By Larry Ott / Buffalo News
There are some who said that joining the new Late Model of Tomorrow (LAMOT)
division at Holland NASCAR Motorsports Complex is just plum crazy. Alan Fisher
agrees but in a very different way. Fisher took his Plum Crazy Racing Team
Chevrolet Monte Carlo to an historic victory Saturday, winning the first ever
LAMOT event at the Holland track.
Fisher says he loves the new cost-cutting division which utilizes a crate engine, a rev chip limiter, harder, longer-lasting tires, cheaper shocks and street pump gas as cost-saving measures. While just five LAMOT cars were on hand for the first race, the racing was side-by-side competitive and the cars from the grandstand visibly appeared no different from the conventional Late Models run at Holland in previous seasons. LAMOT supporters again insist the class will grow in numbers.
Fisher engaged in a torrid battle in the 15-lap feature first with Nick Crassi and then T. J. Johnson. Bryce Davis and Jason Gwin were in the same tight pack of cars. Fisher prevailed over Johnson and Crassi by inches.
“It’s good to make history to win the first race in LAMOT,” said Fisher. “I love it. This class is a perfect fit for me. We all have the same motors, same shocks and tires. We’re all on the same playing field so it comes down to handling.”
Fisher is a veteran driver who has competed in many forms of racing including Late Models and Pro Trucks. He says the LAMOT cars are comparable to what he’s driven before.
“It’s just like driving the old Late Model,” said Fisher. “I haven’t driven a Late Model in a long time but for a year I did, and I drove the trucks, and it’s the same deal. When you can race side-by side that’s the best feeling in the world.
Fisher had his problems in prerace warm-ups Saturday, pulling off the track early.
“I had a horrible warm-up but everyone came over to help me,” said Fisher. “They retimed my motor for me because I set it up the wrong way. It burnt a wire. Gordy’s [Trank] team came over and helped me. That’s the way it should be with racing. Everyone should be helping each other and having fun and not trying to kill yourself or kill someone else. Hey, Plum Crazy is back in the winner’s circle.”
Also at Holland Saturday, Bobby Holmes and teammate Vince Christiano Jr. took the top two spots for Team Christiano in the Ralph Wissing Memorial for the Casey’s TQ Midget Racing Series. The third Team Christiano entry, Jamie Collard, placed ninth.
“I was a little cautious on the start because there was a lot of dicing going on,” explained Holmes. “I just let everything settle out and made my moves picking off one car at a time. It would have been nice for our team to have a 1-2-3 finish, but I guess that might be a bit greedy.”
The most exciting finish of the night occurred in the NASCAR Charger class where Jim Mallaber and defending Holland NASCAR Charger champion Jim Loffredo made heavy contact with each other coming out of Turn Four racing to the checkered flag. They crossed the line glued together in a dual sideways slide with Mallaber crossing the finish line first.
It didn’t take long for defending Holland Hornets champion Brandon Hirsch to make an impact in his new class as he has moved up from the Pro Fours. Hirsch came from the back of the nine-car field to win both his heat qualifying race and the feature in his maiden voyage.
The Welshans family is well represented at Holland with four members in competition. Nik Welshans placed second Saturday in the Pro Fours while Matt and Ted placed seventh and eighth respectively in the NASCAR Chargers. Tim Welshans got involved in a crash that was not his fault, placing 10th in the NASCAR SST Pro Modified feature.
Casey’s TQ Midget Series veteran Dan Lawrence, the son of owner Hal Lawrence, raced at Holland for the first time Saturday. Holland is the fastest track the TQ cars compete on and Lawrence had a solid effort, winning his heat race and placing seventh in the Wissing Memorial.
NASCAR Charger competitor Joe Eck blew up his engine in warm-ups and was done for the evening early. Holland had 11 SST cars, 16 Casey’s TQ Midgets, five LAMOT, seven Figure-8, 14 NASCAR Chargers and nine NASCAR Pro Four cars in competition Saturday.
Source:
Larry Ott / Buffalo News
Posted: May 26, 2008
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