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Jim Pluhar
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (July 18) - The Western Allstars Dirt Car Late Model Series, presented by Toyota-Scion of Santa Maria, Papich Construction IMCA Modifieds, and Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks entertained race fans Saturday night at Santa Maria Speedway.
Mike Johnson, of Lompoc, set fast time of 14.192 seconds in Western Allstars qualifying, won a 10-lap heat race, but then crashed out of the 30-lap main event. Point leader Bobby Hogge IV, of Salinas, had a seesaw battle with Merced's Chris Shannon before securing the win, his second in-a-row at Santa Maria. Following Hogge and Shannon to the checkers were Dino Napier, of Corona; Rob Sanders, of Bakersfield; and, John Lowrey of Bakersfield. The other heat winners were Napier and Sanders. Shannon captured the 6-lap trophy dash.
Johnson, one of several drivers pulling double duty, had a much better night in the IMCA Modified division, winning the 25-lap "A" feature event. Jason Papich, of Arroyo Grande, kept the pressure on to finish second ahead of Santa Marians Jared Domingos and Doug Thornton, and Chowchilla's Alex Stanford. Eight-lap heat races were taken by Domingos, Lompoc's Jimmy Justice, and Santa Maria's Jake Jones. Bob Diaz, of Arroyo Grande, came home first in the 12-lap "B" main event.
Atascadero's Tom Grzincic stretched his winning streak in the Mini Stock class with his seventh feature victory in succession. Nipomo's Korban Ensign was the only driver who could stay close to Grzincic over the 20-lap run. Third place was claimed by Jeremy Heroux, another Nipomo driver, who is second in points. The remainder of the top-five were Atascadero's Jeff Dye and Arroyo Grande's Robby Cervantes. Grzincic, Cervantes, and Mike Keebler gained 8-lap heat race victories.
Next Saturday night West Coast 360 Sprint Cars, Papich Construction IMCA Modifieds, MMI Factory Stocks and Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks will race the 1/3-mile oval. Spectator gates will open at 3:00 p.m., with qualifying at 5:00 p.m. and racing at 6:00 p.m. Santa Maria Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the US 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road.
RACE SUMMARIES:
Late Models:
Fast Time - Mike Johnson, 14.192.
Trophy Dash - Chris Shannon, Bill Bartels, Mike Johnson, Rob Sanders, Dino Napier, Andy Obertello.
Heat 1 Napier, Obertello, John Lowrey, Matt Micheli, Ron Bartels, Tom Malcolm, Brad Pounds, Steve Drake.
Heat 2 - Johnson, Shannon, Billy Griffin, Nick Bartels, Jerry Stewart, Ken Micheli, Logan Drake, A.J. Kirkpatrick.
Heat 3 - Sanders, B. Bartels, Bobby Hogge, Devin Crockett, Kyle Heckman, Clay Daly, John Crow.
Main Event - Hogge, Shannon, Napier, Sanders, Lowrey, Obertello, Heckman, N. Bartels, Kirkpatrick, Stewart, Malcolm, Pounds, M. Micheli, L. Drake, B. Bartels, R. Bartels, Crockett, Johnson, K. Micheli, Griffin, Daly.
Modifieds:
Heat 1 - Jared Domingos, Paul Stone, Alex Stanford, Josh Vogt, Doug Thornton, Bob Diaz, Ken Kehs, Kenny Kirkpatrick.
Heat 2 - Jimmy Justice, Clay Daly, Mike Johnson, Justin Schweitzer, Daylan Coffey, Paul Terrones, Kyle Camperud, Danny Lauer.
Heat 3 - Jake Jones, Greg Mancebo, Tony Toste, Jason Papich, Ron Wiley, Chad Weber, Bob Williamson, Brad Pounds.
B Main Event - Diaz, Weber, Lauer, Terrones, Robert Marsh, Pounds, Bobby Hogge, Kehs, Camperud, Williamson.
A Main Event - Johnson, Papich, Domingos, Thornton, Stanford, Mancebo, Jones, Weber, Vogt, Coffey, Schweitzer, Terrones, Toste, Stone, Justice, Hogge, Diaz, Pounds, Wiley, Lauer, Marsh, Daly.
Mini Stocks:
Heat 1 - Tom Grzincic, Dustin Ensign, Taelor Janes, Jeff Dye, Kevin Dye, Adrian Guzman, Phillip Sewell.
Heat 2 - Robby Cervantes, Pat Fausel, Kurt Larsen, Travis Peterson, Zack Miller, Evan Menane, Korban Ensign.
Heat 3 - Mike Keebler, Jeremy Heroux, Hardy Ensign, Robert Dye, Ben Caswell, Ed Rains.
Main Event - Grzincic, K. Ensign, Heroux, J. Dye, Cervantes, Keebler, Larsen, Fausel, D. Ensign, H. Ensign, Rains, Peterson, K. Dye,, Menane, Sewell, R. Dye, Janes, Guzman, Caswell, Miller (DNS).
POINT STANDINGS:
Modifieds: 1. Chad Weber, 274; 2. Doug Thornton, 255; 3. Tony Toste, 241; 4. Josh Vogt, 238; 5. Danny Lauer, 233.
Mini Stocks: 1. Tom Grzincic, 448; 2. Jeremy Heroux, 394; 3. Kurt Larsen, 343; 4. Rob Gilbertson, 332; 5. Dustin En sign, 328.
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