hussak tried to make a move for the lead and got alongside Parker on the backstretch, but he couldn’t overtake the leader. They battled for the lead for several laps with Williams, Fowler and Throckmorton close behind. Another caution came out on lap 16 with Dennis Gates dumping water down the frontstretch, ending his racing night. Hussak again made a challenge for the lead on the backstretch, but he was denied again by Parker.
In the middle of the pack, Crippen was moving up from his eighth starting spot to pass Throckmorton and began moving in on Fowler.
A caution came out again on lap 24 with Randy Carder and John Hall spinning in turn four. At the restart, Parker pulled away from the field with Hussak following close behind. Williams broke a right front shock in turn one and lost his third spot to Fowler, limping to a seventh-place finish.
Parker's victory marked his the series-leading 44th of his career and first at the track.
Prescott Valley Raceway: (1) Lonnie Parker Jr., (2) Tommy Hussak III, (3) Mark Fowler, (4) Adam Crippen, (5) Jamie Throckmorton, (6) Jerry Fincher, (7) Brad Williams, (8) Lonnie Parker Sr., (9) Lee Hoy, (10) Wes Hall, (11) Steve Ricehouse, (12) Randy Carder, (13) Andy Rudey, (14) John Hall, (15) Dennis Gates, (16) Jason Davis.
