The Price is Right at Thunderbowl

The Price family had another good day Saturday in the Super Outlaw Karts of Nevada's first night race of the 2003 season at Thunderbowl Speedway.

Shelby Price scored her second consecutive win in the Box Stock division while brother Caleb dominated the Beginner Box Stocks with another flag-to-flag victory, his fourth win of the season.

Caleb led rookie Georgie Tankersley at the start, followed by Keith Combs, who spun on lap two and dropped to the rear of the pack. Tanner Thorson took over third, then passed Tankersley for second on lap eight. Combs battled with Cody Falls for fourth until he spun again on lap 11 and was black-flagged.

On lap 16, Tankersley re-passed Thorson for second and held the position to the checker. Unfortunately, Tankersley's kart did not pass post-race inspection due to a non-compliant restrictor plate, elevating Thorson to second and Falls to third. Combs was credited with fourth and the unfortunate Tankersley was disqualified. Thorson won the heat race and Willie Tankersley took the trophy dash but was unable to start the main.

Shelby Price took a little longer than her brother to get to the front of the 10-kart Box Stock field. Rookie Zach Kisman showed a remarkable turn of speed to take the lead from the pole and hold it for 17 of the scheduled 25 laps. Price moved quickly to second from her eighth-place start, and tracked down Kisman, passing him on the 18th lap. After caution flags for miscues by Daniel Thorson and Koree Kast, Price powered her way to the win.

Behind her, Kisman lost second place two laps from the end to Nicole Buffa Johnson, who faded on the last circuit, leaving Thorson in second place. Blake Olson moved up from fourth to third on the final lap with Koree Kast taking fourth. Kisman finished in fifth, followed by Colin Dargert, Johnson, Adam Walters, Patrick Hesse, and Cameron Millard. Thorson captured trophy dash and heat race wins, and Dargert won the other heat.

Jordan Dargert won the almost caution-free 125cc main, leading all 25 laps. Matt Vallarino pursued Dargert in vain, starting and finishing in second place. Christian Steele caused the only caution in the race, flipping his kart on lap 22 and putting himself out of the race. He was uninjured.

Nearly everyone in the division won something, with Vallarino taking the heat race victory and Steele at the top of the heap in the trophy dash. Only Chris Rytting failed to take home some gold, and did not start the main.

Eleven Open Outlaw karts took the green for the main in that division. Josh Ostler grabbed the lead from the second row, followed by Glenn Bock, Mark Dempsey, "Hair," and Larry Devlin. The order soon changed, with Jay Dargert charging through the field from the back row to take second on lap 5, aided in his chase when a yellow flag for Dan Lind bunched the field. Dargert took advantage of the restart after a caution caused by T.J. Dobson's frightening flip, and blew by Ostler for the lead, and this time Dargert put enough gas in the kart to get to the checker. Ostler settled into second and Bock in third, while Dempsey dropped out of fourth place and the race on lap 14. This moved Lind to fourth and Devlin to fifth. And that's the way they finished: Dargert, Ostler, Bock, Lind, and Devlin the top five followed by "Hair," Chad Vance, Jason Conant, Dempsey (DNF), Dobson (DNF), and Larry Devlin (DNF). Randy Devlin did not start the main. Dempsey and Larry Devlin were the heat race winners, while Ostler won the trophy dash.

The Outlaw Karts next appear at Thunderbowl under the lights on July 12. Call 265-7813 or 882-9751 for more information.