See Also SAWYER LEADS JUST FINAL TWO LAPS OF CAUTION FILLED DON ROBERTS MEMORIAL 60 09/05/2004

Santa Maria, Ca -- His move into the Bandit unwinged sprint car action in 2004 has made Jimmy Reeves more familiar with the Santa Maria Speedway 1/3 mile clay oval and he used an outside pass on race long leader Bobby Hogge on lap 21 to score a $1000 win in the dirt modified special 30 lap feature Sunday night. Reeves keeps Chad Patterson's new Dirt Works car at his house and Patterson allows him to race it in the special races. Reeves was second quick, won his heat, ran second to Hogge in the dash and then won the 30 lap feature. He was quick to thank sprint car owner Okie Phelan for his sponsorship help. Former Pacific Coast Regional champion Hogge was making a rare appearance behind the wheel of the team's Joe Carr chassis as son Bobby Hogge IV returned home to be with his new three week old child after his second place run in the CarQuest Western Xtreme Dirt Car Series race in Oildale Saturday night. Hogge had ran a few laps in the car the previous week at Hanford and he appeared headed for a clean sweep when Reeves made his winning pass. Hogge's quick time was a 15.642, he won his heat from the pole, got down to a 15.51 lap in winning the dash from the pole and paced the first 20 laps of the long distance feature. Hogge actually fell back to third when he crashed hard into the turn 3 fence on lap 29, but a solid last lap regained him the $500 second. Bakersfield rookie Nick Sylvester was the $300 third and Billy Wilker won $250 for fourth. Jeff Miller made a last lap move around Todd Hermosillo for fifth.

It took some detective work to find out that this race was even happening in 2004, but 15 dirt modifieds checked in including Saturday night Perris Auto Speedway winner Travis Gorsuch. This marked the first time that the division was given qualifying laps and Hogge posted quick time at 15.642. That just nipped the 15.745 that Reeves had posted. Making his first start of 2004, Doug Thornton was third at 15.943 and Jason Selvidge put his new Warrior in the 4th slot at 16.401. Local A J Wright broke in hot laps to end his night. The cars were divided into two straight up heat races with the top four from that action moving into the dash. Hogge won heat 1 from the pole ahead of Thornton, Miller and Robert Sanders. Reeves outraced Sylvester, Selvidge and William Woodbridge in heat 2. Hogge beat Reeves in the race to the first corner and won the dash with Reeves second ahead of Thornton and Sylvester. The 30 lap feature lineup was straight up off the time trial runs and the race had to be restarted when Thornton ran up on top of Reeves with Selvidge also involved. Robert Sanders stalled on the track. A second restart occurred when Thornton stopped with steering woes. When lap 1 was finally scored, Hogge raced into the lead over Reeves, Wilker, Miller and Sylvester. David Childress spun for yellow flags on lap 4, lap 7 and lap 10 before retiring. Selvidge was out with a broken front end on lap 4 and Woodbridge joined him in the pits. Miller briefly gained third on lap 5, but Wilker had the spot back on lap 6. Sylvester raced into fifth and both he and Todd Hermosillo passed Miller on lap 10. Sylvester got underneath Wilker in turn 2 for third on lap 12. Sanders dropped out for a lap 13 yellow flag. Just past midway, Reeves began to pressure Hogge hard for the top spot and he used a high line all the way around the track to take the top spot on lap 21. Hogge clipped the wall in turn 3 as he tried to stay with Reeves and debris forced a lap 28 yellow flag to give Hogge a final run at Reeves. Reeves again raced into the top spot and Hogge drove his car hard into the wall in turn 3 in his attempt to keep pace. That allowed Sylvester to briefly claim second, but Hogge made that same high line work on the final lap to salvage a second. Sylvester ran third over Wilker, Miller, Hermosillo, Gorsuch, Chris Tonoli and Chett Reeves.

For the first time in several years, the dirt modifieds get a second opportunity to race at Santa Maria as they will be one of the support classes for the two day, $3500 to win Budweiser Pacific Coast 100 National for dirt late models. The dirt modified portion on Oct 1-2 will pay $1500 to win, $750 for second and $650 for third.

Summary Fast Time-Bobby Hogge 15.642 Dash-Hogge, Jimmy Reeves, Doug Thornton. Heat 1-Hogge, Thornton, Jeff Miller, Robert Sanders, Chris Tonoli. Heat 2-J Reeves, Nick Sylvester, Jason Selvidge, William Woodbridge, Billy Wilker. Main-J Reeves, Hogge, Sylvester, Wilker, Miller, Todd Hermosillo, Travis Gorsuch, Tonoli, Chett Reeves, Thornton, Sanders, David Childress, Woodbridge, Selvidge.

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