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| FIRST BANDIT WIN FOR
CARLILE, SCHLUNDT TAKES IMCA VICTORY by Gary Jacob |
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Unwinged 360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds and Hot Stocks |
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Hanford, CA..June 18..Coming off a fifth place finish the previous week
in Santa Maria, Rusty Carlile from Bakersfield won the Bandit unwinged 360
sprint car feature Saturday night at Kings Speedway ahead of series championship
challenger Jimmy Reeves and John Burnett. Incoming point leader Greg Porte set
fast time and won the heat race, but ran last in a six car feature. Veteran
racer Jon Schlundt has been very competitive in 2005 and he raced to his first
IMCA Modified feature win ahed of second ranked Steve Smothermon and 20th
starter Gerard Felipe from Coalinga. Hot Stock point leader Preston Martin made
it two wins in four 2005 point races as he outraced point runnerup J T Contente
and Porterville veteran Chuck Nevels. Michael Redding fell from second in points
when he scratched from the feature. Martin is using an Olson spec engine in
2005. This had been scheduled to be the first race in a special Select Series that will combine the Bandit and VRA unwinged 360s but that was delayed until July 30th and only six Bandits appeared with a scheduling conflict with a $2000 to win show for the SCRA unwinged 360s at nearby Tulare. Porte set fast time with his 15.860 lap as he easily led the 16.450 posted by Carlile. Previous week Santa Maria winner Josh Davis ran a 16.619 and Burnett posted a 16.623. Reeves was fifth at 16.804. Porte won the lone heat race over Burnett and Reeves. In the feature, it was Carlile winning for the first time in front of Reeves, Burnett, Davis, Ray Knight and Porte. Porte was seven points ahead of Reeves at the beginning of the night. Even with losing a couple track regulars to the rich Northwest Modified Nationals in Elma WA, the IMCA Modifieds appeared with 22 cars. Joe Gonella Jr won heat 1 over Smothermon and Tom Stidham. Smothermon is racing a second season for Tulare based Donnie Range. Schlundt had a perfect night as he beat female racer Claudine Contente and 2004 champion Bryan Burnes in heat 2. Mike Villaneuva won heat 3 over newcomer Keith Anderson and Jason Selvidge. Scratching from the main event were Kevin Barnes and Ed Nichols. Schlundt got his first IMCA feature win ever ahead of Smothermon, Felipe, Watsonville Speedway racer Todd Hermosillo, William Woodbridge, Joe Chapman, point leader Aaron Barnell, Mark Hamblin, Anderson and Villaneuva. Barnell had won his last two starts here and at Merced while Hamblin was coming off a big Memorial Day win at Chowchilla. Smothermon did cut Barnell's point lead down to just 4 points. Villaneuva and 16 year old Alex Stanford are tied for third, 22 behind the leader and just 3 ahead of C Contente. The Hot Stocks had a 12 car turnout and J T Contente won the first heat over Martin and Redding. Veteran Johnny Cardoza from Carruthers won heat 2 in front of Nevels and Tony Contente. Redding was the only feature scratch and the main event win went to Martin ahead of J Contente, Nevels, Luis Avila, Mark Courtney, Chris Davis, Cardoza and T Contente. Martin leads the points ahead of J Contente, Avila and Redding. On June 25, the Golden State Challenge Winged 410s are in town for the Spanky Mathews Memorial. Jon Allard driving for Morrie Williams will be coming off his big $25,000 win at Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway in Washington. The Rebel Cup winged 360 sprints will join them. Their special challenge race against the Civil War teams was rained out in Calistoga on Saturday night. Summary Hot Stock Heat 1-J T Contente, Preston Martin, Michael Redding, Eddie Drayden, Joey Salazar. Heat 2-Johnny Cardoza, Chuck Nevels, Tony Contente, Luis Avila, Mark Courtney. Main-Martin, J Contente, Nevels, Avila, Courtney, Chris Davis, Cardoza, T Contente, Drayden, Salazar, Joe Ealy. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Joe Gonella Jr, Steve Smothermon, Tom Stidham, Aaron Barnell, Todd Hermosillo. Heat 2-Jon Schlundt, Claudine Contente, Bryan Burnes, Alex Stanford, William Woodbridge. Heat 3-Mike Villaneuva, Keith Anderson, Jason Selvidge, Larry Corning, Joe Chapman. Main-Schlundt, Smothermon, Gerard Felipe, Hermosillo, Woodbridge, Chapman, Barnell, Mark Hamblin, Anderson, Villaneuva, C Contente, Jack Stanford, Corning, A Stanford, Stidham, Art Devult, Selvidge, Gonella, Ron d'Artenay Jr, Burnes. Bandit Unwinged 360 Sprint Car Fast Time-Greg Porte 15.864. Heat-Porte, John Burnett, Jimmy Reeves, Rusty Carlile, Josh Davis. Main-Carlile, Reeves, Burnett, Davis, Ray Knight, Porte. |
