InsideGroove - Race Report

SIX WINS FOR JEFF MILLER, NINE STRAIGHT DIFFERENT IN NMRA

Oildale, CA -- Leading from lap 9, Jeff Miller won his sixth IMCA Modified feature of 2004 Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway Park with the checkered flag falling early on lap 16 when the time limit expired. David Childress attempted to claim Miller's engine, but it was determined that he had missed one of the two previous races making the claim invalid. Sidney Payne closed to within 7 points of point leading Larry Hood with a 2nd place finish ahead of Buck Cox and Brady Bell. Miller is only 16 points out of first as he pulled into a tie for third in points with Mike Hood. The NMRA TQ Midget feature was decided on a final lap restart and rim riding Walt Johnson got that win to give the traveling club an incredible 9 different winners in their first 9 races of 2004. Point leader Steve Lambert had led from lap 12, but a spin by Bruce Hiroshima forced a restart with just the one lap remaining and Johnson drove by him on the outside for the win. Lambert ran second ahead of Michael Bliffen and Kenny Wiley.

The IMCA Modifieds had a 22 car turnout and Nick Sylvester won the first heat ahead of Miller and Lou Tompkins. Sylvester ran the race with his hot light on and his hurry to get off the track saw him crash into the exit gate, ending his night. Usual Kings Speedway racer Steve Smothermon took heat 2 from last starting over Payne and Jim Deines. Fifth starter Mike Scott, having missed the last race while on vacation, returned with a win in heat 3 over Lonnie Welch and Jimmy Irwin. The scheduled 25 lap feature was slowed by a half-dozen yellow flags before getting ended early on lap 16. Welch led early over J Deines and Tompkins. Miller gained third on lap 2 and both M Hood and Cox made early pit stops. Tompkins suffered a flat and Miller raced into second on lap 5. The next caution came on lap 8 when Lin Deines spun and got hit by Wes Richardson, Daivd Childress and M Hood. Miller used an inside pass in turn 3 to take the lead from Welch on lap 9. Welch made hard contact with the front fence for a lap 10 yellow with J Deines now second over Scott and Payne. Jensen and M Hood tangled for a lap 12 yellow and the restart found second place J Deines spinning the lapped car of Marvin Leist to force a big tangle. J Deines was penalized to the rear and Payne inherited second. Only four more laps were run, but Payne made his bid to win the race at the white flag. Payne passed Miller in turn 1, but Miller drove hard into turn 3 to regain the top spot. The track's winningest driver, Miller picked off his sixth win ahead of Payne, Cox, Brady Bell, D Childress, L Hood, Scott, Troy Morris Jr and Smothermon.

The TQ Midgets brought 14 cars to the 1/3 mile clay oval. Johnson won heat 1 from the pole over fifth starter West Evans and point leader Lambert, who came from sixth. Jody Bandfield charged from third to win heat 2 over 4th starting Steve Parke and back of the pack starter Chase Barber. Rob Hanson fell out on the first lap as Michael Bliffen paced the first 11 laps with Bandfield in second. Lambert came from 8th to third in 3 laps and Johnson was fourth on lap 7. An outside move on the backstretch netted second from Lambert on lap 10 and Linda Taylor blew an engine for a lap 11 yellow flag. When racing resumed, Lambert drove underneath Bliffen for the top spot with Bandfield following him by. Johnson gained third on lap 13 and rim rode his way around Bandfield for second on lap 14. Bandfield spun into the turn 3 fence for a lap 17 yellow. The restart found Bliffen in third ahead of Wiley and Parke. Lambert appeared to have fended off the inside challenges of Johnson for the win when the spin by Hiroshima forced a yellow flag on lap 24. That setup the one lap duel for the win and Johnson had no trouble passing Lambert on the outside in turn 1 to take the win. Lambert ran second ahead of Bliffen, Wiley, Parke, Evans, West and Ron Ahrendt. The consistent Lambert has stretched his point lead to 39 points over West, 76 ahead of Evans and 92 in front of Wiley. The club is idle until they race at the Ventura County Fair on Wednesday, August 4th.

Summary TQ Midget Heat 1-Walt Johnson, West Evans, Steve Lambert, Michael Bliffen, Ron Ahrendt. Heat 2-Jody Bandfield, Steve Parke, Chase Barber, Chuck West, Kenny Wiley. Main-Johnson, Lambert, Bliffen, Wiley, Parke, Evans, West, Ahrendt, Barber, Bandfield, Bruce Hiroshima, David Martella, Linda Taylor, Rob Hansen. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Nick Sylvester, Jeff Miller, Lou Tompkins, Larry Hood, Lee Jensen. Heat 2-Steve Smothermon, Sidney Payne, Jim Deines, Buck Cox, Brady Bell. Heat 3-Mike Scott, Lonnie Welch, Jimmy Irwin, Lin Deines, Troy Morris Jr. Main-Miller, Payne, Cox, Bell, David Childress, L Hood, Scott, Morris, Smothermon, J Deines, Steve Morrison, Chett Reeves, Wes Richardson, Mike Hood, Marvin Leist, Jensen, Tompkins, Welch, L Deines, Irwin.

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