InsideGroove - Race Report

HATFIELD WINS, FRONSMAN FIGHTING FOR TWO TITLES

Lake Pleasant, AZ -- Having emerged from retirement late last season, Arizona legend Kenny Hatfield raced to victory in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature Saturday night at Canyon Raceway. He led the final 8 laps and Mark Fowler ran second ahead of Eric Center. Battling for two track championships, rookie George Fronsman used an 8th place run to take the point lead by one point over Brian Combs. 2003 Super Stock titlest Fronsman also closed to within 12 points of that point lead with a win in the 20 lap super stock feature ahead of Joe Sarginger and Jerry Fincher. Rookie Ty Warner finished 4th and saw his point lead cut to those dozen tallies. Craig Carrajat made it three straight wins in the 20 lap pure stock main. A $50 bonus from 5 Star Engine Exchange increased his winner's payoff to $250, but he lost his engine to a claim. Frank Outlaw got his second bomber win of 2004 with point leader John Muller in second.

The IMCA Modifieds had a 25 car turnout and 24 of them survived to run the 20 lap feature. Heat winners were Guy Norton, Eric Center, Joe Warner and Terry Belcher Jr. E Center led the first 9 laps of the main event before 2003 champion Warner took over. With one lap down, multi car wrecks caused a pair of yellow flags. Darin Center stalled for a lap 11 yellow. Hatfield took the lead from Warner on lap 13 and Warner stalled a lap later for a yellow flag. Earlier, point title contender Combs stalled to miss an out of shape Fowler. The last yellow came on lap 18 when a tap sent Kenny Wyman spinning. Sixteen cars finished the feature with 13 on the lead lap as Hatfield won ahead of Fowler, E Center, Mark Dryer, John Morris Jr, Belcher, Norton, Fronsman, Floyd Vaughan and Dave Craft. Fronsman emerged with a one point lead on Combs and 6 ahead of D Center. Shawn Zelenka is just 8 points of the lead and both Fowler and Ward are 10 points back of the leader.

The super stock turnout was down to 14 cars. Fronsman won the first heat ahead of Dave Dulceak and Doug Porter beat James Seaton in heat 2. Their 20 lap feature had just two quick yellow flags. Porter led the first two laps before Seaton took over. Rookie Nick Stenzel spun for a lap 9 caution. Seaton led until lap 17 when Fronsman drove by him. Seaton then drilled Fronsman in turn 3 and Fronsman spun. Fronsman was restored to the lead and Seaton disqualified from the race. Cars were tangled all around the track on the final lap as Fronsman won ahead of Joe Sarginger, Fincher, T Warner, Dennis Glover, Dulceak and Hillbilly Campbell. T Warner holds the 12 point lead on Fronsman with rookie Gene Povinelli falling 23 points back in third. Chris Carter and Seaton round out the top five in points.

The pure stocks had 22 cars in action and 18 survived to see the checkered flag in their 20 lap feature. Heat winners were Bob Smith, Craig Carrajat and point championship challenger Scott Hollon. Carrajat led all 20 laps in the main event and closest point challenger Hollon was out on lap 2. That increased Carrajat's point lead to 15 over Hollon. A caution fell on lap 15 when 14 year old rookie Tony Steele got tapped and spun. Anthony Madrid finished second ahead of Ty Weidner, Mike Huneycutt, Andy Huffman, Marlowe Wrightsman, Brandon Jackson and Ron Neis. Huffman is 12 points back of Hollon in third in points, just 2 ahead of Huneycutt.

The Bombers had their biggest turnout of 2004 with 12 cars racing. Vince Outlaw beat Kenton Moore in heat 1 and Muller beat Donnie Birmingham in heat 2. F Outlaw led the first 3 laps of the main before Birmingham took over. F Outlaw was leading again on lap 5 and Birmingham fell out. Seven cars finished with F Outlaw trailed by Muller, Lonnie Horgen, Moore, Les Horgen and Randy Neis. Muller holds a six point lead on both Lonnie and Les Horgen with F Outlaw another ten points back in fourth.

The SCOA winged sprint rainout has been rescheduled for June 5 when they will be joined by the IMCA Modifieds and Arizona Dwarf Cars. Both the pure stocks and bombers have been moved off that date.

Summary Bomber Heat 1-Vince Outlaw, Kenton Moore, Frank Outlaw, Lonnie Horgen, Scott Gunn. Heat 2-John Muller, Dennis Birmingham, Corey Baker, Les Horgen, Randy Neis. Main-F Outlaw, Muller, Lonnie Horgen, Moore, Les Horgen, Neis, Danny Cranton, Gunn, Baker, Birmingham, Jacob Rohda. Pure Stock Heat 1-Bob Smith, Ty Weidner, Tony Steele, Terry Bridges, Jeremy Maggard. Heat 2-Craig Carrajat, Mike Huneycutt, Anthony Madrid, Andy Huffman, John Drake. Heat 3-Scott Hollon, Marlowe Wrightsman, Joe Parmeley, Ron Poe, Jackie Parmeley. Main-Carrajat, Madrid, Weidner, Huneycutt, Huffman, Wrightsman, Brandon Jackson, Neis, Smith, Steele, Cody Center, Maggard, Gene Hester, Bridges, Corey Butler, Hollon, Joe Parmeley, Poe, Jackie Parmeley. Super Stock Heat 1-George Fronsman, Dave Dulceak, Gene Povinelli, Chris Carter, Joe Sarginger. Heat 2-Doug Porter, James Seaton, Ty Warner, Hillbilly Campbell, Dennis Glover. Main-Fronsman, Sarginger, Jerry Fincher, Warner, Glover, Dulceak, Campbell, Porter, Nick Stenzel, Stephen Lumpkin, Carter, Povinelli. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Guy Norton, Shawn Zelenka, Matt Phillips, Rick Ward, Robert Ostrom. Heat 2-Eric Center, Jason Noll, Lance Salo, George Fronsman, Dave Craft. Heat 3-Joe Warner, Brian Combs, John Morris Jr, Tom Wyman, Mark Fowler. Heat 4-Terry Belcher Jr, Kenny Hatfield, Kenny Wyman, Floyd Vaughan, Darin Center. Main-Hatfield, Fowler, E Center, Mark Dryer, Morris, Belcher, Norton, Fronsman, Vaughan, Craft, Jim MacNeil, K Wyman, Combs, Ward, Lonnie Ranft, Ostrom, John Cox, Warner, Salo, Phillips, D Center, Jason Noll, Zelenka, T Wyman.
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