WEST COAST LATE MODEL SHOOTOUT
Bakersfield Speedway
August 31, 2013
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Decker Outduels Hogge in West Coast LM Shootout Thriller at Bakersfield 
by Stephanie Odom
BAKERSFIELD, CA (August 31) - Jeff Decker became the seventh West Coast Late Model Shootout feature event winner Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway. The Morgan Hill native held off Salinas’ Bobby Hogge IV in a thrilling 30-lap feature event. Twenty cars were on hand for the first two of Labor Day weekend events, paying $2,000 to win and $400 to start.
Decker started on the pole after a dash win with Steve Drake starting outside him. The duo drag raced into turn one when the green flag dropped with Decker gaining the early advantage.Tommy Malcolm and Hogge battled for third, trading the position multiple times before a caution came out on lap six for Nick Bartels. Bartels, running second in series’ points going into the night, suffered a flat left rear tire and was able to rejoin the field.
Racing resumed with Hogge taking over second and Clay Daly following him as he powered around the top of the track. A caution on lap eight slowed things down once more for Roger Holder who had right front damage.
Green flag action began with Hogge and Daly battling for second place. Daly ran the bottom and slid in front of Hogge for the spot, only for Hogge to do the same the following turn. The battle went on for laps before Hogge broke away and began challenging Decker for the lead. Hogge moved under Decker and ran side by side as the top three began to close in on lapped traffic before a caution for debris on lap 19 halted the action.
The final eleven laps went green flag, Decker and Hogge continued to battle side by side for the lead and Daly and Malcolm battled alongside each other for third. Bakersfield’s Rob Sanders charged from 13th and battled with the two in the final laps. The white flag flew with Bobby Hogge underneath Jeff Decker and a three way battle for third. Decker gained the advantage going into turn three and held off Hogge crossing the line. Gaining 10 positions, Sanders crossed the line third. Daly, Malcolm, Mike Kirby, Tony Toste, Andy Obertello, Larry Childress and Steve Drake completed the top ten.
The series will return to action for their second race of the weekend on Sunday, September 1st at Santa Maria Speedway for the 20th annual Danny and Sandie Simkins Memorial. For more information on this event you can visit
www.WestCoastLateModels.com.
The West Coast Late Model Shootout and Chris Kearns Presents would like to thank the following for their support this season: Taffera Jewelers, RoadRunner Fabrication, Pearsons Auto Wrecking, Drake Farms Transportation, Toste Construction, Toste Grading and Paving, Papich Construction, Victory Circle Chassis, Victory Circle Custom Fabrication and Machining, West Coast Boring, Hoosier Tires, Five Star Grafix, VP Racing Fuel, A-1 Spring & Supply and Holders Air Conditioning and Heating.
A-Main
1 84 Jeff Decker Morgan Hill, CA $2,000
2 2 Bobby Hogge Salinas, CA
3 10N Robert Sanders Bakersfield, CA
4 32B Clay Daly Watsonville, CA
5 75 Tommy Malcolm Corona, CA
6 5K Mike Kirby Torrance, CA
7 91T Tony Toste Pismo Beach, CA
8 29 Andy Obertello Hollister, CA
9 17c Larry Childress Bakersfield, CA
10 11X Steve Drake San Luis Obispo, CA
11 91P Jason Papich Santa Maria, CA
12 21X Devin Crockett Arroyo Grande, CA
13 27 Nick Bartels El Segundo, CA
14 5w Larry Wise Bakersfield, CA
15 77 Cody Laney Torrance, CA
16 00 Jeff Manka Phoenix, AZ
17 22D Bruce Duckett Mesa, AZ
18 96 Carla Laney Torrance, CA
19 74 Dennis Souza Pescadero, CA
20 24 Roger Holder Bakersfield, CA
Heat #1
1 11X Steve Drake San Luis Obispo, CA
2 75 Tommy Malcolm Corona, CA
3 22B Bruce Duckett Mesa, AZ
4 77 Cody Laney Torrance, CA
5 10N Robert Sanders Bakersfield, CA
6 91T Tony Toste Pismo Beach, CA
dns 00 Jeff Manka Phoenix, AZ
Heat #2
1 27 Nick Bartels El Segundo, CA
2 84 Jeff Decker Morgan Hill, CA
3 5K Mike Kirby Torrance, CA
4 21X Devin Crockett Arroyo Grande, CA
5 24 Roger Holder Bakersfield, CA
6 17c Larry Childress Bakersfield, CA
Heat #3
1 2 Bobby Hogge Salinas, CA
2 32B Clay Daly Watsonville, CA
3 91P Jason Papich Santa Maria, CA
4 29 Andy Obertello Hollister, CA
5 5w Larry Wise Bakersfield, CA
6 96 Carla Laney Torrance, CA
7 74 Dennis Souza Pescadero, CA
Qualifying Results
1 11X Steve Drake San Luis Obispo, CA 13.378
2 22B Bruce Duckett Mesa, AZ 13.674
3 75 Tommy Malcolm Corona, CA 13.695
4 84 Jeff Decker Morgan Hill, CA 13.764
5 32B Clay Daly Watsonville, CA 13.914
6 2 Bobby Hogge Salinas, CA 13.917
7 91T Tony Toste Pismo Beach, CA 13.944
8 27 Nick Bartels El Segundo, CA 13.986
9 29 Andy Obertello Hollister, CA 14.105
10 21X Devin Crockett Arroyo Grande, CA 14.128
11 91P Jason Papich Santa Maria, CA 14.128
12 5K Mike Kirby Torrance, CA 14.159
13 17c Larry Childress Bakersfield, CA 14.270
14 24 Roger Holder Bakersfield, CA 14.450
15 77 Cody Laney Torrance, CA 14.471
16 5w Larry Wise Bakersfield, CA 15.166
17 96 Carla Laney Torrance, CA 15.899
18 74 Dennis Souza Pescadero, CA 16.053
19 00 Jeff Manka Phoenix, AZ no time
20 10N Robert Sanders Bakersfield, CA no time
Event Photos courtesy of Ray McCann