InsideGroove - Race Report

ELEVENTH WIN WORTH $1500 FOR ROBBY SAWYER

Oildale, CA --

Leading all 40 laps from his pole starting spot after capturing Friday night’s 12 qualifying main event, track champion Robby Sawyer pocketed $1500 in the super street stock portion of the 19th Annual Budweiser Western Dirt Track Nationals at Bakersfield Speedway on Saturday night. Sawyer had a tough September after winning his 10th race in the Don Roberts Memorial at Santa Maria on Labor Day weekend. He broke an engine the following week at Bakersfield, then was given a powerplant by Powerhouse to use on his Lubbock TX trip and to finish the 2004 season. After being disqualified for being five pounds too light following a fifth on opening night in Lubbock, they fought rear end problems for the rest of the month prior to a solid fifth place run at Santa Maria last weekend. This is the 19 year old’s first super street stock season and he has a track title and 11 wins at three different tracks. His racing effort is crew chiefed by father Kelly Sawyer, a former Pro Mod star at the track. Sawyer was challenged over the final 9 laps by California State Street Stock Championship Series titlest Rich Denman from Coalinga, but Denman had to settle for a solid second place run for a second straight weekend. Santa Maria winner Tim Randolph battled through the B Main like Denman to finish third ahead of another Bakersfield rookie Zach Forster and a rare appearance by Randy Schweitzer. Santa Maria champion Kenny Kirkpatrick came from 20th to finish sixth.

After 24 cars had raced on Friday night, the super street stocks got late entries from Toby Randolph, Randall Davis, Ed Perry, Rick Childress and Dave Bauer to bolster the field in the 20 lap B Main. This race ended up with 15 starters chasing 10 transfers into the field for the 40 lapper. Jeremiah VanScoy led the first 6 laps before breaking an engine. A badly smoking Karl Noland Jr was blackflagged from third on lap 2 and Johnny Cardoza settled into second in the former Glen Hughes car. Denman gained third with the Noland departure and he was the new leader when VanScoy pulled off the track. Schweitzer was now second ahead of Tim Randolph and Cardoza. Bauer raced into fifth, but his car also began to smoke. A smoking Mike Lee was blackflagged and Santa Maria champion Kenny Kirkpatrick lost ground with an infield excursion. Bauer broke on lap 17 and Denman paced the final 14 laps to win ahead of Schweitzer, Tim Randolph, Cardoza, Toby Randolph, Ian Hunter and Davis.

The super street stock 40 lapper was first of the three Saturday night main events and Sawyer had earned the pole alongside Billy Simkins with their 1-2 finish on Friday night. Sawyer took a quick lead with teammate Forster also getting by Simkins on the first lap for second. Darrell Hughes worked his way to fourth ahead of Mitch Machado on lap 4 and Hunter got into the front wall for the first yellow flag on lap 7. Machado had to pit with a flat tire and previous week $2000 winner at Fernley NV, Victorville point leader Chris Smith also had to pit with a flat. Ed Perry lost a lap when he spun without a yellow flag and Davis dropped out before George Olmsted, Bill Little and Kirkpatrick got tangled for a lap 11 yellow. Keith Heaslet took fourth from Hughes when green flag racing resumed and Denman broke into the top five from 13th starting on lap 15. At the midway mark, Hughes was riding sixth over Schweitzer, Tim Randolph and Steve Cargill. Both Heaslet and Denman were putting pressure on third place Simkins when Heaslet broke an engine on lap 28. The yellow next appeared on lap 30 as Steve Worstell got tangled up with third place Simkins and flipped at start finish. He was unhurt and Simkins had to restart in the rear after pitting with a flat tire. Sawyer and Forster continued to run 1-2 with Denman now third over Tim Randolph and Cardoza. Denman took second on a lap 32 restart and Cardoza was third a lap later. Another flat ended Simkins night and Forster got back to third on lap 36 as Hughes made heavy contact with the turn 1 fence. Fourth was traded between Schweitzer, Cardoza and Tim Randolph as Sawyer fought off the challenges of Denman. Randolph gained fourth on lap 38 and took third from Forster on the last lap. Forster ran fourth over Schweitzer, Kirkpatrick, Cardoza, Cargill and Hughes.

Summary B Main-Rich Denman, Randy Schweitzer, Tim Randolph, Johnny Cardoza, Toby Randolph, Ian Hunter, Randall Davis, Kenny Kirkpatrick, Ed Perry, George Olmsted, Dave Bauer, Mike Lee, Rick Childress, Jeremiah VanScoy, Karl Noland Jr. A Main-Robby Sawyer, Denman, Tim Randoph, Zach Forster, Schweitzer, Kirkpatrick, Cardoza, Steve Cargill, Darrell Hughes, Mitch Machado, Lloyd Reed, Perry, Hunter, Bill Little, Billy Simkins, Bill Stevens, Chris Smith, Steve Worstell, Keith Heaslet, Olmsted, Toby Randolph, Davis.
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