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| BALDING RETURNS FROM
WASHINGTON WITH THIRD WIN by Gary Jacob |
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IMCA Modifieds, Super Stocks, Limited Late Models, Wingless Spec Sprints, American Stocks and Four Bangers |
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Watsonville, CA.June 24...Coming off a very successful trip to the
Northwest Modified Nationals in Elma WA, Tim Balding led the final 21 laps to
capture Friday night's IMCA Modified feature race at Watsonville Speedway.
Balding ran 9th in the 67 car Washington race and his win tonight was his third
Watsonville victory of 2005 in his Harris. He has also won three times at
Chowchilla. Last week's rainout kept Balding in track point contention and he
stands 6 points behind point leader Joe Antonetti. Despite a broken front
suspension, 2004 champion Kenny Nott Jr ran second ahead of Western Region
rookie of the year hopeful Alex Stanford and state point leader Garrett Steitz.
Taking the lead from Scott Fuhrman on a lap 18 restart, Mark Cooper posted his
second NASCAR super stock win of 2005 as he pulled out to a ¼ lap win over
Fuhrman and point leader Dennis Pelphrey. Pelphrey started the night just one
point ahead of Stu Cornick, but Cornick pitted early in the race. The George
Steitz All Star Tour event attracted 14 limited late models. With John Harville
sidelined by his doctor, he put dirt late model racer Bobby Scott Jr in his car
and Scott Jr led from lap 2 to win the 20 lapper ahead of series point leader
Ken Gregg and Eric VanHooser. Harville announced that the car is for sale. Scott
Jr also won his heat race by ¼ lap. After a fifth place heat finish, Steve
Mannina led all 20 laps of the wingless spec sprint feature from an outside
front row start. David Press was a race long second and rookie Aaron Sirles ran
third. The American Stock 20 lapper had a wild finish as three of the top four
cars ended up crashed on the final round and point leader Sam Kennedy emerged
with his third win. Les Bowers had led from lap 11, but he got too high taking
the white flag. Ray Ash made a bid for the win, but ended up riding the top of
the backstretch crashwall and fourth place Jennifer Rood was spun by fifth place
Lucas Farmer. Billy Nelson II drove through the melee to finish second ahead of
last starter Bill Sorg and Jimmy Fernandez. Bowers was scored in fifth. In just
his third race, Tommy Laliberte visited Watsonville for the first time and he
won the four banger main event after leading the final 11 laps. The division was
back on the oval track for the first time since opening night and opening night
flip victim Jimmy Cook ran second ahead of David Miahara, who was subbing in the
Hailey Fuhrman car. With several Merced area cars joining the action, the IMCA Modifieds had a 15 car turnout. Outside front row starter Todd Hermosillo won heat 1 over Stanford and Troy Stone. Stanford was racing the D&M that father Jack picked up in Aztec NM at the beginning of the month and the team indicated that they would be a track regular for the remainder of 2005. Joey Golz also turned the favored outside front row start into a win in heat 2 over Balding and Nott. Stanford and Hermosillo shared the front row for the 25 lap feature ahead of Golz and Stone. Hermosillo led the opening lap over Stanford and Balding, but a tangle between Washington participant Chuck Harrell, Don Breeden, Mark Sargent and Raymond Keldsen Jr forced an early caution. Stanford led lap 2, Hermosillo lap 3 and Stanford lap 4 before sixth starter Balding raced into the lead. Sargent stalled for a lap 6 yellow and Antonetti pitted. A red flag for a fire on Breeden's car saved Antonetti and left him on the lead lap as Balding led Hermosillo, Nott and Stanford. Hermosillo spun out of 2nd on lap 8 and Antonetti tangled with Andy Obertello for a lap 12 caution. Golz spun out of 4th on the restart and the final caution came on lap 18 when Obertello and Merced regular Mike Gillard tangled. Jim DiGiovanni spun in his fourth place duel with Steitz as Balding stayed out front for the win ahead of Nott and Stanford. Steitz emerged in fourth ahead of Antonetti, Stone, DiGiovanni and Golz. Antonetti holds a two point lead on Steitz, is six ahead of Balding and 12 in front of Nott. Golz stands fifth, 21 points out of first. The ten super stocks raced in a single heat race and Cooper won from fourth over outside front row starter Chris Messmer and 7th starting Pelphrey. Only two cautions slowed the action in their 25 lapper. Cornick was out in the first four laps and outside front row starter S Fuhrman raced into the lead over Pelphrey and Cooper. Pelphrey blew a right front tire and stalled for a lap 11 yellow. As the field took the caution, Philip Priddy was spun hard into the front wall by Bill Hyland, who was sent to the rear. Messmer briefly took the lead from S Fuhrman on this restart riding a high line but S Fuhrman's low line regained him the lead on lap 13. Cooper got underneath Messmer for second on lap 16 and Ray Martin spun with a right front flat for a lap 17 yellow. Pelphrey was now back to fifth. S Fuhrman again choose to restart on the inside and outside starter Cooper raced into the lead. There was no stopping Cooper as he stretched his lead to ¼ lap by the lap 25 checkered flag. S Fuhrman ran second ahead of Pelphrey, Messmer, Chris Kulvicki, Hyland and Tony Oliveira. ' With four super stocks doing double duty, the limited late models were divided into two heat races. Gregg drove around Jeremy Petrell coming to the finish line to