Former Bullring champion picks up 11th career win at LVMS short track
LAS VEGAS – Thane Alderman was back at a familiar place – the Winner’s Circle at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – on Saturday night.
Alderman, the track’s 2002 NASCAR Super Late Models champion, cruised to victory on Back to School Night in the return of the Late Model Truck Series after a five-year hiatus. The veteran took the lead early and never looked back in the 35-lap feature, which anchored a slate of 10 races at the 3/8-mile paved oval.
It may have looked easy, but Alderman said the No. 01 Chevy he drove to the checkered flag had been in rough shape in the days leading up to the Saturday night feature.
“I can’t believe that truck went 35 laps,” said Alderman, who now has 11 career wins at The Bullring. “It broke in practice and broke in the heat race, so to make it to the finish was an accomplishment. I just want to thank the Late Model Truck Series for trying to start this thing back up.
“They asked me Thursday night to drive this truck, and I said yes. I came out here, and hopefully we put on a little bit of a show for everybody.”
Alderman – whose last Bullring win came in 2005 – crossed the line 6.123 seconds ahead of Mark Allison in the series’ first race since disbanding five years ago. Alderman and Allison both earned $150 Melling product bonus coupons in addition to their payouts.
Series owners and operators Mike Riefler and Gary Wyatt finished third and fourth, respectively, with Arlie Daniel taking fifth. Riefler and Wyatt tossed t-shirts into the crowd during a festive evening of racing that signaled The Bullring’s schedule resumption after a seven-week summer break.
“What a great way to start off the Late Model Truck Series,” Riefler said. “It’s not every day that you have two well-known racers like Thane Alderman and Mark Allison competing together and having a 1-2 finish. We’d like to thank Tim Richter and his Bullring staff for having us, putting on a great show and making sure everything ran smooth for the night.”
In addition to the Aug. 25 race on Back to School Night, the LMTS will race at the 3/8-mile Bullring during on Pack the Track Night on Sept. 22. From there, the series moves on to The Speedway at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, Calif., on Oct. 13, and Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., on Nov. 10.
The region’s truck racing lineage dates back to the Speed Truck Series that originated in 1997 under the American Speed Association (ASA). MechanixWear gloves and Go Fast! energy drinks sponsored the class throughout the years, and the trucks raced at up to 10 different tracks in California, Arizona and Nevada before the ASA disbanded in 2013.
The series trucks will feature a full-tube chassis, a 330-horsepower sealed V-8 spec engine and two-speed direct-drive transmission, with a clutch pedal dump valve, coupled to an aluminum quick-change rear end. The trucks sport replica fiberglass bodies of the Chevrolet S-10, Chevrolet Colorado, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma.
Series partners include the On Wheels Now online radio show – the longest-running motorsports radio show in Las Vegas – Melling Performance Racing, The Bomber Nation, KO Mechanical Services, Gary’s Trailer Repair, Nevada Pic-A-Part, The “Racer’s Rewards” Contingency Connection and ReliableBanner.com.
Back to School Night results
The Bullring at LVMS
Late Model Truck Series 35-lap feature
1. Thane Alderman; 2. Mark Allison (-6.123 seconds); 3. Mike Riefler (-12.307); 4. Gary Wyatt (-13.508); 5. Arlie Daniel (-1 lap).
2018 Late Model Truck Series schedule
Date Track City
Sept. 22 The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas
Oct. 13 The Speedway at Willow Springs Rosamond, Calif.
Nov. 10 Havasu 95 Speedway Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
