This message was edited on
April 20, 2008 at
04:50:58 PM by Gary Thomas
Photo by Johns Racing Photos
Mike Henry gains points with podium in Petaluma
By Gary Thomas
Petaluma, CA – April 19, 2008…Needing to make up ground on Golden State Challenge Series point leader Jonathan Allard in Petaluma, two-time Civil War Series champ Mike Henry did just that Saturday night by bringing home a third place finish in the main event. Henry started from the fifth row in the 30 lap feature and put on a show late in the race charging forward as the laps ticked off.
Saturday’s event at the Petaluma Speedway marked the eighth race of the Golden State Challenge Series season and going into the night Henry sat in a tie for second in the points with Tyler Walker, 50 digits behind Allard for the lead. A very strong and blustery wind was on hand and officials were intent on getting the show going early to get everything done as quickly as possible with the frigid temps that were expected.
Henry started off the night by timing in 10th fastest out of 24 cars aboard the HMH Motorsports, World Environmental No. 93. The Sacramento racer then brought home a strong second place finish in his heat race to transfer him into the main event. Cars began to push onto the speedway just after 8 pm and Henry lined up outside the fifth row for the 30 lap contest.
Despite the strong winds the Petaluma Speedway surface remained hooked up for the main event and gave drivers multiple grooves to work with. Henry battled it out around eighth for the first part of the race before things got wild just past the midway point. Lap 18 saw Walker and Allard running first and second, but going down the backstretch they both tangled with a lap car and came to a stop.
On the restart 13-time GSC champ Brent Kaeding bicycled in turns one and two, which saw him roll over and cause a red flag. Then as cars got pushed back off, Sean Becker, who had inherited the lead of the race, pulled into the pits and was done for the night. Through all of this madness Henry now found himself sitting in the fifth position with 12 laps remaining in the race.
Over the final 10 laps of the feature Henry got up on the wheel and stuck the Royal Lagoon Pools, C & H Veteran Enterprises Maxim up on the high side of the speedway and put on a show for the fans. With just eight laps remaining he powered around the outside of Evan Suggs to claim fourth and then used the same move to get around Kyle Hirst for third on the 25th circuit. He motored on after that and brought the No. 93 machine home in the third position to score his second podium finish of the GSC season.
Henry was happy with the third place finish as it allowed him to pull away from Walker in the points and close in on Allard for the lead. “The track was wicked fast tonight and I have to thank my crew because this thing was awesome,” the Sacramento driver said. “I also want to thank all of our sponsors for supporting us this year as well as my car owners Steve Harris and Joe Mafara. I’ll take a third place finish because this will help get us back in the point’s race,” he concluded.
Next up for Henry and the HMH Motorsports team will be an event at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway this coming Saturday for the ninth round of the Golden State Challenge Series season. Henry put together a strong night at the track during the last GSC stop at the Thunderbowl by timing in fourth quickest, winning his heat and finishing sixth in the main event. He’ll look to make up more ground in the points come Saturday.
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
|
