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News From Brea Lopez Motorsports Vader, WA - Coming Up To Speed With Brea Lopez MotorsportsBy Steve Pados, GA Motorsports Media Nineteen year old Midget driving star Brea Lopez and her Brea Lopez Motorsports Team have been on a racing hiatus since July 12th when they last competed at the South Sound Speedway. Even though a sanctioned race was scheduled by the WMRA for July 19th in Canada, the team opted not to make the trip due to the escalating fuel costs the team has had to absorb and incorporate into their limited racing budget. The 2008 racing season has proven to be a burden for all race teams that take to the road to compete and since there seems to be no immediate relief in sight, the team has taken to looking at each scheduled event on an individual per race venture. The trip to Canada was viewed as bad economics and the team stayed put for the weekend. With another race scheduled for Canada on the 9th of August, the team has already decided the trip will be out of the question and with it denying all hopes for Brea Lopez to make a run for the series championship, a title she was hoping to add to her already impressive list of credentials earned in her racing career. When the team raced at Ephrata on June 14th, Miss Lopez qualified fourth fastest and went out and won the A Dash event. In the feature event, Lopez remained in the hunt throughout and when the checkered flag feel ending the event Lopez was riding in third position with only defending champion Evan Margeson and rookie star Mark Atkinson in front of her. Tony Seidleman and 15 year old Logan Forler completed the top five running order in the event. When the series moved to the South Sound Speedway for the June 28th event, Lopez was clearly the fastest car on the track when the racing was going on. Lopez qualified third quickest and finished with a pair of thirds in her heat and dash events. For the feature event, Darren Linder led the pack through the first lap. Lopez took control of the lead on lap-2 and brought along a dancing partner in the form of top rookie Mark Atkinson. Two laps later Spence Gatrell joined in to make it a three car breakaway. Lopez led until lap-18 when the engine in her Beast/Esslinger and Dan Press wrenched Midget began to skip a beat or two. Mark Atkinson took over the lead at that point and eventually won the event. Lopez tried to keep her car firing and went until the 25th lap when the machine finally gave up the ghost. The finish for the event was Atkinson winning with Tony Seidleman in second and Darren Linder, Kerstin Smutny and Logan Forler completing the top five runing order. The disappointed Lopez was credited with a final 8th place showing. The WMRA returned to South Sound Speedway for a July 12th event. Brea Lopez ripped off the top qualification run for the evening event. After finishing second in her heat and third in the Dash, Lopez felt confident of a solid run in the feature. Racing for position early on in the feature event, another competitor made contact with Lopez and she bounced off a few more cars before regaining control of her race car. At this point Lopez had lost four positions on the raceway and now had her work cut out for her if she was to have a good solid finish. Fighting back, Lopez quickly became the center of attention on the race course as lap after lap she closed in on racer after racer and made her way back to the front and eating up a ton of the track's real estate in the process. Lopez slipped by Gatrell on lap-15 but got into the turn a bit hot and Gatrell regained the position. One lap later Lopez again made her way by Gatrell and this time made the pass stick as she moved by Gatrell with ease. Later Gatrell would slow his pace with a badly blistered tire. As the remaining laps clicked off, the leader Margeson too was experiencing tire problems and Atkinson and Lopez were all over him and looking for a way around the series champion. Margeson held on for the win over Atkinson and Lopez in perhaps the closest and most competitive race of the 2008 racing campaign. Tony Seidleman was fourth and Mitch Hoffses completed the top five running order. Gaining no points in the last series event in Canada, Miss Lopez has taken a severe hit in the point standings. Rookie Mark Atkinson leads the series points with 995. Tony Seidleman is second with 872 markers and Evan Margeson is third with 809 points even though he too has missed an event. Rookie lady racer Kerstin Smutny is now fourth in points with 787 and Lopez completes the top five with 776 points. "Slick" Rick Brown is 6th in points chase with 704 points and he too missed the last event. When the Brea Lopez Motorsports Team returns to racing, Miss Lopez will once again slide behind the belts of the 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 do more racing than they are currently doing, the cost factors of the fuel and the downturn in our nation's economy have proven to be a challenge for everyone involved in the racing industry. The Lopez Team is continuously weighing all of their options as to travel and competition and is still actively seeking additional sponsorship partners for the 2008 racing season and beyond to lend assistance due to the rising costs associated with racing. 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 have all played a major role in the success of the team thus far into the 2008 racing season. 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 2008 and beyond. For more information regarding the latest in updated news and information for the |
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