InsideGroove - Race Report

ANTONETTI A PERFECT THREE FOR THREE IN BAKERSFIELD VISITS

Bakersfield, CA --

Joe Antonetti of Aptos made it three wins in three visits to Bakersfield Speedway Park in the 2001 season as he collected $300 for his 20 lap IMCA Modified main event win Saturday night. Antonetti drives a Harris Chassis and is enjoying his limited traveling schedule this season more than his previous point race efforts at his former home track in Watsonville. He lined up 7th in the main event, was third in just one lap, took second from Mike Scott on lap 2 and the lead from Gary Dutton on lap 3. He lapped travel buddy Andy Obertello late in the action as he won easily over point leader Steve Smothermon and Wayne Coffman. Teenager Larry Hood started on the pole for the 20 lap hobby stock main event, but was quickly challenged by fifth starter M'lissa Manzella. While Hood went on to post his first win in his new class, Manzella ran second until contact with a lapped car left her with a flat tire with less than two laps to run. She limped to a 7th place finish as Brian Puckett continued his recent hot streak with a 2nd. Laura Farris put on another rim riding clinic from 14th starting to finish third.

There were 16 IMCA Modifieds and Troy Morris Jr won the first heat from the pole over 4th starting Smothermon. Antonetti came from 4th to win heat 2 over fellow second row starter Buck Cox. Bryan Burnes also visited and won heat 3 from 4th starting over Dutton. Bill Gates lost an engine in hot laps for a third straight race. Matt Barrett jumped into the Ken Hobson car for the 20 lap feature. Antonetti and Smothermon shared row 4 in the feature lineup and the feature had to be restarted after Burnes spun and was hit by Barrett. Fifth starting Dutton led the first 2 laps with Antonetti striking quickly to third behind Mike Scott on the first lap. Both Antonetti and Smothermon passed Scott on lap 2 and Antonetti got underneath Dutton for the lead on lap 3. Cox worked his way into fourth on lap 5, but stalled for a lap 10 yellow. This allowed Coffman to take over fourth over Hanford visitor Jimmy Reeves. Dutton half spun in turn 1 on the restart and he fell back to fourth behind leader Antonetti, Smothermon and Coffman. Reeves made a late move around Dutton to finish fourth. Despite only three appearances, Antonetti has climbed into 11th in track points. Smothermon ran second and increased his point lead to 11 points over Cox, 16 ahead of Morris. Coffman was third over Reeves, Dutton, Scott, Morris, Cox and Jim Deines, the final lead lap finisher.

The 18 hobby stocks were split into three heat races. Darren Hopkins, Doug Robinson and Puckett won the heat races. The lineup for the 20 lap feature put Charlie Evans and Hood in the front row with Yeager lined up 14th as she could only manage a fifth in her heat race. Hood raced into the lead with Manzella leaping from fifth starting to second on the first lap. On Friday night, Manzella entered the special lady street stock action at Chowchilla and won both her heat and the dash before crashing in the main event. Rodney Jennings settled into third and Jeff Barrett took over fourth on lap 3 when Gene Verbeek pitted. Barrett took third from Jennings on lap 10, but the yellow fell one lap later for debris and Barrett pitted after running over the discarded piece. Puckett and Yeager were now running 3-4 behind Hood and Manzella. Manzella got a flat in some contact racing with a lapped car late in the action and she could only limp the final 1/2 mile to a 7th. Hood won over Puckett, Yeager, Jennings, Lee Walker, Lee Ullmann, Manzella and Ivan Crawford. Jennings' point lead is now 6 points over Walker with Ullmann 26 points back of the leader. Manzella stands fourth over Puckett and Hood.

Summary Hobby Stock Heat 1-Darren Hopkins, Rodney Jennings, Larry Hood, Lee Ullmann, Steve Cimental. Heat 2-Doug Robinson, Jeff Barrett, Charlie Evans, Gene Verbeek, Laura Yeager. Heat 3-Brian Puckett, Jerry Keaton, M'lissa Manzella, David Hayder, Danny Wood. Main-Hood, Puckett, Yeager, Jennings, Lee Walker, Ullmann, Manzella, Ivan Crawford, Hopkins, Wood, Keaton, Robinson, Evans, Verbeek, Hayder, Barrett, Lou Wolfe, Cimental. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Troy Morris Jr, Steve Smothermon, Lin Deines, Andy Obertello, Ken Hobson. Heat 2-Joe Antonetti, Buck Cox, Mike Scott, Jay Hester, Wayne Coffman. Heat 3-Bryan Burnes, Gary Dutton, Jimmy Reeves, Jim Deines, Kenny Farris. Main-Antonetti, Smothermon, Coffman, Reeves, Dutton, Scott, Morris, Cox, J Deines, Obertello, L Deines, Farris, Hester, Matt Barrett, Burnes.

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