Santa Maria Speedway
April 3, 2010

DRAKE NETS VICTORY IN BILL BAKER MEMORIAL SEASON OPENER AT SANTA MARIA SPEEDWAY

David Castaneda
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (April 3) - The 2010 racing season officially opened Saturday night at the Santa Maria Speedway with the Late Models headlining a race night that also included the West Coast Street Stocks, MMI Hobby Stocks, and the Mini-Dwarfs.

NHRA Funny Car driver Ron Capps returned to SMS to drive a Late Model around the 1/3 mile clay oval. Unfortunately, in the third Late Model heat race Capps slowed to avoid another car and did some damage to his Late Model that was provided by Donny Hempl of Atascadero. Hemple’s crew was able to fix the suspension and Capps was able to make the Main Event.

In the 30-lap Late Model Main Event, Watsonville’s Clay Daly and San Luis Obispo’s Steve Drake started on the front row and battled for awhile before they were joined by Mike Johnson of Lompoc and 2009 Late Model Shootout champion Mike Kirby of Torrance in a tight race to the finish. In the end it was Steve Drake that motored his way to the lead and fought off the challengers to take the Main Event win. Mike Johnson took second place and Mike Kirby finished third.  Ron Capps pulled his damaged ride off the track early in the race to stay out of the way of the faster group battling for the lead. Ron did, however, take time to come up to the grandstands to sign autographs and take pictures with a number of appreciative fans. The three Late Model Heat races were won by Clay Daly, Steve Drake and Mike Kirby.

The West Coast Street Stocks 25-lap Main Event was won by Santa Maria’s Tim Randolph who started his Apex Auto Glass Street Stock outside the third row and methodically moved his way to the lead and never looked back. He was followed by second place finisher Lonnie Welsh of Bakersfield and Rick Wilkenson of Paso Robles, who took third. The two 8-lap heat races were won by Tim Randolph and Toby Randolph.

In the MMI Hobby Stock division Santa Maria’s Michael Frazier took the win after some close racing with second place finisher Bruce Johnson of Bakersfield and third place finisher Theo”The Flying Dutchman” Van De Sande of Carpenteria. Van De Sande led much of the race before Frazier came up from his eighth place starting spot to take the lead. Heat races were won by Atascadero’s Charlie Scoval, Bruce Johnson, and by Tim Correia of Nipomo.

The Mini-Dwarfs came out with two age groups competing on the “Mini Oval at SMS”.  In the Junior class(ages 5-8), Tyler Bannister of Bakersfield took the main event win and was able to move up to the Senior class and finish 5th in their main event. Tristin Ung of Bakersfield took second in the Junior class main and Lela Brogdon came across third.  In the Senior class main event (ages 9-13), Roy Maynard, Jr. of Oildale finished first, followed by second place finisher Jake Maben of Bakersfield and Tristin Ung who moved up from the Junior class to finish third.

Next Week, Saturday April 10th, the Papich Construction IMCA Modifieds open their season along with the MMI Hobby Stocks, Toste Mini-Stocks, and the NMRA TQ Midgets. Tickets are $14 for Adults, $12 for Seniors, Military and Students, $5 for kids 6-12, and Free for kids under 5.

Late Models Main Event: S.Drake, M. Johnson, Kirby, N. Bartels, Daly, Laney, Stewart, B. Bartels, Papich, Lowrey, Toste, Selvidge, Heckman, Stote, Wirtz, Buckley, Sanders, L. Drake, Capps
Heat 1: Daly, Laney, Stewart, Sanders, Selvidge, Beattie, L. Drake
Heat 2: S. Drake, Johnson, Toste, N. Bartels, Lowrey, Buckley
Heat 3: Kirby, B. Bartels, Papich, Stote, Capps, Wirtz

WC Street Stocks Main Event: Tim Randolph, Welsh, Wilkenson, Shaffer, Simkins, Cervantes, Silva, Sealy, Leland, Morgan, Toby Randolph, Marroquin, Elliot
Heat 1: Tim Randolph, Shaffer, Wilkenson, Marroquin, Sealy, Cervantes, Leland
Heat 2: Toby Randolph, Simkins, Welsh, Elliot, Silva, Morgan

MMI Hobby Stocks Main Event: Frazier, B. Johnson, Van De Sande, Dutton, Scovell, Sparks, Irwin, Bannister, Barfoot, Marchiando, Janes, Sylvester, McEwan, LaRosa, Bryant, Rayburn, Jr, Correia, Spratlin, Lethcoe
Heat 1: Scovell, Rayburn, Jr, Dutton, Janes, Sylvester, Lethcoe, LaRosa
Heat 2: Johnson, Van De Sande, Frazier, Irwin, Bannister, Spratlin
Heat 3: Correia, Barfoot, Sparks, Marchiando, Bryant, McEwan