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NAMARS: Rally Super Truck Series First Feature

8 June 1998

By LES MESZAROS

FORT WAYNE, OH: On Sunday afternoon the NAMARS Rally Super Truck Series recorded its very first feature winner. Jesse Worcester, of Marion, OH, flashed across the finish line in a Chevy pick up truck at the end of the 50-lap feature to become the very first driver to record a feature win in the new truck series.

The 50-lap feature was divided into two 25-lap halves. In the first half, Worcester quickly scrambled to the lead as soon as the green flag waved. Worcester held a comfortable lead at first but Ron Perrine Jr. was working his way through the field. Perrine and James McDaniels caught up with Worcester on lap 11 and the very next lap they managed to get underneath in turn 3 to shuffle Worcester to third. The top 3 held their positions until the half way point.

In the second half, it was the same 3 combatants at it again. This time the out come was different as Worcester made the right adjustments during the intermission as he managed to hold off Perrine and McDaniels to the end. Perrine closed up behind Worcester on several occasions but could never find the horses to make a move for the lead. Finishing behind Worcester and Perrine in third was James McDaniels, Jack Gossard fourth and Jason Hand fifth. The first four finishers were all driving Chevy's while Hand was the first Ford across the line.

Fast qualifier was James McDaniel turning a lap of 20:42 seconds on the big half-mile track. Jesse Worcester and Ron Perrine Jr recorded heat race victories.

Also, on the card Sunday was a 25-lap mini-stock race won by Robert Thornton of Mishawaka, IN. Thornton started next to last but flew through the field to take first from early leader Randy Smith on lap 6. Paul Mason, who started last in the feature, also charged to the front and took the lead from Thornton on lap 17 at the start finish line. These two fierce competitors battled side by side the next 2 laps until Mason had problems getting around a lapped car. Thornton regained the lead and held off Mason to the checkered flag. Finishing third through fifth were Chris Herbert, Alan Fox and Chester Kohler. Setting fast time for the mini-stocks was Paul Mason with a lap of 19:09. Heat race winners were Robert Thornton and Tim Coe.