ANTIOCH, California -- Taking full advantage of his front row starting position, Jim Perry Jr. held off a late charge from impressive Brandi Ford to win the 25 lap All Pro Series Wingless Spec Sprint main event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. The $600 victory was the third of the season for Perry aboard his Perry's Machine Shop sponsored entry. Coming off a second the night before in the NCMA Modified Sprint feature, Ford finished second in the more competitive Antioch field with Trophy Dash winner David Goodwill third.
There were 21 Wingless Spec Sprints in action with eight lap qualifying heat race wins going to Billy Fraser, Dan Gonderman and Jimmy Perry III. Goodwill won the four lap Trophy Dash. Perry Jr. had the pole for the main event and raced into the lead at the drop of the green flag. Brian Gray was an early second, but he pushed high exiting Turn 4 of the third lap, allowing Ford and Goodwill to race by for second and third. John Hendrickson and Eric Mentch were fourth and fifth at the lap four caution flag for rookie Bob Newberry's Turn 2 spin. Perry led Ford and Goodwill on the restart, and tenth starting Gonderman's bid for a top five finish was halted when he spun with steering problems in Turn 2 to end his race on lap nine. Perry Jr. continued to lead Ford and Goodwill on the restart. Contact with Mentch in their race for fifth dropped 16th starter and point leader Darrell Hanestad back several positions, but he quickly resumed the charge as Ford ran right behind the slightly smoking Perry in the race for the lead. A low move in Turn 2 of the 15th lap gained Hanestad fifth from Scott Merrell, and Hanestad soon caught Hendrickson and passed him for fourth on lap 20 as the lead battle heated up. Ford attempted several inside passes on Perry Jr. for the lead, but Perry exited the turns strong every time to maintain the lead. At the checkered flag, it was Perry Jr. scoring the much needed victiry ahead of Ford, Goodwill, Hanestad and Hendrickson.
RACE RESULTS
H 1-Dan Gonderman, Eric Mentch, Brandi Ford, Jim Perry Jr., Darrell Hanestad.
H 2-Jimmy Perry III, Scott Merrell, John Hendrickson, Mike Johnson, Dale Mehales.
H 3-Billy Fraser, David Goodwill, Brian Gray, Bob Newberry, Brian Lokmor.
DASH-Goodwill, Mentch, Merrell.
MAIN EVENT-Perry Jr., Ford, Goodwill, Hanestad, Hendrickson, Merrell, Fraser, Joey Santos, Mentch, Johnson, Roy Fisher, Chris Magoon, Newberry, Gray, Darryl Moore, Lokmor, Perry III, Jeff Rose, Gonderman, Mehales, Jeremy Petrell (DNS).
