LAKEPORT, California -- In only his first year in the modified division, Brian Gard, 17, of Kelseyville, took the lead away from Gary Lowblad on a lap 16 restart and drove to his second victory at the Lakeport Speedway Saturday night. Gard started fifth in the field with a nine-car inversion.
Matt Preston of Kelseyville also won his second season feature in the mini stock ranks. Kevin Medina of Lakeport took over the points lead with his fast time (14.886) and second feature win in the Guy Strohmeier Auto Center bomber class, and Bob Luck of Kelseyville took the feature win in the Pro-4 modified division, his first of the season.
Fifteen cars took the green flag in the modified 30 lapper with Gary Lowblad and Ron Conner sharing the front row. Lowblad forged ahead with Thomas Wright, driving the David Sullivan modified, inching under Conner for second. As Conner lost ground in the outside lane, Gard and David Furia settled into third and fourth.
Wright’s car started to smoke, and on the ninth circuit officials stopped the race to check Wright’s car. Wright pitted to make repairs and rejoined the pack on the same lap.
The restart saw Lowblad and Gard side-by-side with Gard pulling ahead on lap 12. Furia continued his forward motion with Chuck Pruett fourth and fast qualifier ( 13.152) Darin Snider fifth. Snider’s car broke loose at the mid point of the race where he spun in turn two. Official’s deemed that Terry McIntire was involved and both cars restarted in the rear. At this point Wright retired his car to the pits for the night.
When racing resumed, Lowblad faded on the high side as Furia and points leader Bob Strauss assumed second and third. Lowblad pulled back into line in fourth just as Snider and Conner made contact sending both cars sideways in turn four to bring out the final caution.
Strauss tucked under Furia for second on the restart, and the following round Lowblad moved into third. Gard held on for his second season victory followed by Strauss, Lowblad, Furia, Sean Sweeney and McIntire.
Derek Thorn, 17, won the trophy dash, and heat wins went to Sweeney and Wright.
Mini stock action saw Steve Sprague lead the first two rounds before being overtaken by both John Barker and Preston on lap three. Preston passed Barker for the lead on 12 while the pair was dicing through lapped traffic. Two rounds later the solo yellow was thrown when Fred Schmidt spun in turn two. Shawn Shearer nipped Barker on the restart and points leader Rod Gard passed Barker for third on 17. The remaining laps went without inciddent with Preston the winner over Shearer, Gard, Barker, Jonathon Reynolds and Kevin Barba.
Shearer set fast time of 13.841, Gard claimed the dash and heat wins went to Reynolds and Barker.
The bomber feature started with 16 year old Nickolas Rhodes ahead of Jimmy Sorrels and Jim Watts. Sorrels car pushed high allowing Watts to move into second, but Sorrels took the slot back the following round. Sorrels lost a muffler on the 11th round to bring out the yellow. Sorrels was black-flagged according to the rules putting Justin Potter in second and Watts in third. Potter fell back with Watts and Kevin Medina next in line.
Medina went to the outside where he picked off Watts on 17 and made the winning pass two laps later. Trophy dash winner Darrin Knight followed Medina’s line and was running second by the 20th round.
Lap 22 saw the yellow flag fly when Scott Sabol and Jim Stephens came together and spun in turn four. Medina held off Knight for his second win. Knight finished second ahead of Kyle Medina, Rhodes and Watts. Willie Stephens won the "B" main ahead of J. Stephens, April Drake, Bill Mucci and Scott Griffin. Heat wins went to W. Stephens, Chuck Egger and Chris Salmina.
The Pro-4 modified 30 lapper saw Gina Buschiazzo out in front of Scott Bundschuh and Luck. Bundschuh drove around Buschiazzo on lap five, and on the next few laps John Barker and Luck also passed Buschiazzo. Lap 11 saw Andy Leuzinger hit the wall to stop the action. Four laps later Bundschuh’s car caught fire to bring out the red.
This put Luck in the lead with Barker in second and Scott DeLeon in third. With only five laps to go Barker’s car lost a left rear tire and spun around. Chic Beck spun to avoid Barker and the rest of the pack scattered to the line.
The final rounds went smoothly with Luck the winner over DeLeon, Codi Barba, trophy dash winner Robbie Robinson and Beck. Joe Sloan set fast time of 13.446 but then suffered engine problems and pulled off after he took the green. Barba and Leuzinger won the heat races.
