See Also CHAMPION ERIC RICHARDSON LEADS LATE FOR $3000 MESA MARIN WIN 10/14/2005 STEVEN AYLER DOMINATES MESA MARIN SPORTS COMPACT FEATURE 10/14/2005 DAVID GILLILAND WINS STAR NURSERY 300 AT MESA MARIN 10/15/2005

Bakersfield, CA -- .After climbing his way to fourth in the first 75 lap segment, veteran racer Rod Johnson settled into a higher groove for the final 50 rounds and took the lead from race long pacesetter Kevin Thompson on lap 102 to drive to a $4000 win in the super late model 125 lapper that opened the 29th Annual October Classic at Mesa Marin Raceway on Friday night. Johnson was a Mesa Marin regular for many seasons, mainly in the Grand American Modifieds, and finished second in super late model points at Irwindale Speedway in 2005. Wheeling one of the best races of his career, Mark Perry gained $1750 for second and Kevin Vernon won $1250 for third. Vernon was sporting the same colors as the initial open comp late model winner back when the track opened in 1977. Keith Spangler was a $850 fourth and double division racer Eric Richardson won $650 for fifth in only his third ever super late model start. This was the first super late model race at the track in a couple seasons and the last as the track is going to be demolished after the October Classic weekend concludes. Thompson was pulled in to check for an oil leak with 15 laps to go while second and broke his rear end as he attempted to return to the race. The late models appeared with over 50 cars to chase 32 starting spots in their Green Frog Market 125 lapper presented by www.racingwest.com on Friday night. They ran time trials and a pair of 40 lap qualifying features on Thursday. Track rookie Ray Robinson from Ontario set a new track record in time trials and scored a wire to wire win in the first 40 lapper as 2005 track champion E Richardson ran second ahead of Josh Horn and Tim Huddleston. It was Robinson’s first feature win of his rookie year and he was coming off a solid 5th place run in Irwindale Speedway’s 125 lap special. A three feature winner during the regular point season where he finished second in points, Cody Pruitt won the second 40 lap qualifier after driving from third on lap 18 to the lead on lap 22. Despite oiling down the track on the final round, former champion Brian Richardson finished second ahead of Irwindale regulars Travis Thirkettle and Scott Youngren. The top 14 finishers in each 40 lapper qualified for the 125 lapper and four provisionals from Mesa Marin points will round out that large 32 car starting grid. That event pays $3000 to win, $1100 for second, $1000 third and $800 fourth.

Over 40 super late models signed in for the long day’s action, but several broke early. Jim Wulfenstein and David Quartaro were both sidelined in practice and Robby Sawyer had to leave the track for hasty repairs after a fierce practice crash. Another Las Vegas charger Michael Haslam failed to post a time, but tagged the B Main along with Sawyer. In his first ever visit to Mesa Marin, Colton’s David Ross turned quick time of 18.714. K Thompson was second at 18.760 and former track champion Vernon ran 18.774. Perry clicked off an 18.785. Another Las Vegas charger Thane Alderman posted an 18.876 and E Richardson ran 18.878 in his Gary Collins’ prepared car. Johnson was seventh at 18.898 and also breaking into the 18’s were Danny Gay, Scott Conaway, Tony Jackson, Brian Yeager, Keith Spangler and Kevin O’Neill. The 40 lap B Main transferred seven cars into the 29 car A Main. Caution flag laps ate up more than ½ of the race distance and the race was extended to allow for two green flag laps at the end. Pro Four star Brett Edwards led all 40 laps for the win. Coming off a solid third place finish in Irwindale’s 200 lapper, veteran Ron Esau crashed hard into the turn 3 fence on lap 5 while racing in second. Ron Daniels moved back into second and the veteran racer ran there for the remainder of the 40 lapper. Madera star Justin Westmoreland fell out early in the 40 lapper. Tommy Fry finished third ahead of Brian Ickler, Glenn Cummings, back of the pack starter Mike Mulhall and Orange Show Speedway Pro Four point runnerup Rob Kiemele. Mulhall had also missed time trials. Just missing the transfers were Wade Riddering, Steve Lewis and Greg Beresford.

