|
Jim Pluhar
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (June 7) - Late Model Stocks, Fox 11 "First at Ten" East vs. West Super Streets, Factory Stocks, and Mini Stocks were all in action Saturday night at Santa Maria Speedway.
Nick Bartels, of El Segundo, was fast in qualifying (14.760 seconds) but that only translated to a fifth place finish in the 30-lap Late Model Stock main event. Lompoc's Chet Buckley captured the victory, his first in recent memory on the 1/3-mile oval, catching and passing early leader Zack Forster on lap 12 and going on to the win. Forster placed second with point leader Steve Drake, of San Luis Obispo, third and Billy Griffin, of Buena Park, fourth. Eight-lap heat race wins were taken by Drake, Griffin and Devin Crockett of Arroyo Grande.
Tim Randolph, of Santa Maria, dominated the East vs. West Super Street Shootout with brother Toby placing right behind him in the 30-lap feature event. Earlier in the evening Tim set fast time of 16.292 seconds as-well-as winning an 8-lap heat race. The other heat went to point leader Darrel Hood, of Bakersfield, who finished sixth in the feature. Third through fifth in the feature were Bakersfield's Robby Sawyer, Nipomo's Kyle Heckman, and Santa Maria's Chad Shaffer. It was 2007 SMS Super Street champion Heckman's first ride in Steve Milton's number 27 in 2008.
Santa Maria drivers swept the top-three spots in the 20-lap Factory Stock main event with point leader Kirk Morgan taking his second win in-a-row ahead of Michael Frazier and Tim Bennett. Atascadero's Mike Leland came home fourth and Santa Maria's Glen Sparks fifth. Atascadero's Charlie Scovell and Terra Bella's Ray Pezzi won 8-lap heat races.
After a two-and-a-half year layoff, 2005 Mini Stock champion Darrin Davis, of Atascadero, returned to the Speedway May 31 and easily won the 20-lap main event from the pole. Saturday night, he did it again! This time Davis started fifth in the field and overtook Nipomo's Jeremy Heroux three laps from the end for the win. Heroux finished second, followed by point leader Justin Marsh, of Nipomo, Rob Gilbertson, of Santa Maria, and Aaron Cervantes of Atascadero. Davis, Heroux, and Gilbertson all won 8-lap heat races.
The 4th. Annual Ron Otto Memorial will be held next Saturday night, featuring USAC/CRA 410 Sprint Cars, NMRA TQ Midgets, and D&S Automotive IMCA Modifieds. Gates for this premier event will open at 3:00 p.m., with qualifying at 5:15 p.m. and racing at 6:00 p.m. Ticket prices will be $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. Santa Maria Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road.
RACE SUMMARIES…
Late Model Stocks:
Fast Time - Nick Bartels, 14.760.
Heat 1 - Devin Crockett, N. Bartels, Phil Barrow, John Piker, Danny Bohard, Willy Oathout.
Heat 2 - Billy Griffin, Bill Bartels, Chet Buckley, Anthony Barket, Dana Beattie.
Heat 3 - Steve Drake, Mike Hixson, David Childress, Zack Forster, Mike Riccardi.
Main Event - Buckley, Forster, Drake, Griffin, N. Bartels, Crockett, Piker, Barrow, Beattie, B. Bartels, Barket, Oathout, Bohard, Childress, Hixson, Riccardi (DNS).
East vs. West Super Streets:
Fast Time - Tim Randolph, 16.292.
Heat 1 - Tim Randolph, Tom Grzincic, Toby Randolph, Lonnie Welch, Chad Shaffer, Jeremiah VanScoy, Jeff Barrett.
Heat 2 - Darrel Hood, Kyle Heckman, Morris Sealy, Richie McGowan, Robby Sawyer, Mitch Enos.
Main Event - Tim Randolph, Toby Randolph, Sawyer, Heckman, Shaffer, Hood, Welch, Enos, Sealy, Grzincic, Barrett, McGowan, VanScoy.
Factory Stocks:
Heat 1 - Charlie Scovell, Glen Sparks, Mike Leland, Kevin Linson, Pete Lethcoe, Bill Spratlin, John Hanson, Randy Obert.
Heat 2 - Ray Pezzi, Michael Frazier, Dale Sylvester, Kirk Morgan, Tim Bennett, Robert Read, Brandon Brickey.
Main Event - Morgan, Frazier, Bennett, Leland, Sparks, Lethcoe, Spratlin, Hanson, Obert, Scovell, Sylvester, Brickey, Pezzi, Linson, Read.
Mini Stocks:
Heat 1 - Jeremy Heroux, Mike Weigel, Daylan Coffey, Wade Bognuda, Korban Ensign, Robby Cervantes, Robby Pyper, Shane Vogt.
Heat 2 - Darrin Davis, Justin Crockett, Jeremy Heroux, Mike Pezzi, Aaron Cervantes, Greg Noah, Kenny Smith.
Heat 3 - Rob Gilbertson, Jeff Biggs, Justin Marsh, Ben Caswell, Chuck Weber III, Phillip Sewell, Frank Nyback.
Main Event - Davis, Heroux, Marsh, Gilbertson, A. Cervantes, Crockett, Jewell, Weber, Ensign, Bognuda, Coffey, Caswell, Biggs, Noah, Pezzi, R. Cervantes, Sewell, Vogt, Pyper, Nyback, Weigel, Smith.
POINT STANDINGS:
Late Model Stocks: 1. Steve Drake, 196 2. Billy Griffin, 168 3. Devin Crockett, 164 4. Dana Beattie, 151 5. Bill Bartels, 146.
Factory Stocks: 1. Kirk Morgan, 291 2. Michael Frazier, 248 3. Glen Sparks, 236 4. Kevin Linson, 234 5. Tim Bennett, 232.
Mini Stocks: 1. Justin Marsh, 275 2. Justin Crockett, Jeremy Heroux, 260 4. Aaron Cervantes, 213 5. Ben Caswell, 211.
|
