Dave Byrd of San Jose made it two straight feature wins in two days as Stockton 99 Speedway ended its two-day season opening events for the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge.
Byrd won the Saturday Ultra Wheels Super Truck feature in dominate fashion, and returned on Sunday to nail down the first win for the newly created HOTWOOD Western Late Model Division running as the premier NASCAR Regional class at Stockton.
A six car invert put the two-time past Stockton champion on the pole in his Gillit/Shafer built Late Model and the talented driver never looked back as he ran wire-to-wire to record the first feature win.
The race almost ended before it started for Byrd as outside pole sitter Harold Rieker of Orangevale got loose off turn four coming to the initial green. As Reiker spun he clipped third place starter Wes Miller of Delhi and jammed up the entire field as he continued into the front straight wall with heavy damage. Byrd was able to get by clean and took the green chased by Jeff Belletto of Modesto.
By the fifth circuit as the cars got into a racing line, it was Byrd, Jeff Belletto, Mark Welch of Orangevale, Harry Belletto of Modesto, and new track record holder Tracy Bolin of Valley Springs. Welch moved to second on lap-15, but fading tires caused him to slide high in turn four on lap-27, with Jeff Belletto coming back to second.
At the checkered it was dash winner Byrd, Heat winner Jeff Belletto, Welch, Harry Belletto, and Bolin. Other heat wins went to Anthony Swan of Newark and Wes Miller.
The SRL Wild West Shootout Series for Late Models staged their first of four Stockton events in their 12-race, three-track series on Sunday with Ron Strmiska, Jr. of Manteca taking home the big check for the 100-lap feature.
David Philpott of Tracy was the pole sitter and early leader, bowing to Ken Boyd of Ceres on lap-10. Strmiska came to second on lap-28 and dogged Boyd to the 58th circuit before taking control. Seven yellows slowed the chase with Strmiska crossing first ahead of Boyd, Chris Wadsworth of Oakley, Philpott, and Ray Lawson, Jr. Defending series champion Nathan Tucker of Sonora set the quick time for the event.
USAC/BCRA Midget action saw a new track record set by John Starks of Puyallup Washington, and the feature win going to Rory Price of Edmonds Washington. The time of 12.742 was the first 12-second midget time ever recorded at the 56-year old facility, and erased the four-year-old standard of 13.13.147 set by Davey Hamilton.
A short field of five Super Mini Trucks were on hand with a new track record going to Mike Sims of Turlock at 16.319. Two exhibition events were staged for the 4-cylinder trucks.
RACE RESULTS:
WESTERN LATE MODEL DIVISION:
FAST TIME: Tracy Bolin (Valley Springs) 14.241
HEAT-1: Anthony Swan (Newark), Dave Houck (Oakdale), Johnny Berndt (Clements), Ray Davis (Galt), Ed Cullom (Ripon).
HEAT-2: Jeff Belletto (Modesto), Harold Rieker, (Orangevale), Mark Welch (Orangevale), Pete Anderson, Jr. (Stockton), Melissa Davis (Santa Rosa), Chris Monez (Lodi).
HEAT-3: Wes Miller (Delhi), Dave Byrd (San Jose), Harery Belletto (Modesto), Bolin, Joe Hylton (Manteca).
DASH: Byrd, Rieker, Miller, Jeff Belletto.
MAIN: Byrd, Jeff Belletto, Welch, Harry Belletto, Bolin, Monez, M.Davis, Anderson, Berndt, Eddie Laws (Citrus Heights), Swan, R. Davis, Rieker, Miller, Hylton.
SRL DIVISION:
FAST TIME: Nathan Tucker (Sonora) 13.665
MAIN: Ron Strmiska, Jr. (Manteca), Ken Boyd (Ceres), Chris Wadsworth (Oakley), Tim Stratmyer (Martinez), David Philpott (Tracy), Ray Lawson, Jr., Bob Strandwold (Modesto), Jeff Anthony (Livermore), Rick Ruzbarsky (Tracy), Gene Garrett (Stockton), Tucker, R.B. Bracken (Modesto), Mike Garcia (Lodi), Corey Petro (Riverbank), Troy Ermish (Fremont), Michael Carver (Placerville), Randy Liles (Dinuba), Ed Coughenour (Petaluma), Chad Pais (Sonora)
