Todd McLauchlan became the seventh different driver in as many races to make his way to victory lane following the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series late model sportsman main event at Cajon Speedway Saturday night.
McLauchlan paced the final 32 rounds of the 40-lap finale on the 3/8 mile paved oval. He was a couple of lengths ahead of Gary Tamborelli when the checkered flag was thrown. Ron Overman was another two-car lengths back in third. Rounding out the top five were Jerry Gay and fast qualifier John Tyczki. He joins Gary Tamborelli, Claude Bell, Ron Overman, John Tyczki, Jeff Wright, and Don Kerr as a main event winner so far this year. Tambo's second place run was his third this year and kept him atop the points heap. But he lost two points of his lead to Overman, who now trails by 18 with a quarter of the season completed.
"This one is for my mom, Kathy," McLauchlan offered after his ride. "Happy Mothers Day, mom."
"That was a breath of fresh air. It's about time," McLauchlan continued. Just a week earlier he had missed the main event entirely when the fuel filter was installed backwards. And just a month ago, McLauchlan's whole season was in doubt when he clobbered the turn one crashwall when Don Kerr lost his rear end and spewed gear oil all over the track.
"The race has been racing really good," Todd went on. "We just needed to be able to race it. The last few laps Tambo was on me right off the yellow. I wasn't really focused. I was looking in the mirror. Then I got in a groove and started driving away. The car was good. I just got in a rhythm there, it was turning, I was picking the throttle up hard. Actually it's been a better car since we wrecked it. Sometimes that happens. The way we put it back together some of the number had changed."
Russ Uppman came from fifth starting position to claim the mini-stockar main event. The race had to be stopped on the 13th lap when the Ford Tauruses of David Moore and Harold DeWitz locked together and slammed into the south turn crashwall. DeWitz, who is a 56-year-old rookie in the class and lives in Simi Valley, was shaken up. He was transported to Grossmont Hospital for observation. Moore was uninjured. After another accident on the restart, the race was shortened from 20 to 15-laps.
Ed Hale streaked to his second straight pony stock feature victory to record his 134th career main event win. Randy Wallace edged out John Luecht for honors in the bomber stocks. Newlywed Bo Lemler edged out point leader Lance Biggers in the 25-lapper for Grand American modifieds.
McLauchlan started third in the late model field and chased Rich Green during the early stages of the contest. Green opened up about a ten-car length lead in the opening rounds. But McLauchlan slowly reeled him in. On the sixth circuit he was on the leader's bumper. The two ran even through the first half of the seventh round. McLauchlan had the low groove and charged hard into the third corner, ran Green up the track, and took over the number one spot.
McLauchlan went unchallenged for most of the remainder of the contest. The only slowdown came just six laps from the finish when fifth running Claude Bell tagged the back stretch crashwall. Bell was putting a move on Gay in the battle for fourth when his car suddenly broke loose and slammed into the cement. Bell was uninjured.
The pony stock feature was a heartbreaker for Neil Rodvold, who ended up second and closed to within two points of pacesetting Jimmy Kyte in the standings. Rodvold was the night's quick qualifier, ran from last to third in the heat, and then stormed through traffic from his tenth starting position in the main event. Hale had started eighth and took over the number one spot from Ralph Smith on the ninth circuit. But just as quickly Hale's car appeared to jump out of gear, allowing Smith to regain the lead. But Rodvold dipped underneath Smith and gunned his Pinto into the lead on lap 11. Hale quickly recovered from his car's miscue and took second from Smith on lap 12. From that point on Rodvold and Hale went at it. Neil was on the high side and Ed down low. Hale nosed in front on lap 15 and Rodvold prevailed again on lap 17. But then with just a couple of laps remaining, the duo came up on lapped traffic as they exited turn two. Rodvold's path was blocked and Hale scooted into the lead for good. Rodvold was able to maintain the runner-up spot while Jimmy Kyte took third. Smith dropped back to fourth and rookie Tony Cortes came home fifth.
In the bomber feature it was once again the "Three Musketeers" who ran through traffic together from the back of the pack to the front. John Luecht, Bob Wickey, and Pat Garity ended up second through fourth behind race winner Randy Wallace, who failed to capture a main event last year en route to the championship. Wallace started tenth and was in front after seven rounds. Luecht tried valiantly to get past his rival in the closing stages of the 20-lapper but fell just short.
Bo Lemler celebrated his 47th birthday on Thursday by marrying the former Eva Cline. He then went out and won his first Cajon Speedway main event Saturday night. Lemler had to hold a tenacious Lance Biggers at bay for the full 25 rounds, but Lemler and his "Typhoon" were up to the task. Biggers edged out Mike Salm for the number two spot in the non-stop affair. Randy Keatts was fourth and Ron Nava fifth.
CAJON SPEEDWAY NASCAR WEEKLY RACING SERIES RESULTS
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN
Fast Time - John Tyczki Jr, Lakeside; Time - :16.352.
1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Russ Gregson, Santee; 2. Rich Green Jr., El Cajon; 3.
Todd McLauchlan, Alpine; Time - 2:16.50.
