By Joe Jennings
Results courtesy USASpeedway.com

Lakeland, FL –December 13, 2006- Bobby Santos III soundly thrashed the field in the Performance Racing Association Big Car Series Championship 100 at the USA Speedway in Lakeland. The race closed out the PRA’s inaugural season.

The youthful Santos drove the RE Technologies Ford owned by Nextel Cup star Carl Edwards. Bob Santos II and his son prepared the car.

Santos started from the front row and led the opening stanzas before being overtaken by fast qualifier Marc Jessup. After a red flag on lap 40, Santos blasted past Jessup and was never headed.

But Santos got a scare with 40 laps to go when officials black-flagged him when they thought his car may have been leaking fluids. This happened during a caution flag and as soon as his car was found to be acceptable, he returned to the track and his lead was restored.

The winner’s margin of victory over the runner-up Klatt Enterprises Ford of Bobby East, Jr. was three seconds.

"We had a great car and it was a fun race," Santos stated in victory lane. Regarding the pass of Jessup on lap 41, Santos added, "I was taking my time and waiting for the right opportunity to pass him."

Veteran driver Chet Fillip claimed his first-career championship in 33 years of racing. "It is a big deal for me," he said. "I have raced since I was 16 years of age and I am 49 now. My car was so good that I couldn’t do anything wrong."

He started 20th and finished a very respectable fourth place.

The night’s action was brought to a fiery halt on lap 40 when John Heydenreich and Tracy Hines tangled, sending both cars into the first turn wall. Heydenreich’s gas tank ruptured and his car was immediately engulfed in flames.

The Pennsylvania native slowly emerged from the car and tumbled on to the track, landing in the spilled fuel. He laid motionless on the track until rescue workers were arrived on the scene.

Heydenreich remained conscious throughout the ordeal and he was quickly taken to the Lakeland General Hospital. Reportedly, he was treated for burns on his face and other possible injuries. A medical update is expected Friday.

When racing resumed, Santos shot into the lead, which left everyone else battling for the chase positions.

East, making his first Big Car start in 18 months, finished second. He was trailed by Teddy Beach.

"I was racing in the leader’s oil the last six laps but I couldn’t catch him," East said. "We can’t control everything but we did have a powerhouse motor in the car. I hate finishing second but I can’t tell you how much fun I had."

Beach had a flat tire during the red-flag period and his crew plugged the tirer instead of replacing it. "If we had replaced it, we would have lost a lap," he said. "It was fantastic that we were able to get back on the track."

Fillip’s fourth place finish carried him to the championship.

Fifth through tenth were Dave Steele, Kyle Nicholas, Ricky Stenhouse, Cameron Dodson, Dave Darland and Levi Jones.

Sixteen of the 28 starters finished the event.

Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart started 14th and advanced to sixth place before exiting with brake problems on lap 44.

Un-Official Race Results: 1 # 99 Bobby Santos III; 2 # 6 Bobby East; 3 # 15 Teddy Beach; 4 # 77 Chet Fillip; 5 # 91 Dave Steele; 6 # 41 Kyle Nicholas; 7 # 135 Ricky Stenhouse; 8 # 35 Cameron Dodson; 9 # 92 Dave Darland; 10 # 192 Levi Jones; 11 # 4 Eric Gordon; 12 # 198 Michael Roselli Jr.; 13 # 110 Alex Pruett; 14 # 52 Travis Pastrana; 15 # 51 Russ Gamester; 16 # 5 Jimmy Kite; 17 # 20 Ron Gregory; 18 # 32 A. J. Fike; The following where not running at the finish: 19 # 01 Wayne Reutimann Sr.; 20 # 00 Wayne Reutimann Jr.; 21 # 29 Tony Stewart; 22 #25 Marc Jessup; 23 # 90 Johnny Heydenreich; 24 # 37 Tracy Hines; 25 # 94 Mike Lichty; 26 # 95 Jerry Coons Jr.; 27 # 89 Brad Davis; 28 # 28 Brian Paulus

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