LAKEPORT, California -- After setting fast time of 13.101 seconds over the 16 car modified field and drawing the number one chip, Terry McIntire of Kelseyville lead the 30 lap event wire to wire to capture his first Lakeport Speedway victory for the 2003 season in Saturday nights racing action.
Clearlakes Shawn Shearer took over the points lead in the mini stock class with his fifth main event win, and Darrin Knight of Kelseyville set fast time of 14.710, came from the back of the pack and was first across the finish line for his fourth victory in the Guy Strohmeier Auto Center bomber division.
The luck of the draw put McIntire and Bob Strauss in the front row for the start of the modified feature with Aaron Hicks and Darin Snider in row two. McIntire grabbed the early lead leaving the battle for second to Strauss and Hicks. Strauss lost ground in the outside groove as Hicks and Snider settled into second and third. Strauss finally got back in line on the third lap just in front of Sean Sweeney, Mike Smithhart and Danny Bishop.
By the tenth lap McIntire had pulled way ahead, and six rounds later Jeremy Nowlin coasted into the infield to end his run. The lapping process began on lap 20 just as Gerald Christensen developed an engine leak to bring out the yellow. The double-file restart saw McIntire and Hicks inches apart but with no lead change.
With only one lap to go Ukiah visitor Randy Portlock spun in turn three to slow the action the final time. The green and white flew together with McIntire holding off Hicks for the win. Snider finished third with Strauss fourth and Sweeney fifth. Smithhart, Bishop, Wade Wittman, Erv Pettenger and Rod Harper rounded out the top ten. Wittman and Sweeney were heat race winners and Derek Thorn won the trophy dash.
In mini stock action pole setter Tim Bunce lead the first two rounds with Harley Sharpe and Jonathon Reynolds next in line. Reynolds drove around Sharpe for second but the two cars made contact resulting in Sharpe spinning in turn one. Both Sharpe and Reynolds restarted in the rear, leaving Shearer and Steve Sprague behind Bunce.
Shearer forged ahead on the next green with Steve Sprague in second and Rod Gard in third. Gard spun on the back stretch for a lap nine yellow, and the restart saw Reynolds back in second place. Reynolds got caught behind slower traffic and lost position to Matt Preston on lap 17 as Gard was on his way back to the front.
The yellow flew on lap 28 for a Sprague spin and the final rounds saw Shearer hold off Preston for the win. Gard finished third but now trails Shearer for the championship battle by seven points. Sprague finished fourth with Sharpe fifth and Reynolds sixth. Sprague and Reynolds won the heat races, Gard captured the dash and Kevin Barba set fast time of 13.856 but was an early dropout in the feature.
The bombers ran in the final event of the evening with 19 cars taking the initial green flag. April Drake and Manuel Antonio ran one-two the first six rounds with Chris Salmina and Justin Potter next in line. Salmina swapped places with Antonio on six and both Potter and Jimmy Sorrels drove under Antonio on lap nine. Potter motored around both Salmina and Drake for the lead on lap 10 and began to pull away.
The red flag flew on lap 13 when Scott Sabol was tagged by another car and shoved hard into the turn three concrete. Both Sabol and passenger were uninjured but the car suffered severe damage.
The restart saw Rick Thorn take third away from Drake with points leader Kevin Medina and Knight making their ways to the front. Kenny Grinols car stalled on the front stretch for a lap 19 yellow, and when racing began again both Thorn and Knight slipped under Sorrels. Knight moved to the outside and took the lead for good on lap 26 for the win. Potter settled for second ahead of Thorn, Medina and Sorrels.
Medina won the trophy dash and heat wins went to David Tinney, Salmina and Michael Bishop.
Auto racing continues this Saturday night with the Legends Cars of the Pacific Series joining the
NCRA modifieds, mini stocks and bombers. This is the final appearance of the Legends Cars for the 2003 season. Gates open at 5:00 pm with racing at 7:00 pm.
A_Main _ Terry McIntire, Aaron Hicks, Darin Snider, Bob Strauss, Sean Sweeney, Michael Smithhart, Danny Bishop, Wade Wittman, Erv Pettenger, Rod Harper, Randy Portlock, Jerold Christensen, Jeremy Nowlin, Derek Thorn.
Heat 1_ Wade Wittman, Rod Harper, Jeremy Nowlin, Jerold Christensen, Michael Smithhart, Randy Portlock, Danny Bishop, Erv Pettenger.
Heat 2_ Sean Sweeney, Bob Strauss, Aaron Hicks, Terry McIntire, Darin Snider, Thomas Wright, Brian Gard, Derek Thorn.
Time Trial_ Terry McIntire (13.101) , Bob Strauss (13.109), Thomas Wright (13.155), Aaron Hicks (13.161)
Trophy Dash _ Derek Thorn, Bob Strauss, Aaron Hicks, Terry McIntire.
A_Main _ Shawn Shearer, Matt Preston, Rod Gard, Steve Sprague, Harley Sharpe, Jonathon Reynolds, Tim Bunce, Dave Fields, Tom Burger, Kevin Barba.
Heat 1_ Steve Sprague, Tim Bunce, Dave Fields, Tom Burger, Harley Sharpe.
Heat 2_ Jonathon Reynolds, Kevin Barba, Shawn Shearer, Rod Gard, Matt Preston.
Time Trial_ Kevin Barba (13.856), Shawn Shearer (13.868), Matt Preston (14.010) , Rod Gard (14.102)
Trophy Dash _ Rod Gard, Shawn Shearer, Kevin Barba, Matt Preston.
A_Main _ Darrin Knight, Justin Potter, Richard Thorn, Kevin Medina, Jimmy Sorrels, Chris Salmina, Mike Bishop, John Ward, Kyle Medina, April Welch, Guy Minyard, Richard Schwarm, Nickolas Rhodes, Kenny Grinols, Scott Griffin, Bill Mucci, David Tinney, Maneul Antonio, Scott Sabol.
Heat 1_ David Tinney, Richard Schwarm, Nickolas Rhodes, Bill Mucci, April Welch, Guy Minyard.
Heat 1_ Chris Salmina, Justin Potter, Jimmy Sorrels, Scott Griffin, John Ward, Maneul Antonio.
Heat 1_ Mike Bishop, Darrin Knight, Kyle Medina, Kevin Medina, Kenny Grinols, Scott Sabol, Rick Thorn.
Time Trial_ Darrin Knight (14.710), Kevin Medina (14.741), Kyle Medina (14.817) , Scott Sabol (14.819)
Trophy Dash _ Kevin Medina, Darrin Knight, Kyle Medina, Scott Sabol.
