SMITH, GOLOBIC EARN FIRST CAREER USAC WINS AT ALTAMONT

Source: AMP Media Relations/sb
Date: 06/29/2008

TRACY, California -- Porter Smith of Aztec, NM and Shane Golobic of Fremont, CA claimed their first career USAC wins on Saturday evening at Altamont Motorsports Park in Tracy, Calif.

Smith, the 2007 SRL Rookie of the Year, won the Western Sprints feature, while the 16 year-old Golobic claimed the Western Midget win in his first career Altamont start.

Brendan Langlois won a wire-to-wire USAC Ford Focus feature, and the NCMA Limited Sprints main event was won by Pat Ariaz of Manteca, CA.

Smith took the lead from Eric Humphries of Chowchilla on lap 26 after a race-long duel. The two former Late Model stars wowed fans with their wheel-to-wheel battling.

Humphries led the Western Sprints field to green under heavy pressure from Smith and teammate and 2006 champion Ryan Kaplan of Chico.

The opening 24 laps went caution-free before Scott Clough of Placerville slowed with an apparent flat tire.

Humphries was shuffled back quickly on a lap 26 restart, falling out of the top-five.

Incoming points leader Tanner Swanson of Kingsburg, age 17, went to work from the eighth position on the grid to move into fourth by lap 33.

The long green flag run saw Swanson fall into the grasp of Nick Rescino Jr. of San Francisco, who is second in the USAC points.

By lap 44, Rescino assumed the fourth position over Swanson.

At the line it was Smith over Kaplan, with Chase Scott leading the Toyotas to finish third. Rescino and Swanson rounded out the top-five.

Golobic’s midget win was in dramatic fashion as well, as Golobic snuck past leader Paul Zimmerly of Ridgefield, WA on the final lap to take the win.

Early race leader Daniel Bedford of Brentwood, CA had his momentum slowed by a huge accident on the backstretch on lap three.

Zimmerly collided with 2007 BCRA champion Justin Grant of Ione, CA on the backstretch, sparking a chain-reaction pile-up. Robby Josett of Santa Clarita, CA and Steven Matthews of Ontario, Canada suffered heavy damage. The grinding crash was most serious for Viktor Siznig, who ended up hitting the wall and sliding upside into turn three.

Siznig and Matthews were the only drivers unable to continue, and there were no injuries.

On lap nine, Evan Margeson of Seattle, WA took the lead from Bedford. Zimmerly went to work from the rear of the field and closed in.

After Manteca’s Marco DeGeorge lost his engine on lap 16, Margeson began to suffer the same fate.

The restart saw Zimmerly quickly move past Margeson and attempt to fend off Golobic. Coming to the white flag, Golobic made a stunning move to the outside and took the lead with the right rear tire smoking.

Golobic’s popular win was the first for the 16 year-old driver driving for Bryan Clauson Inc. Golobic was followed by Zimmerly, Margeson, Bedford, and C.J. Sarna.

Jessica Brunelli of Hayward, CA, at just 14 years old, led all but the final lap in the 30 lap USAC Ford Focus feature.

The raging 13 car pack ran closely for the duration of the event held on the Altamont quarter-mile.

Brennan Newberry of Bakersfield tangled with Garrett Peterson of West Sacramento in a battle for second with eight laps to go.

The ensuing restart saw the pressure build, until the white flag lap when Brunelli opened the door off of turn two.

Langlois made his move on the inside to take the lead, while Brunelli ended up tangling with Alex Bowman.

The top-five were Langlois, Mike Maier, Ian Millie, Jeff Oleen, and points leader Justin Hommel.

The NCMA Limited Sprints main event was 20 laps, and it took Ariaz 12 before he could conquer race leader Rob Hammond of Morgan Hill.

The two battled furiously, exchanging the lead three times between laps 10 and 12.

Ariaz was followed by Hammond, David Goodwill of Napa, CA, Jeff Burrows of Manteca, CA, and Ed Amador.

Altamont Motorsports Park returns to action on July 5th with the second round of the Tri-Holiday Classic Series. Competition will include a 100 lap event for the SRL Flashco Southwest Tour and a 100 lap event for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Western Late Models (w/ Westcar stars).

Also on tap Saturday evening will be American Limited Stock Cars, Future Champions Development Series, and Formula-4s.

Over 50 late models are expected.

Altamont Motorsports Park is located just west of Tracy at the merger of Highways 205 and 580.

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