LAKEPORT, California -- Once again the fast qualifier in the modified division, Derek Thorn of Lakeport, drew the number one chip, started on the pole and lead the 30 lap feature wire to wire to earn his first victory at Lakeport Speedway Saturday night. Thorn, a contender for Northern California Racing Association Rookie of the Year, was the 13th different modified winner in 17 events this season.
Kevin Barba of Windsor set fast time, inherited the lead on lap 24 when Rod Gard and Matt Preston made contact and spun to bring out the yellow, and drove to his second win in the mini stock class. And Bill Binns of Upper Lake drove the Kevin Medina #B18 to a first place finish in the Guy Strohmeier Auto Center bomber division.
Thorns 13.141 second lap was good enough to take fast time honors over the 16 car field, and the luck of the draw put him and points leader Bob Strauss in the front row. Thorn forged ahead at the start with Aaron Hicks driving under Strauss for second. Track officials stopped the race when Sean Sweeney developed an oil leak, and the restart helped Strauss reclaim second. Lap six saw the yellow fly again when 2nd place points contender Terry McIntire lost an engine and stalled in turn one.
Both Hicks and Darin Snider drove under Strauss when the green dropped again, and as Strauss lost ground, Gary Lowblad and Danny Bishop gained position. Both Thomas Wright and Strauss slipped under Bishop on lap 22 as the lapping process began. The remaining laps saw Hicks challenge Thorn but without success. Thorn, the 2002 bomber champ, claimed his first modified victory over Hicks, Snider, Lowblad, Wright and Strauss.
Ron Conner and Bishop won the heat races and Hicks took the trophy dash.
With only seven points separating Shawn Shearer and Rod Gard in the mini stock class, the action was fast and intense. Gard took the lead away from Steve Sprague on lap 5 as Shearer was struggling in the back field. Matt Preston swapped places with Sprague on seven and set his sights on Gard. Barba took over third from Sprague on the ninth circuit and Shearer joined the top four on 11.
Preston caught and pulled along side of Gard at mid race but pulled into line when the duo caught slower traffic. Tim Bunce blew an engine to bring out the yellow on lap 23 and when the leaders were racing to the yellow, Gard and Preston came together with both spinning in turn three. Barba and Shearer raced to the line to take over the top slots.
Gard worked his way back to the front in the closing laps to finish second behind Barba. Shearer took third ahead of Preston, Sprague and John Barker. Preston won the dash and fast heat. Sprague won the other heat race.
Seventeen drivers took the green flag in the bomber 30 lapper with Scott Griffin ahead of Manuel Antonio the first six laps. Caution number one happened on lap seven when Nickolas Rhodes spun in turn two. Three rounds later the race was slowed again when Kenny Grinols tapped Antonio causing him to spin. At the same time Jimmy Sorrels pitted.
Jim Watts took over the lead on the restart and as Griffin lost ground, Rick Thorn, Binns and Darrin Knight moved forward. The yellow flew again on lap 14 for a solo spin by Guy Minyard. Watts held off Thorn, but Binns was another matter and he passed Watts for the lead on 18 as the pair was battling for position in lapped traffic.
Two more caution periods plagued the event, the first when Antonio spun in turn two and the other four laps later when Knight spun on the same corner. The final laps saw Watts fade on the high side and the finishing order was Binns, Thorn, Bishop, Kyle Medina, Watts and Justin Potter. After the race, Grinols claimed Medinas engine, but Medina refused to sell resulting in a loss of points for the season (see separate story.)
Knight was quick in time trials with 14.727, Michael Bishop won the dash and heat wins went to Bill Mucci, Antonio and Medina.
Auto racing continues this Saturday night with the Airport Auto Brokers Late Models joining the
NCRA modifieds, mini stocks and bombers for the 5TH Annual Jim McKinney Memorial. The event will be the final Northern California Racing Association points race. Gates open at 5:00 pm with racing at 7:00 pm.
After the 30 lap feature in the Guy Strohmeier bomber division at the Lakeport Speedway, Kenny Grinols, who finished seventh, claimed the engine of Kyle Medina, who finished fourth Saturday night, according to the bomber rules set forth by Northern California Racing Association.
The rules allow any driver finishing fifth on back in the feature to claim the engine of any one of the top four finishers for $325 plus exchange of engines. Refusal to sell forfeits all NCRA points earned for the season. Although Medina was running second in points, only 73 behind points leader Kevin Medina, his father, Kyle refused to give up his engine. With only one points race left, this took away any chance that Kyle had to win the 2003 bomber championship.
A_Main _ Derek Thorn, Aaron Hicks, Darin Snider, Gary Lowblad, Thomas Wright, Bob Strauss, Danny Bishop, David Furia, Ron Conner, Michael Smithhart, Wade Wittman, Rod Harper, Jerold Christensen, Terry McIntire, Sean Sweeney.
Heat 1_ Ron Conner, Thomas Wright, Darin Snider, Jerold Christensen, Wade Wittman, Rod Harper, Chuck Pruett, Michael Smithhart.
Heat 2_ Danny Bishop, David Furia, Aaron Hicks, Bob Strauss, Derek Thorn, Terry McIntire, Gary Lowblad, Sean Sweeney.
Time Trial_ Derek Thorn (13.141), Bob Strauss (13.151), Terry McIntire (13.159), Aaron Hicks (13.175)
Trophy Dash _ Aaron Hicks, Terry McIntire, Bob Strauss, Derek Thorn.
NCRA MINI STOCKS
A_Main _ Kevin Barba, Rod Gard, Shawn Shearer, Matt Preston, Steve Sprague, John Barker, Dave Fields, Harley Sharpe, Tom Burger, Tim Bunce.
Heat 1_ Steve Sprague, Tim Bunce, Harley Sharpe, Dave Fields, Tom Burger.
Heat 2_ Matt Preston, John Barker, Shawn Shearer, Rod Gard, Kevin Barba.
Time Trial_ Kevin Barba (13.716), Shawn Shearer (13.748), Rod Gard (13.929), Matt Preston(13.944).
Trophy Dash _ Matt Preston, Shawn Shearer, Kevin Barba, Rod Gard.
A_Main _ Bill Binns, Richard Thorn, Mike Bishop, Jin Watts, Justin Potter, Kenny Grinols, Darrin Knight, Scott Griffin, Maneul Antonio, Bill Mucci, Jimmy Sorrels, Nickolas Rhodes, Guy Minyard, April Welch, David Tinney, Chris Salmina.
Heat 1_ Bill Mucci, April Welch, David Tinney, Scott Griffin, Nickolas Rhodes.
Heat 2_ Maneul Antonio, Jim Watts, Chris Salmina, Jimmy Sorrels, Justin Potter, Guy Minyard.
Heat 3_ Kyle Medina, Mike Bishop, Richard Thorn, Bill Binns, Darrin Knight, Grinols.
Time Trial_ Darrin Knight (14.727), Richard Thorn (14.799), Bill Binns (14.824) Mike Bishop (15.117)
Trophy Dash _ Mike Bishop, Bill Binns, Richard Thorn, Darrin Knight.
