LAKEPORT, California -- Dan Bishop of Lower Lake in the modified division, Mike Swaney of Nice in the late model class, Rod Gard of Lower Lake in the mini stocks, and Jim Watts of Lucerne in the Guy Strohmeier Auto Center bomber division were big winners at the Lakeport Speedway Saturday night at the 12th annual NCRA Founder’s Cup event. All four competitors were presented Founder’s Cup plaques and their names will be inscribed on the perpetual Founder’s Cup trophy.
Bishop started second row outside in the modified 30 lapper and passed Rod Harper to take the lead on the second round just before the yellow flew when contact was made between Derek Thorn and David Furia with Furia brushing the front stretch wall.
Harper chose not to restart up front, putting Terry McIntire next to Bishop. Bishop pulled ahead with McIntire settling into second and Mike Smithhart third. Lap 12 saw Thorn and Conner make contact resulting in Conner’s car suffering a flat. Conner stopped in front of the pack to bring out the final yellow.
Sean Sweeney ran the outside groove but lost ground to Tod Coburn on the 20th lap. Sweeney inched back by Coburn in the final laps and at the checkered flag it was Bishop, McIntire, Smithhart, Sweeney and Coburn. Darin Snider broke an engine after timing in fourth and borrowed Thomas Wright’s mount for the feature where he finished sixth.
Furia set fast time of 13.056 seconds with Bob Strauss next at 13.057. McIntire captured the dash and heat wins went to Sweeney and Smithhart.
Twelve cars took the green in the Airport Auto Brokers late model series with Jeff Atkinson showing the way the first 10 laps. Mike Collins’s car broke loose while running second, allowing Kevin Estep to move into the runner-up slot on lap eight. Fast qualifier (13.093) Billy Stillman took over third on nine with Andrew Snider next in line.
Atkinson and Estep jockeyed for the lead the next five laps until Atkinson was tagged by Snider turning Atkinson around. Both drivers were sent to the rear. This put Stillman and Swaney side-by-side for the restart. Stillman blew a tire two laps later, pushed high into Swaney and spun in front of the charging pack. All cars scattered to avoid Stillman.
When racing continued Swaney forged ahead of Dale Preston as Snider was working his way back to the front. Snider assumed second on lap 22 but was tagged by Estep on 24 where he spun. Snider was black-flagged at this point when he rammed the back of Snider’s car under yellow.
Swaney held off the challenges of Jeff Davis the final six rounds for the Founder’s Cup win. Davis finished second with Estep third, Preston fourth and rookie driver Dave Stephens fifth. Swaney said it was his first feature win since 1983. Stillman and Mike Collins were heat winners and Estep claimed the trophy dash.
The mini stock feature saw Harley Sharpe take the lead from the pole with John Barker and Kevin Barba shuffling for second. Lap three saw Jonathon Reynolds and Matt Preston come together with Rod Gard Collected. Another three-car pile-up happened on lap five, but this time Preston retired his car to the pits. Before one more lap could be completed, the red flew when Kevin Barba’s car spilled oil on the track, and when Barker hit the oil, his car shot into the turn one concrete. Kelly Gray and Reynolds were also involved and all three were towed to the pits.
Sharpe continued to lead, but when he attempted to lap Fred Schmidt, Sharpe’s car drifted high, hit the oil slick and spun on the front stretch. This put Gard in the lead where he drove to victory. Shawn Shearer finished second ahead of Steve Sprague, Sharpe and Barker. Gard also set fast time of 13.924. Preston won the dash and heat wins went to Barker and Reynolds.
The fourteen fastest bombers and four "B" main transfers started the bomber 30 lapper with 16 year old Nickolas Rhodes and Watts sharing the front row. Rhodes lead the first three rounds but Watts pulled ahead on lap four. Chris Salmina was running third with Chuck Egger fourth and points leader Mike Bishop fifth.
Bishop and Egger both lost ground in lapped traffic, moving Darren Tubbs and Charlie Collins into fourth and fifth. Lapped traffic came into play again on 18, and this time Collins moved out, right into the path of Tubbs. Tubbs spun and was t-boned by Jimmy Sorrels. While the race was halted, fast qualifier (14.784) Kyle Medina dropped out with over-heating problems.
