VICTORVILLE, California -- There may not have been a fireworks display at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds on Saturday night, but it didn't matter much to the fans in the stands as a combination of great weather, excellent track conditions and superb driving made for an exciting night of racing nonetheless at Route 66 Raceway.
The ongoing competition in the Super Street division continued with Barstow's Mike Morris recapturing the points lead once again from Trona's Chris Smith. After Morris took his heat race it remained for Smith to duplicate the feat, which he did, including a fantastic piece of driving as he threaded the needle between two other cars on turns 3 and 4 to go on and win his heat. "After watching Mike win his heat, I knew that the pressure was on and I had to do my best in my heat race to stay in there," said Smith. The Main Event saw Morris lock into a groove early in the 20-lap race. Ridgecrest's Robbie Witwer was the driver providing the challenge to both Morris and Smith in the feature, but in the end it was Morris prevailing and Smith finishing third, with Witwer sandwiched in between. "Last race it was Chris who ran the better race, and this week it belonged to me. The car was running great and I just went for it. It's still awfully close and it looks like it will be like this all season long," said Morris after accepting his trophy on Victory Lane at the end of the night. The race is indeed tight, with Morris now leading Smith by a mere two points in the standings.
The Street Stock class provided its own brand of excitement for the fans as well, especially during lap number 2 of the 12-lap Semi Main. Hesperia's Adam Lillehaugh and Randy Callister tangled in turns 3 and 4, leaving Callister sitting on top of the k-rail and Lillehaugh nursing a badly wounded car. As Lillehaugh explained it, "I was heading for the wall and was trying really hard to avoid it, and as Randy tried to pass me we got tangled up." It took track officials and the Safety Crew from Blackhawk a few minutes to figure out how to get Callister's car off the rail, but both cars were pretty much done for the night. The Main event in Street Stock was eventually won by Apple Valley's John Abright, with Norco's Chris Tooley finishing second and Barstow's Mike Milender placing third. Tooley and Ridgecrest's Frank Hopkins, who is consistently in the hunt week after week, each won their respective heat races, with Hopkins finishing fourth in the Main.
Once again it was more like demolition derby time for the IMCA Modifieds. Fans saw tangle after tangle during the Main Event following four mostly uneventful heat races. At one point no less than 6 cars all got together between turns 1 and 2, creating a dilemma for track officials. Unbelievably, before the Safety crew could even get to the scene, all 6 cars got themselves untangled, although at least 4 of those cars wound up leaving the track. After all was said and done, the Main Event was won by track cofounder Bob Forster, who races out of Apple Valley. Las Vegas' Mark Allison, another IMCA driver who is also never out of a race, finished in second place, while third was captured by Riverside's Dale Underwood. Right behind the three top finishers was Apple Valley's Mike "Woody" Sabers. Both Forster and Allison had previously won their respective heat races.
It wound up a heartbreaker for Victorville's Andy Moreton. Moreton, who had finished second in his earlier heat race, had a commanding lead in the Mini Stock main event, leading the race from lap 2 through most of the event. A couple of yellow flags kept the pack tightened up but found Barstow's Robbie Cockrell and Riverside's Dave Clark in hot pursuit of the leading Moreton when the green flag dropped. As racing luck would have it, the engine gremlins got hold of Moreton's motor close to the end of the race and he was seen limping off the track onto the infield. It was then Cockrell and Clark shooting for the finish, with Cockrell capturing the win, Clark ending up in second and Johnson Valley's Mark Nustad finishing third. Incidentally, all three had previously won their respective heat races this night.
It was a fairly short field entered in the fast and fun Dwarf class this night, with only eight cars entered in the night's festivities. The class, which usually consists of at least three heat races prior to the feature, required only one heat race to determine starting positions for the Main Event. Hesperia's Perry Highfill took first-place honors in the feature, with Corona's Tom Clodt, who had won the heat race, finishing second. Chuck Lippert traveled up to the High Desert from Granada Hills to take third in the event. Lippert finished behind Clodt in the heat race.
It was also a lighter than normal field of cars entered in the popular All American class this week, resulting in only two heat races to determine the starting grid for the evening's Main Event. Neither Hesperia's JR Steele nor Riverside's Frank Warnke, who each captured their respective heat races, figured in the final outcome of the night's feature. Instead, it was Victorville's Walt Reynolds taking the checkered flag, with Hesperia's Jason Andrews finishing second and Charlie Wenzel, also from Victorville, finishing in third position. The aforementioned Warnke did manage to finish in fourth place in the race.
It was two first-time drivers going at it head to head in the new Hornet Junior class this week. Both Victorville's Chris Finn and Temecula's Kelly Kimbrough were both brand new to the sport of dirt track racing and both did a fine job for their efforts. In a race like this it is not so much the win as it is the experience. Overheard over the track's two-way radios was one official's description of both of the young drivers. When asked if they appears nervous, the official remarked, "You bet they are, their eyes are as big as saucers!" Track officials are quick to say that they are looking for continued growth in both the Hornet and Hornet Junior classes, as they are an excellent way to break into the fun, family oriented sport of auto racing.
Speaking of breaking in to the sport, tickets for the raffle of that race-ready, red and white All American racecar are being sold, at just a dollar apiece, throughout the stands at every race event at the Raceway. The girls who are selling the tickets report that sales are brisk and the car is prominently displayed just across from the ticket booths behind the grandstand every race night. The winner will be announced the night of October 30th, just in time for the final open practice day and the annual Turkey Classic in late November.
The fans in the stands, especially the little ones, were given a special treat tonight as drivers wandered through the grandstand during intermission distributing candy to the kids. Participating in the giveaway, which was arranged by Cari Andrews, wife of All American driver Jason Andrews of Hesperia, were Trona's Chris Smith, Yucca Valley's Tony Warner, Apple Valley's James Naranjo, Hesperia's Bud Gray and, of course, Andrews himself. In explaining the gesture, Cari Andrews stated, "Those kids are out there every week along with their folks, and being a parent myself I know what a long night it can be for the little ones. We just thought it would be nice to show them how much we appreciate their support, too!" Andrews plans on something special again on "Hawaii Night," September 4th, and invites everyone out for a fun night at the track.
As for racing at Route 66 Raceway, it resumes again on July 17th, with the return of the 250 Sprint cars and another Powder Puff Main Event. Coming up soon is "Bob Night" at the track, where everyone, boy or girl, named "Bob," with proper ID, will be admitted to the grandstand free. For more information or directions to the track, call the Fairgrounds at 760-951-2200.
