A blistering fast track saw records broken, taken away, and broken again, and in the end it was veteran driver Bob Strauss of Lucerne who took the lead away from Rick Rose on the 25th lap and drove to victory in the modified division at the Lakeport Speedway Saturday night. Strauss’s win put him in the points lead after the first night of competition in the NCRA auto racing program.
Defending champion Dale Preston of Kelseyville continued his winning ways with a victory in the mini stock division, but currently trails Kelly Gray by a margin of four points in that division’s points chase. And after driving to a third place finish in his modified, Chuck Pruett jumped into his bomber and survived a wreck-marred event to post the first bomber feature of the season.
Five drivers broke the 12.876 track record in the modified division beginning with Bryan Denton’s fast lap of 12.561 seconds. Bob Strauss was next fast at 12.651, Pruett bagged a 12.739, Rick Rose posted a 12.760 and Shawn Bertram ran at 12.843. But Bertram was the only one awarded the record when all four of the other cars were found to have rule infractions. Twenty-two cars timed in.
The quick times continued into the modified feature where it took a .13.067 second lap to earn a starting spot in the main event. Jim Whaley and Chuck Smithhart started on the front row and the pair drove side-by-side for the first six laps with the lead changing on each pass. Aaron Hicks ran a strong third with Rick Rose in fourth and Bob Strauss fifth. Smithhart faded and Hicks drifted high. Rose snuck under Hicks for second .
The first caution fell on lap 10 when John Tredway spun on the back stretch and was clipped by
David Furia and Danny Bishop. Thomas Wright was also collected in the melee and all three drivers saw their cars towed to the pits.
When racing resumed, Rose pulled into the lead and Strauss followed him to the front. Rose and Strauss pulled away from the pack and with only five laps to go, Rose drove too low into the infield and it was all Strauss needed to take the lead and drive the remaining distance for the win. Rose finished second ahead of Chuck Pruett, Hicks, Whaley and Terry McIntire. Rose won the trophy dash, heat wins went to Ben Phillips, Mark Marek and Gary Lowblad. Marek was the semi-main winner and the "Brake Stop Best Appearing Car" winner was the #2 car of Freedom Hawthorne.
Thirteen mini stocks took the green flag in their main event with rookie driver J.R. Lane leading the first lap. Glenn Koeppel took over on lap two but handed the lead over to Rod Gard on four. Kelly Gray came from ninth starting to grab the lead on the seventh round with Robert Schmidt working his way to second. The caution fell on 12 when Ericka Scatena spun and was hit hard by Peter Unruh.
On the restart Schmidt faded as Andrew Snider and Preston gained position. Lap 14 saw the race slowed again for a spin by J.R. Lane, and Preston took over second when the green fell again. Preston drove the outside to the lead and continued all the way to the checkered flag. Gray finished second ahead of Dean Reep, Snider and Schmidt. Kevin Barba set fast time and broke the track record, but the post-check also found Barba’s car not legal and the record was revoked. Reep was the dash winner and heats were claimed by Scatena and Preston. Curt Agustinovich’s #69 won Best Appearing car honors.
With 25 bombers timing in, and a very cold track, it was predictable that crashes would take place in this very popular class. The event began with Kevin Minassian being chased by Chuck Egger and Casey Saunders. Saunders spun on the back stretch to slow the action, and when racing resumed, Todd Coburn moved into second. Coburn passed Egger for third on lap five and on the 10th go-round the yellow flew when Egger spun in front of the charging pack. The following round saw Bernie Simpson turn around and before another lap could be completed Coburn spun while running second. The next green saw Sean Sweeney spin for a fifth caution.
When racing finally got back under way, Minassian led the next seven laps, until Kenny Grinols stopped the action again with his spin. The green saw Minassion loose control and the lead, and Chuck Pruett drove to victory. Bernie Simpson finished second ahead of Chuck Maves, Eddie Robinson and Mark Maines. Don Baker won the trophy dash, heat wins went to Simpson, Rick Tellstom and Robinson. Tellstrom was the semi-main event winner and the best appearing car winner was the #44 bomber driven by Sean Sweeney.
Junior trophy presenters were Joshua Compton, 3, of Lakeport, Katherine Brown, 11, of Lakeport, Jill Allen, 8, of Kelseyville, and Duane Deweese, 12, of Clearlake.
Racing resumes at the Lakeport Speedway next Saturday night, April 29, with the NCI-4 modifieds joing the NCRA modifieds, mini stocks and bombers.
MODIFIEDS
NEW TRACK RECORD: Shawn Bertram, 12.843
Trophy Dash: Rick Rose, Bob Strauss, Bryan Denton, Chuck Pruett
Heat 1: Ben Phillips, Jerald Christensen, Pat Hinchcliff, Dan Miller, John Tredway, Freedom Hawthorne, Gary Gosner
Heat 2: Mark Marek, Jim Whaley, Chuck Smithhart, Terry McIntire, Billy Stillman, Thomas Wright, Aarom Hicks
Heat 3: Gary Lowblad, Strauss, Rose, Denton, Pruett, Bertram, Danny Bishop, David Furia
Semi Main: Marek, Phillips, Hinchcliff, Tredway, Christensen, Gossner, Miller, Hawthorne
Main Event: Strauss, Rose, Pruett, Hicks, Whaley, McIntire, Stillman, Hinchcliff, Bertram, Bishop, Denton, Phillips, Marek, Lowblad, Smithhart, Furia, Tredway, Wright
MINI STOCKS
Fast Time: Kevin Barba, 13.841
Trophy Dash: Dean Reep, Kelly Gray, Andrew Snider, Robert Schmidt
Heat 1: Ericka Scatena, Peter Unruh, Rod Gard, Glen Koeppel, Doug Turner, J.R, Lane, John Gregory
Heat 2: Dale Preston, Snider, Gray, Reep, Schmidt, Curt Agustinovich
Main Event: Preston, Gray, Reep, Snider, Schmidt, Gard, Koeppel, Agustinovich, Turner, Lane, Scatena, Unruh, Gregory
BOMBERS
Fast Time: Mark Maines, 15.017
Trophy Dash: Don Baker, Maines, Jeremy Nowlin, Chuck Pruett
Heat 1: Bernie Simpson, Darrin Knight, John Ward, Mark Lazzini, Tim Manager, Kenny Grinols, Jason Mincey, John Saunders, Peggy Hawthorne
Heat 2: Rick Tellstrom, Kevin Minassian, Chuck Egger, Arlene Pruett, Casey Saunders, Todd Coburn, Ruben Serrano, Wayne Bates
Heat 3: Eddie Robinson, Maines, Kevin Waycik, Baker, Nowlin, Pruett, Sean Sweeney, Chuck Maves
Semi Main: Tellstrom, Simpson, Grinols, Ward, Knight, Lazzini, Bates, Saunders, Mincey, Manager, Hawthorne
Main Event: C. Pruett, Simpson, Maves, Robinson, Maines, Serrano, Nowlin, Baker, Egger, A. Pruett, Tellstrom, Lazzini, Grinols, Minassian, Ward, Coburn, Sweeney, Saunders, Waycik
