See Also ROD JOHNSON SCORES $4000 WIN AT MESA MARIN 10/13/2005 CHAMPION ERIC RICHARDSON LEADS LATE FOR $3000 MESA MARIN WIN 10/14/2005 STEVEN AYLER DOMINATES MESA MARIN SPORTS COMPACT FEATURE 10/14/2005

Bakersfield, CA -- Narrowly missing going a lap down when he spun out of the lead on lap 175, David Gilliland battled back to lead the final 56 laps as he scored a $5100 win in the NASCAR Autozone Elite Division Southwest Series Star Nursery 300 at Mesa Marin Raceway on Saturday night. It marked the third straight year that Gilliland has won at the annual October Classic on the high banked, paved half-mile. The 29th October Classic for the track was it's final racing action as it has been sold for development and will be torn down before the end of the calendar year. It was only his third start of 2005 with the series in his Racecar Ceiling Fans Pontiac. Gilliland's winning mount was crew chiefed by Mike Naake. Point runnerup Auggie Vidovich raced to a $4200 second and cut Jim Pettit II's point lead down to 51 points in the process. Pettit crashed hard into the fence on lap 242 while dueling Vidovich for the lead. That led to a 17th place finish for Pettit. Only the Nov 10th 4 PM 125 miler at Phoenix International Raceway remains on the 2005 schedule. Rip Michels won $3200 for his third place finish and series veteran Bob Lyon pocketed $2800 for fourth. Washington's Troy Tramell battled from 27th starting to finish fifth and that earned him a $750 PowerAde Award for most positions gained. That raised his event earnings to $2750. Pole starter Eric Holmes ended up the final car on the lead lap as he ran sixth to gain a $2100 payday that included the $400 Bud Pole Award. Holmes has also raced a part time schedule in 2005 as this was his 7th appearance and first pole award. Lyons' earnings included a $300 Featherlite Award for improving the most positions from the previous event.

Track officials expanded the starting lineup to 30 cars to allow everyone on hand to start the grueling 300 lap feature. Holmes had paced time trials with his 18.218 clocking. Dan Holtz put his Ford in second at 18.221 and Michels ranked third at 18.239. Like Gilliland, Burney Lamar was doing double duty by racing both features on the night and he ranked fourth at 18.282. Pettit also races a Ford and he ranked fifth at 18.303. Washington's Travis Bennett was 6th ahead of Idaho's Nick Lynch, Gilliland, Star Nursery driver Greg Purlsey and M K Kanke. Dart Heads Western Dirt Late Model Tour champion Bobby Hogge IV returned to pavement action for the first time in several seasons as friend Stan Silva Jr allowed him to race his Chevy in this event. Hogge timed in 16th quick. He had a lot of pavement modified experience at Altamont Raceway in his young racing career.

The 300 lapper started straight up off the timed runs putting Holmes and Holtz on the front row ahead of Michels and Lamar. Holtz raced into the lead over fellow outside row starter Lamar and Holmes. Bennett charged from sixth to fourth in just 2 laps and Pettit took fifth from Michels on lap 3. Pursley and Oregon's Brandon Riehl were both out on the first caution flag. Pettit used an inside line pass to take fourth from Bennett on lap 12 and he then went around Holmes on the outside for third on lap 22. Doug McCoun spun for a lap 24 yellow and he retired. A tap from Scott Dodd sent Irwindale Speedway champion Andrew Phipps spinning for a lap 40 caution. Bennett took fourth from Holmes on this restart, but Gilliland raced by both for fourth a lap later. Florida's Derek Strong was out after just 52 laps. Washington's Jeff Jefferson replaced Bennett in the top five on lap 53 and Lamar tried to make an inside line pass on leader Holtz. Thomas Martin spun for a lap 71 yellow. Pettit made an outside pass on Lamar for second on lap 82 and he also tried to race underneath Holtz for the top spot as the only two Fords in the race dueled. Idaho's Lynch spun twice in a five lap stretch around lap 90. While Pettit was trying to get around Holtz on the bottom, Lamar was trying an even lower line to retake second from Pettit. Twin Falls Idaho charger Bobby Latham III spun for a lap 106 yellow and the standings were severely shaken when all the lead lap cars except for Hogge and Kanke pitted for tires. Slow pit action cost Latham, Brad Peters, rookie Don Campbell and Dodd a lap to the leaders. Hogge emerged as the new leader over Kanke, Gilliland, Holtz and Lamar. Gilliland took second from Kanke on lap 113 and he then went underneath Hogge for the lead on lap 117, but Hogge surprised everyone by retaking the lead from Gilliland to pace laps 119-120. Lamar fell from contention as he pitted under green.