2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Gary Tamborelli, Escondido; 2. Claude Bell, El Cajon;
3. Ron Overman, Lakeside; Time - 4:14.56.
Main (40 laps) - 1. Todd McLauchlan, Alpine; 2. Gary Tamborelli, Escondido;
3. Ron Overman, Lakeside; 4. Jerry Gay, San Diego; 5. John Tyczki Jr,
Lakeside; 6. Brandon Whitt, El Cajon; 7. Rich Green Jr., El Cajon; 8. Russ
Gregson, Santee; 9. Jack Lee, Vista; 10. Dee Cable, Santee; 11. Claude Bell,
El Cajon; 12. Bill Parenteau Jr., Santee; Time - 20:54.97.
GRAND AMERICAN MODIFIED
1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Bo Lemler, Bonita; 2. Lance Biggers, Alpine; 3. Mike
Salm, Fallbrook; Time - 2:16.18.
Main (25 laps) - 1. Bo Lemler, Bonita; 2. Lance Biggers, Alpine; 3. Mike
Salm, Fallbrook; 4. Randy Keatts, Santee; 5. Ron Nava, Encinitas; 6. Douglas
Carpenter, La Mesa; Time - 6:58.17.
PONY STOCK
Fast Time - Neil Rodvold, Santee; Time - :18.454.
1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Ralph Smith, Santee; 2. Troy Hatfield, Descanso; 3.
Phillip Klinger, San Diego; Time - 5:20.61.
2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Ed Hale, El Cajon; 2. Tony Cortes, La Mesa; 3. Neil
Rodvold, Santee; Time - 2:34.04.
Semi (10 laps) - 1. Jon Sanitbanes, San Diego; 2. Jessica Rodvold, El Cajon;
3. Bob Cloke, El Cajon; Time - 4:59.97.
Main (20 laps) - 1. Ed Hale, El Cajon; 2. Neil Rodvold, Santee; 3. Jimmy
Kyte, Lakeside; 4. Ralph Smith, Santee; 5. Tony Cortes, La Mesa; 6. Andy
Papp, La Mesa; 7. Carol Kirby Williams, San Dgo; 8. Marty Schmidt, El Cajon;
9. Troy Hatfield, Descanso; 10. Earl Downing, Spring Valley; 11. Phillip
Klinger, San Diego; 12. Lee Slaughter, Crest; 13. Debi Urioste, San Diego;
14. Jon Sanitbanes, San Diego; 15. Jessica Rodvold, El Cajon; 16. Bob Cloke,
El Cajon; 17. Kristi Kor, Lake Morena; 18. Rick Anders, ; 19. Douglas Wright
Jr., Jamul; 20. Justin Pippin, Vista; Time - 13:43.68.
BOMBER STOCK
Fast Time - Pat Garity, El Cajon; Time - :19.646.
1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Marv Evans, National City; 2. Roy Felkner, San Diego;
3. Bill Holland, El Cajon; Time - 2:47.55.
2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Randy Wallace, El Cajon; 2. Scott Youngren,
Fallbrook; 3. Rodney Shaw, El Cajon; Time - no time.
Main (20 laps) - 1. Randy Wallace, El Cajon; 2. John Luecht, Chula Vista; 3.
Bob Wickey, Spring Valley; 4. Pat Garity, El Cajon; 5. Scott Youngren,
Fallbrook; 6. Roy Felkner, San Diego; 7. Rodney Shaw, El Cajon; 8. Alex
McKay, San Diego; 9. Mark Holland, San Diego; 10. Marv Evans, National City;
11. Mark Schilling, Oceanside; 12. Bill Holland, El Cajon; 13. Kelly
Jernigan, San Diego; 14. Gary Vincent, Lakeside; 15. Greg McCown, El Cajon;
16. Eric Seene, Santee; 17. Scott Denton, Fallbrook; 18. Bill Parenteau Sr,
El Cajon; 19. Joey Cornetto, El Cajon; 20. Chris Boyer, San Diego; Time -
14:16.05.
MINI-STOCKAR
Fast Time - Russ Uppman, Hawaiian Gdns; Time - :19.375.
Dash (4 laps) - 1. Rick Riley, Lancaster; 2. Pete Nosan, Sun City; 3. Russ
Uppman, Hawaiian Gdns; 4. Lyndon Dynsinger, Corona; Time - 1:22.68.
1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. James Ross, Whittier; 2. Dick Laycock, San Diego; 3.
Randy Lanning, Littlerock; Time - 10:56.16.
2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Rick Riley, Lancaster; 2. Randy Shields, Camarillo;
3. Russ Uppman, Hawaiian Gdns; Time - 2:38.17.
Main (15 laps) - 1. Russ Uppman, Hawaiian Gdns; 2. Randy Shields, Camarillo;
3. Rick Walton, La Crescenta; 4. James Ross, Whittier; 5. Doug Evans,
Bloomington; 6. Dick Laycock, San Diego; 7. Pete Nosan, Sun City; 8. Kit
Cooney, Santa Ana; 9. Lyndon Dynsinger, Corona; 10. Randy Lanning,
Littlerock; 11. Garry Howell, Santa Ana; 12. James Brosius, Victorville; 13.
Ron Parker, Vista; 14. Bob Stout, Vista; 15. Rick Riley, Lancaster; 16.
Patrick Britain, Orange; 17. David Moore, Rancho Cucamonga; 18. Harold
DeWitz, Simi Valley; 19. Scott Raridon, Palmdale; Time - 35:28.26.
ATTENDANCE - 2093