The 125 lapper was started straight up off the qualifying runs and Ross got a bad start from his pole as he faded to fourth on the opening lap behind the Dan Holtz’ prepared mount of K Thompson, Perry and E Richardson, who had finished fourth in the Irwindale 200 lapper. San Diego’s Danny Gay took fourth from Ross on lap 2 and E Richardson claimed second from Perry on lap 4. Vernon climbed into the top five on lap 6. Johnson raced into sixth in the first 10 rounds. Kiemele fell out after being lapped and joined Daniels on the sidelines. The front twosome of K Thompson and E Richardson opened a gap on the field. Alderman began to smoke and he dropped out on a lap 28 yellow flag for a spin by Fry. Conaway spun when green flag racing resumed and he lost laps making a pit stop as the race was also over for Mulhall, a fifth place finisher in the Irwindale 200 lapper. E Richardson had suffered a broken spark plug wire and he began to fall back with Perry back into second ahead of Gay on alp 38. Vernon and Johnson dropped E Richardson out of the top five. Nathan Wulff was sixth at lap 45 and a fierce crash between Dan Moore and former dwarf car star Jeff Shafer forced a lap 46 yellow flag. Chris Clyne retired on this caution. Tucson’s Van Knill lost a lap when he spun. Green flag racing had just resumed for a few laps when Brian Yeager spun for another caution on lap 61. A five minute work stoppage had been scheduled for lap 75 and K Thompson continued to set the pace ahead of Perry and Gay. Johnson took fourth from Vernon on lap 70 and Vernon fell off the pace with Wulff into fifth on lap 71. At the break, nearly everyone changed left side tires and K Thompson was leading Perry, Gay, R Johnson, Wulff, Vernon, Craig Raudman, Spangler, Ickler and Jim McGill. Alderman elected to return for the final 50 lap segment. McGill broke on lap 78 and Vernon raced back into fifth. Yeager again spun on lap 85 and Las Vegas racer Gary Jenkins broke on lap 89. Moving one lane higher on the track, R Johnson took third from Gay on lap 92 and Vernon followed him into fourth. R Johnson then used the same line to take second from Perry on lap 95 and an outside pass coming down the front stretch on lap 102 netted R Johnson the lead. Spangler was now sixth ahead of E Richardson and Raudman. Gay had just raced back around Vernon for fourth when Alderman and Conaway crashed hard in turn 4 for the final yellow flag on lap 106. During this caution, second place K Thompson was checked for the possible oil leak and ended up breaking his rear end as he tried to return to action. When green flag racing resumed, R Johnson led Perry, Vernon, Spangler and Gay. E Richardson climbed back to fifth on lap 114. R Johnson had no problems pacing the remainder of the 125 lapper and scored his first ever October Classic win. His father Don Johnson was Oren Prosser’s long time car owner. Perry finished second ahead of Vernon, Spangler, E Richardson, Gay, Raudman, Ickler, Fry, Wulff, Edwards and Ross, the final lead lap car. Both Tony Jackson and Cummings were one lap down and Leslie Lipscomb returned to racing with a 15th, two laps down and ahead of Knill.

The large field of late models included visiting cars from Altamont, Madera, Irwindale and Las Vegas. Robinson established the new track record with his 19.420 clocking on the paved half mile. Thirkettle, son of Mesa Marin legend Jim Thirkettle, had earlier set a new mark of 19.468. Jamell Saied was third quick at 19.530, but was penalized to a last place start in his qualifying race. In the 19.6 range were Pruitt, Eddie Patterson, Irwindale star Tim Huddleston, his teammate Chris Carmody and B Richardson. Both E Richardson and Youngren ran in the 19.7s. Final qualifier Brock Monroe oiled down the track. The field was divided into the pair of straight up 40 lappers with yellow flag laps counting. Robinson took a quick lead over Huddleston, E Richardson and Josh Horn in the first. Mike Lay spun for a yellow flag and Jeff Smith had to pit with damage. Carmody broke on the restart to end his weekend. Altamont’s David Hulsey settled into sixth ahead of Madera’s Rick Thompson. The front foursome checked out and Patrick Selsor crashed hard into the turn 2 fence as he was being lapped by the leaders. Huddleston was dropped back to fourth when both E Richardson and Horn got around him on lap 25. A fierce crash on lap 26 produced a red flag. Doug Foos spun right in the groove coming off turn 4. He was t-boned in the driver’s side by Madera star Bryan Herzog and Smith rear-ended the Herzog car. A huge ball of flames engulfed both the Herzog and Smith cars, but both drivers scrambled out unhurt. Only three more laps had been run when George Ruark collected the front fence and careened into Ray Marroquin, heavily damaging both cars. A spin by Kevin James forced more yellow flag laps and the race was extended to get two green flag laps at the end. Robinson won ahead of E Richardson, Horn, Huddleston, Jeff DeStefani, Hulsey, R Thompson, female ace Candace Muzny, Robby McLaughlin, Saied, Kevin Sevenich, Lay and James. Both Chris Johnson and Fresno newcomer Dallas Glenn broke on the final lap and Glenn was awarded the final transfer spot in 14th.

