Watsonville, CA (Aug.4) -- Bobby Hogge IV gained the lead on a late race restart to score the win in the Grand American Modified division at Watsonville Speedway on Friday. The modifieds ran along with the Golden State Challenge sprint cars before a packed house at the tacky 1/4 mile facility. A. J. Kirkpatrick set a track record by being the fastest qualifier for the 8th consecutive time and 11th time overall this season. Kirkpatrick's effort was 15.060 and came as the 3rd car out in a 23 car field of modifieds.
Bob Scott Jr. won the trophy dash for the 4 fastest qualifiers over Kirkpatrick, Jim Pettit II, and Hogge IV. The field was divided into three heats with those wins collected by Jim Blackwell, Jim DiGiovanni, and Bobby Hogge III. Officials placed all the cars into the 30 lap main event and with an invert of 7, the duo of Orval Burke and Dave Byrd were given front row seats ahead of Jeff Decker and Pettit.
As the field raced through the first set of turns on the opening lap, Burke and Byrd make contact, leaving Byrd sitting at the top of turn two while Burke led the first lap. When the yellow came out for Byrd, officials determined that Burke was responsible for the contact and sent him to the rear, moving Pettit in to the lead with Decker, Kirkpatrick, Hogge IV, and Tim Clark filling the top five on the restart.
A four car tangle one on lap 3 left Hogge III sitting in turn one for another yellow before a series of racing laps could be scored. Hogge IV moved into 2nd by lap 4, using the top of turn two to shovel Decker back to 3rd and Scott used the same section of clay to take 4th on lap seven. The yellow reappeared after ten laps when Phil Holley and Mike Brumit tangled in turn two. On the following restart, Hogge IV was able to nab the lead with an inside pass in turn four as lap 11 ended while Scott moved into 3rd at the same time. Pettit came right back in turn two with an outside pass and led Hogge IV to the line each lap, holding onto the lead through another pair of restarts.
Decker regained 3rd on lap 15 but his run ended with 27 laps scored when Todd Hermasillo spun in turn 3 and Decker drove over the top of the spun car.
The ensuing yellow setup the race deciding situation as the field assembled with three laps to score. Pettit, still leading as the field came to the yellow, continued to choose the outside line for the restarts, and when the field came out of turn four he got sideways enough to scrub off speed and Hogge IV raced into the lead. Pettit recovered quickly enough to maintain 2nd but was unable to mount significant pressure on Hogge IV with just three laps remaining. Scott took 3rd ahead of a resurgent Hogge III while Eric Jacobsen made a last lap pass to take fifth.
fast time--A. J. Kirkpatrick 15.060
trophy dash--Bob Scott Jr, Kirkpatrick, Jim Pettit II, Bobby Hogge IV
heat one--Jim Blackwell, Jerry Cecil, Todd Hermasillo, Mike Brumit, Scott Wheelock
heat two--Jim DiGiovanni, Ken Nott Jr, David Soito Jr, Tim Clark, Hogge IV
heat three--Bobby Hogge III, Eric Jacobsen, Scott, Doug Hagio, Kirkpatrick
main--Hogge IV, Pettit II, Scott Jr., Hogge III, Jacobsen, Kirkpatrick, Dave
Byrd, Nott Jr, Cecil, Holley, Soito, Jeffrey Priddy, Steve Pemberton
