ALLSTAR: Thunder Hill race report 2001-08-13

All Star Sprint
Thunder Hill Speedway
Mon. 8/13/01

MAYETTA, KS - In only his second appearance at the track, Kenny Jacobs has found a track that he must love. Last year in the tour's first ever visit to the track, Jacobs found the fast way around the big three-eighths mile oval to pick up the feature win. This year he came back to the track to make it two for two as he won the opening night of the seventh annual Thunder Through the Plains feature as the O'Reilly National Championship Racing Association and the All Star Circuit of Champions visited Thunder Hill Speedway Monday night.

All Stars rookie of the year contender Travis Rilat of Desoto, Texas and Mike Wagner started on the front row for the thirty lap feature with Rilat and his Chris Archer owned sprinter taking the lead from the ButlerBuilt pole as the green flag fell. Fourth starting Jacobs quickly moved his Jacobs/Honecker sprinter into second with Wagner falling into third. Jason Johnson was fourth with Wayne Johnson running fifth as the first lap was completed. One lap later Johnson moved Jack Elden's sprinter around Wagner and Jacobs into the runner up position as Rilat opened up a quick six car length lead. Steven King of Jetmore, Kansas brought out the first caution flag of the feature when he came to a stop in turn four.

On the restart Rilat, last years' NCRA outlaw rookie of the year, again opened a six car length lead while behind him Jacobs was beginning to make his move back towards the front, repassing Wagner for third on lap five before moving around Johnson for second two laps later. Jacobs cut Rilat's ten car length advantage in half on lap nine when lapped traffic began to come into play. One lap later the all time All Star career feature winner closed to the leaders bumper and on lap twelve took advantage of Rilat's block of a lapped car to move underneath him exiting turn two and taking the lead. Rilat would pressure to retake the top spot one lap later before Jacobs used lapped traffic to widen his advantage. From there Jacobs set sail and quickly opened a half straightaway advantage by the midway point. At the halfway mark it was Jacobs, followed by Rilat and J. Johnson while Wagner, W. Johnson and Wright had a three car battle for fourth. Jacobs continued to dominate before his pace was slowed one final time, this for his brother Dean Jacobs, who brought Rick Daughtery's sprinter to a stop in turn four.

On the final restart K. Jacobs used a lapped car to his advantage and quickly opened a fifteen car length lead with ten laps to go. Meanwhile W. Johnson used the final restart to pass Wagner for third as he set his sights on J. Johnson for the runner up position. K. Jacobs reached heavy lapped traffic again on lap twenty-three but with five laps to go had built up a commanding full straight away advantage over Rilat. With three laps to go Rilat would cut the disadvantage in half but it was not enough as K. Jacobs held on to take the checkered flag as Rilat was exiting turn four. W. Johnson came on late to pass J. Johnson for third with two laps to go while eleventh starting Brooke Tatnell brought Court Grandstaff's Trop Artic 66 sprinter through the field late to round out the top five.

Heat races for the thirty-five car field were won by Greg Wilson, Matt Saint, Rob Chaney and Wright while W. Johnson won the twelve lap B feature. Rilat won the Haulmark Trailers Dash.

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