SATURDAY NITE, APRIL 19 RESULTS FROM MANZANITA SPEEDWAY

Source: Windy McDonald
Date: 04/21/2008

Tucson’s R.C. Whitwell, the defending Bartnett Dirt Modified national champion, won Saturday night’s Dirt Modified Touring Series feature race after finishing second to former Manzanita National’s winner Bumper Jones in the Friday night preliminary feature.

Whitwell, a third generation driver, came out of the sixth row and took the Saturday night victory over Ricky Thornton, Jr., the defending Manzanita dirt modified champion who started fourth. Jason Noll, the 2006 Manzy champion was third and Jones, who started one row behind Whitwell, was the top out of state driver as he finished fourth in front of two time champion Anthony Madrid. Rounding out the top ten were Jay Foster, Jay Rosales, Tony Steele, Kenny Wyman and Chuck Kuehl.

Thirty-five cars returned for the Saturday night running and four heats were contested. Jason Noll started in the third row of the first heat but the 2006 champion wasted no time in getting to the front to beat Cody Alverez, Steele and Terry Belcher. The second heat went to Chuck Kuehl over Sherman Barnett, Jay Foster and Ricky Thornton. The third heat saw Terry Belcher, Jr. make a drive from third to first as he out dueled Cody Alverez, Whitwell and Tim Ward. The final heat was won by Thornton, Jr. who was better than Anthony Madrid and Jay Rosales,

Jones made it look easy in winning the semi main over Ward, Christy Georges, Ricky Thornton, Kenny Wyman, Belcher, Lance Mari and Aaron Mari.

Chris Odom took a night off from his flagman duties to race in the Super Stock Touring Series on Manzy’s half mile track. Chris, who had earlier won a super stock event in Tucson, took the win by coming out of the fourth row to beat Don Costa who started on the pole, Tom Poorman, Steven Ashcroft and Buji Lacy. Behind the top five were Ron Funk, Joe Sarginger, Lisa Smeltzer, Rick Madrid, Jody Haynes and Rick Madrid.

Odom started off his evening with a win over Madrid, Costa, Ashcroft and Poorman in the first heat. The second heat went to Terry Bridges with Mike Brigner, Funk, Robert Husted and Sarginger in pursuit.

John Priest crossed the finish line first in the Southwest Modlite feature with Terry Belcher, Tony Martin, Mark Julian and Art Garcia in pursuit. Behind the top five were, in order, Nick Escobedo, Ken Young, Bill McDowell, Jim Webster and Steve Moriarity.

Tony Martin captured the first six lap heat with a wire to wire win over Priest, Josh Witwiski, McDowell and Justin Randall. The second heat had Belcher blasting out of the third row to nail down the win over Julian, Garcia, Mike Martin and Jim Silvay. Brian Dervage won the final heat as he beat Young, David Hokanson. Moriarity and Ron Webster. The trophy dash went to Adam Echter.

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