InsideGroove - Race Report

FIRST WINS FOR MILLER AND CECIL

Oildale, CA -- The first IMCA Modified 25 lap feature win for 2004 for former dirt late model racer Jeff Miller came in impressive fashion Saturday night as he led the final 24 laps at Bakersfield Speedway Park. Sponsored by Lenox Homes, Miller had earlier won his heat race and his early move from 4th to 1st netted him the lead in the feature race. Jason Selvidge also enjoyed his best 2004 run with his D&M Performance mount as he ran second ahead of previous week winner Mike Hood and David Childress. D Childress has started wheeling Doug Thompson's IMCA Modified as a reward for the work that he is doing on the Thompson dirt late model effort. D Childress enjoyed a big night as he won his heat race and the dash. The American Stock 20 lapper was decided on the final lap as James Cecil made an outside run around dash winner Wayne Dotson to pick off his career first win. Dotson ran second ahead of new point leader Christine Carl and Sam Henry.

The IMCA Modifieds split 17 cars into three heat races. D Childress came from 4th to win heat 1 over Chett Reeves. Larry Hood broke an engine racing in 4th and had to bring out a backup car for the 25 lap feature. Nick Sylvester won heat 2 from the pole as Selvidge ran second. Third starting Miller won heat 3 ahead of Brady Bell and Lee Jensen. D Childress beat Bell and Sylvester in the dash. Jimmy Goldsmith was a feature scratch and 2002 champion Rick Childress was flagged off the track during the feature pace laps due to a severe smoking problem. The 25 lap main event was run with just two quick yellow flags. Outside front row starter Sylvester led the first lap with 4th starter Miller into third behind Reeves. On lap 2, Miller and Bell jumped up to the 1-2 slots and Selvidge raced into 4th behind Sylvester. Reeves stalled with a flat tire for a lap 7 yellow flag and Selvidge had now moved around Sylvester for third. M Hood raced into fourth on the restart and D Childress gained fifth on lap 9. Reeves fell out after clipping the fence on lap 15 and Selvidge grabbed second from Bell on lap 16. The last yellow saw Jim Deines and Marvin Leist tangled. When Selvidge bobbled in turn 4 on lap 20, Bell had to slow and he lost third to M Hood in the process. The race had a wild finish as Jensen got into the front fence and get hit by Mike Scott. Miller won by 1/4 lap over Selvidge with M Hood third ahead of D Childress, Bell, point leader Sidney Payne and the crashing Jensen and Scott. L Hood was 10th. Payne's point lead is now 4 over both Scott and L Hood.

The American Stocks split 20 cars into a three heat format. Dotson got his fourth heat win of the year as he outraced Cecil and Jacky Wood in heat 1. Chris Martin won heat 2 over pole starter Michael Johnson. Mike McInnerney beat fellow front row starter Michelle Childress in heat 3. Dotson then won his third dash of 2004 ahead of Martin and McInnerney. Despite hitting the front wall on the start, McInnerney settled into second place behind Wood at the start of the 20 lap feature. The first caution fell as Mike Armitage spun and got clipped by Jesse Bowles. Wood was out as he lost a tire. Dotson led lap 2 over McInnerney and Jason Bannister. Cecil gained third on lap 4, but lost the spot back to Bannister on lap 7. Robert Swearengin hit the wall in turn 3 hard. Incoming point leader Johnny McKinley got out of shape racing in fifth and spun for a lap 10 yellow flag. Martin had to pit with a flat tire. Cecil and M Johnson gained the 3-4 slots on this restart and the contact racing up front put McInnerney into the back fence on lap 14. McInnerney fell back to 4th with Cecil now second over M Johnson and Carl. M Johnson lost a wheel for a lap 14 yellow flag and McInnerney pitted. Dotson led Cecil, Carl and Henry on this restart. Dotson appeared headed to the win, but a final yellow flag on lap 18 saw Troy Thomas crash into the front fence. He was rearended at high speed by J McKinley ending the race for both. This gave Cecil a final two lap shot at leader Dotson. Cecil was able to pull alongside Dotson on the final lap and pull off an outside groove pass on the final straight for his first win. Dotson ran second over Carl, Henry, Bannister, M Johnson, Steve McKinley and McInnerney. Carl came out of the night with just a 2 point lead on Henry with J McKinley falling back.

Summary American Stock Dash-Wayne Dotson, Chris Martin, Michelle Childress. Heat 1-Dotson, James Cecil, Jacky Wood, Mike Armitage, Lee Walker. Heat 2-Martin, Michael Johnson, Sam Henry, Jason Bannister, Christine Carl. Heat 3-Mike McInnerney, M Childress, Jesse Bowles, Johnny McKinley, Adam Watkins. Main-Cecil, Dotson, Carl, Henry, Bannister, Steve McKinley, McInnerney, M Childress, Johnson, J McKinley, Troy Thomas, Robert Swearengin, Mike Boyd, Walker, Martin, Bowles, Watkins, Wood, Armitage. IMCA Modified Dash-David Childress, Brady Bell, Nick Sylvester. Heat 1-D Childress, Chett Reeves, Lin Deines, Rick Childress, Larry Hood. Heat 2-Sylvester, Jason Selvidge, Mike Hood, Sidney Payne, Jim Deines. Heat 3-Jeff Miller, Bell, Lee Jensen, Mike Scott, Marvin Leist. Main-Miller, Selvidge, M Hood, D Childress, Bell, Payne, Jensen, Scott, L Hood, Steve Morrison, J Deines, Leist, L Deines, Sylvester, Reeves.
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