In the second 40 lapper, B Richardson took a quick lead over Thirkettle, Pruitt and Youngren with Patterson in fifth. This race went 22 laps before the first caution. The front threesome of B Richardson, Thirkettle and Pruitt checked out and Pruitt made his charge, taking Thirkettle on the inside for second on lap 19 and passing B Richardson on the outside in turn 1 for the lead on lap 22. The red flag then dropped as Altamont’s Jason Gilbert, Mesa star Roy DeGeer and Las Vegas regular long tow Glenn Burke crashed in turn 2. The race was over for all three, but DeGeer gets in the 125 with a provisional. Todd Burns fell out and Jake Hodges spun on the restart. Coming off his $5000 win on the dirt at Bakersfield Speedway last weekend, Mike Johnson from Clovis got a ride in a Madera car but struggled at the rear of the field. The remainder of the race went all green, but B Richardson began to oil down the track at the white flag and a lot happened on that final round. Pruitt stayed in front of the limping B Richardson for the win. Thirkettle ran third ahead of Youngren and Patterson. In just his second race, Kevin Callahan ran sixth. Madera’s Richard Herzog had been dueling Callahan all race long, but spun in the oil and failed to transfer. A J DeStefani crashed into the wall after hitting the oil, but limped across the line to transfer. Altamont’s Ryan Philpott also got into the fence on the last lap as Dan DiGiamarino finished 7th ahead of Barry Bradshaw, Shane Thompson, Greg Carpenter, Altamont’s Brian Koski, A DeStefani, Barry Karr and Craig Yeaton. Bradshaw was driving the car normally wheeled by Mike Alexander.

Summary Late Model Fast Time-Ray Robinson 19.420 NTR 1st Qualifying Main-Robinson, Eric Richardson, Josh Horn, Tim Huddleston, Jeff DeStefani, Mark Hulsey, Rick Thompson, Candace Muzny, Robby McLaughlin, Jamell Saied, Kevin Sevenich, Mike Lay, Kevin James, Dallas Glenn, Chris Johnson. 2nd Qualifying Main-Cody Pruitt, Brian Richardson, Travis Thirkettle, Scott Youngren, Eddie Patterson, Kevin Callahan, Dan DiGiamarino, Barry Bradshaw, Shane Thompson, Greg Carpenter, Brian Koski, A J DeStefani, Barry Karr, Craig Yeaton, Richard Herzog, Ryan Philpott. Super Late Model Fast Time-David Ross 18.714 B Main-Brett Edwards, Ron Daniels, Tommy Fry, Brian Ickler, Glenn Cummings, Mike Mulhall, Rob Kiemele, Wade Riddering, Steve Lewis, Greg Beresford. A Main-Rod Johnson, Mark Perry, Kevin Vernon, Keith Spangler, Eric Richardson, Danny Gay, Craig Raudman, Ickler, Fry, Nathan Wulff, Edwards, Ross, Tony Jackson, Cummings, Leslie Lipscomb, Van Knill, Brian Yeager, Kevin Thompson, Scott Conaway, Gary Jenkins, Jim McGill, Thane Alderman, Chris Clyne, Jeff Shafer, Dan Moore, Kevin O’Neill, Mulhall, Kiemele, Daniels.

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