Lakeport, CA.... Using the outside groove to gain position, Gary Lowblad of Upper Lake passed race leader Chuck Smithhart on the 25th lap and drove to his first modified victory Saturday night at the Lakeport Speedway. Lowblad, who drove late models last year and mini stocks in 1998, is currently leading in NCRA rookie points in the modified division.
Another rookie driver, Peter Unruh of Middletown, increased his points lead in the mini stock class with his first career win in that division, and Jeremy Nowlin of Kelseyville made it two wins in a row in the Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa bomber 30 lapper.
Eighteen modifieds took the green flag with pole setter Chuck Smithhart inching ahead of Mark Marek. Marek gave way to Richie Potts on the second lap and when Potts’ outside run failed, Danny Bishop and Pat Hinchcliff gained position. Lowblad snuck under Potts for fourth on lap five and picked off Hinchcliff for third on seven.
Bishop moved to the high side but his car would not stick and Lowblad assumed second on the eighth go-round. The first caution came on lap 13 when David Furia and Terry McIntire came together in turn four. Damage forced both cars to the pits. The following round a tire came off the Erv Pettenger car that was driven by Mike Smithhart. Smithhart lost a wheel in the same location the previous week in his son’s back-up car.
Chuck Smithhart continued to lead with Lowblad second and Thomas Wright third. Lap 16 saw Rick Rose and Shawn Bertram come together with Rose doing a wild spin down the back stretch. Rose retired his mount to the pits and Bertam restarted in the rear. When racing resumed, Lowblad lost ground as Bryan Denton moved up to challenge Smithhart. Lowblad dropped back to fifth behind Denton, Potts and Aaron Hicks before his car hooked up and he drove back to the front.
The winning pass came on lap 25 and Potts followed Lowblad to the front. Smithhart’s car slowed in the final laps and at the checkers is was Lowblad, Denton, Chuck Pruett, Potts and Hicks. Denton set a new modified track record of 12.571 seconds.
In mini stock action Ericka Scatena lead the first five laps but lost the lead to Unruh on a lap six restart. Dusty Barton moved into second on seven with both Kevin Barba and Kelly Gray driving around Scatena the following round. A red flag was displayed on lap 15 when Barton was lapping Tom Burger and the two made contact. Burger was launched hard into the turn four concrete but escaped without injury. His car was not so lucky. Unruh held off both Barba and Gray for the win. Barba finished second ahead of Gray, Andrew Snider and Rod Gard. Barba set fast time of 13.843.
A record number of 27 bombers timed in with Nowlin the fastest at 14.634 seconds. The feature started with John Barker, driving the Robinson #6, out in front with Charles Beck second and Darrin Knight third. Sean Sweeney drove the high side and assumed second on the seventh lap as Kevin Schafer followed him to the front. Nowlin and Arlene Pruett were running fourth and fifth by mid pack, but Pruett lost ground when the lapping process began.
Nowlin stole second from Sweeney on the 19th circuit and drove around Barker for the lead on 22. The single yellow flew on twenty-five when John Hadley spun in the front stretch. The final five laps saw Mark Maines and Paul Pruett gain position and at the checkered flag it was Nowlin, Schafer, Maines, Paul Pruett and Sweeney.
Hadley captured the 13 car semi main followed by Anja Allen, Carl Whitaker, Peggy Hawthorne and Nick Kirby.
Racing resumes at the Lakeport Speedway this Saturday night with the B.C.R.A. non-winged midgets returning to the track after their rain-out last month. The midgets will join the NCRA modifieds, mini stocks and bombers.
MODIFIEDS
Fast Time: Bryan Denton, 12.671 NTR
Trophy Dash: David Furia, Rick Rose, Denton, Thomas Wright
Heat 1: Shawn Bertram, Mark Marek, Terry McIntire, Richie Potts, Chuck Smithhart, Gary Gossner, Don Miller, Mike Smithhart, Freedom Hawthorne
Heat 2: Danny Bishop, Pat Hinchcliff, Gary Lowblad, Rose, Wright, Chuck Pruett, Denton, Furia, Aaron Hicks
Main Event: Lowblad, Denton, Pruett, Potts, Hicks, Marek, Wright, Hinchcliff, Bishop, C. Smithhart, Miller, Rose, M. Smithhart, Furia, McIntire, Hawthorne
MINI STOCKS
Fast Time: Kevin Barba , 13.843
Trophy Dash: Peter Unruh, Duston Barton, Andrew Snider, Barba
Heat 1: J.J. Offenbach, Stuart Lydon, Tom Burger, Ericka Scatena, Pat Lucas, John Gregory, Glenn Koeppel
Heat 2: Rod Gard, Barba, Snider, Barton, Kelly Gray, Unruh, Dale Preston
Main Event: Unruh, Barba, Gray, Snider, Gard, Lydon, Koeppel, Scatena, Barton, Burger, Offenbach, Lucas
BOMBERS
Fast Time: Jeremy Nowlin, 14.634
Trophy Dash: Chuck Maves, Don Baker, Rick Tellstrom, Mark Maines
Heat 1: Peggy Hawthorne, Anja Allen, Rickard Hadley, Jason Mincey, Carl Whitaker, Cassie Sterrett, Wayne Bates, Michael Bishop, Ruben Serrano
Heat 2: Eric Unruh, Sean Sweeney, Charles Beck, Arlene Pruett, Lex Burger, Darrin Knight, Wil Robertson, Robbie Robinson, Nick Kirby
Heat 3: Kevin Schafer, Kevin Waycik, Paul Pruett, Chuck Egger, Maines, Maves, Nowlin, Tellstrom, Baker Semi Main: Hadley, Allen, Whitaker, Hawthorne, Kirby, Unruh, Bishop, Mincey, Bates, Sterrett, Serrano, Burger, Robertson
Main Event: Nowlin, Schafer, Maines, P. Pruett, Sweeney, Tellstrom, Egger, Maves, Baker, A. Pruett, Waycik, Knight, Robinson, Whitaker, Hawthorne, Allen, Hadley, Beck
