InsideGroove - Race Report

FIRST FEATURE WINS FOR MAYER AND HANNAH

Chowchilla, CA -- Ray Mayer from North Fork came out of a lengthy retirement midway through the 2003 season in a former Jeff Decker car when construction work at Oakhurst's newest Indian Casino gave him a racing budget. Since then, he has been one of the area's most active racers running events throughout Central California and Nevada, but the winner's circle had eluded him until he scored a clean sweep in the dirt modified action at Chowchilla Speedway on Saturday night. Mayer won his heat race and then scored a $500 win in the feature run ahead of 16 year old rookie Alex Stanford and Aaron Barnell. Rapidly improving 16 year old rookie Steven Hannah got his first feature win in the super street stocks ahead of point leader Chris Messmer and Jack VanHoff. Shane Hausmann made it two wins in the hobby stock feature as rookie Scott Whitley ran second ahead of Jeff Whatley. The NCMA Spec Sprints were again in town and Kaeding Performance sponsored David Goodwill won wire to wire from the pole in their 20 lapper with veterans Gary Koster and Ed Amador chasing him. The modified fours returned to action with two entries and Ron Martinez won both the heat race and feature. The super fours found second year racer Darrin Reed from Porterville with his first ever win ahead of rookie Scott Bowen and Kingman AZ visitor Ike Reed. Mini Four point leader Jimmy Myers pulled off another clean sweep with wins in his heat and the feature. Patrick Kelley was second in the feature ahead of Kristy Myers.

The dirt modifieds were made a special event class at the 3/8 mile clay oval in 2004 and each of their shows pay $500 to win. They had a 14 car turnout tonight. Mayer had towed all the way to Tonopah NV for a two day special the previous weekend and struggled there, but had his car hooked up tonight. Antioch's Brad Coelho won the first heat ahead of Stanford and Bakersfield visitor Buck Cox. Mayer outraced limited late model regular Levi Peterson and Jack Chapman Jr in heat 2. Hanford regular Jim Reed was a feature scratch and Mayer posted his first feature win ahead of Stanford, Barnell, Coelho, Joel Hannagan, Marcus Aue, Chapman and Peterson. In his earlier racing career, Mayer ran stock cars at both Merced and Madera as you could run the same car on pavement and dirt back then.

There were 11 super streets, but they ran a 10 car feature after the scratch of Joe Fisher. Red Williams beat Syd Finn in heat 1 and Roy Hart Jr outraced Messmer and Hannah in heat 2. Chowchilla has weekly practices on Wednesday and they are free to any rookie driver so Hannah has got a lot of seat time in his first season. Hannah won the main event ahead of Messmer, Hart, Williams, Finn, Willie Livingston, Darcie Odgers and Roger Dory. Merced point title contender Aaron Barker joined the action, but missed the heat and ran 10th in the feature. The 13 hobby stocks included impressive Merced rookie Marc Key. Whatley beat Roy Stephens and Key in heat 1 while Hausmann outraced Jeff Christensen and Kevin Pettitt in heat 2. Hausmann posted his second feature win ahead of Whitley, Whatley, Pettitt, Key, Chad Buttrey, R Stephens, Dan Stephens and point leader Marshall Weaver.

The 12 car NCMA Spec Sprint turnout included Jeff Rose coming off his first ever win at Antioch the previous weekend. The NCMA teams had given the track many items to give away to the spectators on the night including two children's bicycles. Amador beat Koster and George Terry in heat 1 with Keith Shipherd getting the heat 2 win over Goodwill and Rose. The hot day and many divisions took it's toll on the track and Goodwill took a quick lead in their 20 lap feature over Koster, Amador, Shipherd and Jim Janssen. When Amador got sideways, Shipherd spun to avoid contact and collected Janssen and Jimmy Lavell. Terry launched off Lavell and flew over all three cars. Terry was able to continue, but the race was over for Shipherd, Janssen and Lavell. Goodwill continued to pace Koster with Doug Gandy losing a lap checking on a fuel problem. Michael Zarevich spun on lap 7 and Rob Hammond came from the rear to fourth in 12 laps. The clock hit the 11 o'clock curfew as the field finished the 20 lap race with Goodwill coming out on top of Koster, Amador and Hammond. Rose crossed in fifth, but his carburetor didn't fit spec sprint standards and he was disqualified. That gave fifth to Terry ahead of Burt Siverling and Zarevich. NCMA runs two straight Saturdays on the pavement at Altamont, then goes to Watsonville on Friday, August 13 for round five of the West Coast Select Series.

