June 10, 2000 – Bakersfield, CA – It probably seemed like Christmas to Dan Holtz tonight as he took home all the trophies, prizes, Gatorade bonus monies with two main event wins as NAPA Auto Parts presented the Gatorade Late Model Twin 50s.
"We’re running for the Mesa Marin championship," said Holtz. "We knew we had to gain some points on Mike Duncan tonight. Getting out ahead of him and staying there was my only option. My crew put together an awesome car tonight! Next week we can take the lead."
Mike Duncan still leads the point’s race, but only by two points over Holtz.
Holtz started the evening by setting fast time. Then in the first 50-lap main event, he and Duncan were in the lead by lap 8 with Jason Small right behind them. Suddenly, Jason was no longer a threat as he pitted trying to find a mechanical problem. Holtz jumped ahead of Duncan and maintained several car lengths until lap 45 when Bobby Aldridge had something break and went into the turn 2 wall hard bringing out the yellow. Duncan tried to get the jump on Holtz, but the #16 out-powered the #9 on the re-start and Holtz took his first main event.
In the second main event, Holtz seemed even faster passing Les DenHerder by lap #6 and pulling out to a strong lead over the rest of the field. The battle royal was between Jason Small and Mike Duncan who went 15 laps side by side, each inching up on the other, until Small looped it on the front straight with no real harm to the car. Small proceeded to fight his way back to the front, pass Duncan and take second place behind Holtz. On lap 46 Kevin Small lost it causing a late yellow. Duncan had dropped back to 4th having been passed by Charlie Watler, whose #47 was dialed in tonight. Coming off the yellow, Small missed his shift and Watler had no where to go but into Small’s back bumper and his night was over.
Did Small have anything left for Holtz? He had enough to jump on his bumper as they raced to the checkered, but Holtz prevailed to complete his clean sweep for the night.
In the Accel Modified Stocks, Brian Richardson was able to overcome Vic Posey’s strong lead and Gene Fife’s challenge for the lead. Once the field got tight up front Posey, Fife and Richardson went almost half of the 25-lap event nose to tail until Richardson was able to get by and run away from them. Posey finished 2nd with Fife 3rd, Sevenich 4th and Howell 5th.
In the Exide ShorTrack Series Street Stocks, Mike Riale was able to pull off a win over Mike White. With an afternoon looking dismal for the #11, the crew found the magic to bring Mike Riale to the lead by lap 4 of 20 laps. Mike White raced a distant 2nd place until lap 14 when the yellow came out. But White didn’t have the car tonight. The win belonged to Riale, followed by White, Dave Bettencourt, Lloyd Wren, and Eric Ramos.
In the 911 Race for Youth, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools jumped out front and wasn’t going to relinquish the lead. "This is nothing but fun," said Dale Kamline in the winner’s circle surrounded by his competitors. Matt Etcheverry, K.C. Sheriff’s pulled off 2nd followed by Tyler Hartley, Bakersfield Fire, Bill Woodruff, DA and J Bianchi, CHP.
Next week the Duncan and Holtz will battle again in the Late Models, plus the California Asphalt Super Modifieds, 911 Race For Youth and the Season opener of Campus Motorsports, the High School Series.
