InsideGroove - Race Report

REBEL POINTS TIGHTEN AFTER FIRST ISHII WIN

Hanford, CA -- Garrett Ishii outdueled Tim Worth and Davey Key to win the 30 lap Rebel Winged 360 Sprint Car feature at Kings Speedway on Saturday night. The fourth quick qualifier, Ishii had to come from row 4 in the ten car inversion. His first win of 2004 leaves him just 6 points behind point leader Key in a three way tie for fourth place in points on the traveling series. Paul Stone won his second straight IMCA Modified main event and closed within 7 points of point leading Bryan Burnes, the defending track champion. In between his two Kings wins, Stone also pocketed a $500 victory at Chowchilla Speedway with his new Victory Chassis. Stone came from 10th starting to post his win as 4th starter Steve Smothermon ran second ahead of Burnes and 20th starting Chad Patterson. Fresh off two straight wins at his home track, rookie Bakersfield super street stock racer Robby Sawyer made his first visit to the big 3/8 mile clay oval pay off as he won the 20 lap Hot Stock main event from the pole. He had a huge lead at the checkered flag over 8th starting Paul Pelletier while new track regular Debbie Taylor from Novato ran third. Rookie Rodney Sullivan was fourth in the former Rick Tarr track title car and holds just a 2 point lead on 2nd race winner Ron D'Artenay.

The winged 360 Rebel sprint cars drew an 18 car field and Andy Ferris paced time trials ahead of Tommy Tarlton, Ricci Faria, Ishii, Ronnie Day and young Robert Ballou. The field was split into three heat races. Outside front row starter Mark Barroso won the first heat ahead of Petaluma's Jeff Delte and Ferris. Lawrence Edlund came from 4th to win heat 2 ahead of Day and Tarlton. Impressive rookie Colby Solomon from Fresno won heat 3 from an outside front row start with Key second ahead of Jerry Pelayo. Faria's heat race problems saw them scratch from the main event and that put visitor Richard Brace Jr from Auburn on the pole with the ten car inversion. Worth shared the front row ahead of Edlund and Delte with Tarlton and Ferris lined up in row 5. Ishii chased down Brace, Worth and Key to win the 30 lapper from 7th starting.Worth ran second ahead of Key, Brace, Ballou, Ferris, John Giffin, Edlund, Solomon and Pelayo. Day was 14th and Tarlton 17th. Key carries a one point lead over Ferris and a 3 point margin over Tarlton into the May 8th Hanford race where they will be joined by the USAC Midgets and the USAC Ford Focus Midgets. Ishii, Worth and Day are all tied for fourth, just 6 points out of the lead.

With Watsonville not racing the class on the weekend, three of their regulars joined the Kings Speedway action to give the IMCA Modifieds a 21 car turnout. Ed Nichols beat Bobby Burks and Claudine Contente in heat 1 while Tom Stidham won heat 2 over Billy Wilker and recent Watsonville winner Todd Hermosillo. Steve Smothermon put the Donnie Range car in the winner's circle for heat 3 ahead of Marcus Aue and Mark Hamblin. Newcomer Jory Rothenfluh was a main event scratch to leave a 20 car feature. There was plenty of passing in that 20 lapper as Stone came from 10th to win. Smothermon started 4th and finished 2nd ahead of 11th starting Burnes. Chad Patterson tagged the field and made a dramatic charge to 4th ahead of Gerard Felipe, Contente, Hamblin, Watsonville regular Mark Sargent and Aue. Burnes holds a 7 point lead on Stone with Contente another 7 points back in third. Hamblin is 4th in points, 19 points back of leader Burnes.

The Hot Stocks had an 11 car turnout. Enduro graduate Sullivan continued his impressive rookie season with a win in heat 1 over J T Contente and Tony Contente. Previous race feature winner Ron D'Artenay won heat 2 ahead of Johnny Cardoza and Sawyer. The 20 lap feature lineup put Sawyer, J Contente, Cardoza and T Contente at the front of the field. Top runners Sullivan, D'Artenay and Paul Pelletier all live in the small community of Coalinga. Sawyer won the feature race from the pole with Pelletier coming from the 4th row for second ahead of 7th starter Taylor, Sullivan, J Contente and T Contente. Sullivan's point lead is 2 points over D'Artenay with T Contente just 6 points out of the lead. Taylor is 3 points back of T Contente and 3 ahead of Pelletier.

Summary Hot Stock Heat 1-Rodney Sullivan, J T Contente, Tony Contente, Luis Avila, Paul Pelletier. Heat 2-Ron D'Artenay, Johnny Cardoza, Robby Sawyer, Debbie Taylor, Eddie Drayden. Main-Sawyer, Pelletier, Taylor, Sullivan, J Contente, T Contente, D'Artenay, Cardoza, Drayden, Avila, Kristian Reynolds. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Ed Nichols, Bobby Burks, Claudine Contente, Gerard Felipe, Jon Schlundt. Heat 2-Tom Stidham, Billy Wilker, Todd Hermosillo, Paul Stone, Andy Obertello. Heat 3-Steve Smothermon, Marcus Aue, Mark Hamblin, Bryan Burnes, Mark Sargent. Main-Stone, Smothermon, Burnes, Chad Patterson, Felipe, Contente, Hamblin, Sargent, Aue, Wilker, Obertello, Burks, Joe Chapman, Stidham, Hermosillo, William Woodbridge, Jim Reed, Nichols, Arthur Deavult, Schlundt. Rebel Winged 360 Sprint Car Fast Time-Andy Ferris. Heat 1-Mark Barroso, Jeff Delte, Ferris, Garrett Ishii, John Giffin. Heat 2-Lawrence Edlund, Ronnie Day, Tommy Tarlton, Richard Brace Jr, Gary Caldwell. Heat 3-Colby Solomon, Davey Key, Jerry Pelayo, Tim Worth, Robert Ballou. Main-Ishii, Worth, Key, Brace, Ballou, Ferris, Giffin, Edlund, Solomon, Pelayo, Chuck Herrin, Caldwell, Barroso, Day, Delte, Jeff Botelho, Tarlton
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