InsideGroove - Race Report

POINT LEADER CHILDRESS WINS SPECIAL 50 LAPPER

Bakersfield, CA --

Having posted a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place finish in his previous starts, IMCA Modified point leader Rick Childress picked a good time to pick off his first win in his new division as he pocketed $560 for his win in the special 50 lap race held to celebrate Bakersfield Speedways 56th birthday Saturday night. Childress led the final 24 laps after being third at the midway fuel break. A flip victim in the last Bakersfield race, Western Region rookie of the year hopeful Lee Jensen passed Mike Corwin on the final lap to finish 2nd. Corwin ran third. Jeff Miller led the first 26 laps and spun out of second on lap 45. Perry VanScoy led the final 8 laps to win the 20 lap American Stock main event. He gained the lead when his son Jeremiah VanScoy pitted from the lead. Matt Wankum and first time racer Randy Schweitzer chased P VanScoy to the checkered flag.

With a couple track regulars in Antioch for the CarQuest Dirt Late Model show and a couple more needing new front clips, the special event for the IMCA Modifieds had an 18 car turnout. Last race winner Joe Antonetti blew in his heat race to end his night. Jensen won the first heat from 3rd starting over back row starter Childress, who drives a Harris. Gary Dutton came from 5th starting to win heat 2 over Lee Walker. Miller won heat 3 from the pole with fellow front row starter Jim Deines second. The feature lineup followed the national IMCA procedures and put Miller and Tom Gregory on the front row with point leading Childress 11th as Ventura Raceway rookie Jeff Graham shared row 6 in his first Bakersfield appearance. Childress knew that the key to the long race was to stay on the lead lap for the first 25 lap segment.

Miller led all 24 rounds prior to the midrace fuel stop. Walker settled into second and 10th starter Dutton gained fourth on lap 7. Doug Robinson spun for the first yellow flag and Dutton took third from Jim Deines on the restart. Jensen followed Dutton into fourth and Troy Morris Jr was fifth at lap 10. Mike Scott pitted with a flat right rear tire and Dutton got underneath Walker for 2nd on lap 18. Morris took fourth from Childress on lap 19, but spun for a lap 21 yellow flag. Dutton tried an inside run on leader Miller, but half spun for a lap 24 caution flag. The officials elected to call the midrace fuel stop at this time with Miller leading Walker, Childress and Corwin, who was debuting a new car. Childress made his charge to the front on the restart, taking second from Walker on lap 25 and getting the lead from Miller on lap 27. Corwin and Jensen were trading fourth place. Corwin got third from Walker on lap 38. The final 8 laps were slowed by three caution flags. Bill Gates and Walker tangled on lap 43 and Scott spun for a lap 44 yellow. Miller spun out of second on this restart and Bryan Terry spun for the last yellow flag on lap 48. Childress posed his first IMCA modified main event win with Jensen coming from fifth on lap 40 to pass Corwin on the last lap for second. Corwin was third ahead of Lin Deines, Miller, Phil Cook, Graham and Walker.

More new cars and drivers this week grew the American Stock field to 28 cars. Randy Jordan, Roy DeGeer Jr and P VanScoy all won heat races. Only 23 cars survived to start their 20 lap feature with top runner Ricky Spicer forced to start last after moving over to Kyle Spicers car for the feature. Wankum led three laps from his pole start before fifth starter J VanScoy took over. Debuting a new car after his last burned to the ground, Richie McGowan took third from Walt Farris III on the restart. McGowan then fell back with Farris back in third. Farris passed Wankum for second on lap 9. Amy Hedden pitted and race leader J VanScoy also pitted to hand the top spot to Farris ahead of P VanScoy and Wankum. Farris also dropped out as P VanScoy led those final 8 rounds for the win. Wankum was second and the steady effort of newcomer Schweitzer netted him a third from 15th starting. Mark Hogue crossed the finish line 4th, but failed to report to tech and was disqualified. This moved Roy DeGeer Jr up to 4th over Jordan, Spicer and Robert Smith.

Summary American Stock Heat 1-Randy Jordan, Chris Aldridge, Jeremiah VanScoy, Roy DeGeer Sr, Lonnie Boatman. Heat 2-Roy DeGeer Jr, Walt Farris III, Mark Hogue, Randy Schweitzer, Robert Smith. Heat 3-Perry VanScoy, Matt Wankum, Richie McGowan, Kyle Spicer, Jason Loth. Main-P VanScoy, Wankum, Schweitzer, DeGeer Jr, Jordan, Ricky Spicer, Smith, Christy Carl, Mark Morris, Eric Olson, Jack Little, Boatman, Amy Hedden, J VanScoy, Farris, Loth, Aldridge, Johnny Morales, Ken Patterson, Jesse Bowles, McGowan, DeGeer Sr. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Lee Jensen, Rick Childress, Mike Scott, Tom Gregory, Phil Cook. Heat 2-Gary Dutton, Lee Walker, Troy Morris Jr, Lin Deines, Bryan Terry. Heat 3-Jeff Miller, Jim Deines, Bill Gates, Jeff Graham, Rodney Jennings. Main-Childress, Jensen, Mike Corwin, L Deines, Miller, Cook, Graham, Walker, Jennings, Terry, Doug Robinson, Gates, Scott, Morris, Dutton, J Deines, Gregory.

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