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Oildale, CA....March 13......Leading the final 17 laps of the main event after earlier winning his heat race, CSRA champion Tim Sherman captured the 20 lap main event as the NCMA sprint cars made their first ever visit to Bakersfield Speedway Park to open their 2004 season Saturday night. The season opener was also the first race of a special six race West Coast Select Series that will pay $1000 to it's champion. Forced to start in the back after falling out of his heat race, Keith Shipherd grabbed second on lap 9 and finished there ahead of Ed Amador and Bakersfield's own John Fenton. Making just the second start of his racing career, Chris Martin got the lead when the three leaders tangled on lap 12 and paced the final 13 laps to win the 25 lap American Stock main event. Johnny McKinley finished second ahead of former lady division track champion Michelle Childress.
The early date for the season opener caught many NCMA teams unprepared and they had a ten car turnout for the action on the 1/3 mile clay oval. After finding a suspension problem, David Goodwill was unable to get his new car on the track. The teams were divided into a pair of heat races. Sherman won the first heat from the back row as Burt Siverling ran second ahead of Jimmy Lavell. Outside front row starter Ed Amador won heat 2 ahead of pole starter Fenton and Russ Wullenwaber. The 20 lap feature had a four car inversion that put Fenton on the pole again with Siverling alongside. Amador and Sherman shared row 2. Siverling led the opening lap ahead of Sherman, Fenton and Amador. George Terry slammed hard into the wall exiting turn 2 and flipped several times, destroying the front suspension on his car and nearly landing on his team car with Darren Thomas at the wheel. Terry was unhurt and Shipherd had passed Wullenwaber for fifth before some contact from Sherman sent leader Siverling spinning in turn 4. Sherman was the new leader with Siverling restarting in the rear. Sherman led Fenton, Shipherd and Amador on lap 4. After a brief side by side duel, Shipherd took second from Fenton on lap 9 and Amador raced underneath Fenton on lap 12 to take over third. Thomas was a late race dropout and Wullenwaber lost fifth place with a lap 19 spin. The very excited Sherman won ahead of Shipherd, Amador, Fenton, Lavell and Siverling. NCMA runs roughly half of their schedule on the pavement and will be at Altamont on March 20. They journey to Chowchilla on March 27. The second West Coast Select Series race will be April 24 at Chowchilla.
The 17 American Stocks were divided into three heat races. Sam Henry won the first ahead of last week's feature winner Conrad Feliks. Making his first start, Jeff Erickson won heat 2 ahead of Childress. Jesse Bowles came from 4th to win heat 3 as Wayne Dotson ran second. This year, Bakersfield is taking the dash from that night's heat results and a smoking Henry also won the dash with Bowles second ahead of Childress. Newcomer Lloyd Reed Jr did not get onto the track until lap 9 of the feature so he was not scored. Michael Johnson took a quick lead from his outside front row start with Dotson taking second from Bowles on lap 2. Henry got into the fence in turn 1 and Robert Swearengen was out early. Martin settled into fourth ahead of Steve McKinley. Bowles was making an outside bid to pass both Johnson and Dotson for the lead when contact from Dotson turned Johnson around. Bowles ended up spinning in the same lap 12 incident and new leader Dotson was sent to the rear for rough driving. Bowles race was over as he suffered a broken axle. Suddenly, Martin found himself leading and Johnny McKinley tangled with Feliks. Christine Carl emerged in second ahead of James Cecil and Childress. J McKinley took fourth from Childress on lap 14 and Feliks threw a wheel for a lap 15 yellow flag. Third place Cecil then lost a wheel and Carl spun with J McKinley the new runnerup ahead of Childress and Johnson. The badly smoking Johnson was blackflagged off the track to move Dotson up to fourth. The final yellow came on lap 23 when Henry and Jason Bannister tangled. Martin stayed out front for the win ahead of J McKinley and Childress. Dotson crossed the line in 4th, but was disqualified for failing to report to the tech pad. That moved Bannister up to fourth ahead of Henry, Feliks and Erickson.
March 20 will see the return of the track's regular classes for an IMCA Modifieds, Super Street Stocks, Hobby Stock and American Stock night.
Summary
American Stocks
Dash-Sam Henry, Jesse Bowles, Melissa Childress.
Heat 1-Henry, Conrad Feliks, Johnny McKinley, Steve McKinley, Jason Bannister.
Heat 2-Jeff Erickson, Childress, Christine Carl, Chris Martin, Robert Swearengen.
Heat 3-Bowels, Wayne Dotson, Michael Johnson, James Cecil, Craig Houk. Main-Martin, J McKinley, Childress, Bannister, Henry, Feliks, Erickson, Carl, Mike Boyd, Johnson, Cecil, S McKinley, Houk, Bowles, Swearengen.
NCMA Sprint Cars
Heat 1-Tim Sherman, Burt Siverling, Jimmy Lavell, Darren Thomas.
Heat 2-Ed Amador, John Fenton, Russ Wullenwaber, George Terry, Keith Shipherd. Main-Sherman, Shipherd, Amador, Fenton, Lavell, Siverling, Wullenwaber, Thomas, Terry.
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