InsideGroove - Race Report

CHOWCHILLA TRACK TITLES FOR O'HAGAN AND ODGERS

Chowchilla, CA -- Having joined the Chowchilla limited late model action late in the season, Antioch Speedway regular Mike Martin led the final 19 laps to win the 30 lap point season finale for the limited late models Friday night at Chowchilla Speedway. Mark Odgers ran second behind Martin and finished second in the season points to teammate Jerry O'Hagan. O'Hagan had just an 8 point lead on Bobby Burks entering the finale, but Burks did not show and O'Hagan ran sixth to wrap up the title. Charles Paul came from third starting to the lead in just 4 laps and outraced Nevada visitor Glen Plake to score a $500 win in the special 25 lap feature for the dirt modifieds. The Super Mini Fours and Mini Fours ran a combined 20 lap feature and James McGranahan was a popular winner in his VW Bug as he took the checkered flag 1/2 straight in front of Ike Reed. Mike Statt Jr paced the mini four contingent in fifth place. A former top runner at Merced Speedway in her younger days, Jeannie McAbee from Chowchilla led the final 18 laps to win the season finale for the lady hobby stocks. Darcie Odgers ran second and wrapped up the track championship in that class.

The limited late models had a 12 car turnout and Martin came from third starting and won the first heat by 1/4 lap over O'Hagan and Ben Lewis. Getting his first opportunity to race his truck bodied mount that Mark Cooper found on E-bay last winter, Steve Ewbank scored an impressive win in heat 2 ahead of Steve Bisordi Sr and Levi Peterson. Jeremy Petrell broke running 2nd. The Ewbank truck was actually built to race at Portland Speedway. The feature lineup was an invert 8 off the heat results and Dusty Green raced into the lead from the pole. M Odgers settled into second with Bisordi taking third from Peterson on lap 2. Bisordi was in the Paul Salaiz car. Lewis spun on lap 2 and exited a few laps later. Ewbank moved into fifth behind O'Hagan. Green built a lead over the five car duel for second. Bisordi spun in turn 1 on lap 11 and was hit hard by O'Hagan with Ewbank also involved. Everyone was able to restart with Martin now third over Peterson and Nathan Corn. Martin got underneath Green in turn 4 on lap 12 to take the lead with Corn putting his street stock into fourth behind Green and Odgers. Larry Pedrelli dropped out and both Peterson and Ewbank got back past Corn on lap 17. Odgers passed Green on the outside coming off turn 2 to take over second on lap 18. Once in front, Martin opened a gap on the field and the final caution came on lap 23 for a Corn spin. Petrell dropped out on the restart. In the closing laps, Odgers put heavy pressure on Martin, but couldn't pull off a pass losing by just one car length. Green ran third over Peterson, Ewbank, O'Hagan, Corn and Bisordi.

The $500 to win special for the dirt modifieds only drew 8 entries. X Games downhill ski champion Plake from Fallon, Nevada was impressive as he held off the stiff challenge from Paul to win the heat race with Jon Schlundt third. Merced Speedway regular Bill Saltzman, a former IMCA California State champion, and Chuck Harrell shared the front row for the feature. Harrell jumped into the lead, but spun in turn 2 without a caution and Brian Folkner limped to the pits. Schlundt ended up pacing the first 3 laps. Paul took second from Saltzman on lap 2 and Paul drove underneath Schlundt for the lead on lap 4. Schlundt got into the infield in turn 4 and dropped to fourth behind Saltzman and Plake on lap 6. Debris caused a lap 8 yellow and because the piece came from Schlundt's car, he was placed in the rear for the restart. On the restart, both Plake and Harrell were able to move by Saltzman for the 2-3 slots. Paul quickly built a half-straight lead and Harrell made an inside move on Plake as they lapped Ivan Scorsur to take over second. Scorsur lost a driveline for a lap 18 yellow flag. Harrell broke while 2nd with just 2 laps to run and Paul won by 1/3 lap over Plake, who had a 1/4 lap advantage on Nathan Corn. Schlundt ran fourth ahead of Saltzman.

