ANDERSON, California -- Track record holder and Saturday's fast timer Randy Houston passed Steven Gannon for the lead on lap 47 and claimed the victory at SRP on Saturday night. The race was called on lap 48 due to curfew considerations. Derek Thorn finished second after Gannon broke a trailing arm and spun, while running second, to bring out what would prove to be the final caution flag. Pole-sitter Junior Roddy took third and was happy with a solid run after two mechanical DNFs last year at SRP. Mike Doss finished fourth, his highest finish at a track that has bitten him more than once, and CJ Bawden improved his finishing position for the 3rd straight race, rounding out the top five.
On a sultry day in the North Valley, Randy Houston topped the qualifying charts with a !5.954, about 3/10ths off the fastest lap at this race last year. The only other driver in the 15-second bracket was Derek Thorn at 15.964. Local favorite Steven Gannon posted a 16.015 and Roddy filled out the dash field at 16.108. Houston helped his cause by drawing the smallest possible inversion of four, putting him on the outside of the second row and handing the pole to Roddy.
In the scheduled 75-lap feature Roddy jumped to the early lead over dash winner Thorn, Gannon, Houston, and Luke Hall. SRP starter Patrick Pattison was busy early in the race as several yellow flags flew for either contact spins or solo spins on a track that all drivers agreed was slick. The most serious of the early incidents occurred on lap 5 when Brad Wasmund, Jim Stillman Jr, and young ASA Truck Series phenom Victor Pfluger tangled in turn two. Pfluger left on the hook and was done for the night. Hall pitted under the yellow flag and returned 4 laps later. Dennis Del Biaggio and Kristi Schmitt made hard contact on lap 12 ending Schmitt's night early.
On lap 22 Thorn slipped up the track and Gannon and Houston were able to move into second and third. On a lap 27 restart, after David Miller broke a trailing arm bracket and spun, Roddy pushed up the track and Gannon grabbed the lead ahead of Houston, Thorn, Roddy and Doss. Gannon was able to stretch his lead until he ran into lapped traffic on lap 45, allowing Houston to close the gap. On lap 47, officials notified the teams that the feature would be cut to 60 laps and Houston passed Gannon for the lead. On the next circuit, Jeremy Hopkins, Neil Gordon and Stillman Jr made contact and spun and brought out the yellow yet again. The race was shortened further, at this point, to 50 laps. One lap after the restart, Gannon had his problems bringing out the caution flag and the race ended under the checkered and yellow flags.
Thorn now sits atop the point standings for the first time with defending champ Doss a scant 7 points back. Houston moved into third followed by Howard Ford and Roddy.
Dash - Thorn, Gannon, Houston, Roddy
Main - Houston, Thorn, Roddy, Doss, CJ Bawden, Howard Ford, Gary Glenn, Eric Schmidt, Del Biaggio, Andrew Snider, Hopkins, Gordon, Gannon, Eric Graham, Randy Stutesman, Hall, Stillman Jr, Wasmund, Berndt Akerstrom, Miller, Joe McDonald, Schmitt, Larry Bayless, Pfluger
