STOCKTON, California -- In Front of 3,800 cheering NASCAR fans, Western Late Model Rookie Gary Schaffer Jr. took the checkered flag in his first 30-lap DODGE Weekly Series main event. The win marked the second time that a rookie has taken a HAVOLINE/CL BRYANT main event this season.
“It feels good!” exclaimed an adrenaline charged Schaffer Jr. following the win. “We’re not a team with a lot of money, everyone works hard and it means a lot to me. I don't know how those guys feel to win the Daytona 500, but this feels like the Daytona 500."
Stockton’s Shaffer Jr. proved he had the skill needed to score a main when he avoided a multi-car pileup that happened on lap-9 between turns-3-and-4 that tied up most of the entrants. On the restart Shaffer Jr. started just behind pole position holder John Moore, of Granite Bay, quickly took the lead and held it through the race.
Following the race Shaffer Jr. was swarmed by friends, family and fellow drivers who heaped congratulations and hugs on him. In thinking about his win the rookie recalled a debt of gratitude to his deceased grandmother, who introduced him to the sport. “She brought me out here (Stockton 99 Speedway) before I could walk or talk.”
The win marked the second time that a rookie has taken the checkered on NASCAR’s fastest quarter-mile oval west of the Mississippi this season. On July 17 Stockton’s Joey Stearns won. Shaffer is a former Pure Stock division champion.
In the end, it was a battle between last week’s main winner, Pete Anderson Jr., of Stockton, and Shaffer Jr. for first. Anderson Jr. attempted to take the lead on the inside and outside several times, but Shaffer Jr. wouldn’t give up a lane. In the last several laps Shaffer Jr. gave Anderson Jr. several chances to pass on the turns but Anderson. Jr. failed to power past Shaffer Jr.
Anderson Jr. took second, Moore finished third, Stearns took fourth Turlock’s Chris Monez finished at fifth.
The Pure Stock division’s 30-lap main hosted 22 cars, 20 finished.
The total invert start put Stockton’s Allen Rider at the pole, but by lap-13 Modesto’s Charlie Clawson had inched his way from six deep to second, in a horns-locked battle for first with Stockton’s David Holman. Holman and Clawson then brought out the fifth caution of the night when they collided on the front stretch and went into a spin.
Then, on lap-14 Stockton’s Chad Holman had made his way to the pole on a restart after Stockton’s Brian Vosberg and Lodi’s David Sullivan collided on the backstretch. Holman quickly jumped into the lead and held it through to the end.
The win was Holman’s second of the evening, earlier he scored a win in the Grand American Modified Division in his number 7 open wheel car.
“I wasn’t even going to race this race,” said Holman following the Pure Stock win. “I was tired following that first win.”
Holman said that the key to victory in the Pure Stock win was that “Charlie (Clawson) and Ken (Ratcliff), the two fast cars, weren’t there at the end. I just held off everyone else until the checkered.”
It was Holman’s second Pure Stock win this season.
Manteca’ Johnny Cordoza took second, Stockton’s Richard Harper earned third, Stockton’s Jim Voseberg took fourth and Galt’s John Medina finished fifth.
Following a record setting qualifying run and dash win, it appeared as if Milpitas’ Ron Robeck would sweep the division. But Lodi’s Mike Curry had other plans.
Pileups, wrecks and prolonged track sweeper showings didn’t allow the 20-lap main to start until after 11 p.m. The trucks didn’t even make it one lap past the green when another driver, Brandon Trevethan, of Tracy, slammed into the inside wall on the backstretch bringing out a caution flag. On the restart Curry and Saratoga’s Carrie Miller lined up at the pole and outside pole, Curry jumped into the lead and held it throughout the race.
Following Curry’s second Pro-4 Trucks main win of the season he said, “We’ve just been doing a lot of stuff to the engine.”
Lodi’s Danny Basto earned second, Miller took third, Riverbank’s Todd Lewis captured fourth and Robeck finished fifth.
After a prolonged absence, Ripon’s Mike Regelman returned in his number 66 car, but it wasn’t his night.
Heading into the second lap Regelman made a play to pass Lodi’s Butch Basto in an attempt to grab first, Regelman, Galt’s Jason Kerby and Stockton’s Joe Allen then ended up in turn-2’s wall -- all knocked out of the race.
At the restart, and still in lap-1, Basto, having front wheel problems, made contact with Modesto’s Mike Beeler who then slammed the wall and was knocked out.
With five cars left at the green, Holman started at the pole, quickly took the lead and held it through the 10-lap race.
Allen took second, Stockton’s Stewart Cullom earned third, Basto took fourth and Lockeford’s Doug Lingo finished at fifth.
Bakersfield’s Craig Raudman scored his second win of the season and 19th career triumph to win round nine of the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Tour Series “125.”
Raudman took the lead on lap-5 from his sixth starting position, never looked back and held off a determined Eric Holmes, of Escalon, by .200 seconds. Local fan favorite Jim Pettit II finished third, with Burney Lamar and Nick Lynch rounding out the top five finishers in the 125 lap event.
