CHOWCHILLA, California — The Chowtown Pacific Dirt Nationals is designed to put the best local talent from California dirt tracks head to head to see who is the best of the best, and on this beautiful California weekend there were twenty different Sport Modified drivers over the two days that took on the challenge of the reconfigured super-fast Chowchilla Speedway to see if they were the best of the best.
On night one of the Chowtown Pacific Dirt Nationals the track was tacky, smooth and very fast as most every driver was under track record speeds. Randy Brown jumped out front early to show off the local talent, but it was Robert Witner, Troy Morris Jr., and Michael Johnson that quickly showed that the other tracks are loaded with some extreme talent as well.
Witner caught Brown with Morris and Johnson hot on his tail, the race gave the fans many thrills as the drivers were flying around the 1/3 mile track in slicing and dicing fashion. Witner got by Brown, but brown got under Witner with just a few laps to go and it ended with a four car pile-up in turn one. Witner made it through and picked up the win and the $1,000 check for night one.
Day two gave the drivers a look at a different race track as the track staff did everything they could to dry the race surface out providing one day of super tacky, and one day of dry slick racing. Troy Morris Jr. led the early stages of the day two main event but he was caught in lapped traffic by dry slick expert Micheal Johnson, Johnson slipped by when Morris got pinned behind a lapped car, then Witner slipped by as well. The final ten laps was a shootout between Witner and Johnson, with Witner trying to get by to pick up the $1,000 paycheck, plus the $200 bonus for two wins.
When the checkers went into the air it was Johnson taking the $1,000 win, with Witner hot on his heels, and Mitch Enos took third making it a top three from three different tracks.
The Miller Lite blind draw happened each day at payout giving a $100 bonus, each day the race winner drew a finish number and on day one it was the 12th place finisher Ray Tevis that took home the extra $100. On day two race winner Johnson drew the second place car, that car was Witner so he had a good weekend taking home $1,400 in total. Johnson finished second on day one giving him a $1,300 weekend.
Both Johnson and Witner received a free graphics wrap courtesy of Trinity Motorsports for their wins ($650 value each), as a bonus Trinity Motorsports gave each of the 7th place finishers a ½ wrap sponsorship, Marisa Odgers took the day one ½ wrap bonus, and Jim Digiovanni took home the ½ wrap sponsor for day two.
Other Chowtown Pacific Nationals winners included Roy Hart Jr., Ryan Hart, and Kevin Irwin.
Race Results;
Day one results;
Sport Mods
1-Robert Witner, 2-Michael Johnson, 3-Robert Faundrey, 4-Andrew Krumm, 5-Kelly Wilkerson, 6-Jason Beltran, 7-Marisa Odgers, 8-Troy Morris Jr., 9-Randy Brown, 10-Gary Hildebrand, 11-Tim Prothro, 12-Ray Tevis, 13-Jim Digiovanni, 14-Ray Mayer, 15-Harley turner Jr., 16- Thomas Leiby, 17-Jeremy Huff
Hobby Stock
1-Ryan Hart, 2-Willaim Kennedy, 3-Duane Fast, 4-Dick Webb, 5-Kristi Shearer, 6-Charles Parmley, 7- Rodger Guthrie
4-Bangers
1-Ryan Hart, 2-Tim Elias, 3-Terry Cheatham, 4-Corkey Galey, 5-Brad Genseal
Super Stocks
1-Roy Hart Jr., 2-Michael Shearer, 3-Danny Roe, 4-Donnie Shearer
Day two results;
Sport Mods
1-Michael Johnson, 2-Robert Witner, 3-Mitch Enos, 4-Andrew Krumm, 5-Ray Mayer, 6-Troy Morris Jr., 7-Jim Digiovanni, 8-Thomas Leiby, 9-Marisa Odgers, 10-Tim Prothro, 11-robert Fandrey, 12-Ray Tevis, 13-Harley Turner Jr., 14-Mike palmberg, 15-Jeremy Huff
Hobby Stock
1-Kevin Irwin, 2-Scott Whitley, 3-Ryan Hart, 4-Duane Orsburn, 5-Dick Webb, 6-Chris Falkenburg, 7-Wathern Harding, 8-Clay Smith
4-Bangers
1-Roy Hart Jr., 2-Brad Genseal, 3-Terry Cheatham
