InsideGroove - Race Report

THREE STRAIGHT FOR JOHNSON, SECOND WIN FOR BRAD POUNDS

Bakersfield, Ca -- Taking the lead from Jeff Miller with just four laps to run, 17 year old Brad Pounds won his second 20 lap IMCA Modified main event Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway Park. Miller spun in the final corner and Mike Corwin ended up second ahead of point leader Rick Childress. Pounds wheels a Qwik Chassis built in Texas and maintained with the help of Terry Henry's Race Prep company. Bruce Johnson has been very impressive since he moved into his own new car about one month ago. He won his third straight 20 lap Big O Tires hobby stock feature with Porterville's Ted Rogers a strong second over Tom Klamorick. Point leader M'Lissa Manzella ran fourth.

The IMCA Modifieds had a 19 car turnout including former NASCAR Pacific Coast Regional champion Bobby Hogge. Gary Dutton won the first heat race over Mike Scott with Hogge impressing as he drove to a win in heat 2 from sixth starting. Miller ran second in that race. Troy Morris Jr won heat 3 from an outside front row start with Pounds second. Billy Griffin broke in hot laps to end his night. In their 20 lap feature, Jim Deines and Scott each led a single lap before Miller took over. Dutton fell back with a lap 2 spin and no caution. Morris took second from Scott on lap 4, but Scott rebounded to 2nd on lap 6 when Morris dropped behind Corwin and Pounds. The 20 lapper was run with just two short caution flags. Corwin passed Scott for second on lap 8 with both Pounds and Hogge getting by Scott on lap 11 for the 3-4 slots. Pounds got by Corwin on the outside for 2nd before Rodney Jennings crashed for a lap 12 yellow flag. Hogge and Corwin traded third several times when racing resumed and Pounds was unable to use his high groove efforts to take the lead from Miller's Warrior Chassis. Jim Deines dropped out with a broken front end and Pounds used an inside pass in turn 4 to take the lead from Miller on lap 17. The leaders were ready to take the white flag when Morris spun to force a two lap shootout for the win. Pounds again commanded Miller, Hogge and Corwin on this start. On the final lap, Hogge slowed on the backstretch to fall out of the claimable spots and Miller then spun in turn 4 to juggle the standings. Pounds was followed at the checkered flag by Corwin, Childress, Scott, Lee Walker, Darrell Hood in his modified debut in the former Jason Selvidge car, Hogge, Dutton and Jack Parker.

The 20 hobby stocks were divided into three heat races. Lou Wolfe won the first over Brian Puckett with Roger Brewer's El Camino in third. Johnson won heat 2 over Mike Lee and Manzella. Zach Forrester won heat 3 with Larry Hood second. The feature race had to be restarted when David Hayder spun and was hit by Hood. Making his 2002 debut, Jacky Wood exited. Lee led the first 5 laps before he got tangled up with Wolfe as Hood gained the lead over Johnson and Klamorick. Brian Puckett was now fourth and Lee pitted with a flat tire. Debris forced a lap 9 yellow flag and teenaged rookie Hood had to pit with a flat right front tire. When action resumed, Johnson led Klamorick, Puckett and Rogers. Puckett spun and Laura Farris spun when she lost a tire for a lap 12 yellow. Rogers was now third and second place Klamorick began to smoke. Another flat slowed Hood and Rogers got by Klamorick for 2nd on lap 18. Klamorick finished third ahead of Manzella, Puckett, last starter Robby Sawyer, Steve Cimental and Wolfe.

Summary Hobby Stock Heat 1-Lou Wolfe, Brian Puckett, Roger Brewer, Tom Klamorick, Chris Taylor. Heat 2-Bruce Johnson, Mike Lee, M'Lissa Manzella, Ted Rogers, Jacky Wood. Heat 3-Zach Forrester, Larry Hood, Steve Cimental, David Hayder, Chett Reeves. Main-Johnson, Rogers, Klamorick, Manzella, Puckett, Robby Sawyer, Cimental, Wolfe, Brewer, Russ Spillman, Reeves, Taylor, John Fenton, Hood, Hayder, Laura Farris, Frank Farris, Forrester, Lee, Wood. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Gary Dutton, Mike Scott, Lee Walker, Lee Jensen, Darrell Hood. Heat 2-Bobby Hogge, Jeff Miller, Mike Corwin, Rick Childress, Lin Deines. Heat 3-Troy Morris Jr, Brad Pounds, Jim Deines, Rodney Jennings, Tom Gregory. Main-Pounds, Corwin, Childress, Scott, Walker, Hood, Hogge, Dutton, Jack Parker, Doug Robinson, Jennings, Lin Deines, Miller, Bill Gates, Jensen, Morris, Gregory, J Deines.
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