Bobby Scott, Jr. and Danny Scott, brothers who run in the modified and American stock divisions respectively at Watsonville Speedway, each collected first place honors in their divisions on Friday. Steve Ewbank captured the honors in the street stock division as three divisions presented 86 cars and an exciting show before a large crowd at the coastal facility. Watsonville returned to action with their second event of the season after wet grounds cancelled last weekend's plans.
The appearance of the sound meter caused concern for many of the Grand American modified division because 12 of the 32 cars which tested the clocks were judged too loud by California fairgrounds standards. Cars were allowed to requalify, receiving one lap rather than a pair, and adjustments were successful in quieting the offending systems.
B. Scott set fast time with a 15.397 effort and A. J. Kirkpatrick won the trophy dash. The field was divided into four heats and wins went to Bobby Hogge IV, Ken Nott Jr., David Soito Jr., and Jim Pettit II. Hogge IV suffered terminal mechanical problems while warming up for the dash and used the car which had been qualified by his father, Bobby Hogge III.
Watsonville locks the 16 fastest qualifiers into the A main and takes four additional cars out of the B main. Earning spots in the 30 lap headline event from the B main were Doug Hagio, Paul Smith, Wayne Reeder, and Scott Wheelock. A invert of five put Pettit II and Joe Antonetti on the front row with Kirkpatrick and Dave Byrd settled in row two.
Antonetti used his advantage of having the preferred outside row start to lead initially with Pettit II, Kirkpatrick, Scott, and Byrd in pursuit. Kirkpatrick grabbed 2nd with a turn 4 pass on the second tour and Scott took 3rd a lap later. When Antonetti sped into turn 1 for the 6th time, he wandered up out of the groove, Kirkpatrick was following him, and Scott scooted past both competitors to lead only lap 6. Kirkpatrick and Antonetti both stormed past Scott on lap 7, using the low side of turn 4 for the move.
Kirkpatrick led the field to the first yellow on lap 9 which occurred because Ed Jacobs spun on the backstretch. Antonetti regained the lead when the field restarted, using a strong bit out of turn two to his advantage. When the yellow flew again on lap 11 because Soito was parked in turn 2, Kirkpatrick pitted and then returned. Hogge IV had stormed into 5th by this time from his 16th starting spot, but he also pitted briefly to remove sheet metal. By the time a dozen laps had been scored, Antonetti had created a seemingly comfortable margin, but Scott closed the gap in traffic and used the top of turn 4 to make his winning pass on lap 18.
Once at the lead of the pack, Scott was able to keep Antonetti at bay while Pettit II ran in 3rd the last 20 laps. Nott finished 4th and Hogge IV came back from his bodywork appointment to race into 5th at the checkers. Bobby Scott Jr. has now claimed the main event at the first two shows while Antonetti has a 2nd and a 3rd for early season honors.
The street stocks presented 32 cars and Steve Ewbank barely edged Rickey Sanders for fast time as Ewbank's 17.083 was just three thousandths ahead of the 17.086 that Sanders posted. John Harville won the dash and heat wins went to Edward Cain III, Mike Finlen Sr., Chuck Harrell, and Gene Blakeman. B main transfers were Jim Gillespie, Finlen Sr., Kenny Neville, and Travis Sugden to fill the grid for the street stock's 25 lap test.
A ten inversion put Harrell and Richard Firato on the front row and they finished the first lap in a dead heat. Firato led the next pair of laps but a flat on the fourth time around the 1/4 mile put Harrell in front with Blakeman now chasing. The pair put on an 18 lap display of motorized frenzy as they spent most of the time running side by side and throwing their street stocks into the turn as if they were late models. Harrell led through lap 6 and Blakeman had the honor for the next six. Lap 13 was a dead heat and the apparent duel to the 25 lap mark ended prematurely when Harrell suffered a right rear flat on lap 21.
