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Harlan Osborne
PETALUMA, Calif. (April 11) - In the All-Pro Late Model feature former Petaluma Speedway champion John Silva seemed to turn the clock back to 1997, with a blistering performance harkening back to when Silva was weekly competitor and was collecting victories with regularity. Ranked fourth all-time with 29 victories, he trails only Rod Arnold, who has 65 wins, Larry Damitz (54), and Ed Sans Jr. (52), a trio that captured 15 track championships between them.
Still dangerous, and a crowd favorite, Silva's front row starting spot in the 11-car field afforded no guarantees, especially after Rick Shafer took over second place on Lap 5. By mid-race Shafer, looking for his second career triumph had narrowed the gap between the two, and on Lap 17 the Vacaville driver squeezed underneath Silva coming out of Turn 4 to take the lead. Five torrid laps later Silva regained the front spot, but Shafer wouldn't relent, until he got crooked in Turn 4 and was his by a lapped car, sending him spiraling to a disappointing seventh-place finish as Silva notched the victory over heat winner Shawn DeForest, Nick Perivolaris, Damitz, Randy Shafer, and Arnold.
Late Model Results
Heat 1--John Silva; Nick Perivolaris; Rod Arnold; Larry Damitz; Dennis Souza; Michael Paul Sr.
Heat 2--Shawn DeForest; Rick Shafer; Randy Shafer; Paul Guglielmoni; Chevy McGinnis.
Main--Silva; DeForest; Perivolaris; Damitz; Randy Shafer; Arnold; Rick Shafer; Souza; Paul; Guglielmoni; McGinnis
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