HOPKINS EARNS HIS FIRST LATE MODEL WIN OF THE SEASON

Source: Curtis Clauson
Date: 08/06/2007

Jeremy Hopkins of Lakeport put on a dominating show and won his first Late Model main event of the season. He also set the fast time of 13.027s and won the heat race.

Modified points leader Terry McIntire of Kelseyville won his second main event. The fast time of 13.429s was set by Noel McCormack Jr. of Lakeport.

George Mavrakis of Cloverdale won his fifth main event, set the fast time of 14.917s, and won his heat race, which moved him from fourth to second in the points.

Ron Duke Jr. of Redwood Valley claimed his third Bomber main event win, the seventh for the team of him and his father. The fast time of 15.865s was set for the first time this season by Manya Tenney of Kelseyville.

Late Models

The Late Model main event field of eight cars was led to the start by Steve Taylor and Charlie Collins. Collins, Forrest Kuecker, John Dalerio, and Jeremy Hopkins all passed by Taylor. In lap four, Dalerio spun after touching tail-to-nose with Hopkins for the first caution.

Collins and Kuecker restarted the field. Collins took the inside lead as David Furia passed Hopkins for third. In lap sex, Michael Swaney spun at the back of the pack in turn three and a yellow was thrown.

Collins and Kuecker led the restart again, but this time Kuecker took the outside lead. In five laps, Hopkins, Furia, Jeremy Donahoo, and Dalerio would all make it by Collins.

In lap 11, Hopkins swung around Kuecker for the lead and never looked back. There was one more yellow thrown for a Taylor spin, and a red flag delay as the medical team was dispatched to the grandstands.

Hopkins claimed the checkers, followed by Kuecker, Donahoo, Furia, and Dalerio. Dalerio won the trophy dash.

Modifieds

The fast and furious Modified main event was yellow-free for the first two-thirds. Bret Barney and Scott Feil led the 16 car field to the start but Richie Potts had to pull into the pits. Barney led the first lap and then Feil, Codi Barba, and Jeremy Nowlin passed him for first through third.

Bob Strauss and Rick Rose had passed Dan Knight for fifth and sixth, and Derrick Crayford had made a mad dash from 12th up to eighth while Terry McIntire was bogged down back in 12th. While the field shuffled Barney on back, Barba gradually made his way outside of Feil and took the lead in lap 11.

Rose had made his way past Strauss for fourth, Noel McCormack Jr. broke from the back to pass Crayford and then Knight for sixth, and McIntire was up to ninth. McCormack started an indomitable charge to the front past Strauss in lap 13, Rose in 15, Feil in 16, Nowlin in 17, and Barba in 20 for the lead.

In lap 22, Feil, Strauss, and Nowlin had been shuffled back by Rose, Crayford, and McIntire when Ron Connor wheel-hopped Dan Knight and spun bringing out the first caution.

McCormack and Barba led the restart and McCormack took the lead. McIntire, now freed from the back and caught up by the yellow, quickly passed Crayford for fourth and waited for an opening behind Rose and Barba. In lap 28, he got his chance as Strauss spun in turn four and Rose was forced to retire to the pits with problems.

McCormack and Barba led the green-white-checker shootout, but McIntire blew by both of them in a last-lap tangle that put Barba to the back. McIntire finished first followed by McCormack, Nowlin, Feil, and Clay Caturegli. Connor won the trophy dash, and Barba and Rose the heat races.

Bonus Bombers

Manuel Antonio and Bill Mucci led the 11 car Bonus Bomber field to the green flag. Antonio took the lead as Todd Armstrong (usually in a Mini-Stock) let the field pass him. This put Darrin Hernandez behind Mucci for third followed by Brandon Szymczak, George Mavrakis, and Andy Vander Veer.

In lap four, Armstrong spun and Hernandez and Mavrakis spun in reaction for the only yellow of the race.

Antonio and Mucci restarted the field. Antonio took the lead while Keith Nelson and Szymczak made their way past Mucci for second and third. By lap 11, Antonio and Nelson were side-by-side for the lead when something broke in Antonio's car. Nelson took the lead and, in lap 14, Antonio retired to the pits.

Mavrakis passed Szymczak for second in lap 15 while Vander Veer and Eric Johnson shuffled Mucci back to sixth. Mavrakis began a 10 lap hunt for Nelson while Vander Veer took third from Szymczak.

In lap 24, Mavrakis nosed out ahead of Nelson and kept the lead to the checkers. Vander Veer finished third followed by Szymczak, and Johnson. Nelson won the trophy dash and Antonio a heat race.

Bombers

The Bombers, after two weeks of races shortened by spins and wrecks, were repaired raring to go. Kevin Brackett and Rick Tommila won the two transfers from the B-Main. Brandon Powers and Ronald Portlock let the 18 car pack to the start but, in turn four, David Land III took Powers and Richard Bray three-wide behind Portlock and they all turned in front of the pack.

Portlock, Corey Mainini, Eric Hernandez, and Manya Tenney were the only cars to escape the pile-up. Land, Bray, and Robert Byers visited the pits and returned for the restart.

This all put Ronald Portlock and Mainini in the lead followed by Hernandez, and Tenney for the restart. Ronald Portlock and Mainini ran side-by-side for the lead as Randy Portlock followed Tenney in fourth. Hernandez was slow and pushed the pack back as Jimmy Sorrels, Jon Waner, and Shelby Helm passed him.

Ron Duke Jr. make the outside pass by Mike Bray for tenth behind Scott Sabol. In lap seven, Ronald Portlock took the inside lead by Mainini but, as Mainini dropped to the inside, they touched and broke loose in front of Tenney. They recovered and kept their positions, but the excitement caused our flagger to accidentally trip the yellow light switch as he leaned out while watching this action.

Mainini and Ronald Portlock led the restart, but Tenney and Randy Portlock followed Mainini on the inside past a slow Ronald Portlock. By lap 13, Sorrels, Helm, and Duke also made it past Ronald Portlock for fourth through sixth.

Sabol was working the outside of Ronald Portlock followed by Waner and Richard Bray. In lap 14, Powers broke loose, drifted to the outside, and tangled with Anthony McCoy for a caution.

Mainini and Tenney restart the field in front of Randy Portlock, Sorrels, Duke, Helm, Sabol, and Waner. These eight stayed tight for a couple of laps, but then Tenney slowed and was freight-trained to sixth. This put Randy Portlock and Duke side-by-side for second followed by Sabol and Sorrels.

Duke, followed by Sabol, worked that outside line past Portlock and then, in lap 23, past Mainini for first and second. Randy Portlock tried every line to get past Mainini and, in lap 25, a yellow was thrown and Mainini was set back a position for blocking.

Duke led the single-file restart with Sabol right on his tail looking for the lead. Randy Portlock could not keep up and Mainini suffered a slow start and pushed the rest of the pack back. Duke defended his lead and, in one lap, pulled away from Sabol.

Duke claimed the checkers followed by Sabol, Randy Portlock, Mainini, and Sorrels. Sabol won the trophy dash, and Rick Tommila, Mike Bray, and Helm the heat races.

Coming Up

The “King of the Hill Challenge Series” continues this Saturday night August 11th at the Lakeport Speedway featuring the North State Challenge Series Late Models, the Legends Cars of the Pacific, the Pro-4 Modifieds, and the next “King of the Hill Challenge Series” event with the Bonus Bombers and Bombers.

Racing returns to the Ukiah Speedway August 18th featuring the Late Models, Modifieds, Bonus Bombers, Bombers, and the Bandoleros.

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