Road Runner

      

       2006 Tribute Cup

 

               Race #36

 

                         

     Jeremy Wiedeman     

 

             Tribute 121

 

 

    November 15th, 2006

 

                 

              

     

 

 

 

2006

  Jeremy Wiedeman

         Tribute 121

              AWARDS   

      _________________

      Bud Pole Award 

         Jeff Sykes (#15)

 

      

        Race Winner

             Trophy  

     Danny Sanchez (#44)

 

    

    Halfway Leader

             Award           

   Danny Sanchez (#44)

 

      

    

        Hard Charger

             Awards           

        John Wilcko (#62)

        (from 28th to 8th)

  

     

    

 Goody's Headache

             Awards

      Michael Spivey (#7)

  

     

        

 Cadillac Excellence

   In Driving Awards    

                   

       Rick Hubler (#53)

 

       David Gibson (#74)

 

      Dana Webster (#38)

 

   

 

  

   

  

Last race event news:

 

   

SMILIN' SANCHEZ (#44) SNAGS

 

            SEASON-ENDER;

 

       MAGNIFICENT DREAM

 

         MATERIALIZES FOR

 

       MIGHTY McLAIN (#88)

       

                               

                                      Check the race results here:    Results

_____________________________________________________________

 

 

2006 Jeremy Wiedeman Tribute 121 News:

 

         

          Going into the Road Runner finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Oklahoma's Danny Sanchez (#44) sat 191 points out of the lead and was already mathematically eliminated from winning the 2006 Tribute Cup.   But in no way did this detract from Sanchez's vengeance against the track where the 2005 Tribute Cup Championship slipped through his grasp on the last turn of the last lap of the 2005 Season.  After Rick Hubler's (#53) pass of Sanchez (#44) on the final straight-away of the last lap of the 2005 Jeremy Wiedeman Tribute 121 last year, Sanchez (#44) would lose the Championship by 1 point to the final race winner, Steve Stiely (#55).  After a 2006 season of zero wins to date, Sanchez (#44) aimed to go out and conquer Homestead Speedway and in doing so, end his winless streak in 2006 and also knock the "lost 2005 championship monkey" off his back.           

          Sanchez (#44) would park the red/white/blue car he had run throughout the first 9 races of the 2006 Chase for the Tribute Cup and showed up with his navy blue/orange SRN RaceServers Chevrolet Monte Carlo which he had last run at California Speedway back in August.  Sanchez (#44) would qualify it well and started on the outside of Row 3 for the 2006 Jeremy Wiedeman Tribute 121.    Sanchez (#44) would drive smart, avoid trouble, and positioned himself perfectly to win his first race of 2006 and visit his favorite place at the track once again, Victory Lane.  The win was his 7th of all-time in the Tribute Cup.        

    

      

                         

 

Danny Sanchez (#44) smokes out the crowd after winning the 2006 Jeremy Wiedeman Tribute 121 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

 

       Finishing with his 17th Top 5 of the year, North Carolina's Keith McLain (#88) clinched the "Chase for the Tribute Cup" by 24 points over Rick Hubler (#53).   2003 Tribute Cup Champion Jeremy Wiedeman (#03), Horace Brooks (#28), and Steven Flinn (#81) round out the Top 5.

         Also, with his strong 3rd place finish and Jeff Leung's (#24) engine failure, Keith McLain (#88) clinched the Session 3 Points Championship.  Rick Hubler (#53) would finish in second, followed by Leung (#24), Wiedeman (#03), and Sanchez (#44).       

 

 

                                             

             

After the Danny Sanchez (#44) burnout and victory celebration on the front-stretch, 2005 Tribute Cup Champion Steve Stiely (#55) ended his championship reign and "passed the torch" to Keith McLain (#88), your new 2006 Tribute Cup Champion.

 

 

 

           "I would like to start off by saying that this is the best run sim-racing league I have ever been apart of.  Great job to the administration! 

           It was a very good season for me.  It started off really bad though.  I only had one Top 10 in the first 5 races; a 10th at California.  My first 5 finishes were 20th,10th,29th,18th, and 23rd.  I had a huge hill to climb; that's for sure.  Like Jeff (Christianson, #47) says, "Winners never quit......and quitters never win."

