LAKEPORT, California -- Taking the lead away from Lance Blacker on lap 13, Aaron Hicks of Grass Valley lead the remaining distance to win his third season victory in the modified division at the Lakeport Speedway Saturday night. The modifieds were competing in round three of the Red / White / Blue modified series at Lakeport, and Hick’s win was worth $600. The modified action was part of the Robinson Rancheria Casino and Bingo’s night at the races.
In other action mini stock points leader Kelly Gray of Clearlake set fast time and held off the challenges of first-year driver Billy Shaul to claim his seventh main event win. And Robert "Billy Bob" Byers of Redwood Valley took his first win in the Guy Strohmeier Auto Center bomber division.
Blacker and Mike Smithhart shared the front row for the modified start and the pair ran side-by-side the first three rounds. Smithhart lost ground in the high lane opening the door for Hicks to slip into second with Thomas Wright behind him in third.
Hicks pulled out of line to pass Blacker, Wright stayed low and the pair jockeyed for the runner-up slot the next nine rounds before Hicks took control. Hicks next set his sights on Blacker where he made the winning pass on lap 13. Terry McIntire followed Hicks’ line, passed Wright and Blacker, and raced to catch up to Hicks.
The last half of the 30 lapper saw McIntire challenge Hicks on each pass, but Hicks was determined and drove to his third modified win. McIntire finished a close second in the non-stop event with Blacker third, Todd Coburn fourth and Red / White / Blue series points leader Gary Lowblad fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Mike Sullivan, Derrick Crayford, Darrin Knight, Wright and Corey James.
Bob Strauss set fast time over the 16 car field with a 12.922 second lap. David Furia, who drove in both the modified and the North State Tour event, clocked in at 12.943, and Sullivan’s quick time was 12.990. Lowblad won the trophy dash, and heat wins went to Blacker and McIntire. Competing in a modified for the first time was 2004 bomber champ Justin Potter who was home on vacation from North Carolina. Potters remarks were "It was awesome."
It only took Gray five laps to go from last starting to the front in the mini stock feature where he stole the lead away from rookie driver Davey Coyne with an outside pass. Jonathon Reynolds ran second behind Gray for four laps but lost the position to Shaul on the ninth go.
Meanwhile 15 year old Mitch Preston was working his way through traffic, took fourth away from Coyne on lap 10 and passed Reynolds for third on 22. Shaul ran tight on Gray’s bumper the final eight, but Gray never faultered and was first across the finish line again. Shaul, who beat Gray in the fast heat race, finished second with Preston third, Reynolds fourth and David Aceves fifth.
Coyne won heat race number one, his first race ever, and Reynolds took the trophy dash.
With two visitors from the Ukiah area, the bomber feature had13 starters with Roy Funderburk getting the jump on Chuck Hackbarth at the drop of the green flag. As Hackbarth lost power, the outside lane moved ahead and Byers passed Funderburk on lap three. Guy Minyard followed Byers to the front and ran side-by-side with Byers until the yellow flew on lap 10 when Funderburk and Virgil Cokeley spun in turn four.
Minyard’s car went high on the restart, allowing Geroge Mavrakis and Jimmy Sorrels to move into second and third. Jon Waner was black-flagged on lap 13 for excessive tire smoke. Four rounds later Mavrakis drove into turn one too deep, lost it and spun into the infield to slow the action again. This put Byers and Sorrels side-by-side, and although Sorrels gave it all he had, it was not enough to pull ahead of Byers.
Byers was a very happy winner with Sorrels second, Eric Johnson third, Scott Griffin fourth and Mavrakis fifth. Both Byers and Sorrels were heat winners and Minyard won the dash. Griffin set fast time of 14.964. After Saturday’s action Sorrels and Griffin are tied for first place in the NCRA championship battle.
Auto racing continues at the Lakeport Speedway this Saturday night with the Legends Cars of the Pacific joining the NCRA modifieds, mini stocks, bombers, modified bombers and the L.A. Cruisers. Gates open at 5:00 with racing at 7:00 pm.
8/13/2005 _ Lakeport Speedway Results...
NCRA MODIFIEDS
Heat 1_ Lance Blacker, Aaron Hicks, Thomas Wright, Mike Smithhart, Corey James, Todd Coburn, Justin Potter, Chuck Smithhart.
Heat2_ Terry McIntire, Gary Lowblad, Bob Strauss, Derrick Crayford, Mike Sullivan, Darrin Knight, David Furia.
Main Event "A"_ Aaron Hicks, Terry McIntire, Lance Blacker, Todd Coburn, Gary Lowblad, Mike Sullivan, Derrick Crayford, Darrin Knight, Thomas Wright, Corey James, Bob Strauss, Justin Potter, David Furia, Chuck Smithhart, Mike Smithhart.
Time Trial_ Bob Strauss (12.922), David Furia, Mike Sullivan, Gary Lowblad, Darrin Knight.
Trophy Dash _ Gary Lowblad, David Furia, Mike Sullivan, Bob Strauss.
NCRA MINI STOCKS
Heat 1_ Davey Coyne, David Aceves, Robert Schmidt, Fred Schmidt, Mike Bray.
Heat 2_ Billy Shaul, Kelly Gray, Jonathon Reynolds, Mitchell Preston, Rich Schramm Jr..
Main Event "A"_ Kelly Gray, Billy Shaul, Mitchell Preston, Jonathon Reynolds, David Aceves, Rich Schramm Jr., Davey Coyne, Robert Schmidt, Fred Schmidt, Mike Bray.
Time Trial_ Kelly Gray (13.706), Mitchell Preston, Billy Shaul, Jonathon Reynolds, Rich Schramm Jr..
Trophy Dash _ Jonathon Reynolds, Kelly Gray, Mitchell Preston, Billy Shaul.
NCRA BOMBERS
Heat 1_ Robert Byers, Roy Funderburk, Virgil Cokeley, Chuck Hackbarth, Jared Martin.
Heat 2_ Jimmy Sorrels, George Abella, Eric Johnson, George Maurakis, Scott Griffin, Jon Waner, Guy Minyard.
Main Event "A"_ Robert Byers, Jimmy Sorrels, Eric Johnson, Scott Griffin, George Maurakis, Virgil Cokeley, Guy Minyard, Roy Funderburk, Jared Martin, Chuck Hackbarth, George Abella, Jon Waner, Andy Norton.
Time Trial_ Scott Griffin (14.964), George Maurakis, Eric Johnson, Guy Minyard, George Abella.
Trophy Dash _ Guy Minyard, George Maurakis, Scott Griffin, Eric Johnson.
