Hughes, Scanlon Big Winners at June 7th Crash-A-Rama
Marty Hughes has always excelled at Figure 8 racing and specialty events at his hometown Holland NASCAR Motorsports Complex, and he showed off his abilities in a big way on Saturday evening, capturing three event wins including the featured full sized School Bus Figure 8 race at Crash-A-Rama, Round I. Also, Patrick Scanlon of Salamanca, NY picked up over $2000 in winnings by copping the first place honors in the 50 lap 4-cylinder enduro.

Another capacity crowd was on hand to enjoy the spectacle of automotive destruction on a beautiful summery evening.

In the 10 lap full size School Bus Figure 8 race, Hughes started last in the 11 bus starting field and worked his way forward to chase down leader Jimmy "Elvis" Gnojek on lap 9. As the two raced off the turn 4 banking toward the "x," contact was made and Hughes managed to maintain control of his bus to grab the lead and drive on for the win. Gnojek, who had led from the second lap, took second, while early race leader Clint Riegle finished third.

The race was red flagged on the second lap, as Patrick Eck rolled his bus over going into turn three -- Eck was uninjured, and returned later to win over seven other entries in the boat-trailer race.

Hughes also won the Mini Bus Figure 8 race, leading flag-to-flag in the 12 lap event held entirely on the infield figure 8 course. "Dr. Dread" placed second, with Clint Riegle again finishing third.

In addition, Hughes was victorious in the six-lap, six car Skid Car race (skid plates affixed under both rear wheels), leading second place Jimmy "Elvis" Gnojek by nearly a full lap at the checkers.

In the 50 lap 4-cylinder enduro, Patrick Scanlon and Ron Alessi battled for the lead early, until Alessi tangled with a lapped car on the 5th circuit and Scanlon was involved in a skirmish on lap 9. Chris Ardenski and Rob Wozniak then took up the lead fight, with Wozniak grabbing the top spot on lap 15. In the meantime, Scanlon was working his way back through the field, and chased down Wozniak, taking back the lead on lap 28 and running away to lap vitually the entire remaining field of the original 45 starters.

In other action, Joe Merlino won the eight-lap, 32 car Flagpole race ahead of Tony DeCarlo and Marty Hughes, and the team of Dave Levine, Jay Tocki, and Jay Murphy was victorious in the 8-lap Auto Roller Derby race. Scott Espinosa outlasted 21 other entries to win the front wheel drive demolition derby.

Doug Rose thrilled the fans with the Green Mamba Jet Car, tossing flames, doing shorts sprints down the oval track chutes, and at the end of the evening, incinerated a pair of scrapped vehicles in a flaming send-off. Earlier in the evening, Jimmy "Elvis" Gnojek successfully ramp jumped a car into a tower of four vehicles.

Crash-A-Rama will return to the Holland NASCAR Motorsports Complex for Round II on Saturday, September 6th.

On Saturday, June 14th, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing program will return to Holland, with a prelude featuring the Veterans Race to the Flag to celebrate Flag Day, as area military veterans will compete in Speedway provided 4-cylinder strictly stock racers. In addition, the "Teacher Feature" event, postponed by rain from May 31st will also take place. Pit gates will open at 3:00 and grandstand gates at 4:15. The Veterans Race to the Flag and Teacher Feature racing will begin at 5:15, with the regular racing program getting the green flag at 7:15. For more infomation, contact the Holland office at (716)-537-2272.