Gilliland retook the lead from Hogge on lap 121, but Hogge remained a top car as Pettit worked his way into third on lap 123. Holtz was racing in fifth behind Kanke. Kanke was shuffled out of the top five by Holtz and Jefferson on lap 137 and the race ended for both Peters and Stephan Sadler just before half way. Jefferson briefly took fourth from Holtz only to get shuffled back to sixth by Holtz and Holmes on lap 152. Still racing on the tires that he started the race on, Hogge was still challenging Gilliland for the lead on lap 164. A tangle between Arizona's Darrell LeMoure and Holtz ended the race for Holtz on lap 165 and Hogge joined the other teams in the pits on this caution. The green flag had barely returned when Gilliland spun and came just a few feet short of being lapped by the leaders. Pettit was now leading Holmes, Bennett, Martin and Jefferson. Martin and Jefferson tangled to produce a lap 180 caution and the race was over for Jefferson's Dodge. Holmes pitted to move Bennett into second over Tramell and Hogge. Vidovich broke into the top five on lap 188 and took fourth from Hogge on lap 195. A broken engine ended Campbell's race. Vidovich continued his climb forward, taking third from Tramell on lap 205 and second from Bennett on lap 209. Bennett had worn out his tires and he had to pit on the green flag. Michels and Hogge moved back into the top five when Bennett pitted, but Gilliland took fifth from Hogge on lap 213. A spin by Phipps brought out a lap 216 yellow. Michels took third from Tramell when the green flag returned on lap 220 and Michael Alsup lost a lap with a green flag pit stop. Gilliland retook fourth from Tramell on lap 225. Vidovich tried an inside pass on leader Pettit, but drilled him in turn 3 and Pettit nearly spun on lap 231. Vidovich emerged with the lead and Gilliland took second from Pettit one lap later. Both Pettit and Michels passed Gilliland for the 2-3 slots on lap 240, but Pettit ran over debris from the Vidovich car, cut down a tire and slammed hard into the turn 1 fence to end his night on lap 242. Vidovich had to pit during the caution and Gilliland went on to lead the final 56 laps for the win. When green flag racing resumed, Hogge was back to second ahead of Holmes, Tramel and Lyon. The lapped car of Eddy McKean got into Hogge and Hogge had to pit on lap 254, his incredible night over. Michels took third from Tramell on lap 258 and moved up to second when Holmes pitted on lap 260. Lyon raced around Tramell for third on lap 264, but Vidovich was flying from the rear. Vidovich passed Tramell on lap 265 and drove around Lyon on the outside for second on lap 278. With just 10 laps to run, Vidovich took second from Michels. Gilliland stayed out front for the final 1/5 of the race for the win. Vidovich ran second ahead of Michels, Lyon, Tramell and Holmes. Lynch and Greg Voigt were both one lap down to the leaders with Latham two laps down in 9th. Scott Dodd was three laps down in 10th ahead of Kanake, Alsup, McKean and Richard Johnson. Yellow flag laps ate up 62 of the 300 racing laps.

Heading into the Phoenix race, Pettit holds a 51 point lead on Vidovich and Lamar is another 135 points back in third. Lamar is just 20 points up on McKean and Kanke is only 7 behind McKean. Voigt ranks sixth ahead of Lynch, Pursley, Michels and Martin. Lyon has closed to within 13 points of Martin as they duel for the 10th west spot in the 3rd Annual NASCAR Toyota All Star Showdown at Irwindale. In a weird bit of scheduling, the Irwindale event runs on Nov 11-12 just one day after the western teams are racing their 125 mile point season finale in Phoenix.

Summary Fast Time-Eric Holmes 18.218 Main-David Gilliland, Auggie Vidovich, Rip Michels, Bob Lyon, Troy Tramell, Holmes, Nick Lynch, Greg Voigt, Bobby Latham III, Scott Dodd, M K Kanke, Michael Alsup, Eddy McKean, Richard Johnson, Andrew Phipps, Bobby Hogge IV, Jim Pettit II, Thomas Martin, Travis Bennett, Don Campbell, Burney Lamar, Jeff Jefferson, Dan Holtz, Darrell LeMoure, Brad Peters, Stephan Sadler, Derek Strong, Doug McCoun, Brandon Riehl, Greg Pursley.
InsideGroove Latest Reports | InsideGroove Archives
About InsideGroove