Making a late race pass on incoming point leader Kevin Freitas, Keith Van Houten won the 20 lap California Sportsman main event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. It was Van Houten's second win of the season at the track as Freitas settled for second ahead of Rob Schropp. Mike Hamilton continued his impressive weekend with a victory in the double point 25 lap Pure Stock main event ahead of Raul Rodriguez and Billy Alvis. Some of the RACE Hobby Stocks paid Merced a visit with Jerry O'Hagan winning the 12 lap main event ahead of Mark Odgers and Jay Connelly. The McGruff Crime Prevention/Youth Little League night at the CCMR Food 4 Less Series event was sponsored by Harmon Auto Glass.
Van Houten set the fast time for the California Sportsman division with an 18.070 lap around the one-third mile dirt oval. Schropp was second quick at 18.227. Freitas won the four lap trophy dash with Luis Miranda the B Dash winner. Freitas set the early main event pace with Eddie Dixon spinning out of second to hand the spot to Ed Marion on lap two. A lap three caution flag flew for Dixon in Turn 3. Freitas led Marion and Van Houten on the restart. A high pass in Turn 1 of the sixth lap put Van Houten into second, and he moved in on leader Freitas. Van Houten pressured Freitas hard in a good battle on the smooth, dry slick racing surface, and a low pass in Turn 2 of the 15th lap gained Van Houten the lead. Marion pitted late, and Van Houten won ahead of Freitas, Schropp, Miranda and Marion.
Like Friday night, this was a clean sweep effort for Hamilton with eight lap Pure Stock heat race and four lap trophy dash wins. Chris Shelton set the early main event pace, and contact between Deak Sherrel and incoming point leader Robin Fast sent Fast spinning on the front stretch for a lap three caution flag. Shelton led Martin Hernandez and Hamilton on the lap five restart, and contact from sent Shelton spinning from the lead in Turn 4 of the sixth lap. A low pass in Turn 4 of the seventh lap gained Hamilton the lead from Hernandez, and Rodriguez moved in quickly to battle Hernandez for second. The track's top rookie in points, Rodriguez used an inside pass on the back stretch of the 19th lap to take second from. Billy Alvis passed Hernandez a lap later, and Hamilton went on to victory ahead of Rodriguez, Alvis, Hernandez and Shelton.
Mark Funkhouser won the eight lap Hobby Stock heat race, and 2000 Chowchilla Speedway champion Red Williams used a low pass on Jay Connelly in Turn 4 of the third lap to take the four lap trophy dash victory, Mark Odgers set the early main event pace ahead of Funkhouser, but Funkhouser and Williams crashed hard on the back stretch for a lap three caution flag. Funkhouser was shaken up, but otherwsise okay. Odgers led O'Hagan and Connelly on the restart, but a low pass in Turn 2 of the sixth lap gained O'Hagan the lead. From there, O'Hagan brought it home to victory ahead of Odgers, Connelly and Williams.
RACE RESULTS
CALIFORNIA SPORTSMAN
FT-Keith Van Houten 18.070. DASH-Kevin Freitas, Ed Marion, Van Houten. B
DASH-Luis Miranda, Eddie Dixon, Mark Jump.
MAIN EVENT-Van Houten, Freitas, Rob Schropp, Miranda, Marion, Dixon, Jump.
PURE STOCK
HEAT-Mike Hamilton, Raul Rodriguez, Robin Fast. DASH-Hamilton, Fast, Rodriguez.
MAIN EVENT-Hamilton, Rodriguez, Billy Alvis, Martin Hernandez, Chris Shelton, Fast, Deak Sherrel.
HOBBY STOCK
HEAT-Mark Funkhouser, Red Williams, Mark Odgers. DASH-Williams, Funkhouser, Jay Connelly.
MAIN EVENT-Jerry O'Hagan, Odgers, Connelly, Williams,
Funkhouser, Joaquin Miranda.
