ANTIOCH, Calif. -- Taking the lead from Stan Cargo, Darrell Hanestad went on to win the scheduled 25 lap All Pro Series Wingless Spec Sprint main event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. The win was the fourth straight for Hanestad aboard his S&S Automotove Eagle Chassis, paid $600 and tightened up an already close point race as incoming point leader Terry Tarditi was a no show and will be passed as a result. Scott Merrell finished second ahead of Billy Fraser.
The season debut of Mike Johnson and newcomer Rusty Langly in the former Rick Brophy car kept the count at 23, and Hanestad, David Goodwill and Scott Merrell each won eight lap qualifying heat races. After a good early duel with Bill Wallace Jr., Jim Perry Jr. claimed six lap Trophy Dash honors. When Tim Ore and Langly scratched, the ten lap B Main was canceled.
The track was drying, making the bottom groove the place to be, and the main event had to be restarted after a Turn 2 crash that eliminated front row starter Bob Newberry, who got out of shape trying to avoid Cargo. Cargo led the single file restart ahead of Wallace and Kent Bickford. Wallace took a chance on the high groove that only Hanestad would go near and started to fall back as Merrell took second from Bickford on lap three. Brian Lokmor spun in Turn 2 for a lap three caution flag, and Cargo led Merrell and Goodwill on the restart. Chris Magoon and Lokmor tangled in Turn 2 for a lap five caution flag with Lokmor eliminated from the action. Hanestad rode the outside of Turn 2 into third behind Mentch and Merrell on the restart lap, but a contact pass in Turn 4 of the seventh lap gained Bickford third. A low move in Turn 4 of the eighth lap gained Bickgord second from Merrell, but Hanestad slipped underneath Bickford for second in Turn 2 a lap later. A high move in Turn 2 of the 12th lap gained Hanestad the lead from Cargo, and Wallace saw his high goove efforts bring a spin for a lap 13 caution flag. The restart lap saw Cargo give up the bottom and get stuck high in Turn 3, resulting in him hitting the wall to end his race. Hanestad led Merrell and Bickford on the restart. Bickford and Goodwill battled for third before Goodwill made contact with Bickford's wheen in Turn 1. Goodwill rolled in Turn 1 for a red flag after 18 laps. Fortunately, there were no injuries. Track officials relined the field with Bickgord in the back and threw a checkered flag due to time. Hanestad was the happy winner ahead of Merrell, the steady Fraser, Joey Santos and Jim Perry Jr.
RACE RESULTS
WINGLESS SPEC SPRINT
H 1-Darrell Hanestad, Jim Perry Jr., Joey Santos, Stan Cargo, Mike Johnson. H 2-Scott Merrell, Bill Wallace Jr., Kent Bickford, Doug Henry, Brandi Ford. H 3-David Goodwill, John Hendrickson, Bob Newberry, Keith Shipherd, Billy Fraser. DASH-Perry, Merrell, Hendrickson, Hanestad. MAIN EVENT-Hanestad, Merrell, Fraser, Santos, Perry, Ford, Shipherd, Rick Rose, Henry, Fisher, Magoon, Wallace.
