Scott Hantz Wins The Sunoco
UAW Family Night 100 At Indianapolis Raceway Park
Indianapolis, IN (August
14, 2004) – Scott Hantz had seen a season long streak of bad luck keep
him out of victory lane with the Sunoco Super Series until Saturday
night’s Sunoco UAW Family Night 100 at Indianapolis Raceway Park, part of
the
traditional
UAW Family Night at The Races one week after the historic 7/10’s mile oval
had hosted both the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Busch Series.
Hantz ‘s start to the event
didn’t look good, from his pole starting position, thanks to Corteco Fast
Qualifier and new track recorder holder Ray Skillman’s five car inverted
start draw, Hantz went from first to fourth very quickly as a mad scramble
for the lead developed as the field went into turn one after taking the
green flag. 2003 Sunoco Super Series Champion Bobby Parsley came out of
the pack with the lead followed closely by the fast Ford of Ray Skillman.
The pack spread out with great racing from front to back for several laps.
Hantz then began his march
back to the front. Hantz skillfully worked his way around Aaron Hulings
and Ray Skillman to close on the back of leader Bobby Parsley. Hantz then
made a power move to the outside of Parsley in turn two to grab the lead
on lap 32. Meanwhile Steve Moenck and Junior Hanley had also begun to move
to the front. Moenck’s move to close on Hantz was assisted by several
yellow flags, one of which flew when debris came out from under second
place running Chris Gabehart’s car,
who
was forced to retire from the event after breaking a sway bar.
Several late cautions forced
the event over the 100 lap mark, the Sunoco Super Series does not end a
race under yellow, the series guarantee of running the last five laps
under green added nineteen additional tension filled laps for Hantz as
Moenck had began a hard challenge for the lead that lasted all the way
until the checkers flew with Moenck only a half a car length behind Hantz.
"It’s great to finally get
the bad luck monkey off our back," remarked a very joyous Hantz in victory
lane. "I love racing at this track, and it’s great to get the win in front
of this huge crowd. Steve Moenck gave us a run for our money, he raced me
hard but clean. Hopefully this win will turn our season around and get us
back in the hunt for the series season championship!"
The event attracted its
annual large crowd of over 15,000 Indianapolis area UAW race fans, who
where treated to some great racing
from not only the Sunoco Super Series but two great feature events from
the CARS Trucks and CARS Late Models.
Junior Hanley gained four
valuable points on series point leader Chuck Barnes Jr. with his third
place finish. Hanley came from twelfth to finish third. Bobby Parsley
managed to hold on to get a fourth place finish, with series point’s
leader Chuck Barnes Jr. finishing fifth. Barnes now holds a 16-point lead
over Hanley with five series point’s races remaining.
Steve Moenck’s second place
finish earned him the Backstretch Performance/Reed Cams/Blake Carburetion
Rookie Of The Race Award, his fourth event rookie award of the season. Tim
Phillips earned the Lane Automotive/ISKY Racing Cams Hardcharger Of the
Race Award, Phillips finished ninth after starting twenty-seventh.
Goodyear Performance Awards were awarded to Chuck Barnes Jr. and Tim
Phillips. Pat Anderson, crew chief for race winner
Scott
Hantz, was the Gladiator GarageWorks Crew Chief Of The Race Award winner.
Scott Hantz was awarded the Kingen Interstate Express Halfway Leader Bonus
and the Sweet Manufacturing Sweet Move Of The Race Award for his outside
pass of Bobby Parsley to get the lead on lap 32. The EMF Corp/Race-Tech
Engineering "That’s Racin" Award went to Terry Fisher Jr. who had his
night end on lap 97 after hard contact with the outside front-stretch
wall. Tom Gray won the 15 lap Impact Racing Last Chance race.
The next Sunoco Super Series
event will be the Second Annual Federated Auto Parts Buckeye Bash on
Sunday, September 12 at Columbus Motor Speedway in Columbus, Ohio. The
event will feature NASCAR Nextel Cup star Ken Schrader racing in the
150-lap Sunoco Super Series event that afternoon. The event will also
feature racing action from the CRA Outlaw Late Models and CRA Street
Stocks. More information will be available at
here soon.
Official Results
Ray Skillman is the fastest qualifier for the UAW Family Night 100 turning
a 21.620 sec, 114.228 mph lap. Rookie Chris Gabehart was second,
with Bobby Parsley, Aaron Hulings and Scott Hantz rounding out the top 5.
Skillman drew a 5 for the invert to start fifth, putting Scott Hantz on
the pole.
UAW Family Night 100 Lineup
Qualifying Results
Qualifying Order