Defending Super Stock Champion and fast qualifier, Cary Stapp showed he had lost no momentum over the season as he got out front on green, pulled away from the field and snagged the his first, of probably many, victories for the year. The race was marred, and had laps reduced, by a red flag that saw one spectator suffer a severe gash to his chin and tongue, while TSRS driver, Joe Aramendia suffered some bumps and bruises on his forehead and leg after a car lost a tire/wheel and slid into the pit road catch fence. Aramendia went on to race his feature, and no word was available on the spectator who was transferred to a local hospital.
As green waved on the scheduled 40 lap event, Stapp jumped out from the pole to the lead in turn 1. Keith Garret grabbed second while Duane Toyne and Doug Ayers ran door to door for third, with Terry Tschoerner fifth. Toyne took third with Ayers hung on the side giving Te. Tschoerner the chance to take fourth. Stapp was motoring away by lap 5, with the top five separating themselves from the pack. Scott Stubbs spun on lap 8 collecting Todd Weeks and knocking the front sheet metal and bumper cover off.
On the restart, Stapp slowly inched away from Garrett and had built a comfortable margin when the red flag waved on unlucky, lap 13. Te. Tschoerner and Ayers both slid off turn 1 with Te. Tschoerner’s car losing a tire/wheel, going all the way to the pit road catch fence and tire barrier. The crowd sat in stone cold silence as emergency crews rushed to pits. Fortunately it appears no one suffered any life threatening injuries and repairs were made to the fence. During the red, the race was shortened by 16 laps, with restart now being considered the halfway mark.
Stapp once again got away from Garrett and Toyne once the race resumed as they built a lead over John Banker and Micky McKim. Yellow waved on lap 22 when San Antonio Speedway Road Runner Champion, Mark Mathias had a lazy spin while running eighth. Stapp got a good jump when green waved, with Toyne bump drafting Garrett down the from straight and Banker, McKim, Chris Birmingham and Chad Menard ran nose to tail for fourth.
The top three then pulled away from the fourth place battle until Menard got into Banker sending him spinning and bringing the caution back out. Banker was returned to his spot and Menard found his way to the back. Stapp held his stranglehold on the lead as the top three got away from the pack. Ayers was able to work his way back, getting by Banker for sixth with ten to go.
Ayers caught McKim and Birmingham making it a three car fight for fourth. As Stapp increased his lead on Garrett, Toyne crept up on Garrett’s bumper with five lap remaining. As the white flag waved, Stapp had built a lead of ten car lengths on the Garrett, Toyne scrap for second and easily took the checkers.
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