While the Harrell-Blakeman duel was entertaining the crowd, Ewbank was making progress towards the front from his 5th row start and took 3rd from Scott Fuhrman with a low side pass in turn 4 of the 15th lap. When Harrell experienced tire failure, Ewbank inherited 2nd and two laps later made his winning pass on a lap 23 restart by using the bottom on turn 1. Blakeman stayed in 2nd while Mike Malone made late race progress to earn 3rd ahead of Fuhrman and Chris Messmer.
The American stocks had 26 entrants including San Jose driver, Bob Flores, making his initial appearance of the season. Their draw heats went to Wally Kennedy, Rick Albarran, Steve Remde, while Danny Scott captured the dash for the top two from each heat. With five transferring from each heat, a B main elevated five more and Tim Gillespie, Sheila Wallace, Andrew Peckham, Paul Duncan, and Flores earned those spots.
Joey Golz took advantage of his outside front row spot and led the first 7 laps of their 20 lap test before a flat right rear ended his bid for a win. Sixth starting Scott was on the spot when Golz wavered and led the last 13 laps for his win. Scott was chased to the line by opening night winner, Sam Kennedy, who came from 12th, followed by Remde, Bill Hyland, and Peckham.
The figure eight main event was captured by Doug Snodgrass. modifieds fast time--Bobby Scott Jr.--15.397
dash--A. J. Kirkpartick, Joe Antonetti, Scott
heat 1--Bobby Hogge IV, Mike Franco Jr., Wayne Reeder, Jim Blackwell, Robert Marsh
heat 2--Ken Nott Jr., Paul Smith, Richard Keldsen, Steve Wallace, Doug Hagio
heat 3--David Soito Jr., Antonetti, Dave Byrd, Tim Clark, Steve Pemberton
heat 4--Jim Pettit II, Scott, Ed Jacobs, Kirkpatrick, Jim Digiovanni
B main--Hagio, Smith, Reeder, Scott Wheelock, Franco, Marsh, Blackwell, Leroy Capote, Raymond Keldsen, Wallace
A main--Scott, Antonetti, Pettit, Nott, Hogge IV, Eric Jacobson, Hagio, Jerry Movrich, Jeffrey Priddy, Ron Parker, Jacobs, Kirkpatrick, Reeder, Wheelock, Soito
street stocks fast time--Steve Ewbank 17.083
dash--John Harville, Rickey Sanders, Kerry Prewitt, Ewbank
heat 1--Edward Cain III, Jim Gillespie, Kenny Neville, Mike Franco Sr., Garrett Evans
heat 2--Mike Finlen Sr., Chris Messmer, Matt Darton, Rich Barbaaccia, Travis Sugden
heat 3--Chuck Harrell, George Penney, Patrick Sandoval, Sanders, Scott Fuhrman
heat 4--Gene Blakeman, Mike Malone, Prewitt, Ewbank, Greg McGregor
B main--Gillespie, Finlen, Neville, Sugden, M. Darton, Franco, Evans, Mike Bradley, Cain, Barbaccia, Doug Snodgrass
A main--Ewbank, Blakeman, Malone, Fuhrman, Messmer, Dennis Pelphrey, Sanders, Harrell, McGregor, Penney, Lynn Darton, Sugden, M. Darton
American stocks
dash--Danny Scott, Sam Kennedy, Melissa Fuhrman, Steve Remde
heat 1--Wally Kennedy, S. Kennedy, Bruce Pestana, Melanie Penney, Rick Ray
heat 2--Rick Albarran, Scott, Ralph Sandoval, David Freil, Rod Herrick
heat 3--Remde, Fuhrman, Joey Golz, J. J. Keldsen, Bill Hyland
B main--Tim Gillespie, Sheila Wallace, Andrew Peckham, Paul Duncan, Bob Flores, Albert Acosta, Jennifer Rood, Joel Allen, Brian Huebner, Toby Vanlangen
A main--Scott, S. Kennedy, Remde, Hyland, Peckham, Ray, Pestana, Friel,
Herrick, Duncan, Wallace, Penney, Flores, Golz, Keldsen
