Keith Van Houten beat Billy Mattos to the line by inches to claim his second CSA California Sportsman main event in three visits to Chowchilla Speedway Friday night. The win came aboard the Bill Baker owned Mighty Muffler sponsored car as Mattos settled for second ahead of Mark Jump. Steve Bisordi Jr. debuted his new car with a 20 lap RACE Hobby Stock feature victory ahead of dueling rookies Bud Glover and Mark Funkhouser. Ron German dominated the Super 4 Mini Stock feature to win ahead of Mike Harris and rookie Michael Beltran. The night's action was sponsored by Condell's Radiator and Muffler of Modesto and Merced.
The six lap California Sportsman heat race offered several lead changes before Van Houten took the lead from Rob Schropp for the victory. Second generation racer Schropp returned the favor with a photo finish over Van Houten for the four lap trophy dash win. Mattos set the early main event pace ahead of Jump and Gary Hildebrand, who was in the car Eddie Dixon drove to a second at the previous Chowchilla race. Hildebrand and Schropp dropped Jump back to fourth on lap two. Contact between Ed Marion and Schropp saw both spin in Turn 2 for a lap six caution flag. Mattos led the restart as Jump got by Hildebrand on the inside for second. An outside pass on the front stretch of the eighth lap gained Van Houten second. Van Houten steadily moved in on Mattos. On the final lap, Van Houten moved undernead Mattos in Turn 4, they ran to the line in a dead heat with Van Houten winning by inches ahead of Mattos, Jump, Marion and Hildebrand.
Another big field of Hobby Stocks made the show with Paul Salaiz using a last lap pass on Jay Connelly to win his six lap qualifying heat race. Newcomer Rod Lefler and Ken Jepsen won their heats before Salaiz came back to win his second four lap trophy dash. Roy Luton won the eight lap B Main ahead of Mark Odgers and Craig Tatum, who was dedicating the race to Grandma Vannucchi, who passed away during the week.
S. Bisordi set the early pace in the Hobby Stock main event ahead of Funkhouser. Glover settled into third on lap two, and Jepsen stalled for a lap four caution flag. Glover took second from Funkhouser on the restart as Bisordi continued to lead the way. A lap 12 caution flag flew for a front stretch tangle between Tim Dean and Lefler. A red flag was needed moments later when Chad Bisordi and Virgil Ashlock both got together and rolled on the back stretch. Neither driver was injured. S. Bisordi led Glover and Funkhouser on the restart, and that's the way they would finish. Jerry O'Hagan pitted from fourth late with a flat tire as Lefler finished fourth ahead of Salaiz and Odgers.
Bob Terry and German won the six lap Super 4 heat races with Terry also the four lap dash winner. Terry was an early retiree from the main event as Harris led the opening lap over Anthony Pombo. An inside move on the front stretch of the second lap put German into second. An outside move on the front stretch of the fifth lap gained German the lead from Harris. A low pass in Turn 4 of the tenth lap gained Beltran third from Pombo. German held a commanding half lap lead at the checkered to win his second feature ahead of Harris, Beltran, Pombo and Bud Sicks.
RACE RESULTS
CALIFORNIA SPORTSMAN
HEAT (6 laps)-Keith Van Houten (Merced), Rob Schropp (Merced), Billy Mattos (Merced). TROPHY DASH (4 laps)-Schropp, Van Houten, Mattos. MAIN EVENT (15 laps)-Van Houten, Mattos, Mark Jump (Selma), Ed Marion (Atwater), Gary Hildebrand (Merced), Schropp.
HOBBY STOCK
HEAT 1 (6 laps)-Paul Salaiz (Gilroy), Jay Connelly (Merced), Jerry O'Hagan (Winton). HEAT 2 (6 laps)-Rod Lefler (Merced), Red Williams (Merced), Virgil Ashlock (Delhi). HEAT 3 (6 laps)-Ken Jepsen (Fresno), Andrew Krumm (Merced), Chad Bisordi (San Martin). TROPHY DASH (4 laps)-Salaiz, Lefler, Jepsen. B MAIN (8 laps)-Roy Luton (Merced), Mark Odgers (Mariposa), Craig Tatum (Chowchilla), Chuck Crews (Chowchilla). A MAIN (20 laps)-Steve Bisordi Jr. (San Martin), Bud Glover (Merced), Mark Funkhouser (Merced), Lefler, Salaiz, Odgers, Connelly, Carl Tatum (Chowchilla), Jerry Bridger (Chowchilla), Crews.
SUPER 4 MINI STOCK
HEAT 1 (6 laps)-Bob Terry (Merced), James McGrannahan (Merced), Loyd Bamping
(Atascadero). HEAT 2 (6 laps)-Ron German (Atascadero), Michael Beltran
(Merced), Anthony Pombo (Kerman). TROPHY DASH (4 laps)-Terry, Beltran,
German. MAIN EVENBT (15 laps)-German, Mike Harris (Gridley), Beltran, Pombo,
Bud Sicks (Tulare), Tony Chavez (Merced), Mike Miranda (Clovis), Bamping,
David Mullett (Fresno), McGrannahan.
