MERCED, California -- Making an impressive run on the outside, Las Vegas long tow and IMCA Western Regional title contender Mark Allison won the 25 lap lap IMCA Modified main event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. The win paid Allison $600 as part of the track's Third Annual Timmy Post Memorial Event. Marcus Aue held off point leader Ramie Stone for second. Runnijng a steady race on the bottom, Pure Stock graduate Mike Hamilton won his first 20 lap Hobby Stock main event of the season ahead of Jim Brewer and Rusty Penrod.
The IMCA Modifieds ran two six lap qualifying heat races with Bill Hiney holding off a late charge from Aue to win his heat and Paul Stone winning the other one as Jack Stanford made a late pass on Bruce Trinidade for second. Aue scored the victory in the four lap Trophy Dash. Three attempts were made to get the IMCA Modified main event started before Rich Firato raced into the lead. However, Trinidade led a lap two restart ahead of Aue and Stanford. A high move in Turn 3 of the fifth lap gained Mark Allison third, and Allison raced around both Aue and Trinidade on the back stretch of the sixth lap for the lead. Stanford also moved by Trinidade for third with an outside move on the front strech. Moments later, the two made contact on the front stretch, sending Stanford spinning, colldcting Bill Saltzman for a lap eight caution flag. Allison led Aue and R. Stone on the restart, and the rest of the race would go caution free as P. Stone and defending champion Bob Williamson entertained the crowd with their side by side battle for fourth. R. Stone ran with Aue,, but he couldn't make the pass as Allison cruised to an impressive victory ahead of Aue, R. Stone, Bob Williamson and P. Stone.
Teammates Marshall Weaver and Mark Funkhouser cruised to victories in the two six lap Hobby Stock heat races. Jim Brewer claimed four lap Trophy Dash honors. Third starter Hamilton raced into the lead as polesitter Lester Beavers had problems at the start of the main event. Brewer took second from Penrod on lap two, and a lap three caution flag flew for a Daniel Stephens spin in Turn 2. Hamilton led Brewer and Penrod on the restart. The 2001 Pure Stock champion, Hamilton stayed glued to the bottom of the track over the final 17 caution free laps, made a good move in traffic and was rewarded with his first Hobby Stock feature win as Brewer settled for second in front of Penrod, Funkhouser and Weaver.
H 1-Bill Hiney, Marcus Aue, Johnnie Baptista, Tm Sportte, Rich Firato.
H 2-Paul Stone, Jack Stanford, Bruce Trinidade, Ramie Stone, Tim Sprotte.
DASH-Aue, Hiney, Stanford, P. Stone.
MAIN EVENT-Allison, Aue, R. Stone, Bob Williamson, P. Stone, Troy Stone, Stanford, Baptista, Bill Saltzman, Tinidade, Hiney, Firato, Sprotte, Bobby Williamson, Joel Hale.
H 1-Marshall Weaver, Mike Hamilton, Rusty Penrod, Craig Tatum, Garrett Steitz.
H 2-Mark Funkhouser, Jim Brewer, Jim Watson, Andrew Krumm, Scott Van Gelder.
DASH-Brewer, Hamilton, Funkhouser, Weaver.
MAIN EVENT-Hamilton, Brewer, Penrod, Funkhouser, Weaver, Krumm, Steitz, Watson, Lester Beavers, Van Gelder, Daniel Stephens, Tatum.
