It’s Maynor Again
By Walter Johnston
www.LongIslandMotorsports.com

            July 20, Riverhead, NY--- This week’s Figure-8’s race saw Scott Pedersen and Ralph Tasso starting on the front row. At the drop of the green, Tasso took the lead as Mike Mujsce challenged Pedersen for 2^nd, as Arne Pedersen and Kenny Hyde followed. Hyde quickly moved up to 4^th, with Roger Maynor moving to 5^th, but on lap 4, yellow flew as Jessica Larsen came to a stop in turn 1. Hyde got shuffled back a few spots just before the caution, so he lucked out and got his spot back again. Larsen’s car was towed to the pits, while Mike Mujsce, who was running 2^nd, pitted to fix a flat right rear during the caution. Mujsce returned quickly, as did the #37 of Larsen, but Terry Stiles had replaced her to take over the driving duties. On the restart, Tasso had his hands full as Hyde and Maynor pressured him for the lead, and they were soon joined by Tommy Kraft. Maynor worked his way past Hyde and Tasso to take the lead a lap later, with Kraft following through for 2^nd.  Tasso battled back to pass Kraft for 2^nd on lap 8, but Kraft took 2^nd back from Tasso a lap later, just as Stiles spun and brought out another caution. During that caution, Kenny Hyde pitted to fix a flat left front, giving up the 4^th spot. On the next restart, Maynor and Kraft battled for the lead, but Maynor took it just as the caution flew once more, this time for Paul Specht, who was stopped just off the track in turn 2 with a left rear flat and a cone stuck under his car. On the restart, Maynor took off with Kraft in pursuit, while Tasso and Carl Baxter battled for 3^rd, with Tasso holding the spot. Maynor now had full command of the race, but a debris caution on lap 16 closed things up for Kraft to get one more shot at overtaking Maynor. On the next restart, Maynor shot out front, and breezed to his 91^st Figure-8 victory, as Kraft staved off a charge by Tasso, who was holding off Carl Baxter. Mike Mujsce, who made a nice recovery from his earlier misfortunes, rounded out the top 5. Maynor proved once again that he is the master of Figure-8 racing, with his style of laying back in the beginning when he starts deep in the field, then getting aggressive only after the field has spread out, leaving openings for him to pass for position.

            News and notes: Leah Maynor is doing a terrific job with the 50/50 sales, helping the point fund grow each week as she sells more each week. This week’s $307 prize money went to Cindy Johnson of the #29 Blunderbust team. Be sure to see Leah each week for your chance to help the SAFER organization and get a chance to win some good money…  Mike Rommeney was out this week with the #11, the former #00 Figure-8 car. It was Mike’s first race of the season, but he had some experience last year, and he should be a weekly factor when he gets the car set up his way…  Roger Maynor almost wrecked in practice after discovering missing lug nuts on his left rear wheel, but he brought it to the pits to be fixed before disaster struck. The wheel itself was ruined, but a few new studs and the car was as good as new… Scott Pedersen’s lousy luck continues, as he left the race after something in the engine let loose a lot of oil. Fortunately, it happened under caution and off the racing surface, so cleanup was done quickly. Somebody get him a rabbit’s foot, he needs a change in luck… Figure-8‘s off until Aug. 9^th, good chance for some rest, but we know you’d rather be racing sooner. It also helps to build up the budget, so it’s not totally bad…

            That’s all for this time, we’ll be back with another report after the Aug. 9^th race.