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See You At The Races!!! |
| BOESPFLUG AND GOODWILL WIN
AT CHOWCHILLA SPRINT DOUBLEHEADER by Gary Jacob |
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Unwinged 360 Sprint Cars, Unwinged Spec Sprints, Street Stocks, Mini Fours |
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Chowchilla, CA....March 26......Having
moved rapidly up the racing ladder at Plaza Park Raceway and Lemoore Raceway as
he grew up before moving his racing over to the unwinged 360 sprint cars in
2004, 17 year old Hanford High School Junior Chad Boespflug charged to victory
in the SCRA wingless 360 sprint car 25 lap feature at Chowchilla Speedway on
Saturday night. It was the second race for the new traveling series as their
first Chowchilla date had been rained out on the previous Saturday, but the
first that directly conflicted with the Bandit unwinged 360 sprint car group
that was the former home for many of the SCRA racers. Dash winner Danny Olmstead
had taken an early lead, but stalled while circling the track under the first
yellow flag. Boespflug paced the remainder of the race and led by as much as a
half lap before the second yellow late in the race bunched the field. Jim
Richardson from Graeagle chased Boespflug at the checkered flag with Chris
D'Arcy in third. Steven Williams ran sixth and maintained his narrow early
season point lead over Richardson and Boespflug. Chowchilla raced two different
wingless sprint car divisions on Saturday night as the CSRA sprint cars and NCMA
sprint cars combined forces with their spec sprints. David Goodwill from Napa
easily won that 20 lapper with double division racer Williams in second ahead of
Woodland veteran racer Gary Koster. Gary Tucker has switched his racing from
Merced Speedway over to Chowchilla Speedway in 2005 and he outdueled Watsonville
Speedway invader Scott Fuhrman to win the street stock main event. The win
pulled Tucker into a tie for the point lead with Red Williams, who finished
third. Patrick Kelley fought off a trio of Myers as he won the mini four main
event. 2004 champion Jimmy Myers ran second and point leader Russ Myers was
third ahead of Travis Myers. Kelley had finished second to J Myers in a hotly
contested track title fight in 2004 and he now trails R Myers by just 2 points
after the first two 2005 events. The scheduling conflict with the Bandit season opener at Kings Speedway cut down the SCRA wingless 360 sprint car count as 13 cars appeared. They were divided into a pair of heat races and Boespflug won the first ahead of Richardson and Jonathan Logan. Olmstead won heat 2 in front of D'Arcy and fast timer Williams. The top six from the heat action squared off in the Forest Transportation Service Dash that determined the starting order for the front three rows in the 25 lap main event. Olmstead got the dash win in front of Logan, Richardson and Bosespflug. Olmstead led the first 3 laps of the main event before Daniel Hood spun for a yellow flag. During the caution, Olmstead stalled on the track. He was able to restart in the rear after pitting for repairs. Boespflug had stretched his lead to the half lap margin when a second yellow flag on lap 22 tightened the field. Richardson and D'Arcy staged a crowd pleasing duel for second with the veteran racer Richardson gaining that position. D'Arcy ran third ahead of Logan, Richard Harvey Jr, Williams, outlaw kart graduate Tyler Spath, Aaron Chaney, Olmstead and Albert Pombo. The combined CSRA-NCMA action drew an 11 car turnout for the season opener for both groups. Williams won the first heat race after driving around Koster. Koster finished second and second year racer Rob Hammond managed third ahead of Goodwill. Bay area racer Keith Shipherd won heat 2 by a half-lap ahead of Ed Amador and Scott Pierson. Sam Fries was unable to start his heat, but did tag the main event. Koster's dash win was just his second ever in a wingless sprint car as he outdueled Shipherd, Amador and Williams. Pierson had the pole for the 20 lap feature and he paced two laps before slipping over the top of the track in turn 1 for the first yellow flag. Goodwill became the new leader and he built a healthy lead over Hammond and Burt Siverling. As Goodwill began to work lapped traffic, Williams slipped around Hammond for second on lap 18. Hammond spun in turn 4 on the final lap as he dueled Williams and Koster for second. Goodwill took the checkered yellow flag combination in front of Williams, Koster, Amador and Shipherd. Hammond was scored sixth in front of Siverling, Fries and George Terry. The nine street stocks were divided into a pair of heat races and division rookie Shane Hausmann won heat 1 over Tucker. Hausmann was the 2004 Hobby Stock track champion. Hausmann teammate R Williams won heat 2 ahead of Antioch invader Lynn Nelson. Tucker was the feature winner in front of Fuhrman, R Williams, Nelson, Steven Hannah, Willie Livingston, Hausmann, Nick Sagmiller and Stu Cornick. Hannah is just 2 points back of the point leading tie between Tucker and R Williams. Nelson is another two points back in front. The mini fours split 8 cars into a pair of heat races. Kelley won the first ahead of T Myers and Robbie Loquaci. R Myers beat J Myers and Julie Stevens in heat 2. Brandi Myers was a feature scratch and Kelley posted that win ahead of J Myers, R Myers, T Myers and Stevens. Dan Zuger ran sixth ahead of Loquaci. R Myers is 2 points up on Kelley and 4 ahead of J Myers. Chowchilla Speedway has another large event on April 2 as they will host the 2005 season opener for the Western Dirt Late Model Tour, a $500 to win show for the dirt modifieds, the first race in the George Steitz Limited Late Model Tour, the SORA Sprint 100s and a late addition of the dwarf cars. The dirt late model action became their season opener when the March 19 race at Bakersfield got rained out. Summary
Mini Four
Super Street Stocks Wingless Spec Sprints Wingless 360 Sprint Cars |
