MERCED, California -- Despite a mid season slump, 2001 "Rookie Of The Year" Randy Brewer has remained top five ranked, and he finally scored his first 25 lap CCMR Food 4 Less Series Street Stock feature win of the season Saturday night at Merced Speedway. Troy Stone scored his first 25 lap IMCA Modified feature win in three months after a battle with defending champion Bob Williamson. Raul Rodriguez Sr. scored his 14th Pure Stock feature win of the season, but wife Pauline Rodriguez lost a close one to Ladies Pure Stock champion Rhonda Smith in their 15 lap feature. Keith Van Houten continued his march towards the 2002 Central Valley Soportsman championship with his 11th main event victory.
A season high 21 Street Stocks checked into the pits, and 2001 champion Jimmy Lust was a double winner with six lap heat race and four lap Trophy Dash victories. Less than ten points out of the lead, John Clarke managed second place finishes to Lust in both preliminary events to gain a little ground. Monty Tomlinson Jr. and Bob Terry, two champions of Chowchilla Speedway a year ago, ran 1-2 in their heat race. Brewer started up front in the main event and set a good pace as Lust took up the chase in second. However, Brewer made all the right moves in traffic for the confidednce boosting victory. Lust was second ahead of Clarke. Back of the pack starter and incoming point leader Phil Priddy had a late race battle with Leroy Coberley before he and Ty Shelton finally got by for the 4-5 finish.
There were 13 IMCA Modifieds in action, and IMCA Western Region "Rookie Of The Year" hopeful Lee Jensen and track point leader Ramie Stone each won six lap heat races. T. Stone claimed four lap Trophy Dash honors ahead of Bob Williamson. Despite having six feature wins, T. Stone's luck since his last win on June 15th has been miserable. In this race, T. Stone had his hands full battling Bob Williamson, who has seven seconds but no wins this year. Contact on the final lap saw Williamson crash in his bid to grab the lead. T. Stone scored his much needed seventh win ahead of Jensen's Merced best second, R. Stone, Johnnie Baptista and Tommy Bostic.
Impressive rookie Juaquin Miranda had mechanical woes in hot lapas and missed his six lap Pure Stock heat race, won by George "Speedy" Davis ahead of "Rookie Of The Year" hopeful Cliff Daniels. Rodriguez Sr. got his night started off right with a heat race win of his own before Dan Holcomb won the four lap Trophy Dash. Rodriguez Sr. increased his more than 100 point lead over Daniels with his feature win, as top five ranked Chris Shelton continued his late season surge with a second place finish. Holcomb, Raul Rodriguez Jr. and Davis rounded out the top five finishers. In the Ladies Pure Stock main event, Pauline Rodriguez led until the final lap, when a slower car allowed Rhonda Smith the opportunity to made the pass for victory. Sheryle Stone finished third.
The Central Valley Sportsman division welcomed back two time champion and former Cal Mod champion Mike Friesen as Van Houten won the six lap heat race. However, second ranked Rob Shropp denied Van Houten the clean sweep with his four lap Trophy Dash win. Van Houten worked his way into second in the main event as former top five ranked Street Stock racer Gary Tucker held the lead. On lap 11, Van Houten made his winning pass and cruised to victory as Tucker settled for second ahead of Ed Marion, Schropp and Friesen.
H 1-Jimmy Lust, John Clarke, Buddy Thatcher, Nathan Corn, Randy Brewer.
H 2-Monty Tomlinson Jr., Bob Terry, Jack Chapman Jr., Phil Priddy, Jack Chapman Sr.
DASH-Lust, Clarke, Chapman Jr.
MAIN EVENT-Brewer, Lust, Clarke, Priddy, Ty Shelton, Ricky Thatcher, Leroy Coberley, Roger Dory, Craig Charmen, Monty Tomlinson Sr., Darcie Odgers, Chapman Sr., Chapman Jr., Bill Davis, Jim Brewer, Steve Lord, Terry, Corn, Willie Livingston, Johnny O'Brien Jr. (DNS), R. Thatcher (DNS).
H 1-Lee Jensen, Troy Stone, Bob Williamson, Bill Saltzman, Jeff Streeter.
H 2-Ramie Stone, Bobby Williamson, Bruce Trindade, George Nevatt, Keith Van Houten.
DASH-T. Stone, Bob Williamson, Jensen.
MAIN EVENT-T. Stone, Jensen, R. Stone, Johnnie Baptista, Tommy Bostic, Bobby Williamson, Saltzman, Trindade, Nevatt, Bob Williamson, Streeter, Van Houten, Phil Cook (DNS).
H 1-Raul Rodriguez Sr., Dan Holcomb, Raul Rodriguez Jr.
H 2-Speedy Davis, Cliff Daniels, Mike Gillard.
DASH-Holcomb, Davis, Daniels.
MAIN EVENT-Raul Rodriguez Sr., Chris Shelton, Holcomb, Davis, Rodriguez Jr., Daniels, Gillard, John Bowden, Joaquin Miranda (DNS).
HEAT-Keith Van Houten, Gary Tucker, Mike Friesen.
DASH-Rob Schropp, Van Houten, Friesen.
MAIN EVENT-Van Houten, Tucker, Ed Marion, Schropp, Friesen, Jason Belton, Tim Leidich (DNS).
