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Jim Pluhar
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (August 23) - The 14th Annual Firefighter's Night at Santa Maria Speedway turned out to be a very special night for Brad Pounds. The Bakersfield driver competed in both the Super Late Model division and the D&S Automotive IMCA Modified class and did everything but set fast time in qualifying. Pounds won his 8-lap heat in both groups, the 25-lap Modified main and the 30-lap Super Late Model feature event. Factory Stocks and California Lightning Sprints also saw action during the night.
Behind Pounds in the Late Model feature was point leader Steve Drake, of San Luis Obispo, and Mike Kirby, of Torrance, who set fast time of 14.450 seconds and won a heat race. The other heat race winner, third in points Billy Griffin of Buena Park, had a horrible evening, placing last in the 19-car field. Fourth and fifth in the feature event were Jason Selvidge, of Buttonwillow, and Mike Hixson of Murrieta.
Behind Pounds in the Modified feature were Santa Maria drivers Doug Thornton and Joey Claborn. Second in points Kenny Kirkpatrick, of Nipomo, came home fourth to gain 7 points on point leader Danny Lauer, of Santa Maria, who finished 11th. Fifth place was taken by Tommy Laliberte of San Jose. Laliberte and Thornton won the other two heat races.
Luck of the draw put point leader Kirk Morgan on the front row for the start of the 20-lap Factory Stock feature event. Taking advantage of his grid placement, the Santa Maria driver bolted to the lead at the drop of the green and remained there for the duration. Second in points Michael Frazier, of Santa Maria, ran second in the main to keep his sights on the championship. Third through fifth were Goleta's Matt Marchiando, Arroyo Grande's Kevin Linson, and Atascadero's Randy Obert. Marchiando and Obert capture 8-lap heat race victories.
California Lightning Sprints put on an exciting racing display of their own in their main event. Murrieta's Stuart Hielscher, Jr. took just 7 laps to move from his eleventh starting position to the lead, where he remained for the rest of the 25-lap run. Brent Sexton, of Lakeside, placed second, followed by Canyon Lake's Mike Valentine, Rowland Heights' John Bluntach, and Ramona's A.J. Bender. Eight-lap heat races were won by Valentine and David Bezio of El Cajon.
Next Saturday night the track will be dark as preparations are made for Sunday's 14th Annual Danny Simkins Memorial celebrating the Labor Day weekend. Super Late Model Stocks, East vs. West Super Streets, Factory Stocks and Mini Stocks will compete in this all stock car show. Gates open at 3:00 p.m., with racing at 6:00 p.m. Tickets will be $20.00 for adults, $16.00 for seniors (65+), $5.00 for children six to twelve, with kids 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
Super Late Models: Fast Time - Mike Kirby, 14.450. Heat 1 - Mike Kirby, Jason Selvidge, Mike Hixson, Bill Bartels, David Childress, Anthony Barket, Mike Riccardi. Heat 2 - Billy Griffin, Nick Bartels, Steve Drake, Brian Burnes, Dick Shepherd, Jim Giardina. Heat 3 - Brad Pounds, Devin Crockett, Ron Bartels, Phil Barrow, Willy Oathout, Mike Keebler. Main Event - Pounds, Drake, Kirby, Selvidge, Hixson, Burnes, R. Bartels, B. Bartels, Barrow, Childress, Shepherd, Barket, Giardina, Oathout, Crockett, N. Bartels, Riccardi, Keebler, Griffin
IMCA Modifieds: Heat 1 - Tommy Laliberte, Bob Campitelli, Josh Vogt, Danny Lauer, Paul Terrones, John Uccellini, Tim Merman II, Ely Mendoza, Jr. (DNS). Heat 2 - Brad Pounds, Joey Claborn, Jake Jones, Brian Burnes, Chad Weber, Kyle Camperud, Matt Hixson, Ken Kehs. Heat 3 - Doug Thornton, Kenny Kirkpatrick, Ian Hunter, Ron Wiley, Daylan Coffey, Kenny Rayner, Tim Foster (DNS), Clay Daly (DNS). Main Event - Pounds, Thornton, Claborn, Kirkpatrick, Laliberte, Burnes, Terrones, Weber, Uccellini, Campitelli, Lauer, Rayner, Hixson, Merman, Camperud, Coffey, Kehs, Wiley, Hunter, Jones, Vogt
Factory Stocks: Heat 1 - Randy Obert, Dale Sylvester, Kirk Morgan, Tim Bennett, Glen Sparks, Robert Read, Bill Spratlin. Heat 2 - Matt Marchiando, Michael Frazier, Charlie Scovell, Kevin Linson, Mike Leland, Pete Lethcoe, Theo Van De Sande (DNS). Main Event - Morgan, Frazier, Marchiando, Linson, Obert, Sparks, Sylvester, Read, Lethcoe, Spratlin, Bennett, Leland, Scovell, Van De Sande (DNS).
California Lightning Sprints: Heat 1 - Mike Valentine, Stuart Hielscher, Jr., Jarrett Kramer, A.J. Bender, Brent Sexton, Derek Hyde, Bobby Bender, Donny Kramer, Jr., Bill Johnson. Heat 2 - David Bezio, Shane Rosson, John Bluntach, Wink Schweitzer, Rick Soto, Jason Bennett, Dale Garner, Stuart Hielscher. Main Event - Hielscher, Jr., Sexton, Valentine, Bluntach, A. Bender, Schweitzer, Kramer, Bezio, Hielscher, B. Bender, Bennett, hyde, Garner, Soto, Johnson, Rosson, Kramer.
POINT STANDINGS:
Super Late Models - 1. Steve Drake, 336 2. Devin Crockett, 292 3. Billy Griffin, 257 4. David Childress, 238 5. Anthony Barket, 234
IMCA Modifieds - 1. Danny Lauer, 529 2. Kenny Kirkpatrick, 516 3. Josh Vogt, 469 4. Doug Thornton, 463 5. Chad Weber, 455
Factory Stocks - 1. Kirk Morgan, 542 2. Michael Frazier, 514 3. Tim Bennett, 461 4. Kevin Linson, 456 5. Glen Sparks, 450.
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