Robbie Starnes tops the 'Dillo!

Robbie Starnes tops the 'Dillo!

Story and Photo by Todd Turner - Courtesy of National Dirt Digest

KILGORE, Texas (Aug. 1-2) -- During Robbie Starnes' previous outing before the Armadillo Nationals at Lone Star Speedway, he enjoyed some delicious homemade peach ice cream made by a friend. When the same friend offered him the tasty treat at Lone Star, Starnes decided not to mess with karma. Sure enough, Starnes' ice-cream omen helped him lick the 24-car Southern United Professional Racing field for his biggest victory in three years. Starting inside the second row, the Texas driver took the lead from Trey Beene on the fifth lap and led virtually unchallenged the rest of the way for a $5,000 victory and his second SUPR win of the season. Starnes' Larry Shaw Race Car is powered by a Wall2Wall Performance Engine and sponsored by Flynn Racing.

Starnes was glad his right rear tire survived on a night when a rubber strip on the half-mile oval abused rubber. The tread was worn completely off the tire. "I figured I was abusing it," Starnes said. "The car was real, real tight and I was having to slide it just to get it through the corner. When I'd slow down to try to save (the tire) a little bit, it almost pushed me out of the rubber, so I just had to start driving it harder and slide the car in there. Not pretty, but it was effective I guess."

Starnes built leads of as much as a straightaway, but when the lapped car of Kenny Callison slowed the leader's momentum on the 48th of 50 laps, Beene closed in on Starnes. "I was hoping (Starnes) would go to the outside instead of going to the inside," Beene said. "I thought I'd have a little move for him. But he didn't -- at the last second he pulled (to the inside)."

Beene settled for second, his best SUPR finish of the season, while Tommy Surrett, 14th-starting Curt Lipsey and Bubba Mullins rounded out the top five. Last year's winner, Doug Ingalls, advanced from the 18th starting spot after winning a consolation race and finished seventh in the feature.

Polesitter Chris Wall was involved in three cautions and dropped out after the halfway point. He was in a tight battle with Surrett for the third spot when they touched, bending a tie rod and ruining his car's handling.

The feature was slowed by seven cautions.

Wall, Beene, Starnes, Surrett, Jon Mitchell and James Ward won heat races; Ingalls and Mark Andrews won consolation races.

Starnes is looking forward to the next batch of homemade peach ice cream. "I think I need to get the recipe," he said with a laugh.

Armadillo Nationals
1. Robbie Starnes
2. Trey Beene
3. Tommy Surrett
4. Curt Lipsey
5. Bubba Mullins
6. Jon Mitchell
7. Doug Ingalls
8. Jason Ingalls
9. Kenny Merchant
10. David Ashley Jr.
11. Mark Andrews
12. Ronny Adams
13. Jody Prince
14. Kenny Callison
15. Rusty Cummings
16. Garrett Durrett
17. Darin Patrick
18. Chris Wall
19. Justin Ingalls
20. Lee Davis
21. Marlon Wild
22. Ray Ingalls
23. Donnie Barnhart
24. James Ward
Heat race winners (among 42 cars): Wall, Beene, Starnes, Ward, Surrett,
Mitchell
Consolation winners: Andrews, D. Ingalls
Provisional starters: Merchant, Ashley

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