Oildale, CA -- After earlier setting quick time and winning his heat race from the pole, Mike Corwin led all 30 laps of the street stock feature for a $1000 payday as Bakersfield Speedway opened it’s 60th season of operation on Saturday night. Lee Jensen was second to Corwin in the heat race, but had to fight from fourth starting to take second on lap 19 enroute to his $500 runnerup run. Charles Paul battled from 10th to get the $300 third place money. Having won the winter season opener at Mohave Valley back in January for a $1000 payday, Brian Cass from Livermore grabbed the lead from Jeff Miller on lap 9 and won the 25 lap IMCA Modified main event in his Victory Chassis. Miller had a strong night as he ran second ahead of sixth starting Buck Cox. The hobby stock feature went the 25 lap distance with just one yellow flag. Chad Johnson took the lead from Jacky Wood on lap 19 and won with paraplegic racer Wood in second. Eric Cimental ran third with 2005 track champion Michael Johnson in fourth. Kevin Johnson has moved over from the mini stocks to race a Cadillac in the American Stocks in 2006 and he led all the way in their season opening 20 lapper. Mike Armitage ran second ahead of 2005 champion Jason Bannister. K Johnson is the cousin of C Johnson and it was his first feature win on his racing career. Nearly 90 cars appeared for the swiftly run four division show.

Defending track champion Rich Denman skipped the season opener as he didn’t want to get involved in the track title fight knowing that the East versus West series and the other specials that he likes to race will more than fill his racing plate in 2006. Corwin set quick time over an 18 car turnout with his 14.801 clocking. He was one of the last cars to time and he took quick time honors away from the first as Brady Bell had run a 14.941 lap on the 1/3 mile clay oval. Running a crate engine for track owner Scott Schweitzer, Robby Sawyer has returned to the dirt part time in 2006 and he timed in third quick at 14.961. Jensen also broke into the 14’s with a 14.990 run. Johnny Cardoza just missed with his 15.070 lap. Former hobby stock champion Richie McGowan is making a serious attempt at the street stocks in 2006 and he clocked in sixth at 15.070. After breaking his own ride in hot laps, Brad Pounds moved over to the Willy Oathout car for the remainder of the night. The heat races were straight up off the timed runs and Corwin beat fellow front row starter Jensen in heat 1. Cardoza out dueled Bell in a very entertaining heat 2 and R McGowan won heat 3 over fourth starting Lonnie Welch. Seventeen cars were able to start the 30 lap feature with heat winners Corwin, Cardoza and R McGowan at the front of the field. Corwin raced into the lead over R McGowan and Bell. Welch pitted on a lap 2 yellow for debris and Larry Hood had to pit with a flat tire. Cardoza replaced L Hood in fifth behind Jensen. Bell and Jensen both got by R McGowan for the 2-3 slots on lap 7 and Sawyer was penalized to the rear for rough driving when Sean Minor spun on lap 10. A smoking Tim Breshears pitted and Bill Stevens also exited the track. Bell broke a motor racing in second on lap 18 to move Jensen into second ahead of Paul and R McGowan. B Pounds spun for the last caution on lap 19. Billy Simkins took fifth from Cardoza on lap 22 and Cardoza pitted a couple laps later. Simkins then drove by R McGowan for fourth on lap 27. Corwin stayed in front for the win over Jensen, Paul, Simkins, a fast closing Sawyer, R McGowan, Michael Redding, David Woodbridge, Tom Breshears and B Pounds.

The 14 car turnout for the IMCA Modifieds included six visiting drivers. Stockton’s Troy Burkart and Cass drew the front row for heat 1 and Cass won with sixth starting Scott Pounds second ahead of Burkart. Miller won heat 2 from an outside front row start ahead of fourth starting Chett Reeves. Cass and Miller drew the front row for the feature ahead of Burkart, S Pounds, Reeves and Buck Cox. Miller raced to a quick lead over Cass and S Pounds, Visitor Andy Obertello was out on the first lap and Mohave Valley Raceway Winter Season champion Brad Pounds put the Cox owned Bob Pierce car in fourth on lap 4 with his pass of Burkart. Debris forced a yellow on lap 8 and Merced’s Troy Stone pitted. Cass, S Pounds and B Pounds all shuffled Miller all the way back to fourth on lap 9. Burkart spun for a yellow on lap 10 and Reeves pitted. Mike Hood also pitted with a flat tire. Miller retook third from B Pounds on lap 10 and B Pounds fell out a lap later. Chuck Harrell was coming off a strong Mohave Valley series also and he stalled for a lap 13 yellow flag. Second place S Pounds began to smoke on lap 14 and Miller regained second on lap 16. Burkart was back into the top five with his pass of Steve Smothermon on lap 21. S Pounds began to smoke heavier as he limped to the checkered flag with Cass out front for the final 17 laps in his win. Miller ran second over Cox, Burkart, Smothermon, Hood, S Pounds, Marvin Leist and Rob Sanders.

