PADUCAH, Ky. - Dave Davidson overcame a treacherous, dry-slick racetrack and won his seventh Kentucky Vintage Racing Association feature victory of the season at Paducah International Raceway Friday night.
It was also Davidson's 10th win of the season and his 10th win overall at the 3/8-mile PIR oval. His chief rival, Mark Moore - who has nine wins at PIR and leads Davidson 23-18 in overall career victories - finished second, but every driver's primary opponent was the track.
"It kept getting slicker and slicker," the Henderson, Ky., driver said. "It would break loose on the straightaways, and I was on and off the gas - pedaling it, I guess, to use the drag racing term."
Shaking Moore's hand after the race, Davidson said, "I was looking for grip."
"There wasn't any grip that I could find," Moore answered.
Davidson drove his No. 16 maroon and white 1933 Plymouth sedan-bodied machine. Moore was in his No. 33 orange and silver 1933 Chevy coupe.
Pat Halvorson was third in a 1941 Ford, James Scott fourth in a 1936 Chevy and Kenny Brannon fifth in a 1937 Pontiac.
Moore recovered from a spinout on lap 5 that brought out the second of four caution flags, and Scott recovered from a loop on the same corner on lap 6, salvaging top-4 finishes.
Attrition was high, with only six cars running at the finish of the 10-lap race. Chad Fritsche, a two-time winner this season, was running second with four laps to go when a malfunction caused him to believe his engine was losing oil pressure and he pulled off the track. The engine turned out to be fine, after all, but it relegated Fritsche to a seventh-place finish.
Two more cars - driven by Luke Rutter and Charlie Jett, in place of regular driver Dennis English - were eliminated by tire problems and Brandon Fritsche, Chad Fritsche's younger brother, was sidelined by a coolant leak.
Halvorson and Davidson were the heat race winners, on a track that was already showing its dry-slick characteristics early in the program.
SUMMARY
PADUCAH, Ky. - Results of Saturday night's Kentucky Vintage Racing Association event at Paducah International Raceway, with car number, driver's name and hometown, type car, laps completed and reason out:
1. (16) Dave Davidson, Henderson, Ky., 1933 Plymouth, 10, running.
2. (33) Mark Moore, Murray, Ky., 1934 Chevy, 10, running.
3. (61) Pat Halvorson, Paducah, Ky., 1941 Ford, 10, running.
4. (3) James Scott, Murray, Ky., 1936 Chevy, 10, running.
5. (88) Kenny Brannon, Paducah, Ky., 1939 Pontiac, 10, running.
6. (C9) Richard Cook, Paducah, Ky., 1932 Chevy, 10, running.
7. (40) Chad Fritsche, Puryear, Tenn., 1940 Chevy, 6, gauges.
8. (42) Charlie Jett, Ledbetter, Ky., 1936 Ford, 5, tire.
9. (C8) Brandon Fritsche, Marissa, Ill., 1941 Buick, 4, radiator.
10. (37) Luke Rutter, Madisonville, Ky., 1937 Pontiac, 4, tire.
n (35) Neal Ford, Paducah, Ky., 1935 Plymouth, did not start.
Margin of Victory: 8 car lengths.
Leaders: Davidson 1-10.
Cautions: 4 (lap 4, Rutter spin T2; lap 5, Moore spin T2; lap 6, 88 spin T2, 42 stall T4; lap 6, Scott spin T2)
FIRST HEAT: 1. Pat Halvorson; 2. Kenny Brannon; 3. Brandon Fritsche; 4. Neal Ford; 5. Richard Cook.
SECOND HEAT: 1. Dave Davidson; 2. Mark Moore; 3. Chad Fritsche; 4. James Scott; 5. Luke Rutter; 6. Charlie Jett.
David I just cant thank you enough for the excellent reporting. I really look forward to your sports update. thank you Mike
David I just cant thank you enough for the excellent reporting. I really look forward to your sports update. thank you Mike
david do you have the trophy picture for my wall? thanks Mike
David was there any new race results, you know I depend on you like ABC did on Howard Cosell! Thanks Mike