On Saturday, Aug. 7 Stockton 99 Speedway will host “Kid’s Night.“ Pit gate will open at 12:30 p.m., practice starts at 2 p.m., qualifying starts at 4 p.m., Kid’s Night tricycle races start at 5: 30 p.m. and dashes, heats and mains start at 6:30 p.m.. Grandstands open at 2 p.m.
Admission to the area's only NASCAR Saturday night family entertainment is $12 for adults, children 5 and under free, juniors and seniors are $10, children 6 to 12 are $5 and family packages for two adults and up to four kids under 12 are $29.99. Kids 5 and under are free, accompanied by an adult. VISA and Master Card are always welcome.
Stockton 99 Speedway is located at 4105 North Wilson Way. Traveling south on Highway 99, take the Wilson Way exit. The track is two blocks up the road just past the first stop light. On Highway 99 north, take the Cherokee Road exit, loop over the freeway to Newton Road and turn right. Drive one mile and turn left at the Wilson Way stoplight. From Interstate 5, get on the Cross-town Freeway and head east to Highway 99 north, then drive north on Highway 99 to the Cherokee Road exit. For information, call (209) 466-9999, or visit www.stockton99speedway.com.
RESULTS JULY 31, 2004
30-lap Main
1. Gary Shaffer Jr. (Stockton) 2. Pete Anderson Jr. (Stockton) 3. John Moore (Granite Bay) 4. Joey Stearns (Stockton) 5. Chris Monez (Turlock) 6. Harry Belletto (Modesto)7. Dave Byrd (Pacific Grove) 8. Mike Garcia (Lodi) 9. Guy Guibor (Manteca) 10. Eric Humphries (Chowchilla)11. Robert Knittel (Lodi) 12. Jerry Crawford (Stockton)13. Dave Hauck (Elk Grove)14. Scott Masellis (Modesto)15. Danny Contessottto (Stockton)16. Chad South (Lake Dallas, Texas)17. Johnny Berndt (Clements)18. Dwight Pilcher (Stockton)
Dash
1. Monez 2. Moore 3. Shaffer Jr. 4. Stearns
Top Qualifiers
Monez 14.425, Moore 14.430, Shaffer Jr. 14.438, Stearns 14.441, Masellis 14.455
30-lap Main
1. Chad Holman (Stockton) 2. Johnny Cordoza (Manteca) 3. Richard Harper (Stockton) 4. Jim Voseberg (Stockton) 5. John Medina (Galt) 6. Leroy Hunt (Stockton) 7. Brian Voseberg (Stockton) 8. Tom Dahl (Stockton) 9. Bob Simpson (Stockton) 10. David Sullivan (Lodi) 11. Aimee Sullivan (Lodi)12. Dave Ball (Stockton) 13. Tony Smith (Angels Camp) 14. Michael Brooks Jr. (Manteca) 15. Allen Rider (Stockton)16. Charlie Clawson (Modesto)17. David Holman (Stockton)18. Tom Boland (Valley Springs) 19. Ken Ratcliff (Stockton) 20. Steve Hall (Manteca)
15-lap B-Main
1. Tom Boland (Valley Springs) 2. Tom Dahl (Stockton) 3. Aimee Sullivan (Lodi)
4. Bob Simpson (Stockton) 5. Michael Brooks Sr. (Manteca) 6. Steve Brown (Lake Comanche) 7. Tom Mosher (Manteca) 8. Nick Smith (Angels Camp) 9. Matt Jones (Lodi) 10.Kurt White (Napa) 11.Joe Thiedt (Napa) 12.Sheila Wall (Oakdale)
13.Danny Snow (Stockton) 14.Stephen Geiser (Brentwood) 15.Steve Bryant (Stockton)
Dash
1. Clawson 2. Ratcliff 3. Medina 4. B. Vosberg
Top Qualifiers
Clawson 16.728, Ratcliff 16.757, Medina 16.843, B. Vosberg 17.050, J. Vosberg 17.076
20-lap Main
1. Mike Curry (Lodi) 2. Danny Basto (Lodi) 3. Carrie Miller (Saratoga) 4. Todd Lewis (Riverbank) 5. Ron Robeck (Milpitas)6. Dave Daniels (Salida) 7. Paul Murarik (Stockton) 8. Shane Dreher (Livermore) 9. Brandon Trevethan (Tracy)
Dash
1. Robeck 2. Curry 3. Basto 4. Miller
Top Qualifiers
Robeck 15.339 (Record), Basto 15.567, Curry 15.623, Miller 15.662, Daniels 15.704
10-lap Main
1. Chad Holman (Stockton)2. Joe Allen (Stockton) 3. Stewart Cullom (Stockton) 4. Butch Basto (Lockford) 5. Doug Lingo (Lockeford) 6. Mike Regelman (Ripon) 7. Jason Kerby (Galt) 8. Mike Beeler (Modesto)
Dash
1. Regelman 2. Kerby 3. Allen 4. Basto
Top Qualifiers
Kerby 4.417, Holman 14.632, Allen 14.822, Basto 14.955, Beeler 14.964
