Brooktown's Ramsey takes third in Factory main

Jim Ramsey placed third in the Factory Stock main event held May 3 at Perris Auto Speedway.

Ramsey was fourth at the checkered flag, but a post-race inspection determined that the third-place car driven by Gary Keaster had too big a cam. Keaster’s disqualification placed Ramsey third behind winner Roger Young and second-place Ron Davis.

“I just ran it hard and I just stayed with the people ahead of me,” Ramsey said.

The Factory Stocks ran two main events, including a rain makeup race and a heat race on April 19. Ramsey, who finished fifth in both April 19 main events, lost a cylinder in the third lap of the first race. The heat race May 3, in which Ramsey finished last among the five cars, convinced the Fallbrook driver that problems still existed. “Car was running bad still,” Ramsey said.

The Factory Stocks were the first class to run the main event following the track’s intermission. “We really didn’t have time to work on the car after the heat race,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey began the 20-lap main event on the inside of the fourth row but soon fell back to ninth. He inherited eighth place when fifth-place Josh Warwick had a flat tire on the tenth lap, gained an additional position when fifth-place Darryl Kinnane lost a tire during the 13th lap, and moved into sixth after fifth-place Phil Holmes went into the pits during the 16th lap.

Keaster took over fifth after Holmes pitted, and whatever jinx may have plagued fifth-place drivers would be tested on Ramsey a lap later when third-place Donny Fengler stalled to cause a yellow flag. Ramsey stayed in fifth place until the 20th lap, when third-place Danny Garrett attempted to pass Davis and stalled on turn four.

Ramsey challenged Keaster from time to time but was unsuccessful. “I could pull away from him on the straightaways,” Keaster said.

The post-race inspection also checked rear ends, and while General Motors cars only need to pull off a cover, Fords such as Ramsey’s LTD required removal of the entire axle. Tim Summitt and Roy Costello (whose Fallbrook shop, Costello’s Auto Repair also sponsors Ramsey) helped Ramsey with the mechanical work during the pit breaks and inspection.