LAKEPORT, CA. May 19, 2001..... Starting sixth in the 18 car modified field, Bill Binns of Upper Lake became the first repeat feature winner in six weeks of competition at the Lakeport Speedway Saturday night. Binns passed John Tredway on the 10th lap to secure the win.
Thomas Wright of Kelseyville had a near clean sweep in the Airport Auto Brokers late model series, winning the trophy dash, heat race and claiming his second consecutive 30 lap main event. Mike Rose's fast time of 12.875 prevented Wright's perfect night.
Mini stock points leader Andrew Snider of Kelseyville collected his fourth feature event, and Arlene Pruett of Finley held off the entire 19 car bomber field for 30 laps to capture her first main event in the Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa bomber division.
The modified 30 lapper began with John Tredway pulling ahead of pole setter Freedom Hawthorne with Mark Marek and Ben Phillips fighting for the third position. The event was red-flagged on lap three when visiting driver Hap Feree's car caught fire. Official's distinguished the flames and Feree was allowed to continue.
Marek moved into second behind Tredway on the restart and the following round Binns drove around Hawthorne for third. Binns moved his mount to the outside and took second from Marek on the sixth lap and assume the lead on 10. Meanwhile Bob Strauss worked his way from 12th and as Marek faded on the outside, Strauss, points leader Aaron Hicks and Danny Bishop gained position. Strauss passed Tredway for second on lap 13 and Hicks picked off Tredway the following round. Mike Smithhart joined the top five the same time, and at mid race it was Binns, Strauss, Hicks, Tredway and Smithhart.
Smithhart inched by Tredway for fourth on lap eighteen and when Tredway's car pushed, he was freight-trained almost to the rear. Binns drove to victory followed closely by Strauss, Hicks, Smithhart and Bishop. Smithhart posted fast time of 13.229 seconds, Hicks was the dash winner and heat races went to Lance Blacker and Ben Phillips.
Late model action began with heat winner Kevin Estep and Danny Harris battling for the number one spot and as Harris lost ground on the outside, Justin Offenbach pulled ahead to challenge Estep. A seven-lap side-by-side duel was won by Offenbach as he pulled ahead on the ninth go-round. Jim Stillman followed Offenbach to the front as Estep pushed and was funnel to the back. Mike Martin assumed third with fast qualifier (12.875) Mike Rose fourth and Wright fifth.
Jeremy Hopkins slapped the front-stretch wall on 13 to slow the action, and when racing resumed, Offenbach and Stillman continued their bid for the front. Stillman nipped Offenbach at the line on a lap 21 yellow and when the green fell again, Wright drove under Offenbach for second. Wright made his outside run on Stillman and at the checkered flag, Wright was ahead of Stillman by a bumber to secure the win. Mike Doss aced out Mike Martin for third, Martin finished fourth with Mike Sullivan fifth.
The mini stock main event saw Patt Lucas the early leader but he was overtaken by Rod Gard on the fifth lap just before the race was cautioned for an Andrew Snider spin. Lucas faded on the restart, moving trophy dash winner Jake Tillman into second and Darin Snider to third. Andrew Snider rebounded quickly and was running fourth by the tenth lap and passed Tillman for third on 14. Defending champ Kevin Barba followed Snider to the front and on lap 21 both Andew Snider and Barba slipped under Darin Snider.
With only three laps to go, Andew Snider drove around Gard for the lead and the win. Gard held off Barba for second, Barba finished third, Darin Snider fourth and fast qualifier (14.066) Stuart Lydon was fifth. Tillman captured the dash and Matt Preston and A. Snider won heat races.
The bomber 30 lapper saw Pruett pull out in front with Kenny Grinols and Kevin Medina fighting for second. Medina slipped into second on lap five and pulled along side of Pruett where he drove the remaining 25 laps. Pruett and Medina survived through five caution periods and kept the pack in a double-file format the entire race. Pruett accepted her first bomber win with Medina second, Mark Maines third, Chuck Egger fourth and Kevin Minassian fifth.
Jimmy Sorrels won the "B" main over Wendy Peirce, D.J. Hadley, Gary Collins and Harley Sharpe. Heat wins went to Sharpe, Pruett and Rick Tellstrom. Michael Bishop captured the dash and Maines set fast time of 14.866.
This Memorial Day weekend Lakeport Speedway hosts the 4th Annual INEX Legends Cars Spring Nationals. The event runs both Saturday and Sunday nights. Modifieds, mini stocks and bombers will also be running both nights and the NCI-4 modifieds will be there on Saturday. Gates open at 5:00 pm with racing at 7:00 pm both nights..
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MODIFIEDS
Fast Time: Mike Smithhart, 13.229
Trophy Dash: Aaron Hicks, Danny Bishop, Smithhart, Terry McIntire
Heat 1: Lance Blacker, Freedom Hawthorne, Tim Maninger, Mark Marek, Erv Pettenger, John Tredway, Wade Whitman, Jerold Christensen, Andrew Snider
Heat 2: Ben Phillips, Hicks, Bill Binns, McIntire, Smithhart, Bishop, Hap Ferree, Chuck Pruett, Bob Strauss
Main Event: Binns, Strauss, Hicks, Smithhart, Bishop, McIntire, Pruett, Hawthorne, Ferree, Phillips, Marek, Tredway, Blacker, Pettenger, Maninger, Whitman, Christensen, Snider
MINI STOCKS
Fast Time: Stuart Lydon, 14.066
Trophy Dash: Jake Tillman, Lydon, Kevin Barba, Darin Snider
Heat 1: Matt Preston, Justin Potter, Dusty Barton, Tom Burger, Patt Lucas, John Gregory
Heat 2: Andrew Snider, Rod Gard, Barba, D. Sniter, Lydon, Tillman
Main Event: A. Snider, Gard, Barba, D. Snider, Lydon, Tillman, Preston, Potter, Burger, Barton, Gregory, Lucas
BOMBERS
Fast Time: Mark Maines, 14.866
Trophy Dash: Michael Bishop, Don Baker, Maines, Darrin Knight
Heat 1: Harley Sharpe, Gary Collins, Mike Collins, Richard Schwarm, Rob Bouscal, Peggy Hawthorne, D.J. Hadley, Jimmy Sorrels
Heat 2: Arlene Pruett, Kevin Medina, Kevin Minassian, Joe Sloan, Darren Tubbs, Kenny Grinols, Rod Harper, Don Johnson
Heat 3: Rick Tellstrom, Jeff Davis, Dale Preston, Bishop, Maines, Baker, Knight, Chuck Egger
"B" Main: Sorrels, Wendy Peirce, Hadley, G. Collins, Sharpe, M. Collins, Hawthorne, Schwarm, Bouscal
Main Event: Pruett, Medina, Maines, Egger, Minassian, Preston, Davis, Bishop, Knight, Baker, Tellstrom, Tubbs, Sloan, Peirce, Sharpe, Harper, Grinols, Sorrels, Hadley
LATE MODELS
Fast Time: Mike Rose, 12.875
Trophy Dash: Thomas Wright, Jeremy Hopkins, Rose, Mike Doss
Heat 1: Kevin Estep, Justin Offenbach, Danny Harris, Janice Buschiazzo, Kevin Waycik, Travis Manion, Sean Keown
Heat 2: Wright, Mike Martin, Mike Sullivan, Mike Swaney, Hopkins, Doss, Rose, Jim Stillman
Main Event: Wright, Stillman, Doss, Martin, Sullivan, Offenbach, Swaney, Harris, Buschaizzo, Estep, Rose, Manion, Hopkins, Keown, Waycik
