InsideGroove - Race Report

STEVE DRAKE FIRST REPEAT WINNER IN MAC TOOLS ACTION

Oildale, CA --

After timing in 2nd quick and placing third in the dash, heat winner Steve Drake grabbed the lead from previous race winner Dick Shepherd on the initial green flag and became the first repeat winner in four races for the MAC Tools Super Dirt Late Models with his $2000 victory Saturday night in the 40 lap feature at Bakersfield Speedway Park. Shepherd was a race long second for a $900 payday and fast timer Eric Jacobsen was the final lead lap finisher in the quick race that was slowed by just a single yellow flag. Shepherd pocketed $200 for his dash win and both Drake and Shepherd earned $100 from Little Darlin's Child Care for their heat wins. Jacobsen's fast time paid $100. Continuing to close ground on season point leader Larry Hood, Brad Pounds made it three straight wins and six overall in 2003 in the 25 lap IMCA Modified feature. He took the lead from Merced's Bob Williamson Sr on lap 13 and Williamson enjoyed his best Bakersfield run with a second in his D&M Performance mount behind the Xtreme Chassis of B Pounds. B Pounds is fourth in track points 28 behind L Hood. The American Stock results are provisional as the cams were removed from the top finishers and that inspection will be completed on Monday. Don Mead took the lead from Steve McKinley on lap 13 and was the first car across the finish line, but he was disqualified when he elected not to tear his engine down. Point leader Mark Hogue will now be the winner if he passes the inspection test with Jesse Bowles second ahead of McKinley.

With series regulars Bill and Ron Bartels both racing the $20,000 Desert Storm event in Ely, Nevada, the super dirt late models fielded 10 cars. Jacobsen was the quickest in time trials with his 13.798 qualifying run in a Rayburn. Drake put his Rocket in the second spot at 14.008 and Shepherd was third quick with his Pitts at 14.124. Dana Nelson was the final dash qualifier at 14.379. Shepherd got the $200 dash win from his outside front row start as Jacobsen and Drake chased him across the line. The battle for the $100 heat wins put the fast qualifiers in front. Shepherd outdueled Jacobsen for the heat one win and Drake took heat 2 from the pole with Nelson second. The lineup for the 40 lap feature was straight up off the heat finishes, putting Shepherd and Drake on the front row ahead of Jacobsen, Nelson, Scott Pounds and Mike Corwin. Drake had the favored outside front row assignment and he took a quick lead over Shepherd, Jacobsen and Nelson. Larry Childress was an early retiree after being lapped. Pounds took fifth from Nelson on lap 14. Pounds and Corwin both got by Nelson on lap 16 for the 4-5 slots, but Nelson regained fifth a lap later. Pounds and Nelson got together on lap 19 and both were lapped in the incident. Pounds elected to pull off while Nelson idled around a couple more laps before quitting. A J Kirkpatrick inherited fourth ahead of Corwin. Kirkpatrick was lapped by the flying Drake just before midway. Rookie Donnie McGowan hit the wall for the only yellow flag on lap 29 and Corwin pulled off. Drake again raced in front of Shepherd on the green flag for the special $2000 win. Shepherd settled for the $900 second and Jacobsen was a $650 third. Santa Maria Speedway point leader Devin Crockett earned $500 for his fourth, one lap down and Kirkpatrick was the final finisher. Shepherd's point lead is 4 over Jacobsen with rookies Kirkpatrick and Corwin tied for third, 44 points out of first. S Pounds is just 4 points behind the tied duo.

The IMCA Modified field was down to 17 cars with third ranked point racer and former track champion Steve Smothermon missing from action. B Pounds showed his strength from the beginning of the night as he came from 4th to win the dash over outside front row starter Chris Mendenhall. Mike Hood came from 4th to win heat 1 over back row starter Gary Dutton. Rookie Cory Turner wheeled the former Eric Jacobsen driven Joe Carr creation to a win in heat 2 over Mike Scott. B Pounds again came from fourth to win heat 3 with Williamson Sr second. The feature race had only 14 starters as Jeff Miller hit the wall in his heat and both Jimmy Goldsmith and Marvin Leist joined him on the sidelines. Mendenhall and Williamson shared the front row for the 25 lap feature with B Pounds and Dutton in row 4. Williamson raced into the lead over Mendenhall and rookie David Childress. B Pounds was fifth on lap 1 and fourth on lap 2. B Pounds grabbed third from D Childress with an inside pass on lap 6 and he got around Mendenhall for second before the onlyyellow flag dropped on lap 10. M Hood raced into fourth on the restart and B Pounds inside challenge of Williamson netted him the lead on lap 13. M Hood was able to get by Mendenhall for third on lap 22 and defending track champion Rick Childress took fifth from point leader L Hood on lap 23. B Pounds won ahead of Williamson, M Hood, Mendenhall, R Childress, Dutton, L Hood and Turner. The teenaged point leader L Hood holds just a 10 point advantage on R Childress, a 23 point lead on Dutton and a 28 point advantage on 17 year old B Pounds. The absent Smothermon is still fifth, 2 ahead of Scott and 6 in front of D Childress.

Eric Jones was the American Stock dash winner from third starting. They split 14 cars into a pair of heat races and Hogue came from fifth to win heat 1 over Christine Carl. Mead beat Bowles in heat 2. The scratch of Shawn Kinnard left a 13 car main event. Conrad Feliks led five rounds from the pole with fourth starting McKinley around Michael Johnson for second on lap 2. Mead was third on lap 4 and leader Feliks broke for a lap 6 caution with McKinley the new leader over Mead and Bowles. Hogue raced into third on lap 8 and the trio of Mead, Hogue and Johnson all got by McKinley for the 1-2-3 slots on lap 13. Mead led the field to the checkered flag, but refused to take his motor apart in the no money class. Hogue advanced to first ahead of Bowles, McKinley, Carl and Rose Tyack, but everything is provisional based on the outcome of the cam inspections.

Summary American Stock Dash-Eric Jones, Jesse Bowles, Don Mead. Heat 1-Mark Hogue, Christine Carl, Rose Tyack. Heat 2-Mead, Bowles, Matt Woessner, Steve McKinley, Shawn Schweitzer. Main-Hogue, Bowles, McKinley, Carl, Tyack, Schweitzer, Conrad Feliks, Robbie Truesdale, Michael Johnson, Dano Blount, Earl Farris, Woessner. IMCA Modified Dash-Brad Pounds, Chris Mendenhall, Mike Hood. Heat 1-M Hood, Gary Dutton, Larry Hood, Mendenhall, Steve Morrison. Heat 2-Cory Turner, Mike Scott, Bryan Terry, Brady Bell, Jeff Miller. Heat 3-Pounds, Bob Williamson Sr, Rick Childress, David Childress, Robert Sanders. Main-Pounds, Williamson, M Hood, Mendenhall, R Childress, Dutton, L Hood, Turner, Scott, D Childress, Bell, Terry, Morrison, Sanders. Dirt Late Model Fast Time-Eric Jacobsen 13.798. Dash-Dick Shepherd, Jacobsen, Steve Drake. Heat 1-Shepherd, Jacobsen, Scott Pounds, Devin Crockett, Larry Childress. Heat 2-Drake, Dana Nelson, Mike Corwin, A J Kirkpatrick, Donnie McGowan. Main-Drake, Shepherd, Jacobsen, Crockett, Kirkpatrick, Corwin, McGowan, Nelson, Pounds, Childress.
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