Texas Stampede series crowns champions

Thursday Night Stampede Champions Crowned

FORT WORTH-DALLAS (August 12, 2004) -- Some of the coolest August temperatures in North Texas history weren't indicative of the on-track action Thursday night at Lil' Texas Motor Speedway as the six Thursday Night Stampede auto racing champions were crowned.

Title winners in the seven-week summer series were Jared Whitton (Legends Pro), Don Barnard (Legends Masters), John Gottsacker (Legends Semi-Pro), Jordan Webb (Bandolero Bandits) and Mark Webb (Bandolero Young Guns). Randy Miles and Buddy Goudy were declared co-champions of the Thunder Roadster class after being deadlocked in overall points and tie-breaking procedures.

Four of the champions wound up the midweek series in grand style by winning their feature races. Barnard, Gottsacker, Mark Webb and Goudy captured their respective divisions' headline races while Mark Merino topped the Legends Pros and Chris Buescher led the Bandolero Bandits. Webb swept the seven-race Bandolero Young Guns Stampede campaign, the first driver in the eight-year history of the series to win every Stampede race.

Barnard's victory was adventurous. He started second, dropped to fourth in the early laps but took the lead when pacesetters Robert Merino and Evans Shaw eliminated each other in a lap 13 incident. Rick Howle passed Barnard on lap 17, the pair made contact in turn two of the final lap which sent Barnard to the infield. He returned to the speedway and held off Jay Turner in the wild finish.

Gottsacker took the Legends Semi-Pro lead on the third lap and scored his fifth Stampede victory of the summer. Mark Merino won his first Stampede race of the summer while brother Scott and Whitton battled for the title with S. Merino ahead by a single point starting the night. The pair was glued together throughout the feature with Whitton taking third and the title while S. Merino placed sixth.

Goudy won his third Stampede feature while Miles finished second, tying the duo for the championship. Mark Webb led every lap of the Bandolero Young Guns feature while Buescher captured his second Bandolero Bandits win of the Stampede.

                  THURSDAY NIGHT STAMPEDE AUTO RACING RESULTS

                  Lil' Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth

                           Thursday, August 12, 2004

LEGENDS MASTERS
1. Don Barnard, 2. Jay Turner, 3. Rick Howle, 4. Ray Schlag, 5. Johnny Britton, 6. Don Brown, 7. Jim Ellingson, 8. Max Luce, 9. Lew Riggan, 10. Robert Merino.

LEGENDS PRO
1. Mark Merino, 2. Josh Gilbert, 3. Jared Whitton, 4. Gene Conley, 5. Michael Dabney, 6. Scott Merino.

LEGENDS SEMI-PRO
1. John Gottsacker, 2. Jack Merino, 3. James Buescher, 4. Jordan Cox, 5. Kevin Trammell, 6. Chris Ryan, 7. Harold Smith, 8. Mike Salter, 9. Dean Abbey, 10. Hoyt Richter, 11. J Alston, 12. Chris Miller, 13. Dustin Teague.

THUNDER ROADSTERS
1. Buddy Goudy, 2. Randy Miles, 3. Ashlee Jackson, 4. Tim McDonald, 5. Mike Carter.

BANDOLERO BANDITS
1. Chris Buescher, 2. Jordan Webb, 3. Dean Abbey, 4. Ryan Eyer.

BANDOLERO YOUNG GUNS
1. Mark Webb, 2. Justin Long, 3. Nathan Wilson, 4. Kris Turner.

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