Auto racing returns to Lakeport Speedway this Saturday night, July 5, for the 15th annual Kelseyville Lumber Deake Lyndall Memorial featuring the BCRA midgets ($1000 to win), Airport Auto Brokers late models($700 to win) , NCRA modifieds ($1000 to win), mini stocks ($300 to win) and bombers ($200 to win.). Gates open at 5:00 pm with racing at 7:00 pm.
- A-Main
- Kevin Medina, Darrin Knight, Kyle Medina, Nickolas Rhodes, John Ward, Chucky Egger, Mike Bishop, Kenny Grinols, Justin Potter, Chris Salmina, Bill Mucci, Darren Tubbs, Willie Stephens, Jim Stephens, April Welch, Scott Sabol, Richard Thorn, Jimmy Sorrels.
- B-Main
- Willie Stephens, Jim Stephens, April Welch, Bill Mucci, Scott Griffin, Guy Minyard, Maneul Antonio.
- Heat 1
- Willie Stephens, Maneul Antonio, Bill Mucci, April Welch, Scott Griffin, Jim Stephens, Guy Minyard, David Tinney.
- Heat 2
- Chucky Egger, Jimmy Sorrels, Darren Tubbs, John Ward, Scott Sabol, Justin Potter, Nickolas Rhodes.
- Heat 3
- Chris Salmina, Mike Bishop, Richard Thorn, Darrin Knight, Kevin Medina, Kyle Medina, Kenny Grinols.
- Time Trial
- Kevin Medina (14.886), Kyle Medina (14.912) , Richard Thorn (14.942), Darrin Knight (14.978) , Mike Bishop (15.100).
- Trophy Dash
- Darrin Knight, Kyle Medina, Kevin Medina, Richard Thorn.
- A-Main
- Matt Preston, Shawn Shearer, Rod Gard, John Barker, Jonathon Reynolds, Kevin Barba, Steve Sprague, Tim Bunce, Dave Fields, Tom Burger, Harley Sharpe, Fred Schmidt.
- Heat 1
- Jonathon Reynolds, Steve Sprague, Tim Bunce, Dave Fields, Tom Burger, Fred Schmidt.
- Heat 2
- John Barker, Shawn Shearer, Matt Preston, Rod Gard, Kevin Barba, Harley Sharpe.
- Time Trial
- Shawn Shearer (13.841), Matt Preston (13.915) , Kevin Barba (13.922), Rod Gard, (13.955), John Barker (14.295).
- Trophy Dash
- Rod Gard, Matt Preston, Kevin Barba, Shawn Shearer.
- A_Main
- Brian Gard, Bob Strauss, Gary Lowblad, David Furia, Sean Sweeney, Terry McIntire, Derek Thorn, Michael Smithhart, Ron Conner, Darin Snider, Jeremy Nowlin, Charles Beck, Chuck Pruett, Rod Harper, Thomas Wright.
- Heat 1
- Sean Sweeney, Jeremy Nowlin, Chuck Pruett, Gary Lowblad, Charles Beck, Michael Smithhart, Rod Harper.
- Heat 2
- Thomas Wright, Brian Gard, Derek Thorn, David Furia, Terry McIntire, Bob Strauss, Ron Conner, Darin Snider.
- Time Trial
- Darin Snider (13.152) , David Furia (13.159), Bob Strauss (13.170), Derek Thorn, (13.181), Brian Gard (13.228).
- Trophy Dash
- Derek Thorn, David Furia, Bob Strauss, Darin Snider.
- A-Main
- Bob Luck, Scott DeLeon, Codi Barba, Robbie Robinson, Chic Beck, Gina Buschiazzo, Julie Sylva, Jake Tillman, John Barker, Scott Bundschuh, Andy Leuzinger, Joe Sloan
- Heat 1
- Barba, Sylva, Luck, Buschiazzo, Tillman, Bundschuh
- Heat 2
- Leuzinger, Barker, Scott DeLeon, Beck, Robinson
- Time Trials
- Joe Sloan (13.446), Beck (13.568), DeLeon (13.669), Robinson (13.689)
- Trophy Dash
- Robinson, DeLeon, Sloan, Beck
