Lucas Oil Modified Series

The SuperClean Modified Racing Series is down to their final two events of the 2009 championship run and the series points cannot get any closer, In fact, there's a two way tie at the top the standings and the tie breaker is going to be Saturday night, September 26th, at the Havasu 95 Speedway. The ASA sanctioned quarter mile paved oval, located in Lake Havasu City-Arizona, will be officially kicking off their 2009-2010 winter racing season Saturday night which will be highlighted by the running of the Sunoco Fuels 75.

Drivers James Cole and Andrew Phipps find themselves in a two way tie with 274 championship points each. With only two races left this championship could lean in just about any direction. Cole, who commutes to the SuperClean Modified Racing Series events from his native San Antonio-Texas, has accumulated his 274 points based on one win, five top five finishes and six top tens. Simi Valley-California's Andrew Phipps has accumulated his points based on two series wins, six top five finishes and six top tens. Both drivers, and their teams, are expected to be in top form Saturday night and expect to leave Arizona as the solo points leader.

But both of these drivers will need to keep a sharp eye of the presence of Chris Gerchman. The Lake Havasu City hometown favorite is third in the standings and only 20 points away from the leaders. Gerchman has two wins and five top five finishes to account for his 254 points. He also knows this particular speedway as well as he knows his name and address and that makes him a pre race favorite to win the Sunoco Fuels 75.

But the top of the points standings is not the only points issue that needs to be paid attention to going into Saturday night's race. The SuperClean Modified Racing Series offers their teams a post season bonus to the top 15 in the standings. While the grand prize for the series champion is $2,500 plus $1,000 in Lucas OIl Products, the driver in 15th wins a combined $700 in cash and sponsor products.

Fourth and fifth in the series' standings are Jim Mardis and Tim Morse who are only six points apart. Many series observers have been saying that it's just a short matter of time before both of these drivers score their first series feature win. Both drivers will be looking to overcome some recent harsh luck that caused them to drop out of the top three in the standings recently.

Mardis had a horrible night at his home track, the Orange Show Speedway, during a Labor Day weekend race there. Some pre race frustration over a transmissions and drive line only allowed him to collect eight points that night. Mardis vows that he will be back with a vengeance when the green flag falls on the Sunoco Fuels 75 Saturday night.

It's safe to say that Morse not longer regards the Bullring, at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway complex, as one of his favorite tracks. The Burbank-California driver started off strong at the beginning of the season and looked like a championship player. But extremely harsh luck at both Las Vegas races, in May and August, only allowed him to net 16 and 18 points on those nights. Morse has already gone on record as saying that he will be visiting his sponsor, CJM Racing Inc, to get his engine beefed up for a strong comeback at the Lake Havasu City race. Morse also has another reason for wanting a strong finish Saturday night. The race sponsor, Sunoco Fuels, is also one of his team sponsors.

Four points behind Morse is Larry Gerchman the patriarch of the Lake Havasu City Gerchman racing family. Here is a driver who has won modified titles at three different speedways in three different states. Just like his son Chris, Larry Gerchman knows every square inch of the Havasu 95 Speedway.

Again, all through the top 15 of the SuperClean Modified Racing Series points standings, there are groups of drivers who are extremely close to each other and will be looking to advance their positions. For example, there are only two points separating drivers Doug Carpenter and Doug Hamm in seventh and eighth. There's also two points between Austin Barnes and Craig Stewart and six points between Brian Collins, Dave Arce and Dennis Lovelady. The drivers ranked 14th and 15th, Dave Phipps and David Gerchman Sr, are only four points apart. With time running out on the 2009 season, all of these drivers will be racing hard to improve their ranking and increase their share of the post season bonus awards.

But the really big winners Saturday night will be the Havasu 95 Speedway fans. The SuperClean Modified Racing Series has enjoyed healthy car counts all season long with B Mains needed to complete the 22 car line up. The Sunoco Fuels 75 will be exactly that: 75 full green flag laps. The series does not count yellow caution laps.

In addition to its title sponsor, the SuperClean Modified Racing Series is supported by a highly potent marketing concept known as "Team Lucas." Team members include Lucas Oil Products Inc, E3 Spark Plugs, R&L Carriers, Dixie Chopper, General Tire and K&N Performance Filters.

It also has strong support from a group of series sponsors that includes SuperClean Products, Hoosier Tire West, Budweiser, Blue Water Resort and Casino, Sunoco Fuels, Frank's Radio, DJ Safety, Steve Teets of STR-Short Track Race Cars, Poly Dome Plastic Products and Racing Plus.

For more information regarding this extremely exciting from of open wheel modified racing dial up the series' website at www.lucasoilmodifieds.com.

BY DAVE GRAYSON