Inheriting the lead after Danny Knight suffered front_end damage while trying to avoid a three_car spinout, Mike Doss of Upper Lake drove the final 20 laps to win the Danny Rose Memorial for late models Sunday afternoon during the 12th annual KXBX October Classic. The win was good for $1500. Modified "veteran" driver Willie Thompson of Salem, Oregon chased Doss to the finish line for a $1000 second, Jim Stillman of Upper Lake finished a $750 third, Mike Simpson of Citrus Heights collected $600 for fourth, and Frank Howard of Ukiah was the last car on the leader's lap for a $500 fifth.
The late model division qualified 27 cars with Knight setting the fastest lap at 12.398 seconds. Jeremy Hopkins was next with 12.627, Doss posted a 12.663 and Thomas Wright clocked in at 12.803. With both Doss and Wright electing not to run the dash, Mike Sullivan started on the pole and took the win.
Saturday's heat races set the stage for Sunday's feature with Knight coming from behind to win the fast heat. He drew the number three for the inversion placing Mike Simpson on the pole. Mike Rose was the other "A" main heat winner and Jeff Atkinson won the "B" main heat race.
Jimmy Stillman took the initial lead from his outside front row starting berth but was overtaken by Jeremy Hopkins on the third lap just before the yellow was thrown for a spin by Nick Porter. The restart saw Knight get by Stillman and both Hopkins and Knight pulled away from the pack. Doss joined the top two on lap five and drove hard to catch the leaders.
Lap 17 saw Frank Howard spin into the infield and when racing began again Knight passed Hopkins for the lead. The next 10 laps watched the leaders weave through lapped traffic and on lap 28 Hopkins hit the wall ending his run. Lap 31 saw Kevin Estep, Danny Harris and Mike Sullivan come together and spin in turn four. Knight came around and tried to dodge the stalled cars but clipped the front end of Harris's car and suffered front end damage. Knight was forced to relinquish his lead to Doss and head for the pits. This left the door open for Wright who quickly passed Stillman for second. Thompson, the 1999 winner of the modified October Classic, came from eight starting to third in the Bruce Latta owned car, and when Wright's car lost power, Thompson darted under Wright to assume second.
Thompson chased Doss the final 10 laps but did not have the power to make the pass and Doss gladly accepted the win.
John Callas won the "B" main followed by Jeff Lovelace, Harris and Porter.
Fourteen Legends Cars started the feature with fast qualifier John Burritt of Reno leading all 30 laps to take the win. Frankie Winchel of Sebastopiol passed Barney LaRue of Napa on Lap 8 to finish second, LaRue was third, Mark Bailey of San Lorenzo finished fourth and Ryan Mosher of Cupertino rounded out the top five.
Both Burritt and LaRue were Saturday night heat race winners which earned them the front row in Sunday's feature event. . The event was marred by two caution periods, the first on lap 12 when Richard Appleby hit the wall, and the second on lap 21 when Jack W. Humphry and Pete Currin tangled and spun in turn two. Gary Hockman and Appleton were the only driver's unable to finish the event. Bumper LaRue won the trophy dash.
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LATE MODELS
Fast Time: Danny Knight, 12.398
Trophy Dash: Mike Sullivan, Joedy Admiral, Knight, Jeremy Hopkins
Heat 1: Jeff Atkinson, Neil Gordon, Danny Harris, Jeff Lovelace, John Callas
Heat 2: Mike Rose, Doyal Moen, Todd Schneider, Kevin Estep, Mike Swaney
Heat 3: Knight, Jimmy Stillman, Mike Simpson, Hopkins, Mike Doss
"B" Main: Callas, Lovelace, Harris, Nick Porter, Kevin Waycik, Atkinson, Jim Turner, Matt Timmons, Gordon
"A" Main: Doss, Willie Thompson, Stillman, Simpson, Justin Offenbach, Timmons, Swaney, Lovelace, Callas, Thomas Wright, Moen, Schneider, Admiral, Frank Howard, Knight, Sullivan, Harris, Estep, Rose, Hopkins, Eddie Robinson, Nick Porter
LEGENDS
Fast Time: John Burritt, 14.113
Trophy Dash: Bumper LaRue, Ryan Mosher, Frankie Winchel, Burritt
Heat 1: Barney LaRue, Winchel, Mosher, Bumper LaRue, Jim Koehler
Heat 2: Burritt, Gary Hockman, Mark Bailey, Pete Currin, Jack W. Humphrey
"A" Main: Burritt, Winchel, Barney LaRue, Bailey, Mosher, Bumper LaRue, Koehler, Currin, Humphrey, Debbie Darnell, Tim Farquhar, Tom Maloney, Hockman, Richard Appleby
