FREITAS SNAPS VAN HOUTEN WIN STREAK, DAVIS WINS FIRST

Source: DON MARTIN II
Date: 07/29/2002

MERCED, California -- Winning a thrilling duel with Billy Mattos down the stretch, defending champion Kevin Freitas ended Keith Van Houten's nine race winning streak with his first 20 lap Central Valley Sportsman feature win of the season Saturday night at Merced Speedway. The win will also tighten the championship points battle as Van Houten and Mattos tangled and spun coming out of the final turn. Rob Schropp finished second for the fourth time this year as Mattos recovered in third. Taking the lead from Aaron Widick, George "Speedy" Davis won his first career 20 lap CCMR Pure Stock main event. Widick held on for a career best second ahead of Dan Holcomb.

The Central Valley Sportsmans ran two six lap qualifying heat races, and Freitas kept pace with incoming point leader Van Houten as each won a heat race. Mattos denied Freitas a clean sweep by holding him off to win the four lap Trophy Dash. Mattos had the pole for the main event and raced into the lead ahead of Gary Hildebrand and Van Houten. Van Houten spun in Turn 4 and Hildenrand spun trying for the lead exiting Turn 4 for a lap three caution flag. Mattos led Luis Miranda and Rob Schropp on the restart. Freitas moved by Schropp in Turn 4 for third on lap seven. Miranda spun from second in Turn 4 of the ninth lap, moving Freitas into second ahead of Van Houten. For the last ten laps, Freitas and Mattos engaged in an entertaining side-by-side battle as Van Houten ran third, looking for an opening. Exiting the final turn, Freitas got the momentum he needed and raced on to victory. Trying for second, Van Houten and Mattos made contact and spun on the front stretch with Schropp racing past the melee for second. Mattos recovered for third ahead of Miranda and Van Houten.

The Pure Stocks ran two six lap qualifying heat races with Holcomb winning his heat race by a straightaway ahead of Aaron Widick. Point leader Raul Rodriguez Sr. made a lap five pass around Davis to win the other heat. Rodriguez repeated that performance with a last lap pass on Davis to win the four lap Trophy Dash. Aaron Widick led the main even ahead of Raul Rodriguez Jr. and Holcomb through two caution periods during the first half of the race. Rodriguez Sr. was on his way to the front in fourth, but a lap ten tangle with his son on the front strertch saw Rodriguez Jr. get two wheels in the air as the two went into the wall and lost valuable track position. Holcomb spun in Turn 4 of the 11th lap and lost second to Davis, but he recovered in third. Widick was fighting off serious pressure from Davis for the lead until a low move in Turn 4 of the 15th lap finally gained Davis the lead. From there, Davis sped home to victory with Widick a close second ahead of Holcomb, Rodriguez Sr. and Jake Ebersole.

H 1-Keith Van Houten, Billy Mattos, Tim Leidich, Ed Marion.

H 1-Kevin Freitas, Rob Schropp, Jason Belton, Luis Miranda.

DASH-Mattos, Freitas, Van Houten, Schropp.

MAIN EVENT-Freitas, Schropp, Mattos, Miranda, Van Houten, Gary Hildebrand, Tim Leidich, Belton, Marion.

H 1-Dan Holcomb, Aaron Widick, Deak Sherrell, Cliff Daniels.

H 2-Raul Rodriguez Sr., Speedy Davis, Raul Rodriguez Jr., Chris Shelton.

DASH-Rodriguez Sr., Davis, Widick, Holcomb.

MAIN EVENT-Davis, Widick, Holcomb, Rodriguez Sr., Jake Ebersole, Daniels, Rodriguez Jr., Joaquin Miranda, Shelton, Sherrell.

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