Combs, Boul, Corder Win Merced Speedway Features

Merced, CA...July 8...Josh Combs won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway.  Combs was making his second appearance of the season, and he won his eight lap heat race to get the night started.  Combs had a front row starting spot and bolted out to the lead ahead of Justin Villanueva and heat winner John MacDougall.  Combs pulled away from J. Villanueva as MacDougall was being challenged initially by Troy Stone.  Around lap 10, J. Villanueva spun in Turn 4 and kept going without a yellow flag.  Heat race winner Bill Egleston moved in to challenge MacDougall for second as Combs had built a huge lead.  A lap 16 caution flag changed the battle up front.  As Combs maintained his command, Egleston moved underneath MacDougall and drifted up exiting Turn 2.  This sent MacDougall spinning as several cars piled in.  MacDougall's impressive run up front ended as T. Stone restarted in the back.  Combs continued to lead Egleston on the next restart as Ryan Porter settled into third.  Egleston pushed high in Turns 1 and 2 on lap 21, allowing Porter and four time champion Ramie Stone to settle into second and third.  Nobody was going to beat Combs as he brought it home to a dominant victory.  Porter finished second ahead of R. Stone.  Mike Villanueva was fourth, but he gained little ground on point leader Randy Brown, who ended what was an eventful race for him in fifth.  D.J. Shannon, Bruce "Bubba" Nelson, Egleston, Jarod Fast and T. Stone rounded out the Top 10.

Tanner Boul won the 25 lap IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Main Event.  Boul started on the pole as Monty Ferriera made a charge from tenth starting.  Ferreira had won the previous three Main Events, and he was on the move to the front of the pack.  However, Boul ended Ferreira's bid for a fourth straight win as he held him off for his second win of the season.  Grant Duinkerken was a solid third ahead of Scott Meisner, heat race winner Chris Ennis, Doug Gandy, George Tristao, heat winner Vaughn Schott and final lead lap finisher Kyle Rasmussen.  Mauro Simone finished tenth.  Tristao was the incoming point leader, but Ferreira should have the lead when the next point list is released.

Jennifer Corder won her first 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event of the season.  Jennifer gained several points on her point leading brother Chris Corder, who fell out after the opening lap.  Heat race winners Jason Womack and Shawn DePriest settled into the first two positions at the start with J. Corder third.  The lead two actually had a good lead on J. Corder, and DePriest went underneath Womack in Turn 2 to grab the lead on lap four.  A lap later, both drivers pushed high in Turn 2 in traffic, allowing J. Corder to catch them both.  J. Corder beat Womack back to the line to take second.  When DePriest again went high in Turn 2 on lap six, J. Corder raced by for the lead.  Lucy Falkenberg moved up to battle Womack and DePriest for second as the trio went three wide on the back stretch on lap seven.  DePriest and Falkenberg both got by Womack.  A lap 11 caution flag would not slow J. Corder down as she scored the impressive win.  DePriest was a season best second ahead of Falkenberg, Womack, Jeremy Perry, Karina Peffer, Devin Bolton, Kristina Cole, Troy Tatum and C. Corder.

Tommy Bostic won the 15 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event.  Bostic has been competing at Merced for years in several classes.  Raul Rodriguez Jr. led three laps of the Main Event before Bostic raced by on the inside in Turn 4 to take the lead.  The lead two cars ran closely from then to the checkered flag with Bostic winning ahead of Rodriguez.  Young Ian Shearer held off his father, Michael Shearer, for the third place finish as heat race winner Tim Crews rounded out the finishing order.

The IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks return next Saturday night to headline the show along with the Valley Sportsman and Mini Late Model divisions.  For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.