LAKEPORT, California -- Santa Rosa’s Derrick Crayford made an outside pass on leader Mike Smithhart on the ninth lap, and fought off the challenges of points leader Terry McIntire the remaining distance to capture his third modified feature event at the Lakeport Speedway Saturday night. The win
moved Crayford into a tie with Aaron Hicks for third in the modified championship points battle.
Mini stock points leader Kelly Gray of Clearlake dominated his division event by setting fast time and collecting his fifth season victory. Kyle Medina of Lakeport padded his points lead by setting fast time and claiming his eight main event win in the modified bomber class. And Chris Straka of Hidden Valley ended Ken Gifford’s three-race winning streak with a very convincing victory in the Pro-4 modified 30 lapper.
Smithhart and Lance Blacker shared the front row in the modified feature and when the green flag dropped Smithhart pulled out in front. Crayford assumed the second spot when Blacker drifted high and lost ground in the high lane. Todd Coburn and McIntire also gained spots in the low groove, and on lap six Crayford began his challenge on Smithhart. McIntire moved to the outside and stayed tight on Crayford’s bumper, and when Crayford finally took the lead on lap nine, McIntire began his challenge on Smithhart.
McIntire passed Smithhart and pulled back in line on lap 12, and at the same time Jerold Christensen retired his car to the infield with a smoking problem. Hicks inched by Smithhart on 13 and the following round Smithhart’s car slowed and he drove off the track. This put Bob Strauss in fourth with Coburn fifth and David Furia sixth.
The race was yellow-flagged on lap 20 to move Smithhart’s car to safer ground creating a double-file restart. Crayford held off McIntire on the start, but Strauss lost ground in the outside groove moving Coburn and Lance Blacker ahead. The remaining laps were smooth with Crayford taking the win over McIntire, Hicks, Coburn, Blacker and Furia.
McIntire set fast time of 12.884, Coburn won the dash, and Smithhart captured the heat race.
Robert Schmidt led the first lap of the mini stock main but relinquished it to Rich Schramm, Jr. on the second round. Mitch Preston drove around Schramm for the lead on lap four but lost control and spun in turn four three rounds later, handing the number one slot to Gray.
With no yellow to slow the action, gray pulled away as Jonathon Reynolds challenged
Schramm. Reynolds picked off Schramm on eight, and Billy Shaul took over third on 10. The leaders spent the next 12 laps weaving through slower traffic.
Shaul spun in four on lap 22 to create the only yellow, but came back strong in the closing laps to finish second behind Gray. Reynolds settled for third with David Aceves fourth and Mitch Preston fifth. Reynolds won the heat race and Shaul took the trophy dash.
Lap one of the modified bomber feature saw Forrest Keucker and Mike Neilson come together with both cars spinning in turn two as Jose Fernandez led the way. The restart saw Kevin Waycik dive under Eddie Robinson for second as defending champ Charlie Collins was working his way to the front.
Collins began his outside bid and had an impressive run coming from ninth to second in only nine laps. Collins pulled along side of Fernandez where the pair ran side-by-side the next six rounds until the race was stopped when Kuecker spun again in turn two.
When racing resumed Collins continued his battle with Fernandez as Medina was struggling to break free of the back-runners. Collins forged ahead on 22, but Medina finally got a break, moved rapidly through the pack and set his sights on Collins. The winning pass came on the 27th circuit just before the race was slowed for a confrontation between Neilson and Robinson.
Medina held off Collins the remaining distance to take the win. Collins finished second with Fernandez third, Bill Mucci fourth and George Abella fifth. Fernandez and Medina were heat winners and Kuecker won the trophy dash.
In pro-4 modified action it was Sarah Figueroa and Patty Bertram sharing the front row, and at the drop of the green flag it was Figueroa who shot out in front. As Bertram faded, Kevin Barba moved into second and he stole the lead away from Figueroa on lap three. Straka came from last to second in only five rounds and passed Barba on the outside for the lead on seven. As Straka pulled away, trophy dash and fast heat winner Andy Leuzinger battled with Barba. Leuzinger assumed second on lap 16 but by this time Straka enjoyed a quarter-lap lead.
Fast qualifier Ken Gifford was next to break loose and at the checkered flag it was Straka, Leuzinger, Gifford, K. Barba and Codi Barba. K. Barba won heat race number one. The Pro-4 modifieds return to Lakeport Speedway on September 17.
Auto racing continues at the Lakeport Speedway this Saturday night with the Bay Cities Racing Association mighty midgets and the BCRA vintage midgets as the special events. Also running are the NCRA mini stocks, bombers, modified bombers and the L.A. Cruisers. For more information call the speedway office aat 274-2844.
7/30/2005 _ Lakeport Speedway Results...
NCRA MINI STOCKS
Heat _ Jonathon Reynolds, Kelly Gray, Mitchell Preston, Billy Shaul, Rich Schramm Jr., David Aceves, Robert Schmidt, Fred Schmidt.
Main Event "A"_ Kelly Gray, Billy Shaul, Jonathon Reynolds, David Aceves, Mitchell Preston, Robert Schmidt, Rich Schramm Jr., Fred Schmidt.
Time Trial_ Kelly Gray (13.792), Billy Shaul, Mitchell Preston, David Aceves, Rich Schramm
Trophy Dash _ Billy Shaul, David Aceves, Kelly Gray, Mitchell Preston.
MODIFIED BOMBERS
Heat 1_ Jose Fernandez, Eddie Robinson, George Abella, Kevin Waycik, Bill Peters.
Heat 2_ Kyle Medina, Charlie Collins, Darren Tubbs, Bill Mucci, Mike Neilson, Forrest Kuecker.
Main Event "A"_ Kyle Medina, Charlie Collins, Jose Fernandez, Bill Mucci, George Abella, Forrest Kuecker, Kevin Waycik, Darren Tubbs, Mike Neilson, Eddie Robinson.
Time Trial_ Kyle Medina (13.761), Charlie Collins, Darren Tubbs, Mike Neilson, Forrest Kuecker.
Trophy Dash _ Forrest Kuecker, Darren Tubbs, Mike Neilson, Kyle Medina.
NCRA MODIFIEDS
Heat _ Mike Smithhart, Derrick Crayford, Todd Coburn, Terry McIntire, David Furia, Aaron Hicks, Bob Strauss, Lance Blacker, Jerold Christensen.
Main Event "A"_ Derrick Crayford, Terry McIntire, Aaron Hicks, Todd Coburn, Lance Blacker, David Furia, Bob Strauss, Mike Smithhart, Jerold Christensen.
Time Trial_ Terry McIntire (12.884), David Furia, Aaron Hicks, Todd Coburn, Bob Strauss.
Trophy Dash _ Todd Coburn, Terry McIntire, Aaron Hicks, David Furia.
PRO-4 MODIFIEDS
Heat 1 - Kevin Barba, Codi Barba, Sarah Figueroa, Patty Bertram, James Simondi
Heat 2 - Andy Leuzinger, Ken Gifford, Jake Tillman, Greg VanCleve, Chris Straka, Zach Gifford
Main Event "A" - Straka, Leuzinger, K. Gifford, K. Barba, C. Barba, Van Cleve, Tillman, Bertram, Z. Gifford
Time Trials - K. Gifford (13.147), Straka, Z. Gifford, Leuzinger, Van Cleve
Trophy Dash - Leuzinger, Straka, Z. Gifford, K. Gifford