With the shorter wheelbase cars allowed in the class for the first time in 2006, the hobby stocks had a big 30 car turnout for the season opener. They were divided into four heat races with just the top three finishers in each moving into their A Main. Outside front row starter Jacky Wood won heat 1 over sixth starting Justin Schweitzer and third starting Nick Bartels. The young Bartels has a busy 2006 plan as he is racing a topless dirt late model in Perris in addition to his hobby stock efforts here. C Johnson showed his strength with a win in heat 2 from the pole. Tom Manzella has traded rides with his wife for 2006 and he ran second ahead of Tom Klamorick. Defending champion M Johnson won heat 3 from an outside front row start with third starter Bryan Terry second ahead of pole starter Rodney Jennings. Cimental won heat 4 from the pole ahead of fourth starter David West and Ron Schmidt. Ten more feature starters were determined in a ten lap B Main. Jeremiah VanScoy led all the way to win the B Main over newcomer Stan Benson and Lou Wolfe. C Johnson, Jacky Wood, M Johnson and Cimental held down the front four slots in the 22 car grid for the 25 lap feature. Tina McGowan had to borrow the Krista Pounds car for the night after she broke in hot laps. Wood raced into the top spot ahead of C Johnson, Cimental, M Johnson and Manzella. Schweitzer raced into fifth on lap 5 and the leaders ran in that order until C Johnson made his winning move on Wood on lap 19. Debris forced the only yellow flag of the swift feature on lap 21. C Johnson stayed out front for the win ahead of Wood, Cimental, M Johnson, Schweitzer, Terry, Klamorick, Manzella, Bartels, West and James Diede.

The 25 car turnout in the American Stocks included a large number of the drivers who raced in this class in 2005. K Johnson won heat 1 from an outside front row start ahead of Tom Lowry. Mike Weller won heat 2 from the pole as third starting Armitage ran second. Barren Leonberg showed improvement from 2005 as he won heat 3 from an outside front row start. Mesa Marin convert Jaron Parks ran second. David Wofford was a wire to wire winner in the 10 lap B Main over Wade Meinke and Anthony Sly. Weller, K Johnson, Leonberg and Lowry made up the front two rows for the 20 lap feature. K Johnson raced into the lead over Lowry and Weller. Armitage started fifth and was fourth in two laps. He and Toren Loveless both passed Weller on lap 3 and Parks was fourth on lap 4. Parks was sent to the rear after an incident with Armitage that drew a lap 9 yellow flag. Joe Baker returned from a lengthy pit stop and Armitage was placed back in his spot. Armitage gained second as he led Loveless around Lowry on lap 10. Rick Childress Jr suffered a flat tire on lap 12 and Lowry also pitted with a flat. Meinke had climbed to fourth ahead of Bannister when the yellow fell for debris on lap 15 and Parks was sent off the track for rough driving. K Johnson stayed out front all the way to capture the 20 lapper. Armitage ran second ahead of Bannister, Meinke and Loveless. Eric Standridge ran sixth in front of Jackie Wood, Jason Wilson, Eric Waters and Bill Brown.

March 11 will see the $3000 to win season debut for the new Western All Stars dirt late models. It will finish off three busy nights of racing for many of the teams as Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s dirt half mile is running them with the World of Outlaws sprint cars on Thursday and Friday night. Several of the out of state teams that are being drawn to the Las Vegas race are expected to add the Bakersfield action to their weekend efforts including national star Rick Eckert who will be driving the second Steve Drake car all three nights. The American Stocks, Mini Stocks and new Junior Mini Stocks will also be in action. An incredible number of mini stocks have registered to race in 2006 at the track.

Summary American Stock Heat 1-Kevin Johnson, Tom Lowry, Rick Childress Jr, Joe Baker, David Wofford. Heat 2-Mike Weller, Mike Armitage, Toren Loveless, Jason Bannister, Wade Meinke. Heat 3-Barren Leonberg, Jaron Parks, Mike Waters, Jackie Wood, Eric Waters. B Main-Wofford, Meinke, Anthony Sly, E Waters, Eric Standridge, Bill Brown, Jason Wilson, Roxie Johnson, Jennifer Bentley, Scott Dredge, Gene Farris. A Main-K Johnson, Armitage, Bannister, Meinke, Loveless, Standridge, Jackie Wood, Wilson, E Waters, Brown, Wofford, R Johnson, M Waters, Leonberg, Weller, Bentley, Parks, Lowry, Childress Jr, Dredge, Baker, Sly. Hobby Stock Heat 1-Jacky Wood, Justin Schweitzer, Nick Bartels, Stan Benson, Craig Houk. Heat 2-Chad Johnson, Tom Manzella, Tom Klamorick, Jeremiah VanScoy, Cory Kerley. Heat 3-Michael Johnson, Bryan Terry, Rodney Jennings, Lou Wolfe, Jesse Bowles. Heat 4-Eric Cimental, David West, Ron Schmidt, Christine Carl, Amy Hedden. B Main-VanScoy, S Benson, Wolfe, Houk, Kerley, Clyde Benson, Jimmy Goldsmith, James Diede, Tina McGowan, Hedden, Carl, Bowles, Roy Guy III, Robert Smith. A Main-C Johnson, Jacky Wood, Cimental, M Johnson, Schweitzer, Terry, Klamorick, Manzella, Bartels, West, Diede, C Benson, Goldsmith, Houk, VanScoy, S Benson, Wolfe, Schmidt, Jennings, Hedden, Kerley, T McGowan. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Brian Cass, Scott Pounds, Troy Burkart, Brad Pounds, Steve Smothermon. Heat 2-Jeff Miller, Chett Reeves, Andy Obertello, Buck Cox, Chuck Harrell. Main-Cass, Miller, Cox, Burkart, Smothermon, Mike Hood, S Pounds, Marvin Leist, Rob Sanders, Harrell, B Pounds, Reeves, Troy Stone, Obertello. Street Stock Fast Time-Mike Corwin 14.801 Heat 1-Corwin, Lee Jensen, Larry Hood, Charles Paul, Brad Pounds. Heat 2-Johnny Cardoza, Brady Bell, Sean Minor, Bill Stevens, Billy Simkins. Heat 3-Richie McGowan, Lonnie Welch, Tom Breshears, Robby Sawyer. Main-Corwin, Jensen, Paul, Simkins, Sawyer, R McGowan, Michael Redding, David Woodbridge, Tom Breshears, B Pounds, Minor, Cardoza, Stevens, Bell, L Hood, Tim Breshears, Welch.

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