Thu, 3 Jun 2010, 10:34 PM It's All Star Time

By Bob Frey Photo copyright 2010 Auto Imagery, Inc.

'09 D-3 Team Champion

This is one of my favorite times of the year. I say that for a few reasons, but primarily because it's time for the Jegs All Star race in Chicago. This is where the best Lucas Oil racers in the country come for an opportunity to show just who is the best, individually and collectively. Drivers who have earned the most points in their division get to run as part of the All Star program, a program that features lots of talent, plenty of excitement, individual and team honors, and, oh yes, a lot of cash. Every year I look forward to the event which, for the past few years, has been held at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois. It's a wonderful facility, a great event and, if the weatherman cooperates, should be a lot of fun. I mention that weatherman thing because we have had a lot of nasty weather over the past few years and that always puts a little damper on things, literally and figuratively. But, as always, the show goes on.

Ken Perry Photo by: BME Photography

I had the pleasure of attending the Lucas Oil race in Indy a few weeks ago. On that weekend they were not only going to crown the champs for that event but they were also going to decide who the representatives were for D-3 at the All Star event. While some of the classes had been sown up, there were still some heated battles going on and I was looking forward to watching all of the action unfold. Unfortunately, the weatherman didn't cooperate and the race was rained out. In the end, while I was in Topeka two weekends ago, they finished the race and solidified their D-3 team for the All Star race. A look at the results shows that every one of the representatives for D-3, the division that just happens to be the defending team champions, will be making their first All Star appearance. That doesn't count Bill Reichert who is the defending Top Alcohol Dragster champ and who will go in as the "blocker," or Ricky Shipp who won last year

Gordon vs. Manzo in '08 final.

in Super Street. But other than those two, the entire D-3 team, the points earners, will be made up of first-timers. In Top Alcohol Dragster, Ken Perry, who lost to Bill in the final round of the Indy points race, will make his first start and that's quite a surprise. Ken has a very good car and he'll be racing at a track where he has won a national event and where he runs a division race every year, so maybe, just maybe he'll have a little home-court advantage. Andy Bohl, the much-improved alky Funny Car pilot, outlasted a very good group of drivers to earn the right to represent the home team in Joliet. While the TAFC field may be among the toughest at the event, Andy has as good a shot as anyone to win it all. Of course, anyone in that class will have to contend with Frank Manzo, the all-conquering driver from Division 1. Frank is tough, but he can be beaten, and if you don't believe me, ask Doug Gordon who beat Frank in the 2008 final round. For the record, Frank has more appearances, seventeen, and more wins, seven, than any other driver in the history of this event, but he doesn't win them all and Andy will try to become the newest winner in the TAFC class.

Arnie Martel

In the always-tough Competition Eliminator class, D-3 will send Brian Browell into battle, and, for the multi-time national event winner, it will be a first as he ventures into uncharted territory. Brian outlasted Greg Kamplain, Steve Ambrose and Jason Coan to earn the honors to represent the home team and he should be a formidable foe for the other Comp drivers. Among that group will be Frank Aragona from Division 1, Arnie Martel for D-2, Adam Hickey for Division 4, Matt Harris for Division 5, Doug Lambeck for Division 6 and Mike DePalma for D-7. Of that group, Brian will be joined by three others, Martel, Hickey and DePalma, as drivers who will be making their first All Star appearances. Fellow Division 3 All Star Charlie Bohannon, who had to go to the last race and the last day before securing his spot in the show, will be another D-3 rookie hoping to uphold the honor of the home team. Charlie, who had a couple of final round appearances at divisional races last year and earned enough points at Indy to close out his closest challenger, Bob Marshall, in order to earn the spot as the D-3 Super Stock star. Gregg

Brian Weber

Luneack won the Super Stock title last year and he'll be back as the blocker for Division 7 who will send Brian Weber east for the race. Brian, like so many others this year, will be a rookie and he hopes to make the tow from the West coast worthwhile. His Camaro does some really nice wheelstands and maybe he'll get one of the on-board cameras for the ESPN show. Chris Stephenson is another driver from the home division who had to go to the last race in order to secure his spot in the team. Chris will tangle with some of the best Stock Eliminator drivers in the country as he tries to win in his rookie season. Among the contenders will be Mark Faul who will be making his fifth All Star appearance, but believe it or not, every other driver in the Stock class will be making their initial start. Does that give Mark, the runner-up in 2007, an advantage? I guess we'll find out shortly.

Raymond Miller Photo by: BME Photography

There are two new classes in the show this year, Top Dragster and Top Sportsman and anytime you have a shot to be the first to do anything it has to be a great opportunity. Among those in the fast class, Top Dragster, are the Division 1 rep, Frank Zeffiro, the D-3 star, Robert Cireddu, Brandon Chauvin for Division 4, Clarence Mayo for D-5 and the West coast reps, Jon Riedel and Terry White from Division 6 and 7 respectively. The one guy to watch here might be the red hot Raymond Miller. Representing Division 2, Raymond is on a roll with national and divisional wins already this year. Plus, he'll be kept very busy since he is also the Southeast All Star in Super Comp. The other new class, Top Sportsman, appears to be wide open with a lot of first-timers in the show. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, not one of the Top Sportsman stars has even been part of this special event before, so that means anyone can win it. Keith Raftery from Division 4 has a lot of experience in the class and so does Gary Forkner for D-7, so let's see if those two can make their way through the field and into a final round match.

Justin Jenkins Photo by: Barry Bergeron

There are certainly other great drivers in the field and, literally, any one of them can win it all. There are no surprise winners in the All Star competition, although I do have to say that there can be some surprise team winners. That's because, in the entire history of the event, the teams from Division 5 and Division 7 have never won the team honors, and with the drivers that they have sent over the years that's a real surprise. This year such stars, in addition to those already mentioned, include Steve Domingues (S/Street), Chuck Rose (S/G), Mike Miller (S/C), Justin Jenkins (SS) and Matt Harris (Comp). They will also have Roger Bateman, runner-up to Manzo last year in TAFC, and Ed Schmeeckle (runner-up in 2004) in the alky dragster class, so the D-5 guys should be tough. Plus they have Brad Haugaard in Stock and the blocker, the

Jim Whitely Photo by: Barry Bergeron

reigning Competition Eliminator World Champion, Bruno Massel, to aid their cause. The West coast guys include Wayne Silvia, Matt Blodgett, Val Torres, Matthew Woodard, Aaron Kinard (blocker), Jon Irving, Steve Gasparrelli and Jim Whitely in addition to those I already mentioned. A look at that lineup and I'm thinking that this could be the year for D-7, but don't tell the other six divisions I said that.

However it turns out and whoever wins it, one thing I know for sure, the 2010 All Star event will be fun for everyone and I congratulate all the drivers for simply making their teams. It is an honor and I hope they all have a great weekend.