The final laps went smoothly with Rhodes losing ground on the outside, and at the checkers it was Watts the big winner over Kenny Grinols, Salmina, Darrin Knight and Kevin Medina. Sorrels won the "B" main over Scott Griffin, Jim Stephens and Guy Minyard.
Tubbs won the trophy dash and heat wins went to Sorrels, Rhodes and Knight.
Auto racing returns to Lakeport Speedway this weekend with the Bay Cities Racing Association midgets joining the NCRA modifieds, mini stocks, bombers and late models. Gates open at 5:00 with racing at 7:00 pm.
- A_Main
- John Ward, Kenny Grinols, Chris Salmina, Darrin Knight, Kevin Medina, Richard Thorn, Mike Bishop, Nickolas Rhodes, Justin Potter, Chucky Egger, Charlie Collins, Guy Minyard, Scott Griffin, Brian Ales, Darren Tubbs, Kyle Medina, Jimmy Sorrels, Jim Stephens.
- AB_Main
- Jimmy Sorrels, Scott Griffin, Jim Stephens, Guy Minyard, David Tinney.
- AHeat 1
- Jimmy Sorrels, Scott Griffin, Brian Ales, Guy Minyard, David Tinney, April Welch, Jim Stephens.
- AHeat 2
- Nickolas Rhodes, Chris Salmina, John Ward, Justin Potter, Chucky Egger, Charlie Collins, Don Baker.
- AHeat 3
- Darrin Knight, Kenny Grinols, Kevin Medina, Kyle Medina, Richard Thorn, Mike Bishop, Darren Tubbs.
- ATime Trial
- Kyle Medina (14.784), Richard Thorn, Kevin Medina, Darren Tubbs, Kenny Grinols.
- ATrophy Dash
- Darren Tubbs, Kevin Medina, Richard Thorn, Kyle Medina.
- AA-Main - Mike Swaney, Jeff Davis, Kevin Estep, Dale Preston, David Stephens, Mark Edrich, Ed Rieves, Andrew Snider, Jeff Atkinson, Dan Harris, Billy Stillman, Mike Collins
- AHeat 1 - Collins, Edrich, Stephens, Atkinson, Rieves, Dan Harris
- AHeat 2 - Davis, Estep, Stillman, Snider, Swaney, Preston
- ATime Trials - Stillman (13.093 NTR), Snider, Estep, Swaney, Preston
- AHeat 1 - Collins, Edrich, Stephens, Atkinson, Rieves, Dan Harris
- AA_Main
- Rod Gard, Shawn Shearer, Steve Sprague, Harley Sharpe, John Barker, Tom Burger, Fred Schmidt, Kevin Barba, Kelly Gray, Jonathon Reynolds, Matt Preston.
- AHeat 1
- John Barker, Kevin Barba, Harley Sharpe, Steve Sprague, Tom Burger, Fred Schmidt.
- AHeat 2
- Jonathon Reynolds, Rod Gard, Kelly Gray, Shawn Shearer, Matt Preston.
- ATime Trial
- Rod Gard (13.924), Shawn Shearer, Kelly Gray, Matt Preston, Jonathon Reynolds.
- ATrophy Dash
- Matt Preston, Shawn Shearer, Rod Gard.
- AA_Main
- Danny Bishop, Terry McIntire, Michael Smithhart, Sean Sweeney, Todd Coburn, Darin Snider, Bob Strauss, Kevin Estep, Derek Thorn, Rod Harper, Dave Stephens, Sr., Ron Conner, David Furia.
- AHeat 1
- Sean Sweeney, Darin Snider, Danny Bishop, Rod Harper, Ron Conner, Dave Stephens,
- AHeat 2
- Michael Smithhart, David Furia, Kevin Estep, Terry McIntire, Bob Strauss, Todd Coburn, Derek Thorn.
- ATime Trial
- David Furia (13.056), Bob Strauss(13.057), Derek Thorn (13.098), Darin Snider (13.235), Terry McIntire (13.279)
- ATrophy Dash
- Terry McIntire, Bob Strauss, David Furia, Derek Thorn
