EL PASO, Texas -- After a brief rain shower passed over the El Paso Speedway Park Friday night, the USRA RHS Modifieds rolled the 3/8-mile clay oval to race ready conditions, and then wrapped up heat race action with Johnny Scott, Jimmy Ray and Stormy Scott taking wins.

The USRA RHS Modifieds took to the racing surface for 30 laps of racing as Sherman Barnett jumped to the race lead after starting on the pole but the opening lap of competition belonged to fellow front row starter Jacob Gallardo. As Gallardo started working on pulling away, the battle on the track was for fifth as Stormy Scott made the pass on Greg Jenkins before the caution waved with three laps in the books.

On the restart, the fight for the top spot was on as Christy Georges pulled even with Gallardo but Gallardo held the point as Jimmy Ray worked past Georges for second. Pulling to third, Stormy Scott worked on running down Ray.

Ten laps in and the next battle for Georges was in the form of Bumper Jones. Trying to hold onto fourth, Georges was unable to hold off Jones as the focus shifted to the top three as they fought for the lead in slower traffic. Boxed in by lapped cars, Gallardo caught a lucky break as the cars parted top and bottom to leave an open path with 15 laps to go.

Hanging right with Gallardo in traffic, Ray worked the bottom as Gallardo worked the top in turns 3-4 with both drivers going low in turns 1-2.

To 10 laps remaining, the fight through slower traffic was becoming more and more intense as Jones closed in Stormy Scott to fight for third. Looking for the line to run, Scott pulled into the tire tracks of Gallardo with just under eight laps to run. Three wide into second, Scott pulled low, driving right to the bottom of the track and even with the race-long leader.

Wheel to wheel with seven laps to go, Scott bolted into the lead as Ray worked on Gallardo for second as the caution waved with five laps to go. On the restart, the green was shortlived as the field raced hard into turn 1 where a pileup ensued, taking out as many as 10 of the top 15 cars in the process. With the carnage cleared, the runner-up spot was still Gallardo as the crash happened just behind him.

Holly Jones jumped from seventh to third on the restart along with Tom Georges from ninth and Greg Jenkins from tenth to round out the top five as the field went back to green with Scott picking up right where we he left off and leaving no room for anyone to challenge as he stormed away to the win.

Gallardo, Holly Jones, Tom Georges and Dickie Gorham rounded out the top five.

The El Paso Speedway Park is located 6.5 miles east of Loop 375 off Montana Ave. Turn left on KRAG to the first paved right. For more information including turn by turn directions lot onto http://www.epspeedwaypark.com and like us on Facebook.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
El Paso Speedway Park, El Paso, Texas
Friday, July 1, 2011

USRA RHS MODIFIEDS

Heat #1: 1. Johnny Scott, 2. Holly Jones, 3. Bumper Jones, 4. Jacob Gallardo, 5. Brian Clark, 6. Duane Murphy, 7. Joe Lackey, 8. Roger Owens.

Heat #2: 1. Jimmy Ray, 2. Christy Georges, 3. Austin Adams, 4. Jonathan Barcena, 5. Fito Gallardo, 6. Royal Jones, 7. Dickie Gorham, 8. Phil Locke.

Heat #3: 1. Stormy Scott, 2. Sherman Barnett, 3. Gregory Jenkins, 4. Tom Georges, 5. Mercedes Harris, 6. Philip Houston, 7. Donavon Ooley, 8. Chad Falco.

Feature: 1. Stormy Scott, 2. Jacob Gallardo, 3. Holly Jones, 4. Tom Georges, 5. Dickie Gorham, 6. Duane Murphy, 7. Donavon Ooley, 8. Mercedes Harris, 9. Gregory Jenkins, 10. Roger Owens, 11. Jonathan Barcena, 12. Joe Lackey, 13. Chad Falco, 14. Bumper Jones, 15. Brian Clark, 16. Christy Georges, 17. Sherman Barnett, 18. Royal Jones, 19. Jimmy Ray, 20. Philip Houston, 21. Austin Adams, 22. Phil Locke.