Ash leaves uncertainty behind, wins 40-lap feature at Bullring

Dustin Ash has a slew of racing trophies from winning in BMX to Super Late Models stock cars.

That includes nine in 2007, when at 19 he became the youngest champion in the Super Late Models series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's Bullring in the NASCAR All-American Series.

After the past two years of racetrack uncertainty, the sophomore at the College of Southern Nevada is back at the Bullring with a full-season commitment from Ewing Bros. Racing to provide a car for him to run the entire Bullring season.

"I've been working on the cars at the shop for the past six months," he said after winning Saturday night's 40-lap feature to earn one of his most special trophies. "They said I can race the car as long as I keep working on it.

"I've really wanted to pay them back by putting a trophy in their showcase."

Ash, who will be 22 in 10 days, had the dominant car on opening night two weeks ago, but a part failure ended his night after he led the first 53 laps in the 100-lap race.

On Saturday before a crowd of about 2,000, Ash was the fastest qualifier with power coming from an engine built by Terry Kell of Kell's Automotive. Ash started 10th under the Bullring's inversion procedure but took the lead from two-time series champion Scott Gafforini on the 28th lap in the crash-marred race that left 10 of 20 starters running at the end.

"That's pretty good to go from 10th to first and not have a mark on the car," Ash said.

Gafforini finished second, with Ash's teammate Jeff Connors placing third. Another Ewing driver, Robert Ewing, finished 14th after a crash ended his attempt to win the first two Super Late Models races of the season.

In 2008, Ash had to park his family-owned race car when some previous backers in the Southern Nevada construction industry had to tighten their budgets and he lost sponsorships. What seemed like a good opportunity last season with a startup blew up like a cheap engine even though Ash had won his first race with the local team.

Although he won three of the five Super Late Models races he entered last year, he spent most of the summer living near Charlotte, N.C., and racing Legends Cars about five nights a week.

Other feature race winners Saturday were: Austin Farley (USAC Midgets), Mario Opipari (Chargers), Wrango West (Legends), Chris Bosley (Thunder Roadsters) and Cameron Hayley (Baby Grand Nationals).

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.