Lakeport Speedway honored their veteran drivers this weekend with their own 4 lap modified’s veteran trophy dash. With only 4 laps, it was clear these drivers weren’t going to give anything up by driving nose to tail and side by side for 3 nail biting laps. After 3 laps and one more turn to the checker, they all collided in turn 3, sending Mike Linnell up the wall and onto his side and Mike Smithhart landing on his roof under Linnell. Chuck Pruett, who received lesser damage, was able to drive off the track. Smithhart and Linnell weren’t as lucky, and walked back to the pits. While every one was watching the car’s being towed in, Smithhart and Linnell’s crew were already gathering parts, like any veteran crew would do. I overheard one of the crew members say “We came here to race and that’s what we’re going to do”. Amazingly, they were all able to return to the track for the main event, to a standing ovation from the fans and fellow racers.
Mark Marek qualified the fastest in the Coors Lights Modifieds with a time of 12.657, followed by Thomas Wright with 12.677, David Lyndall 12.690, Steve Taylor 12.741, Sean Sweeney 12.758 and Rick Tommila with a 12.884 rounding out the top 6. Taylor won the Dash and your heat race winners were Danny Bishop and Tommila.
14 Coors Lights Modifieds started the feature event with Bishop on the pole with Tommy Lyndall on his outside. The first caution was on lap 1 for Lyndall’s #2 and Aaron Hicks’s #9 in turn 2. After a long green flag run on lap 28, there was a red flag for. Tommila’s burning #28 on the front stretch. Tommila was able to walk away, but was done for the night. When the race restarted, we saw Wright’s #17 leading followed by Richie Potts #83 and Marek’s #16. Wright took the win with Marek taking second from Potts, who finished 3rd, Sweeney and Pruett rounded out the top 5.
Andy Leuzinger qualified the fastest in the Nor-Cal Pro 4 Modifieds with a time of 12.837, followed by Jake Tillman with 12.889, Greg Vanceleave 13.038, Neo Nuno 13.140, Curt Lewis 13.230 and Kevin Barba with a 13.331 rounding out the top 6. Vanceleave won both the dash and his heat race, Kyle Tellstrom was our other heat race winner.
12 Nor-Cal Pro 4 Modifieds started the feature event with Gina Buschiazzo’s #03 on the pole with Johnny Barker’s #14 on his outside.
The first and only caution was on lap 3 for Marty Lewis’s #88 in turn 4. Kyle Tellstrom, the 2009 Mini Stock Champion, got the lead on lap one and led all 30 laps, he was followed by Leuzinger, Tillman, Vanceleave and Nuno rounding out the top 5. Congratulations! To Timber Cookson for Best appearing Nor-Cal Pro 4 Modifieds. For more information about the Pro-4 Modifieds and points, browse to the NCPro4.com website.
Dave Brown qualified the fastest in the Snake Pit Bombers with a time of 14.216, followed by Charlie Collins with 14.242, Mike Neilson 14.365, Mike Swaney 14.484, Mark Mains 14.615 and Ryan Sweeney with a 14.710 rounding out the top 6. Swaney won the dash and his heat race, Scott Griffen was our other heat race winner.
14 Snake Pit Development Bombers qualified, but only 12 raced the feature. Evan Smith’s #29 and Caity Miller’s #84 had mechanical issues and were unable to start the main. Chuck Hackbarth’s #43 and KC Norton’s #69 led the field to the green flag, the first caution was on lap 1 for Griffen’s #9 in turn 2. The 2nd and 3rd caution was on lap
5 and 9 for Jim Portlock’s #71 in turn 2 both times. The next 21 laps were all green flag laps with a lot of side by side racing, Neilson took the checker over Collins, Brown, Mains and Swaney, rounding out the top 5.
Shawn Keon qualified the fastest in the NCRA Mini Stock with a time of 14.227, followed by Robert Schmidt with 14.411, Don Pressler 14.511, Anthony Esberg 14.804, John Johnson 14.976, Jason Pratt 15.464 and Thomas Esberg with a 16.027 rounding out the field. Anthony Esberg won the dash and Shawn Keon won the heat race and the feature. Keon took the lead on lap 7 and never looked back, winning the caution free 20 lap feature, he was followed by Pressler, Schmidt, Johnson, A. Esberg, Pratt and T. Esberg
Saving the Best for last, the Clover Hydro Jammers, there were 17 in all between the Pro’s (8) and Juniors (9). Eddie Klein won the Pro Jammer dash and Caity Miller won the Juniors dash. David Furia decided to run both classes in the same race so there would be a full field of Jammers, but scoring them separate. Miller’s #55 on the pole with Klein’s #5 on her out side started the full field of Jammers. Miller got the jump but Klein took the lead on the back stretch. The field was stopped on lap 5 For Billy Oubre’s #26, Kasandra Norton’s #08, Jimmy Follie’s #88, Deake Lyndall’s #3 and Carl “The Goose’s” #17 on the front stretch. On the restart, Miller had anther good start, but Klein was able to hold his spot. As the race went on, Klein was putting lapped cars between Miller and him. When the checkered flag dropped, Klein had lapped all but the second place car of Caity Miller. Klein was awarded the win for the Pro-Jammers followed by Ellis Thornton, Casey Crawford, Johnathan Timms and Mike Peterson rounding out the top 5.
Caity Miller was awarded the win for the Junior Jammers, followed by Hayley Bishop, Kayleigh Sullivan, Jackson Long and Alisha Herron rounding out the top 5. After the race, Caity Miller was quoted “Where else can a 15 almost 16 year old girl race with other girl drivers and actually win a race. 6 out of 9 of us are female and the guy‘s welcome us.”
Lakeport Speedway and I would like to thank Mike Doss for filling in for Kelly Coburn as the starter, for her much needed day off at the ball park. Great Job Mike! Don’t worry drivers, Kelly will be back!
Racing will resume May 8, 2010 with the Airport Auto Brokers Late Models, Snake Pit Development Bombers, Clover Hydro Pro-Jammers, Clover Hydro Junior-Jammers, NCRA Street Stocks and NCRA Mini Stocks also ‘Kids Car Rides’ And Come meet Makenna Rose Enger, all on May 8, 2010
See You at the Track
Bob Cook
Lakeport Speedway your community based not for profit Speedway
