|
Jim Pluhar
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (May 16) - Super Late Model Stocks, Papich Construction IMCA Modifieds, California Lightning Sprints and Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks provided the racing thrills Saturday night at Santa Maria Speedway.
Point leader Steve Drake, of San Luis Obispo, stood out in qualifying with a lap of 15.648 seconds, but it was Torrance driver Mike Kirby who came out on top in the 30-lap feature event. Kirby laid back for the first two-third of the event before pouncing on Bakersfield's Rob Sanders and relegating him to second place at the finish. Third went to Bakersfield's Jerry Stewart followed by Drake and Arroyo Grande's Devin Crockett. Kirby, Sanders and Stewart won 8-lap heat races.
Watsonville's Clay Daly started sixth in the 22-car IMCA Modified main event and came away the winner in the 25-lap run. It was Chad Weber's fifth place finish, however, that catapulted him into the division point lead. The Arroyo Grande driver came to the checkers behind second in points and second in the race Mike Johnson, of Lompoc, Doug Thornton, of Santa Maria, and Andy Obertello of Hollister. Daly's win put him third in points. Eight-lap heat race victories went to Thornton, Jason Papich, of Arroyo Grande, and Danny Lauer, of Santa Maria, who spun out in the feature while leading early on.
California Lightning Sprints made their first of three visits to SMS led by Stuart Hielscher, Jr., of Murrieta, who set fast time of 14.262 seconds and then elected to start at the rear of the 20-lap feature to try and pick up an additional $100.00 for the win. Junior came up two positions short, being led to the checkers by Stuart Hielscher, Sr. and Brent Sexton of Lakeside. Corey Ballard, of Orange, and Robert Early, of Perris, finished fourth and fifth. Hielscher, Jr. and San Diego's Bobby Bender won 8-lap heat races.
After placing second and third in the first two 20-lap Mini Stock main events, Tom Grzincic, of Atascadero, captured his first victory. Grzincic outran Nipomo drivers Jeremy Heroux, Korban Ensign, and Kurt Larsen for the win. Aaron Cervantes, of Santa Maria, was fifth. Grzincic, Heroux, and Jeff Dye, of Atascadero, took charge in the 8-lap heats.
Next Saturday night will be the 19th Annual Don Roberts Memorial, with West Coast 360 Sprint Cars, East vs. West Super Streets, and Factory Stocks taking to the oval. Admission will be $14.00 for adults, $12.00 for seniors and military, and $6.00 for children six to twelve. Kids five and under are free. Gates open at 3:00 p.m., with qualifying at 5:00 p.m. and racing at 6:00 p.m. The Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the US 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road.
RACE SUMMARIES:
Super Late Models:
Fast Time - Steve Drake, 15.648.
Heat 1 - Jerry Stewart, Billy Griffin, Mike Hixson, Phil Barrow, Jim Giardina, Mike Riccardi, Doug Thompson (DNS).
Heat 2 - Mike Kirby, Drake, Nick Bartels, Bill Bartels, Anthony Barket, John Crow.
Heat 3 - Rob Sanders, Devin Crockett, Jason Selvidge, Dana Beattie, Carla Laney, Logan Drake.
Main Event - Kirby, Sanders, Stewart, S. Drake, Crockett, Griffin, N. Bartels, Barrow, Selvidge, Beattie, Hixson, Laney, Barket, Giardina, B. Bartels, Crow, L. Drake, Riccardi, Thompson (DNS).
IMCA Modifieds:
Heat 1 - Jason Papich, Clay Daly, Josh Vogt, Kenny Kirkpatrick, Paul Terrones, Robert Marsh, Christopher Crompe, Andy Obertello.
Heat 2 - Doug Thornton, Daylan Coffey, Ron Wiley, Ken Kehs, Bob Diaz, Jared Domingos, Chad Weber.
Heat 3 - Danny Lauer, Mike Johnson, Andrew Odgers, Cody Burke, Ian Hunter, Kyle Camperud, Tony Toste.
Main Event - Daly, Johnson, Thornton, Obertello, Weber, Kirkpatrick, Burke, Diaz, Coffey, Marsh, Terrones, Odgers, Vogt, Toste, Domingos, Kehs, Lauer, Wiley, Hunter, Crompe, Papich, Camperud.
California Lightning Sprints:
Fast Time - Stuart Hielscher, Jr., 14.262.
Heat 1 - Hielscher, Jr., Jarrett Kramer, Robert Early, Corey Ballard, A.J. Bender, Guy Marsh, Dan Hillberg.
Heat 2 - Bobby Bender, Stuart Hielscher, Sr., Brent Sexton, John Bluntach, Jason Bennett, Tobey Sampson, Dale Gamer.
Main Event - Hielscher, Sr., Sexton, Hielscher, Jr., Ballard, Early, Kramer, Bluntach, A.J. Bender, Bennett, Sampson, Maresch, Gamer, Hillberg (DNS), B. Bender (DNS).
Mini Stocks:
Heat 1 - Jeff Dye, Kenny Smith, Kurt Larsen, Phillip Sewell, Taelor James, Robby Cervantes (DNS).
Heat 2 - Tom Grzincic, Dustin Ensign, Robert Dye, Ben Caswell, Bill Jewell, Zack Miller.
Heat 3 - Jeremy Heroux, Korban Ensign, Rob Gilbertson, Aaron Cervantes, Hardy Ensign.
Main Event - Grzincic, Heroux, K. Ensign, Larsen, A. Cervantes, R. Cervantes antes, Gilbertson, Caswell, Smith, D. Ensign, R. Dye, J. Dye, Jewell, H. Ensign, Miller, Sewell, James.
POINT STANDINGS:
Super Late Models - 1. Steve Drake, 93 2. Mike Kirby, 92 3. Rob Sanders, 83 4. Devin Crockett, 74 5. Jerry Stewart, 69.
IMCA Modifieds - 1. Chad Weber, 107 2. Mike Johnson (Lompoc), 99 3. Clay Daly, 88 4. Daylan Coffey/Josh Vogt, 84
Mini Stocks - 1. Tom Grzincic, 142 2. Jeremy Heroux, 134 3. Rob Gilbertson, 129 4. Kurt Larsen, 110 5. Aaron Cervantes/Korban Ensign, 108.
|