Double division racer Martinez won both the heat and feature for the modified fours over Danny Lukkumen. Martinez also won the heat race for the super fours ahead of Ron German and Darrin Reed. Several top runners had problems in the feature with Darrin Reed getting his first win over Bowen, I Reed, Martinez, Allen DeLoura, German and Dudley Reed. The 13 car mini four field included five Myers cars and Jimmy Myers won heat 1 over Robbie Loquaci. Kelley outraced Travis Myers in heat 2. The feature action went to Jimmy Myers ahead of Kelley, K Myers, Loquaci, Joe Smith Jr, Julie Stevens, Jeremy Myers and Brandi Myers.

Remember that the track is doing it's own Memorial Service for Brian Davis on Sunday July 25th at 4 PM.

Summary Mini Four Heat 1-Jimmy Myers, Robbie Loquaci, Nick Sagmiller, Kristy Myers, Brandi Myers. Heat 2-Patrick Kelley, Travis Myers, Joe Smith Jr, Jim Rose, Steve Wenzel. Main-Jimmy Myers, Kelley, K Myers, Loquaci, Smith, Julie Stevens, Jeremy Myers, B Myers, Rose, Sagmiller, T Myers, Wenzel, Mark Clay. Super Four Heat-Ron Martinez, Ron German, Darrin Reed, Scott Bowen, Dudley Reed. Main-Darrin Reed, Bowen, Ike Reed, Martinez, Allen DeLoura, German, Dudley Reed. Modified Four Heat-Ron Martinez, Danny Lukkumen. Main-Martinez, Lukkumen. NCMA Spec Sprint Heat 1-Ed Amador, Gary Koster, George Terry, Jimmy Lavell, Burt Siverling. Heat 2-Keith Shipherd, David Goodwill, Jeff Rose, Jim Janssen, Michael Zarevich. Main-Goodwill, Koster, Amador, Rob Hammond, Terry, Siverling, Zarevich, Doug Gandy, Shipherd, Janssen, Lavell. Hobby Stock Heat 1-Jeff Whatley, Roy Stephens, Marc Key, Chad Buttrey, Paul Dixon. Heat 2-Shane Hausmann, Jeff Christensen, Kevin Pettitt, Marshall Weaver, Dan Stephens. Main-Hausmann, Scott Whitley, Whatley, Pettitt, Key, Buttrey, R Stephens, D Stephens, Weaver, Wayne Hall, Christensen, Dixon, Charles Balderston. Super Street Stock Heat 1-Red Williams, Syd Finn, Jack VanHoff, Darcie Odgers, Roger Dory. Heat 2-Roy Hart Jr, Chris Messmer, Steven Hannah, Willie Livingston. Main-Hannah, Messmer, Hart, Williams, Finn, Livingston, Odgers, Dory, VanHoff, Aaron Barker. Dirt Modified Heat 1-Brad Coelho, Alex Stanford, Buck Cox, John Pierce, Joel Hannagan. Heat 2-Ray Mayer, Levi Peterson, Jack Chapman Jr, Kraig Rawls, Ray Lasswell. Main-Mayer, Stanford, Aaron Barnell, Coelho, Hannagan, Marcus Aue, Chapman, Peterson, Cox, Monty Tomlinson Jr, Pierce, Rawls, Lasswell.

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