            I would like to thank my teammates over at !FART! RACING:  Jeff Sykes (#15), Rick Hubler (#53), Jason Bowlin (#1), Steve Stiely (#55), and the old part-timer, Dana Webster (#38), hehe.   We spent countless hours practicing together trying to make up for the lack of driving talent.  We had to come up with the perfect setups.   We had 3 drivers make the chase; would've been 4 but ole Duner (Jeff Sykes, #15) couldn't ever catch a break.  Congrats to Rick Hubler (#53) for finishing 2nd; you had an awesome year with 19 top 5's.  I still can't believe you didn't get you a win man.  A big thanks go out to our "setup-guru" DUNER (Jeff Sykes, #15); you came up with some really awesome sets this year.   Thanks to Jason (Bowlin, #1) for keeping us laughing on Teamspeak.  You ought not to talk like that, you just a boy... "Dammit' Man," were just a few things to keep us going.   Thanks to Steve (Stiely, #55) for being such a gracious champion and handing over the reigns at the end.  I enjoyed racing with each and every one of you guys this year.     Horace (Brooks, #28), Jeremy (Wiedeman, #03), Danny (Sanchez, #44), Red Rocket (Jeff Leung, #24), Joe Lamberti (#8), and the "ROY" David (Gibson, #74) to name a few.  I can't tell you how much fun it was to beat that rocket-ship (Horace Brooks, #28) (Laughing) You know Horace always has a rocket-ship. 

           Great job guys! See ya in the Winter season!  Beer wagon out!"

               
          --Keith McLain (#88)
 

                                                                       

                

            In other race news, Tennessee driver Dana Webster (#38) would post his second consecutive week with his best finish of 2006 by finishing in 6th place.  Last week at Phoenix, he and the Home Depot Team would finish with a strong 7th place.  

          New Yorks' Chris Hughson (#84) would capture the 2006 LPIP Winner award which awards clean driving style.  Hughson (#84) amazingly only received one penalty in 35 races run in.

          Well folks, it's been a great season, filled with plenty of action and a lot of excitement.  Once again, STRL Racing doesn't disappoint.   The STRL Awards Ceremony is scheduled for a couple of weeks from now;  the STRL forum will have more info as it becomes available. 

          Drivers now begin some time off to be with families and friends for a while; but it won't take long and I'm sure these die-hard racers will be thinking about setups as they fill their faces with holiday feast.   See you in 2007.

       

 

Photo Gallery:

  

The heavy metal rock band Metallica rocks the Homestead-Miami Speedway 2 hours before final Road Runner event of 2006, the Jeremy Wiedeman Tribute 121.  STRL fans were lined up 8 hours ahead of time to be first to enter the stage area located to the south outside of the track.

