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Jim Pluhar
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (April 26) - Late Model Stocks, D&S Automotive IMCA Modifieds, Fox 11 First at Ten East vs. West Super Streets and Factory Stocks ran the 1/3-mile oval at Santa Maria Speedway Saturday night.
Steve Drake took the measure of the Late Model Stock division early and often. The San Luis Obispo driver set fast time of 14.405 seconds, won an 8-lap heat race and ran away with the 30-lap feature event. The only driver who could keep him in sight was Devin Crockett, of Arroyo Grande, who also captured a heat race and placed second in the main. The other heat race winner, defending champ Billy Griffin of Buena Park, was fifth in the feature behind Bakersfield's John Lowrey and Mike Kirby, of Torrance, who were third and fourth.
The 25-lap IMCA Modified main event was shortened to 20 laps after a multitude of yellow flags slowed the progress of the race. When the run finally got going in earnest, Watsonville's Clay Daly took control and never looked back. Santa Maria's Danny Lauer fought to a well deserved second place finish ahead of point leader Kenny Kirkpatrick, of Nipomo, and Santa Maria drivers Josh Vogt and Jake Jones. Eight-lap heat races were won by Daly, Vogt and Jones.
Darrel Hood, of Bakersfield, set fast time of 16.508 seconds in East vs. West Super Street Shootout qualifying and captured an 8-lap heat race, but was relegated to third in the 30-lap feature event. The win went to Robby Sawyer, another Bakersfield driver, with Atascadero's Tom Grzincic coming home in the runner-up spot. Fourth was Jeremiah Van Scoy, of Bakersfield, and fifth was Toby Randolph of Nipomo. Elton Shaffer, of Santa Maria, won the other heat race.
The 20-lap Factory Stock feature saw Theo Van De Sande, of Carpinteria, move from fifth to second in the point standings with his first career victory. Kirk Morgan, of Santa Maria, came in second to hold onto the points lead. Tim Bennett, Santa Maria; Gary Rayburn, Jr., Grover Beach; and, Glen Sparks, Santa Maria, filled out the top-five. An 8-lap heat race victory went toTerra Bella's Ray Pezzi, who dropped from second to ninth in the feature by trying to pass Van De Sande on the last lap for his first career main event win. Van De Sande won the other heat.
The Speedway will kick off the month of May next Saturday night with a variety of open wheel action featuring the second local race of the season for the Bandit Sprint Cars. The sprinters will be joined by NMRA TQ Midgets, California Lightning Sprints and Mini Stocks. Fans will have a chance to choose the "Best Looking Car" in the Bandit Sprint Car division. Ticket prices are: Adults $15.00, Seniors (65+) $11.00, Children 6 to 12 $5.00, five and under free. Gates open at 3:00 p.m., with qualifying at 5:15 p.m. and racing at 6:00 p.m. SMS does not accept credit cards. The Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange, on Hutton Road.
RACE SUMMARIES
Late Model Stocks:
Fast Time - Steve Drake, 14.405.
Heat 1 - Drake, Mike Kirby, Carla Laney, Bill Bartels, Danny Bohard, Willy Oathout.
Heat 2 - Billy Griffin, John Lowrey, Larry Childress, Dave Childress, Dick Stevens, Doug Thompson (DNS).
Heat 3 - Devin Crockett, Dana Beattie, John Crow, Mike Riccardi, Anthony Barket.
Main Event - Drake, Crockett, Lowrey, Kirby, Griffin, Beattie, Crow, Laney, Bartels, L. Childress, Bohard, Stevens, Barket, D. Childress, Riccardi, Oathout, Thompson (DNS).
IMCA Modifieds: Heat 1 - Clay Daly, Ian Hunter, Chad Weber, Kenny Kirkpatrick, Paul Terrones, Ken Kehs, Tim Wolaver. Heat 2 - Josh Vogt, Joey Claborn, Doug Thornton, Von Vondera, Keith McIndoe, Steve Greenland (DNS). Heat 3 - Jake Jones, Danny Lauer, Rich Denman, Chris Whitford, Ron Wiley, Larry Hood. Main Event - Daly, Lauer, Kirkpatrick, Vogt, Jones, Hood, Thornton, Hunter, Claborn, Terrones, Wiley, Vondera, Wolaver, Whitford, McIndoe, Kehs, Weber, Denman, Greenland (DNS).
Super Street Stocks: Fast Time - Darrel Hood, 16.508. Heat 1 - Hood, Nick Sylvester, Eric Cimental, Robby Sawyer, Lonnie Welch, Morris Sealy. Heat 2 - Elton Shaffer, Toby Randolph, Jeremiah Van Scoy, Tom Grzincic, Phil Marino, Garold Shaffer. Main Event - Sawyer, Grzincic, Hood, Van Scoy, Randolph, G. Shaffer, Sylvester, E. Shaffer, Marino, Welch, Sealy, Cimental (DQ).
Factory Stocks: Heat 1 - Ray Pezzi, Gary Rayburn, Jr., Bill Spratlin, Michael Frazier, Mike Leland, Glen Sparks, Pete Lethcoe, Derek Todd. Heat 2 - Theo Van De Sande, Tim Bennett, Kirk Morgan, Robert Read, Danny Sutton, Kevin Linson, Brandon Brickey, Charlie Scovell. Main Event - Van De Sande, Morgan, Bennett, Rayburn, Sparks, Frazier, Linson, Read, Pezzi, Leland, Sutton, Spratlin, Todd, Lethcoe, Brickey, Scovell.
POINT STANDINGS
Late Model Stocks: 1. Steve Drake - 52; 2. Devin Crockett - 47; 3. John Lowrey - 43; 4. Billy Griffin - 41; 5. Mike Kirby - 41.
IMCA Modifieds: 1. Kenny Kirkpatrick - 87; 2. Danny Lauer - 82; 3. Doug Thornton - 80; 4. Josh Vogt - 79; 5. Rich Denman - 71.
Factory Stocks: 1. Kirk Morgan - 97; 2. Theo Van De Sande - 91; 3. Michael Frazier - 85; 4. Kevin Linson - 81; 5. Glen Sparks and Tim Bennett - 81.
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