Mother Nature might have dealt the speedway fans and drivers a cold opening night at Lakeport Speedway, but the action on the track was anything less than blistering hot. It was a night of youth at rookies that took the checkered flags at the end of the night at the speedway. A large excited crowd was on hand for the hottest racing on the west coast and they were not let down by the excitement that was delivered at the speedway.
The action in the modified division started early in qualifying where rookie Charlie Collins of Lakeport Ca. not only broke the track record, but blistered it in his first night ever in a modified setting the new track record at a 12.359. The main saw second year driver Alex Andrews taking the poll with veteran driver Danny Bishop sitting on the outside pole. After the initial green flag fell it saw Danny Bishop take an early lead followed by rookie driver Gary Collins of Upper Lake Ca. The rookie and veteran battled for the lead for the first 8 laps of the race, seeing Collins over take Bishop on lap number 9 never to look back taking his first victory in the modified division during starting his only race ever in the division. 2010 track champion Thomas Wright work his way up from the back of the full field of Modifieds to pick up a 3rd place finish. The 40 lap race ran from green to checkered with no yellows with Gary Collins taking the win followed by Bishop, Wright and Sweeney.
Local driver Forrest Kuecker of Lakeport, doing double duty driving both a Modified and a Legend car for the night’s races gave the visiting drivers of the Legends of the Pacific a challenge at his local track. Kuecker of Lakeport battle for ten laps for the lead of the legend heat race with visiting driver Ryan Mosher making a last lap pass to take the checkers. The main saw Jessica Walker start on the pole inside of Ryan Mosher, with Walker pulling out to an early lead. The first yellow came out on lap for with the spin of rookie James Bickford in turn number four. On the restart young Luis Tyrrell passed Walker for the lead to never looking back for a strong victory. At the checkers Tyrrell was followed by Mangini, Walker and Mosher with local driver Kuecker picking up a top five in his first start ever in a Legend car.
The exciting action rolled right over into the action pack Rental Solution Mini Stock main event where it say rookie Michael Peterson starting on the pole with rookie driver James Stillman on the outside pole. After the green dropped veteran driver Strugnell jumped out to an early lead to be passed on lap four by 2010 track champion Keown for the lead. A late race caution that halted the race for a while came out when Kelseyville driver Davey Coyne lost traction coming out of turn number two then slamming hard into the back straight away wall. After a lengthy cleanup of the track the race resumed seeing Keown take the checkers followed by Strugnell, Tellstrom, and Aceves.
The Clover Hydro Jammers took the track for their 30 lap main event. The starting lineup saw three year driver Nolan Forsythe of Lucerne starting on the pole with rookie driver Tommy Mingori of Santa Rosa starting on the outside row. Forsythe jumped to an early to be passed by second year driver Jackson Long of Kelseyville coming into lap number 2. Lap three saw contact between rookie driver Trever “Buff” Kollenborn make contact with driver Forsythe sending, Forsythe hard into the turn two wall retiring him for the evening. After the wreck was cleaned up the race resumed seeing Pro Jammer Ellis Thornton pass for the lead of the race on lap 8 never to look back for the rest of the race. Ellis Thornton went on to win the Pro Jammer main followed by Klein, with Jr Jammer Driver Long taking the with for the Jr. Jammers.
The action for the evening wrapped up with the ever exciting Taco Bell Bombers. The green flag fell over the lead pack of veteran Andy Norton and returning driver Eric Ogram. Norton jumped out to an early lead and held off the challenges of rookie driver Travis Thorn, before contact on the front straight away caused Thorns car to get a flat tire which drew a yellow, upon cars slowing for the yellow another wrecked started in turn number one collecting rookie driver John Collins of Lucerne, veteran Mike Swaney and Evan Smith. Upon the restart it say 2010 track champion Charlie Collins of Lakeport take the lead follow by long time track Veteran Brian Denton of Kelseyville. Collins held of many hard charges of the Denton but at the checkers if saw Collins take his first win for the year follow by Denton, Thorn and Swaney.
Racing resumes on April 23rd with the debut of the Lake County Off Road Extreme Asphalt Outlaws for their first appearance for the 2011 racing season. The racing begins at 6:30 with the gates opening at 5:00. For more information call the speedway office at 707-279-9577 or visit www.lakeportspeedway.com
