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Vader, Wa - Brea Lopez Scores Another Top Five Finish At South Sound Speedway
By Steve Pados, GA Motorsports Media
Nineteen year old Midget driving star Brea Lopez and her Brea Lopez Motorsports Team returned to South Sound Speedway last Saturday night for the second scheduled race of the 2008 WMRA series. Less than favorable weather conditions rode with the racing teams in attendance, but the large crowd on hand was undaunted by the unpredictable weather and enjoyed a great night of hot racing action. For Lopez, she suffered through an unbelievable night of mechanical problems with her Dan Press wrenched racer, but still managed to bring the car home for a fine fourth place when the checkered flag fell on the event.
During the qualifiying session defending series champion Evan Margeson clocked the fastest time when he steered the Beal #50 in at 13.15 seconds. Lopez was a tick slower in second place with a clocking of 13.20 seconds and 2006 series champion Spence Gatrell clicked off a time at 13.37 seconds. Rookie Mark Atkinson qualified fourth at 13.51 seconds.
Only one heat was needed for the cars on hand and Mark Atkinson won the event easily over Spence Gatrell, Mitch Hofses, Evan Margeson, Brea Lopez, and Darren Linder. This set the stage for the feature event and the WMRA officilas determined prior to the start of the event the feature would be shortened to 25-laps due to the challenging weather conditions in the area.
For the feature, Atkinson took at the drop of the green and had clear sailing all of the way as the race was ran non-stop and the rookie Atkinson was more than up to the challenge. Evan Margeson made the event interesting as he was able to slip by Lopez with two to go and then passed Gatrell on the white flag lap to claim a solid runner-up finish. Gatrell was third at the finish and Lopez claimed fourth place even though the mechanical gremlins in her race car were evident throughout the latter stages of the feature event. "Quick" Rick Brown completed the top five running order.
The spirited Lopez was truly disappointed with her fourth place finish at South Sound. After a long phone conversation she remarked, "The car gave us problems all day long. I felt I could challenge for the lead early on but the car kept getting worse as the race progressed. After the midpoint of the race I was just trying to hang on and keep out of trouble. I didn't put up a fight when Evan got by me as he was obviously going much better than we were at the time". Lopez later added, "We are going to take the car for a test session this week to see why the motor keeps acting up for us. Hopefully we will find all of the answers and be able to put the Dan Press Midget in the winners circle in the near future".
Miss Lopez was once again behind the wheel of the newly refurbished 2006 Beast Chassied/Esslinger powered Midget that is Crewed by her grandfather, the legendary West Coast racer, Dan Press. While the team had hoped to travel to as many venues as possible to race in 2008, the Lopez Team is weighing all of their options as to travel and competition. The Lopez Team is still seeking additional sponsorship partners for the 2008 racing season to assist with the larger travel schedule the series has embarked on with a couple of shows being scheduled across the border into Canada.
Lopez will return to action on May 31st as the third event of the WMRA Season will unfold. The series will once again compete at the South Sound Speedway located in Rochester, Washington.
Brea Lopez would like to thank all of her sponsors and supporters for their efforts in helping the team prepare for the 2008 racing season. Steve Forler Trucking, Redline Oil, Ridgecrest Homes, Hooker Harness, Bell Helmets, Finish Line Racing Equipment, Keizer Wheels, Loma Hair Products, DPI, Airgas, Nex-Gen Motorsports, and GA Motorsports Media will all play a major role in the success of the team this coming year.
Individuals lending support include Steve Lewis, John Hunter, Chip Hanauer and Dave Reed. Individuals or Sponsors looking for much needed exposure through a strong association with Motorsports are encouraged to contact Brea Lopez Motorsports for further information regarding the sponsorship programs the team has in place.
For more information regarding the latest in updated news and information for the talented racer Brea Lopez, log on to her website at: http://www.brealopez.com
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