InsideGroove - Race Report

CLEAN SWEEP FOR DENMAN FOR RICH HANFORD PAYOFF

Hanford, CA --

Completing his clean sweep of the 5th Annual Western Dirt Track Nationals, Rich Denman led the final 19 laps to win the 25 lap open comp street stock main event at Kings Speedway Saturday night. When he couldn’t quite get his own car ready for the weekend, Denman received a call from Justyn Labutski of Quality Performance Engines with an offer to fill in for Randy Hensley on the weekend. Denman broke the track record in time trials, won his qualifying heat from sixth, took a $500 win in the Kings Clash from third and collected $1,250 for his 25 lap feature win in his first dirt track star of 1999 as he has spent the past several seasons on the pavement in both late models and 360 super modifieds. Raymond Noland ran second in the A Main ahead of recent San Jose winner Chris Kearns, Tim Randolph and Shawn Fromme. The scheduled 30 lapper was shortened to 25 laps after a fierce lap 17 accident that saw Rick Watterworth climb the front wall, make major contact with the flagstand and flip spectacularly. Both Watterworth and flagman Marty Verhouven escaped unhurt, but a major rebuild of the flagstand and signal light system was required and racer Aaron Revious jumped in to spearhead the repair efforts with his welding equipment.

The 24 car A Main started the 15 transfers from the Friday night heat action and 9 cars from the B Main. The inversion came up four putting Jason Selvidge and Raymond Noland in row 1 with Donnie Range Jr and Denman in row 2. Selvidge led the opening lap over R Noland and Range. Roy Hart Jr was the first dropout and Ed Perry was eliminated in a tangle with Billy Simkins. Denman gained second on lap 2 and took the lead on lap 7 when Selvidge slipped high in turn 2. Toby Randolph and Simkins tangled for a lap 9 yellow and Range was running fifth behind R Noland and Kearns when he was spun by Don Moshier for a lap 12 yellow. Moshier was sent to the rear to join Range and Selvidge lost second when he spun off the top of the track in turn 1 on lap 15. R Noland took over second ahead of Kearns, Tim Randolph and Johnny Cardoza. A spinning John Harville drove into Steve Dietrich, leaving Dietrich with a flat and Bryan Burnes tangled with Range. Watterworth had just taken over fifth when he climbed the front fence, made the heavy contact with flagstand area and then rolled to a stop. The car was destroyed, but Watterworth and flagman Marty Verhouven were unhurt. The lengthy rebuild job was completed and the race resumed with Denman leading R Noland, Kearns, Tim Randolph and Doug Hagio. Recent Fernley, NV winner Shawn Fromme gained fifth on lap 19. Tim Randolph, who crews on the Kearns cark, passed Kearns for third on lap 22, but Kearns was able to regain the spot on the final lap with his potent Ford Mustang. Fromme ran fifth ahead of back row starter Joaquin Contente, Steve Cargill, Hagio, Charles Paul and Moshier.

The B Main was checkered early at 10 laps as S Fromme led wire to wire to win ahead of Perry, Dietrich and Bryan Burnes. The race ended when Rick Wilkinson spun and was hit headon by Ken Jepsen. The C Main ended after 7 scored laps when co-track champion Ron Hurt tore out a section of the front stretch wheel fence with his Ford. Robby Jeppesen led all the way for that win with Joaquin Contente second ahead of Chris Furtado. Aaron Revious climbed to fourth, but spun for a lap 7 caution. Charlie Dowdy had a flat running third. Antioch racer Daniel Hodges won the D Main as only Hurt finished on the lead lap with him as Jepsen placed third.

Summary D Main-Daniel Hodges, Ron Hurt, Ken Jepsen, Troy Burkhart, Robbie Witwer, Larry Vanderford, Richard Yarbrough, Jay Jones, Willie Oathout. C Main-Robbie Jeppesen, Joaquin Contente, Chris Furtado, Claudine Contente, Hodges, Dave Bush, Burkhart, Duke Hass. B Main-Shawn Fromme, Ed Perry, Steve Dietrich, Bryan Burnes, Roy Hart Jr, Billy Simkins, Glen Hughes, Joaquin Contente, Tim Ragsdale, Bush. A Main-Rich Denman, Raymond Noland, Chris Kearns, Tim Randolph, Shawn Fromme, Joaquin Contente, Steve Cargill, Doug Hagio, Charles Paul, Don Moshier, Karl Noland Jr, Jason Selvidge, Burnes, Johnny Cardoza, Ragsdale, Dietrich, Hughes, Donnie Range Jr, Rick Watterworth, John Harville, Toby Randolph, Billy Simkins, Perry, Hart.

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