InsideGroove - Race Report

POINT LEADER SMOTHERMON MAKES IT THREE, REEVES WINS FIRST

Bakersfield, CA --

Taking just 12 laps to take the lead from fifth starting, point leader and car builder Steve Smothermon won his third 20 lap IMCA Modified main event Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway Park. Troy Morris Jr continued his impressive rookie season with a second place finish ahead of Rick Jenkins. American Stock rookie Chet Reeves won his first 20 lap main in that class with Eric Farris second ahead of Neil Danner.

There were 12 IMCA Modifieds and Smothermon rounded out his perfect night by winning heat 1 from 4th starting. Buck Cox ran second. Jenkins won heat 2 from the pole and fellow front row starter Gary Dutton was second. Bill Gates had broken lining up for prerace tech and Kenny Farris trailered after the heat race to leave 10 starters for their 20 lap main event. The field included defending California State Champion Bill Saltzman and former street stock ace Phil Cook. Dutton started outside front row and led the first 11 laps. Rookie Mike Scott was second for three laps before falling back to fifth with Jenkins moving into second ahead of Smothermon. Second place Jenkins spun for a lap 11 yellow flag and then leader Dutton spun to hand the lead to Smothermon. Scott was now back up to third behind Smothermon and Morris. Jenkins rebounded to fourth on lap 14 and a broken transmission put Jim Deines in the pits. Jenkins took third from Scott on lap 17 and Dutton raced into fourth on lap 18. Smothermon was followed to the checkered flag by Morris and Jenkins. Dutton crossed in fourth, but was found to have his right front brake shut off in the post race tech and disqualified. This moved Cox into fourth ahead of Scott and Cook.

The 22 American Stocks were split nto three heat races. Racing in Bakersfield despite living in Pittsburg, Mike Lee won heat 1 from the pole and Eric Farris came from 4th to win heat 2. Wesley Allen won heat 3 from the pole. The main event had 20 starters and ran for 20 laps. Reeves started on the pole and raced into the lead over Farris. Ricky Spicer climbed from 6th into third on lap 3 and Farris briefly took the lead from Reeves. Farris led laps 4-5, but lost the spot back to Reeves on lap 6. Spicer pitted when David Wolford spun for a lap 7 yellow flag. Danner was now third over Lee. Allen was blackflagged before the final yellow flag fell on lap 14. On the restart, Reeves led Danner, Farris and Chris Joslin. Farris was able to take second from Danner on lap 19 and he followed winner Reeves to the checkered flag. Danner was third in front of Joslin, Lee, Warren Smith, Joe Goatcher and Amy Hedden.

Summary American Stock Heat 1-Mike Lee, Perry VanScoy, Bunny Howell, Ricky Spicer, Joe Goatcher. Heat 2-Eric Farris, Warren Smith, David Wolford, Bryson Lynch, Christy Carl. Heat 3-Wesley Allen, Robert Smith, Mark Hogue, Chett Reeves, Tom Dragoun. Main-Reeves, Farris, Neil Danner, Chris Joslin, Lee, W Smith, Goatcher, Amy Hedden, Johnny Morales, Hogue, Lynch, Wolford, Robert Smith, Craig Houk, Howell, Spicer, Jeremy Dean, Dragoun, Carl. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Steve Smothermon, Buck Cox, Phil Cook, Kenny Farris, Mike Scott. Heat 2-Rick Jenkins, Gary Dutton, Troy Morris Jr, Jim Deines, Bill Saltzman. Main-Smothermon, Morris, Jenkins, Cox, Scott, Cook, Saltzman, Lin Deines, J Deines.

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