InsideGroove - Race Report

SMOTHERMON WINS TIGHT DUEL WITH BUCK COX AT BAKERSFIELD

Bakersfield, CA --

IMCA Modified track point leader Steve Smothermon won a fierce closing laps duel with second place point racer Buck Cox to win Saturday night's 20 lap IMCA Modified main event at Bakersfield Speedway Park. It was a huge night for Smothermon as he not only built his own winning modified, but also the super street stock mount that Karl Noland Jr drove to victory in the final leg of the California State Street Stock Championship Series. It was Smothermon's sixth win and the 4th runnerup finish for Cox. Visitor Joe Antonetti had been undefeated in his three previous Bakersfield visits in 2001, but he settled for third after getting in a first lap crash. Rookie Charlie Evans led all 20 laps to win his first Hobby Stock main event with Lee Walker second over rookie Ivan Crawford. Mike Lee lives and works in the Concord area, but commutes down to Bakersfield to race each weekend and he raced to his second American Stock feature win by leading the final 19 laps of that 20 lapper. Ricky Spicer ran second over point leader Chett Reeves. Reeves closest point challengers, Joe Goatcher and Bunny Howell, were both eliminated in a first lap crash.

With both previous week Merced winner Andy Obertello and Todd Hermasillo making the tow south along with Antonetti, the IMCA Modified turnout was 17 cars. Milodon owner Steve Morrison was driving the Scott Pounds modified for the first time. Antonetti easily won heat 1 over rapidly improving rookie Mike Scott. Smothermon won heat 2 over first time visitor Daman Redman from Ventura. Gary Dutton took heat 3 with another Ventura racer, Kathy Pierson in second. Jeff Miller had problems early in the night and was a feature scratch. The 20 lap feature got off to a ragged start with two restarts. Hermasillo hit the front wall with Lin Deines, Obertello and Pierson tangled for the first. On the second, Troy Morris Jr and L Deines tangled with Antonetti hard into the fence. Antonetti had to pit for repairs and he restarted in the rear with both Hermasillo and L Deines done for the night. Scott led the first scored lap over Cox and Smothermon. Smothermon took over on lap 2 and Dutton was second on lap 3. Dutton spun on lap 4 as Scott retook second over Cox and Redman. Pierson spun and Cox was into second on lap 6. Cox had blown a motor in hot laps, but went home and replaced it before the heat action. Redman raced into third on lap 9 ahead of Antonetti and Obertello. Morrison was out after hit clipped the front wall on lap 11. Dutton was riding fifth, but he was placed at the rear for the restart. Dutton's car began to smoke heavily on the restart and Cox charged up to challenge Smothermon for the lead for the final 4 laps. Smothermon withstood the challenge and Antonetti clipped the wall in turn 3 after climbing up to third on lap 15. Antonetti still salvaged a third over Redman, Obertello, Scott, Pierson, Bill Gates and Jim Deines.

The 21 hobby stocks were split into three heat races. Jeffrey Barrett won the first heat over Crawford. Dave Hayder took heat 2 with Scott Williams second. Lou Wolfe's night ended with a hard crash. Doug Robinson won the third heat over Gene Verbeek. The 20 lap feature started on a very wet track and outside front row starter Evans raced into the lead over Williams. Chad Henry took third from Crawford on lap 2, but lost the spot back on lap 3. A series of flat tires keep top runner Larry Hood in the pit area and the yellow flag fell on lap 6 when Danny Wood climbed the back fence in spectacular fashion. M'lissa Manzella clipped the wall in turn 1 and both Hayder and Lee Ullmann were eliminated when they crashed. Walker took fifth from Laura Yeager on lap 11 and he passed Crawford for fourth on lap 13 as point leader Rodney Jennings rode third. Walker used an inside pass to take over second on lap 16 and Williams lost his steering. With a little experience on the pavement at Mesa Marin, dirt track rookie Evans won his first race ahead of Walker, Crawford, Jennings, Yeager, Barrett, Manzella and Brian Puckett, who pocketed the $50 bonus for being the highest placed roofless car as the track continued it's Hot August Nights promotion.

Point leader Chett Reeves won the first American Stock heat race over Mark Hogue. Lee won heat 2 over Joe Goatcher. Perry VanScoy won the third heat over Spicer. The 20 lap feature was restarted after VanScoy blew a tire leading and Warren Smith lost a wheel. A second restart was required when Howell and Goatcher crashed hard on the backstretch to end the race for both. Hogue led the first scored lap over Lee, but Lee took over on lap 2 and Hogue ended up losing a wheel for a lap 3 yellow. Lee then led Spicer and Chad Huckleberry. Billy Sanders hit the wall to end his race and Walt Farris III lost a wheel for a lap 10 yellow. Amy Hedden raced into third on the restart over Tom Klamorick, but Hedden fell back in the closing laps as Klamorick gained third on lap 17. On lap 18, both point leader Reeves and David Wolford got by Klamorick for the 3-4 slots. Lee won over Spicer, Reeves, Klamorick and Hedden, who won the $50 roofless bonus. Wolford was sixth over Matt Wankum and Richard Reed.

Summary American Stock Heat 1-Chett Reeves, Mark Hogue, Warren Smith, Richard Reed, Don Mead. Heat 2-Mike Lee, Joe Goatcher, Tom Klamorick, Roger Degeer, Clyde Benson. Heat 3-Perry VanScoy, Ricky Spicer, Bunny Howell, Walt Farris III, Chad Huckleberry. Main-Lee, Spicer, Reeves, Klamorick, Amy Hedden, David Wolford, Matt Wankum, Reed, Huckleberry, Johnny Morales, Benson, Robert Smith, Steve McKinley, Danny Gott, VanScoy, Farris, Billy Sanders, Hogue, W Smith. Hobby Stock Heat 1-Jeffrey Barrett, Ivan Crawford, Charlie Evans, Rodney Jennings, Danny Wood. Heat 2-Dave Hayder, Scott Williams, Lee Walker, Laura Yeager, Eric Cimental. Heat 3-Doug Robinson, Gene Verbeek, Chad Henry, Lee Ullmann, Brian Puckett. Main-Evans, Walker, Crawford, Jennings, Yeager, Barrett, M'lissa Manzella, Puckett, Verbeek, Matthew Rogers, Cimental, Henry, Williams, Ullmann, Hayder, Wood, Larry Hood, Jerry Keaton, Robinson. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Joe Antonetti, Mike Scott, Troy Morris Jr, Buck Cox, Bill Gates. Heat 2-Steve Smothermon, Daman Redman, Todd Hermasillo, Lin Deines, Matt Barrett. Heat 3-Gary Dutton, Kathy Pierson, Jim Deines, Andy Obertello, Kenny Farris. Main-Smothermon, Cox, Antonetti, Redman, Obertello, Scott, Pierson, Gates, J Deines, Morris, Farris, Barrett, Dutton, Steve Morrison, L Deines, Hermasillo.

InsideGroove Latest Reports | InsideGroove Archives
About InsideGroove