InsideGroove - Race Report

BRAD POUNDS BEATS NASCAR STARS FOR $3000 PAYDAY

Oildale, Ca -- After trading the lead with NASCAR star Dave Byrd several times, 19 year old Brad Pounds paced the final 21 laps to score a $3000 win in the 40 lap dirt modified feature at Bakersfield Speedway Park on Saturday night during the 18th Annual Budweiser Western Dirt Track Nationals. Pounds enjoyed a perfect weekend in his Xtreme Chassis as he won his heat, the 12 lap qualifying main on Friday night and the 40 lap A Main. The entire Pounds race team is moving to Knoxville TN in Jan 2004 to further the racing career efforts for both Brad and his father, legend Scott Pounds. B Pounds won 9 main events during the IMCA Modified point season at the track. Byrd shared the front row with B Pounds at the start of the 40 lapper and ran 1-2 all the way with Byrd collecting $1500 for his run in the Bob Foote GRT. Forced to battle from the rear in the B Main, Watsonville champion Bobby Hogge IV came from 18th starting to finish third in his Joe Carr chassis for a $900 payday. Charles Paul ran a strong fourth for $700 and double division racer Billy Griffin was a $500 fifth.

Forty three modifieds checked in on Friday night and they were divided into four 8 lap qualifying heat races with just the top three finishers in each moving into the 40 lap A Main. Pounds had the pole for heat 1 and he beat fellow front row starter Jimmy Irwin to the checkered flag. The track owners, the Schweitzer family, recently purchased the Brian Terry car for Irwin to drive. Merced star Bob Williamson Sr came from 10th starting to finish third with a rim riding effort. Byrd showed his strength by charging from 10th to the lead in heat 2 using a high line. Third starter Paul ran second and Chowchilla star Jack Stanford got crashed out of third on the final lap. Jeff Miller gained that third transfer. NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series star Jim Pettit II drove his Cobra from third starting to a win in heat 3 over Mike Hood and pole starter Steve Morrison. Griffin also used a high line as he wheeled Ken Hobsons Xtreme Chassis from 8th to win heat 4 ahead of Hanford titlest Bryan Burnes and Jimmy Reeves. The 12 Friday night qualifiers ran a 12 lap feature to determine the starting order for the front six rows in the 40 lapper. Irwin scratched with engine woes and Pounds led all 12 laps from the pole. Byrd and Pettit were 2-3 all the way. Paul took fourth from M Hood on lap 2 and stayed there with Williamson fifth ahead of Griffin and Burnes.

The final 10 A Main starting spots were determined in a 15 lap B Main. Billy Wilker led the first 2 laps as fourth row starter Kellen Chadwick rode a high line to the front of the field. The winner of the big Elma WA race two straight years, K Chadwick raced into the lead on lap 3 and was never threatened. Bakersfields teenaged track champion Larry Hood gained second on lap 4 and stayed there. Troy Morris Jr passed Mike Scott on lap 12 and finished third ahead of Scott, Wilker and Hogge, who restarted in the rear after pitting on lap 1. Also moving forward were Kenny Neu, Brian Cass, Rick Childress and Brady Bell. California State IMCA Modified and Chowchilla Speedway dirt mod titlest Bill Saltzman won the 12 lap C Main ahead of Robert Sanders, Watsonville long tow Jeffrey Priddy, Bell and Ray Mayer.

Pounds and Byrd brought the 22 car field down for the green flag in the 40 lap feature and it was outside front row starter Byrd racing into the lead over Pounds, Paul and Pettit. While the other leaders were riding a high line, Pettit stayed on the bottom until passes by both Williamson and Griffin shuffled him out of the top five on lap 9. Williamson broke on lap 13 to end a great run with Griffin now fourth. Pounds ducked inside Byrd to pace lap 17, but Byrd was back in front on laps 18-19. Pounds retook the lead from Byrd as they were lapping 2002 track champion Childress on lap 20. Hogge had come from the 9th row to sixth and he was dueling Pettit. The first yellow flag of the clean race came on lap 26 with Childress stopped high in turn 4. Hogge and Pettit continued to duel for fifth until Hogge also raced by Griffin for fourth on lap 32. The lead duo of Pounds and Byrd had opened a 1/3 lap lead on third place Paul. Wilker limped off the track after clipping the turn 4 wall. A tangle between Scott and Troy Morris Jr forced a lap 36 yellow flag and Irwin fell out. Pounds stayed out front for the win with Byrd second ahead of Hogge IV, Paul, Griffin, Pettit, Miller, Chadwick, L Hood, Morris and Reeves. The last two Hanford champions Burnes and Cass were the final lead lap finishers.

Summary Heat 1-Brad Pounds, Jimmy Irwin, Bob Williamson Sr, Cory Turner, Troy Morris Jr. Heat 2-Dave Byrd, Charles Paul, Jeff Miller, Billy Wilker, Bobby Hogge IV. Heat 3-Jim Pettit II, Mike Hood, Steve Morrison, Mike Scott, Larry Blake. Heat 4-Billy Griffin, Bryan Burnes, Jimmy Reeves, Larry Hood, Kellen Chadwick. Qualifying Main-Pounds, Byrd, Pettit, Paul, Williamson, Griffin, Burnes, M Hood, Morrison, Reeves, Miller. C Main-Bill Saltzman, Robert Sanders, Jeffrey Priddy, Brady Bell, Ray Mayer, William Woodbridge, Buck Cox, Rick Childress, Jim Deines, Jason Selvidge, Chris Tonoli, Marvin Leist. B Main-Chadwick, L Hood, Morris, Scott, Wilker, Hogge, Kenny Neu, Brian Cass, Childress, Bell, Saltzman, Selvidge, Sanders, Tom Smith, Priddy, Cox, Mayer. A Main-Pounds, Byrd, Hogge, Paul, Griffin, Pettit, Miller, Chadwick, L Hood, Morris, Reeves, Burnes, Cass, Scott, Bell, M Hood, Neu, Morrison, Childress, Irwin, Wilker, Williamson.
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