SLOAN, SHAHA $500 WINNERS AT LAKEPORT

Source: Nadine Strauss
Date: 10/22/2002

LAKEPORT, California -- For the third consecutive year a record number of bombers were on hand for the 13th annual KXBX October Classic and this year the popular division was 68 strong. The two-day event at the Lakeport Speedway was the final race of the year and the over-all car count was other record at 180.

Joe Sloan of Upper Lake won his heat race on Saturday night to earn the pole for Sunday’s 50 lapper. Sloan took the lead at the drop of the green flag and held off the challenges of Kevin Medina to claim the win. In the mini stock division it was Jason Shaha of Paradise who earned the pole with his Saturday night heat race win. Shaha and Phil Wood swapped places several times during the 40 lap event but it was Shaha who posted his second October Classic win. His other victory came in 2000. Shaha also won the trophy dash for a near clean sweep. Both Sloan and Shaha pocketed $500 for their victories.

The fastest 18 bombers plus four "B" main transfers started the feature with Sloan forging ahead of Don Baker, Terry Pittman and Steve Peirce. With only one lap down Scott Sabol’s car broke loose and tagged Chuck Egger causing a multi-car crash that eliminated Egger, Oregon Tri-State late model driver Mike Sackett and Darren Tubbs. Lakeport bomber champ Derek Thorn, 2001 winner Don Austin, Kyle Medina and Darrin Knight were also involved but were all able to make repairs and rejoin the race.

Four rounds later Kenny Grinols spun to bring out the caution. The single-file restart saw Sloan way out in front as the rest of the pack shuffled for position. Kevin Medina drove around Peirce on lap 10 just as Baker retired to the infield with an overheating engine. Medina then picked off Pittman on 14 and set his sights on Sloan. Medina caught Sloan and the duo were rapidly catching the back of the pack. The yellow flew on lap 28 when Thorn slid up and slapped the wall while trying to pass Pierce. Pierce blew an engine to end his run the following round.

The remaining laps saw Medina all over Sloan and on the final lap Sloan and Medina caught the pack and went three wide. Medina pulled ahead but Sloan darted back to be first across the finish line. Medina finished second ahead of Pittman, Rick Tellstrom and Kyle Medina. Sixth through tenth went to Austin, Thorn, Grinols, Eric Unruh and Tim Grayson.

The "B" main saw Sacramento’s Mario Rios-Davis lead all 25 laps for the win. Mark Maines finished second with Chris Lambert third and Lauren Snider fourth. Wendy Peirce led the first 17 laps of the "C" main but blew an engine relinquishing the lead and the win to Clearlake’s Willie Stephens. Chris Norris, Kevin Minassian and Lissa Uselton all transferred to the "B" with their top 4 finishes.

Bomber heat race wins went to Michael Tonelli, Norris, Mike Neilson, Rios-Davis, Mike Miller, Sloan and Baker. Scott Sabol won the trophy dash.

Twenty-two of the 24 mini stocks took the green flag in their 40 lapper with Jeff Tucker and Matt Preston scratching before the action began. The four-cylinder division supported drivers from California, Oregon, Washington and Canada with ages from 14 to 58.

Shaha and Dale Preston battled for the lead the first few rounds with Wood pulling ahead on the eighth circuit. Preston got by Shaha for second but Shaha took it back on 18 when Wood lost control and spun in turn four. Preston also spun leaving second place to Patt Lucas and third to Rod Gard.

Wood worked his way back to the front and passed 15 year old Canadian driver Kyle Vantreight for fifth on lap 4. He picked off John Barker on 37, passed Gard on 38 and drove around Lucas on 39 to finish second behind Shaha. Lucas, Gard and Barker shared the top five spots. Sixth through tenth went to Dusty Barton, Jonathan Reynolds, Vantreight, Washington’s Matt Stickler and Jim Reid.

Fast Time: Derek Thorn, 14.091

Trophy Dash: Scott Sabol, Kevin Medina, Joe Sloan, Thorn

Heat 1: Michael Tonelli, Ray Middleton, David Dillinger, Sr., Roy Funderburg, Guy Minyard

Heat 2: Chris Norris, Jaimi Kupper, Wendy Peirce, Lissa Uselton, Anja Allen

Heat 3: Mike Neilson, Willie Stephens, Manya Tenney, Wendy Hinton, Wayne Johnson

Heat 4: Mario Rios-Davis, Dave Stephens, Eric Hansard, Steve Masnica, Mark Maines

Heat 5: Mike Miller, Lauren Snider, Mike Silva, Ben Nunnes, Michael Bishop

Heat 6: Sloan, Terry Pittman, Sabol, Mike Sackett, Rick Tellstrom

Heat 7: Don Baker, Steve Peirce, Chuck Egger, Kevin Medina, Eric Unruh

"C" Main: W. Stephens, Norris, Kevin Minasian, Uselton, Tonelli, Ray Middleton, Tenney,Jerry Boesel, Allen, Grant Safford, Mike Carlson, Hinton, David Dillinger, Jr., W. Peirce, Neilson, Johnson, Minyard, Kupper, Scott Griffin, Roy Funderburk, David Dillinger, Sr.

"B" Main: Rios-Davis, Maines, Lambert, Snider, Silva, Gary Collins, Jim Watts, George Abella, Jimmy Sorrels, Minassian, Bill Mucci, Norris, Uselton, Chris Cochran, Steve Nagel, Hansard, D. Stephens, Masnica, Bishop, W. Stephens, Nunnes, Miller

"A" Main: Sloan, Kevin Medina, Pittman, Tellstrom, Kyle Medina, Austin, Thorn, Grinols, Unruh, Grayson, Darrin Knight, Maines, Silva, Sabol, Snider, Rios-Davis, S. Peirce, Darren Tubbs, Baker, Lambert, Egger, Sackett

Fast Time: Phil Wood, 13.670

Trophy Dash: Jason Shaha, Dale Preston, Wood, Chris Curtiss

Heat 1: Shaha, Curtiss, John Barker, Jeff Tucker, Patt Lucas

Heat 2: Preston, Wood, Peter Unruh, Jim Reid, Joe Forsman

"A" Main: Shaha, Wood, Lucas, Gard, Barker, Dusty Barton, Jonathan Reynolds, Kyle Vantreight, Matt Sticker, Reid, Forsman, Shawn Shearer, Roy Smith, Joe McDonald, Sr., Robert Schmidt, Chad Gramme, Tim Bunce, Preston, Unruh, Curtiss, Dennis Anderson, Chris Mark

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