5/20/2013
Sprint Source
ENSIGN MAKES PETALUMA SPEEDWAY HISTORY
In the world of Geoff Ensign, he’s willing to drive anything, anywhere, at any time, and with any configuration as long as there are green and checkered flags involved. It’s always been that way, and over the last four years, he’s cut out quite a niche in the sprint car world winning 18 main events in the previous three full years up until last Saturday, when Ensign made Petaluma Speedway his personal happy place, and set some speedway history along the way.
Double duty was the challenge, and Ensign had seats in both sprint car divisions, the Johnson Custom Machine #32 Wingless Spec Sprint Car his first main event and the finale would see him in the VanLare Steering Repair/McClish Motorsports/Rapid Rooter/Sonoma County $100 Club/Rod Buntjer Bail Bonds/A1A Performance Muffler/Advanced Auto Detail #5v Winged 360 Sprint Car.
Qualifying 4th in both divisions, Ensign started his heat races on the outside of the second row for both divisions, hopping in and out of seats and running across the pits as the next event demanded. In the Wingless Heat, Ensign used a three wide, way up there around the top pass to get to second in turns 1 and 2, then a way underneath pass for the lead coming off of turn 4, on his way to his first heat race win of the night.
The 360 was up next and Ensign again started 4th, and by the end of lap 3, Ensign had hit the front and again waltzed under the checkers for his second heat win of the night.
The Wingless main was first up, and Ensign started 3rd. By lap 5 Ensign had hit the front and began to widen his lead as he would reach lapped traffic before his charge to the checkers was halted by numerous yellows. On lap 20, the final yellow came out and set up a showdown with point leader Terry Schank, Jr. Ensign stayed strong on the top of the Petaluma 3/8ths and Schank mustered a couple slide job tries, but was unable to stop the red #32 at Petaluma, with the “Human Highlight Reel” winning his second main event in row in that division.
The 360 main took to the track and by virtue of a 4 being drawn for the inversion, Ensign found himself on the pole of the main. Telling Petaluma GM Rick Faeth prior to the night beginning, the best way to keep two owners happy on one night is to win both main events, Ensign had the opportunity to back up his words as the green flew. Hitting the front, Ensign widened his lead on the open track, as point leader Bradley Terrell was on the chase from second. Ensign would hit traffic, and found himself slicing through cars until coming up on one of his best friends and rookie sprint car driver David Lindt, II. Ensign went to the top on the frontstretch, but Lindt came up from the bottom. Ensign and Lindt made contact with Ensign climbing up on the tail tank of Lindt’s car. Ensign would escape damage, but Terrell had closed to his tail section, and more traffic would come. The two darted through traffic, a furious chase for the checkers, and eventually on lap 20 Terrell shot around Ensign off of turn two when again, Ensign had to check up for a lapped car. Luck played a part here as a yellow came out and Ensign would get the top spot back the very same lap. With fans clamoring for another Ensign/Terrell showdown at Petaluma on the restart, Ensign re-established his open track dominance and widened to a near two second victory in the end, his second main event win of the night, bringing his lifetime total to 20 sprint car main event wins in a little over three years behind the wheel and becoming the first driver to win both divisions of sprint car main events in the same night in Petaluma Speedway history. “So awesome. We had to work hard tonight, but it couldn’t have went any better. Dave Johnson gave me a great wingless car and Jimmy and Annette (VanLare, car owners) gave me an even better winged car. I saw Bradley go by me in traffic and what can you do? I was planning on it being a fight for the lead because we had a great car and just got caught up in traffic. The yellow came out and made it a whole lot easier. At the beginning of the night, I said I had to win both and here we are. I hope the fans enjoyed the show.” Ensign would say later.
As for what’s next on the Ensign schedule, it’s up in the air. The next 360 race is at Petaluma on June 2nd, so there is plenty of time to make decisions on where the next race will be, so stay tuned. In the meantime, Ensign will have to settle for making speedway history at Petaluma and getting to the #20 main event win milestone. If we could all be so lucky..
To contact Geoff Ensign, like his Facebook page at Geoff Ensign Motorsports, find him on the web at www.ensignmotorsports.com or email him at geoffensign@rocketmail.com.
Article Credit: Ron Lingron - Ensign Motorsports
Submitted By: Ron Lingron
