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Jim Pluhar
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (May 17) - Western AllStars Super Dirt Late Model Stocks had their first ever run at Santa Maria Speedway Saturday night. D&S Automotive IMCA Modifieds and Minis Stocks were the companion divisions.
Local Late Model Stock point leader Steve Drake showed the rest of the AllStars the fastest way around the 1/3-mile oval in the 30-lap "A" feature event, breaking on top from the pole and leading for the distance. Lompoc's Mike Johnson kept Drake in his sights for the most of the distance, with the exception of a few laps when AllStars point leader Bobby Hogge, of Salinas, took over the runner-up spot. Then, six laps from the end, Castroville's A.J. Kirkpatrick took over the second position for good, leaving Johnson to finish third and Hogge fourth. Chris Shannon, of Merced, placed fifth after winning the 12-lap "B" main event to qualify for the "A". Drake also won the 6-lap dash and an 8-lap heat race. The only thing the San Luis Obispo driver didn't do was set fast time, which went to Hollister's Andy Obertello, a lap of 14.168 seconds or nearly 85 miles-per-hour average. Other heat winners were: Johnson, Kirkpatrick and Nick Bartels of El Segundo.
Danny Lauer came on strong in the 25-lap IMCA Modified main event and inherited the lead when Watsonville's Clay Daly coasted to a stop in turn four, four laps from the checkers, while on the point. Daly's disappointment gave Lauer his second consecutive Modified feature win and extended his point lead over runner-up Doug Thornton by one more marker, as the two Santa Maria drivers battle for the championship. Rich Denman, of Coalinga, moved up to third in points with his third place finish. Santa Maria's Joey Claborn and Arroyo Grande's Chad Weber completed the top-five. Claborn, Weber and Jake Jones, of Santa Maria, captured 8-lap heat races.
Jeremy Heroux battled hard with point leader Justin Marsh before securing his first win of the season. When the 20th and final lap ended, Heroux was ahead of Marsh by 1/2 a car length. The Nipomo drivers are now separated by four points in the Mini Stock championship. Third in points Justin Crockett, of Arroyo Grande, was third in the feature followed by Lompoc drivers Jeff Biggs and Mike Weigel. Heroux, Crockett and Santa Maria's Wade Bognuda placed first in 8-lap heat races.
Next Saturday night will mark the 18th running of the Don Roberts Memorial at Santa Maria Speedway. Bandit Sprint Cars, Fox 11 First at Ten East vs. West Super Streets, D&S Automotive IMCA Modifieds and Factory Stocks will all see action on the 1/3-mile oval. Spectator gates open at 3:00 p.m., with qualifying at 5:15 p.m. and racing at 6:00 p.m.
Tickets will cost $20.00 for adults, $16.00 for seniors (65+), $5.00 for children six to twelve, five and under free. Credit cards are not accepted. The Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road.
RACE SUMMARIES
Western AllStars Super Late Model:
Fast Time - Andy Obertello, 14.168.
Dash - Steve Drake, Mike Johnson, Jeff Decker, Bobby Hogge, Rob Sanders, Devin Crockett, Nick Bartels, A.J. Kirkpatrick.
Heat 1 - Johnson, Decker, Phil Barrow, Jeffrey Priddy, Chris Shannon, Zack Forster, Danny Bohard.
Heat 2 - Kirkpatrick, Hogge, Obertello, Dave Childress, Ron Bartels, Matt Micheli, Anthony Barket.
Heat 3 - N. Bartels, Crockett, Billy Griffin, Jerry Stewart, Donnie Hampl, Larry Childress, Willy Oathout.
Heat 4 - Drake, Sanders, Chet Buckley, Jason Selvidge, John Piker, Johnny Cardoza, Dana Beattie, Dino Napier.
B Main Event - Shannon, R. Bartels, Hampl, Forster, Napier, Piker, Micheli, Beattie, L. Childress, Barket, Cardoza, Bohard, Oathout.
A Main Event - Drake, Kirkpatrick, Johnson, Hogge, Shannon, Griffin, Barrow, Priddy, Sanders, Crockett, Selvidge, R. Bartels, D. Childress, Obertello, Forster, N. Bartels, Piker, Stewart, Buckley, Hampl, Napier, Decker.
IMCA Modifieds:
Heat 1 - Joey Claborn, Todd Hermosillo, Chris Whitford, Randel Davis, Kenny Kirkpatrick, Paul Terrones, Ken Kehs.
Heat 2 - Chad Weber, Clay Daly, Randy Brown, Doug Thornton, Randy McGraw, Chris Harwin, Brad Prows.
Heat 3 - Jake Jones, Josh Vogt, Danny Lauer, Rich Denman, Ron Wiley, Shawn Edwards, Shane Jones, Steve Greenland.
Main Event - Lauer, Thornton, Denman, Claborn, Weber, Brown, Kirkpatrick, Davis, Wiley, S.Jones, Terrones, Prows, Vogt, Hermosillo, J. Jones, Daly, Whitford, Kehs, McGraw, Harwin, Edwards, Greenland.
Mini Stocks:
Heat 1 - Jeremy Heroux, Robby Cervantes, Mike Weigel, Shane LeBlanc, Chris Larsen, Aaron Cervantes, Daylan Coffey, Korban Ensign.
Heat 2 - Wade Bognuda, Justin Marsh, R. J. Shoemaker, Ben Caswell, Martin Nehring, Greg Noah, Kenny Smith.
Heat 3 - Justin Crockett, Jeff Biggs, Mike Pezzi, Bill Jewell, Walker Irwin, Chuck Weber III.
Main Event - Heroux, Marsh, Crockett, Biggs, Weigel, Bognuda, A. Cervantes, Larsen, Irwin, R. Cervantes, Weber, Noah, Jewell, Smith, Nehring, Coffey, Shoemaker, LeBlanc, Caswell, Pezzi, Ensign (DNS), Shane Vogt (DNS any event).
POINT STANDINGS…
IMCA Modifieds: 1. Danny Lauer, 152 2. Doug Thornton, 144 3. Rich Denman, 137 4. Kenny Kirkpatrick, 134 5. Chad Weber, 131.
Mini Stocks: 1. Justin Marsh, 188 2. Jeremy Heroux, 184 3. Justin Crockett, 175 4. Mike Weigel, 149 5. Walker Irwin, 140.
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