CLOSE CALL AT FAIR RACES

Source: Jamie Maynard/Times-Standard
Date: 07/03/2002

EUREKA, Calif. -- Heat race No. 1 for the Late Model cars at Redwood Acres Raceway turned out to be a thriller Saturday night.

Luke Hall of Fortuna pulled out to lead and was attempting to hold off Sean Hays of Redding, when the two made contact. As a result, Hays was launched up and onto his roof. Despite a heavily damaged car, Hays appeared to be all right as he gingerly walked through the pit area.

"I was following the 88 car through going through turns 3 and 4," he said. "I didn't feel like there was any problem. I felt as though I was pretty far alongside the 36 car. I was picking up the throttle coming off through the middle and it looked like he (Hall) turned down into me and hit me somewhere in the mid right-side of my car.

"Because I was into the throttle coming off, I don't think he lifted at all and basically drove right through me. It was a slow roll over onto my side then onto the hood with the nose of my car facing turn 4 backwards on the race track."

"I'm fine," said Hays. "I would like to thank Chuck LaHorgue and LaHorgue Race Cars for helping me get back out there Saturday night. I had a bruising wall incident Friday night trying to pass a car on the outside and I bent my rear clip over pretty badly. We were able to straighten it well enough that I was pretty competitive."

"Gentlemen" Jimmy Walker of Ferndale went on to take the checkered flag, followed by Ron Peters of McKinleyville, Preston O'Dell of Fortuna, and Mic Moulton of Eureka.

After two false starts, heat race No. 2 for the Late Model cars got underway. Eric Graham of Ukiah found his way to the front, but David Miller of Coquille, Ore., was certainly not going to let Graham run away with the win. On the white flag lap, Miller and Graham were bumper to bumper coming out of turn four, but Graham got loose and Miller and Randy Hvall were both able to advance their position. Miller went on to take the checkered flag, followed by Hvall, Graham, Rick Spencer of Eugene, Ore., and Bill Ward of Redding.

Friday night's main event winner, Mike Sackett, led in the Late Model trophy dash, but got loose out of turn 4 and lost three positions. Sackett finished the race in fourth position, behind race winner Randy Hvall. Bill Ward finished second and Larry Pries finished third.

David Miller of Coquille, Ore., lead all 60 laps of the Late Model main event and took home the trophy and $1,000 purse. Spencer finished second, followed by Hvall and Pries.

"It really feels good to win," said Miller. "We haven't won a main event in probably two years. We've just been struggling along and it sure feels good to win one."

Scotty Turner won from the pole position in the Sportsman division trophy dash despite early efforts by David Henderson to take the lead. Shawn Andrews came in second, followed by Henderson and Pat Walsh.

Roger Sanderson won the Sportsman division heat race followed by Jim Norris, Al Acuna and Angelo Marcelli.

Shawn Andrews had three-quarters of a lap lead over the second place car of Jim Norris as he came to the stripe in the Sportsman division main event. Henderson finished third, followed by Walsh and Turner.

"I was lucky," said Andrews. "And it's better to be lucky than be good."

Friday night's Mini Stock trophy dash winner Jay Rhodes attempted to make it two in a row Saturday night, but came up short. Rhodes was aggressively making his way to the front from his fourth place starting spot when he made contact with the car driven by Brian Murrell. Murrell spun on the back straightway and current points leader, Phil Wood narrowly avoided him. Dan Brown was able to capitalize on the others misfortune, as he was first to the checkered flag for the win. Rhodes held on to take second, followed by Wood and Murrell.

There were two heat races in the Mini Stock division. Chad Grammer found his way to the checkered flag in the first heat race, followed by Mac Collado and Jason Shaha. In heat race No. 2, Dan Brown took his second trophy of the night as Jay Rhodes and Brian Murrell rounded out the top three.

The familiar face of current points leader, Phil Wood, won the Mini Stock main event followed by Jay Rhodes.

Doug Way won the Real Stock trophy dash, followed by Rick Fox, Travis Maytanes and Shawn Craig.

The Real Stocks ran three heat races. The first of which was won by Mike Peeples. Jimmy Thornbury led the way to the checkered flag in heat race No. 2, and Doug Way won heat race No. 3.

Donnie Hyman found his way to victory lane in the Real Stock division main event. Hyman methodically worked his way through lap traffic to earn the win. Shawn Craig finished second, as Mike Peeples finished third. Rick Fox took the trophy in the Real Stock A-main Friday night followed by Shawn Craig, Dana Porter, and Doug Way.

CORRECTION: David Henderson and not Al Acuna finished second in the Sportsman division main event on Friday night.

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