Troy Stone impressed by leading most of the way to win the 25 lap IMCA Modified main event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. It was Stone's first win of the year in his Larkins Modified and it kept him in the hunt in the State and track point races. Track point leader Bob Williamson settled for second ahead of Ramie Stone. Rookie Randy Brewer held off a determined Jack Chapman Jr. to win the 30 lap Street Stock main event as Johnny O'Brien Jr. finished third. Keith Van Houten went flag to flag to win the California Sportsman main event, and point leader Robin Fast won her sixth Hobby Stock main event. It was all part of an exciting CCMR Food 4 Less Series event on the one-third mile dirt oval.
Troy Stone would win his six lap IMCA Modified heat race and the four lap trophy dash in his clean sweep effort. Paul Stone won the other heat race. Rookie Scott Jantz had the pole and paced the first two laps of the main event before a yellow flag flew for stalled IMCA State point leader Johnnie Baptista in Turn 4. T. Stone took the lead from Jantz on the restart lap, and Jack Stanford spun trying for second in Turn 3. T. Stone led Jantz and Williamson on the next restart as Ramie Stone settled into fourth. P. Stone moved to the outside line and passed R. Stone for fourth on lap seven before a yellow flag for a spun Robert Marsh forced a caution flag. T. Stone paced the restart ahead of Jantz and Stanford, but Jantz spun exiting Turn 2 after ten laps, collecting Tommy Bostic and P. Stone in the incident. T. Stone led the restart and stayed smooth the rest of the way for the well earned victory as Williamson settled for second ahead of R. Stone, Duane Fast and Baptista.
Jimmy Lust got his night started right in the double point Street Stock event as be set fast time with a 19.247 lap. Chapman was second quick at 19.414. Lust came back to win the four lap trophy dash. Al Loewen was a feature scratch with motor problems. Point leader Danny Baldridge Jr. led the first ten laps of the main event, and a high move in Turn 4 of the seventh lap gained Brewer second from Chapman. Second ranked Buddy Thatcher was an early retiree, and Lust pitted before a lap ten caution fell for a Johnny Moreno spin. Baldridge pitted with front end damage, handing Brewer the lead. Brewer proceeded to lead the rest of the race with heavy pressure from Chapman to score the popular victory. O'Brien finished third ahead of Baldridge and Moreno.
Point leader Kevin Freitas bested the California Sportsman division in qualifying with an 18.775 lap as Rob Schropp was second quick at 18.906. Freitas won the four lap A Dash, and Mark Jump held off Van Houten for an impressive four lap B Dash victory. Van Houten had the outside front row for the main event and would lead all 20 laps for the victory. Billy Mattos was an early second ahead of Freitas. Freitas ran close with Mattos most of the way before making a back stretch pass for second on lap 16. The flying Van Houten lapped fourth place Luis Miranda late and won by a straightaway as Freitas settled for second ahead of Mattos, Miranda and Jump.
Raul Rodriguez won the eight lap Pure Stock heat race before Fast came back to win the four lap trophy dash. Chris Shelton set the early main event pace ahead of Fast and rookie Lorraine Mounce. Rodriguez hit the front stretch wall to end his race at the lap two caution flag. Fast kept working the outside on leader Shelton on the restart, and she finally made her move for the lead on the front stretch of the 13th lap. A low pass in Turn 4 of the 18th lap gained Mike Hamilton third from Mounce, and Mounce hit a tractor tire on the front stretch for a caution flag. Fast continued to lead Shelton and Hamilton on the restart, and a low move in Turn 4 of the 24th lap gained Hamilton second from Shelton. However, Fast was not to be denied as she brought it home to victory ahead of Hamilton, Shelton, Deak Sherrell and Mounce.
RACE RESULTS
IMCA MODIFIED
H 1-Troy Stone, Ramie Stone, Dennis Corn.
H 2-Paul Stone, Duane Fast, Johnnie Baptista.
DASH-T. Stone, R. Stone, Fast.
MAIN EVENT-T. Stone, Bob Williamson, R. Stone, Fast, Baptista, Jack Stanford, Jantz, Robert Marsh, P. Stone, Tommy Bostic, Sean Jackson, Corn (DNS).
STREET STOCK
FT-Jimmy Lust 19.247. DASH-Lust, Johnny O'Brien Jr., Buddy Thatcher.
MAIN EVENT-Randy Brewer, Jack Chapman Jr., O'Brien, Danny Baldridge Jr., Johnny Moreno, Lust, Thatcher, Al Loewen (DNS).
CALIFORNIA SPORTSMAN
FT-Kevin Freitas 18.775. A DASH-Freitas, Rob Schropp, Gary Hildebrand.
B DASH-Mark Jump, Keith Van Houten, Tim Leidich.
MAIN EVENT-Van Houten, Freitas, Billy Mattos, Luis Miranda, Jump, Schropp, Hildebrand, Ledidich, Jason Belton (DNS).
PURE STOCK
HEAT-Raul Rodriguez, Mike Hamilton, Robin Fast.
DASH-Fast, Hamilton, Rodriguez.
MAIN EVENT-Fast, Hamilton, Chris Shelton, Deak Sherrell, Lorraine
Mounce, Rodriguez.