The super mini fours had a four car turnout and McGranahan won the heat race over Dudley Reed. The mini fours had a six car heat and track point leader David Mullett won ahead of Russ Wells and Ray Caswell. Adam McEwen hit the wall coming turn 4 and ripped his right rear wheel off the car to end his night. In the combined feature, the faster class is placed in front of the slower division and D Reed raced into the lead over McGranahan and Ike Reed. Kristy Myers spun on the first lap and D Reed fell back to fourth when he got into the turn 2 infield tire. McGranahan led lap 3, but I Reed was in front on lap 4. Mullett was leading the Mini Four group in fifth when he crashed hard into the wall coming off turn 2 to heavily damage his mount on lap 6. Wells pitted with a flat the previous lap. D Reed was back to fourth ahead of Randy Velhuizen. A bobble by I Reed allowed McGranahan to retake the lead on lap 11 and D Reed used an outside pass to take second from his brother I Reed. D Reed spun in turn 2 on lap 18 and McGranahan won the 20 lapper by a half-straight over I Reed. D Reed retook third from Velhuizen late in the race and the two remaining mini fours, Statt and Laswell were both lapped by the leaders.

The lady hobby stock action drew 8 entries and McAbee won the heat race with a last lap outside run in lapped traffic around Donna Stephens. Teenaged Valerie Brewer ran third over D Odgers. Lisa McCollum led the first lap of their feature with Rachel Paul in second. Paul ran into McCollum in turn 3 and both spun on lap 2. Brewer got collected in the incident and Cindy Layton forced D Odgers up into the fence as they raced around the incident. Layton was first to the caution flag, but the officials restored McCollum to the lead for the restart as they made a rough driving call on R Paul. Both McAbee and D Odgers drove by McCollum on the restart and V Brewer was back to fourth on lap 4. Stephens made a pass to gain fourth on lap 10, but spun before the lap was completed. Brewer got by McCollum for third on lap 15. McCollum and Gina Folkner tangled for a lap 16 yellow and the restart drew a red flag when Brewer got out of shape and McCollum took a wild ride on the top of the back fence. McAbee led D Odgers for the remaining laps for the win, but D Odgers wrapped up the season title. Stephens was third in the race ahead of Layton and Brewer. McAbee started the night 10 points back of D Odgers and D Odgers second place run was enough to wrap up the track title.

Chowchilla Speedway has booked a special 30 lap, $1,000 to win dirt late model show on September 27 with bonus money for highest finishing stock front stub entries. Both the hobby stocks and figure 8 will race for $200 to win that night. On Oct 4-5, the wingless 360 sprint cars run a two-day, $1,000 to win special and the SORA Sprint 100's will be racing their Nationals event in conjunction. The dwarf cars will race on Saturday night only that weekend.

Summary Lady Hobby Stock Heat-Jeannie McAbee, Donna Stephens, Valerie Brewer, Darcie Odgers, Cindy Layton. Main-McAbee, Odgers, Stephens, Layton, Brewer, Gina Folkner, Rachel Paul, Lisa McCollum. Mini Four Heat-David Mullett, Russ Wells, Ray Laswell, Kristy Myers, Mike Statt Jr. Main-Statt, Laswell, Mullett, Wells. Super Mini Four Heat-James McGranahan, Dudley Reed, Randy Velhuizen. Main-McGranahan, Ike Reed, D Reed, Velhuizen. Modified Heat-Glen Plake, Charles Paul, Jon Schlundt, Nathan Corn, Chuck Harrell. Main-Paul, Plake, Corn, Schlundt, Bill Saltzman, Harrell, Ivan Scorsur, Brian Folkner. Limited Late Model Heat 1-Mike Martin, Jerry O'Hagan, Ben Lewis, Mark Odgers, Larry Pedrelli. Heat 2-Steve Ewbank, Steve Bisordi Sr, Levi Peterson, Dusty Green, Nathan Corn. Main-Martin, Odgers, Green, Peterson, Ewbank, O'Hagan, Corn, Bisordi, Dave Benoy, Jeremy Petrell, Pedrelli, Lewis.

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