June 23, 2001 – Bakersfield, CA – Points leader Dan Holtz picked up his 3rd win of the season by avoiding trouble early in the "Young Wooldridge 50." On lap 3 of the race the front runners Brandon Miller and Sammy Potashnick got together in turn 2 and collected Kevin Small and Leslie Lipscomb in the mishap. Only Small got back to finish the race while Holtz found himself in the lead. But the win wasn’t a cake-walk for Holtz.. Brandon Whitt of El Cajon caught him on lap 33, passed him by lap 35, but by lap 45 mechanical problems sent Whitt backwards and Holtz to the winner’s circle.
In the 2nd "Young Wooldridge 50" Kevin Thompson of Cypress picked up his 1st win of his career. He started behind Holtz, who jumped out to an early lead, but Holtz began to fade twenty laps into the event. Meanwhile, Brandon Whitt and Thompson battled for the lead for the rest of the race. Thompson would not give up the lead. Thompson drove his wheels off as if he knew it was his night for a trophy. The two touched in turn three and Thompson held on for the win. Holtz ended third to maintain the points lead.
In the NASCAR Limited Late Models Brian Richardson made it a clean sweep by setting fast time, winning the trophy dash and the main event. He had to work his way through the field to get past Shane Thompson and Tom Devitt. Once he was past it was clear sailing, but became a race for 2nd between Thompson and Devitt. Devitt claimed 2nd place follwed by Ron Daniels.
The NASCAR Street Stocks was the last event and closest event of the night. Doug Foos of Tehachapi took an early lead, but it wasn’t long before Billy Tucker was nudging him from behind to give up the lead. Foos wasn’t moving over. Tucker would get loose trying to pass Foos, while Josh Horn, Jeff Beard and Lloyd Wren, Jr. were all catching up to challenge Tucker, then Foos. As they rounded the last of 25-laps, they all bunched up together running 3 – even 4-wide around lapped traffic. Foos and Tucker couldn’t get by as fast as Horn. Horn got the win by less than a foot followed by Tucker, while Foos had to settle for 3rd.
In the 911 Race for Youth, Kern County Fire Department’s Bud Bonner made it two wins in a row. Once he had the lead he had no trouble keeping it. Mike Reed of the BPD picked up 2nd followed by Steven Crow of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.
Jerina Parks of Valley High made history tonight as the first young lady to win in the Chevron High School Series since it began in 1997. Chris Hupp of Kern Valley took an early lead challenged by South High’s Caesar Murot. Murot tried to get by and got too close to Hupp sending him into the wall. South High went to the back of the field. That put Jerina in the lead, which she had to fight to keep. Valley High took home the Champion’s trophy last season and started 2001 with their 1st win. And the ladies made it a one-two punch with Rebecca Brewer of North finishing 2nd followed by South, Alpaugh, Porterville and Kern Valley.
Next Saturday night is the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series Community Recycling Firecracker 150 plus Limited Late Models, 911 Race For Youth and Chevron High School and a huge fireworks show. Call Mesa Marin for information.