Fans head for the track as race time approaches.
After driver introductions, fans and the media re-enter the grandstand from the track area.
Twenty-eight Road Runner drivers would qualify for the season finale at Homestead.  Jeff Sykes (#15) would capture his 5th pole of 2006.
The members of Metallica smile for a quick photo before the TV cameras turn to them for their rockin' rendition of the national anthem. 
The U.S. Marines presented the colors during the Star Spangled Banner while...
...the U.S. Navy brought in the Stars and Stripes and...
...from the south, the U.S. Air Force sent a B2-B that was escorted in by a pair of F-15 Strike Eagles.   What a sight!
The 28-car field led by pole-sitter Jeff Sykes (#15) rolls through Turn 4 awaiting the drop of the green flag to start the 2006 Jeremy Wiedeman Tribute 121.
Jeff Sykes (#15) leads early on Lap 2.  Sykes (#15) was hoping his strong Chevrolet might help him win his 2nd race of the year.
Later on Lap 2, the Chase for the Tribute Cup Point leader, Keith McLain (#88) grabs the lead from Jeff Sykes (#15) and gets his 5 bonus points.
On Lap 3, 20th place Terry Riggins (#68) gets loose up on the high side.  Andrew Lewis (#038) has no where to go and tags the sliding Riggins (#68) while John Wilcko (#62) shoots by on the low side.  Caution #1 would fly.
On Lap 7, 13th place Michael Spivey (#7) blows in Turn 2 but gets off the track in time to avoid bringing out a yellow flag.  Spivey (#7) would finish in last place.
Jason Bowlin (#1) runs in 7th place just ahead of 6 cars.  Multiple grooves can be seen all 7 cars pictured seem to be at a slightly different height on the track.  Homestead Speedway, with its variable banking provided the fans with some incredibly exciting racing.
On Lap 13, Arizona's Gary Stephenson (#42) spins on the back stretch after having a right rear tire go low.  Caution #2 would fly.
On Lap 17, Jeff Butler (#11) gets loose in the middle of the track.  Oregon's Sam McAllister (#59) and Tennessee's Horace Brooks (#28) split the sliding Butler (#11) in hopes of zero involvement. Caution #3 would fly.
On Lap 28, Robert Fulkerson (#32) and Jason Bowlin (#1) battle for 17th.  Bowlin (#1) would go on to a 7th place finish, his 11th Top 10 of 2006.  Fulkerson (#32) would have to settle for 22nd place. 
A 4-way battle for 11th was led by Steven Flinn (#81) on Lap 31.   Jeff Christianson (#47), Horace Brooks (#28), and Andrew Lewis (#038) follow closely behind.
The lead is up for grabs on Lap 34 as Keith McLain (#88) tries to maintain the outside lane on Rick Hubler (#53). 
Rob Decker (#21) and Greg Foslien (#46) go door-to-door for 9th place on Lap 38. 
Caution #5 would fly on Lap 48 when the John Deere Chevy of Ron Henson (#97) would get loose in Turn 3-4 and collect several others including New York's Christopher Hughson (#84).  Henson (#97) would fini9sh in 23rd place while Hughson (#84) would plod on and finish 3 laps down in 18th.
The Top 5 pull away slightly on Lap 53 led by Oklahoma's Danny Sanchez (#44).  Sanchez (#44) would lead for 32 laps of the event.
The 2005 Tribute Cup Champion, Steve Stiely (#55) , battles with David Gibson (#74) for 6th place on Lap 64.  Gibson (#74) would clinch the 2006 Tribute Cup Rookie of the Year with his 4th place finish at Homestead;  Stiely (#55) was the Rookie of the Year 2 years earlier in 2004.
On Lap 80, Jeremy Wiedeman (#03) and Danny Sanchez (#44) go door to door for 2nd trying to catch race leader Rick Hubler (#53).
On Lap 87, the 2003 Tribute Cup Champion, Jeremy Wiedeman (#03), tries in vain to lead a lap but Cup contender Rick Hubler (#53) wouldn't allow it.   Going into the final race, these 2 drivers were tied and trailed point leader Keith McLain (#88) by 34 points each; so every point was vital if they were to win the championship.

On Lap 100, Championship contender Jeremy Wiedeman (#03) follows several others lead and pits for fresh rubber and gas under green as the race has that "Green to the Finish" look to it.  Race leader Rick Hubler (#53) along with the lead pack heads into Turn 1 putting Wiedeman (#03) a lap down. 

On Lap 103, the "Chase for the Consolation Cup Champion", Jeff Leung (#24) blows his engine just in front of Danny Sanchez (#44) and "Chase for the Tribute Cup" Point Leader, Keith McLain (#88).   Both of these skilled drivers would narrowly avoid what appeared to be certain disaster.
STRL fans would come to their feet as the field comes through Turn 4 approaching the final restart with 14 laps to go.
At the final restart, lappers Steven Flinn (#81), Jeremy Wiedeman (#03), and Horace Brooks (#28) start at the front (after not pitting) hoping for a quick caution to put them back on the lead lap.  It never came.
With less than 3 laps to go , Rick Hubler (#53) tries to go low on leader Danny Sanchez (#44) as Jeremy Wiedeman (#03) struggles with his older tires to stay on the lead lap.
On Lap 119, Jeff Sykes (#15) passes Dana Webster (#38) for 5th place as the 2 drivers approach lapper Greg Foslien (#46).  Sykes (#15) would maintain the 5th spot and Webster (#38) would finish in 6th, his best finish of 2006.
Oklahoma's Danny Sanchez (#44) outlasts the pressure by Rick Hubler (#53) to win the 2006 Jeremy Wiedeman Tribute 121!
Danny Sanchez (#44) celebrates in a major way after winning his first race of 2006!
Keith McLain (#88) lays his last burner of the 2006 season after winning the Chase for the Tribute Cup and the Session 6 Championship!
The remaining rubber still burns several minutes after Keith McLain (#88) lit his tires up after celebrating his 2006 Tribute Cup Championship!
The sun sets over a quiet Homestead-Miami Speedway to end the 2006 Tribute Cup. 

 

Official Results of the 2006 Jeremy Wiedeman Tribute 121 -Click here