win heat 1. Scott Jr had the pole for heat 2 and he won by ¼ lap over Eric VanHooser and Danny Scott. VanHooser and Petrell shared the front row for the 20 lap feature with Scott Jr and Gregg in row 2 ahead of Mike Meazell and D Scott. Only one yellow flag slowed their action and VanHooser led one lap before B Scott Jr took command. Petrell settled into third over Gregg with his Ford. Vern Niewald spun with a flat tire for the only yellow on lap 6 and Bill Hyland fell out. Gregg was now third over Petrell and Gregg grabbed second from VanHooser with an inside move in turn 4 on lap 8. Jeff Mead spun on lap 11 and a tight three car duel for fourth developed between Petrell, D Scott and Meazell. Mead and Mitch Lettunich both fell out late and Scott Jr won ahead of Gregg, VanHooser, Petrell, D Scott, Meazell, Martin, Oliveira and Messmer. The wingless spec sprints had an 8 car turnout, but former dwarf car champion John Prentice broke in hot laps in his division debut in the car that Craig Smith wheeled earlier in the year. Point leader and rookie Steve Pemberton won the lone heat race over pole starter and rookie Aaron Sirles. Petaluma's Arvo Backholm ran third in his first visit ot the ¼ mile clay oval. The feature lineup was an inversion of the heat finish and outside front row starter Mannina took the lead over pole starter Press. Rob Hammond settled into third and Backholm took fourth from Sirles on lap 3. Mannina had checked out on the field when Sirles stalled for a lap 5 yellow. Pemberton hooked a rut coming off turn 4 and made heavy contact with the front wall to end his night. Hammond and Backholm began to put heavy pressure on Press in the three car duel for second. Both Hammond and Backholm passed Press on lap 13, but they were ¼ lap back of leader Mannina. On lap 15, Hammond spun and got hit by Backholm to end the race for both. Kenny Fredenberg crashed on the restart for another quick caution. Mannina stayed out front for all 20 laps and Press ran second ahead of Sirles and Fredenberg. The class also raced with Golden State on June 3 and I just got those results. Darrell Hanestad won a ten car feature over Scott Merrell and Bill Macedo. Mannina was fourth that night ahead of Press and Hammond. Hanestad won a heat race in front of Press and Antioch regular Merrell won heat 2 over Jeff Rose. The American Stocks had the biggest count with 25 cars and the track elected to start all 23 heat race survivors in the 20 lap feature. John Dawson Jr, Tim Clark Jr and Wally Kennedy were the heat race winners and Norm Ayers won the dash ahead of Les Bowers. After a solid third in his heat, Sorg elected to tag the large feature. S Kennedy started 12th as the most recent feature winner. Pole starter Britton Carr led two laps. W Kennedy, Dawson Jr, Steve Montgomery, Aaron Hill and Lucas Farmer all crashed on lap 1. On a lap 3 restart, leader Carr threw a rear wheel and Ayers ran over the loose wheel. The incident ended the race for Carr, W Kennedy and Melissa Fuhrman. Dawson lost laps making repairs. Ash now led Bowers and Rood. S Kennedy moved into fourth when a badly smoking George Fernandez Jr fell out on alp 7. As they lapped Tim Rodriguez on lap 11, Ash found his low line blocked and he lost the lead to Bowers. Gary Baker oiled down the track for a lap 13 caution and Eli Mendoza Jr blew a tire. S Kennedy took third from Rood on lap 18. Bowers led from lap 11, but was too high entering turn 1 on the last lap and both Ash and S Kennedy tried to go underneath. Ash ended up riding the top of the backstetch crashwall, Bowers emerged with two flat tires and Farmer drew a penalty for spinning Rood out in the final corner. S Kennedy emerged with his third win and Nelson II moved up to second ahead of Sorg, J Fernandez and Bowers. Clark Jr was scored sixth over Ash, Rood and Farmer. The adult heat for the four bangers was won by Laliberte ahead of Cook and Lisa Riordan. Riordan is gaining experience fast by racing both Antioch and Watsonville and Laliberte has already purchased the Camaro that he will build into an American Stock. The heat for the high schoolers went to Andrew Camperud ahead of brother Kyle Camperud. The 15 lap feature was run with just a single yellow flag and the adults started out front. Cook led the first four laps before Laliberte took over. Riordan blew a tire on lap 2 and Jerrod Freeze broke for a lap 3 yellow. During the caution, A Camperud pitted his badly smoking car. Miahara settled into third and K Camperud briefly got to fourth before his car lost power. Joe Padilla gained fourth on lap 7 and Kayla Watson broke on lap 9. Jeff Wilson raced into fourth, but spun. K Camperud joined his brother on the sidelines and Laliberte easily won over the second place duel between Cook and Miahara. Padilla was penalized from 4th to 5th for rough driving and Wilson ended up fourth. Newcomer Mike Dalton ran sixth over Alex Bieser and Riordan. The annual fireworks race on July 1 will see the IMCA Modifieds, super stocks, wingless spec sprints and American Stocks in action. Summary Four Banger Heat 1-Tommy Laliberte, Jimmy Cook, Lisa Riordan, David Miahara, Jerrod Freeze. Heat 2-Andrew Camperud, Kyle Camperud, Alex Bieser, Kayla Watson, Jeff Wilson. Main-Laliberte, Cook, Miahara, Wilson, Joe Padilla, Mike Dalton, Bieser, Riordan, K Camperud, Watson, Freeze, A Camperud. American Stock Dash-Norm Ayers, Les Bowers, John Dawson Jr. Heat 1-Dawson Jr, Ayers, Britton Carr, Jennifer Rood, George Fernandez Jr. Heat 2-Tim Clark Jr, Bowers, Ray Ash, Steve Taddei, Lucas Farmer. Heat 3-Wally Kennedy, Sam Kennedy, Bill Sorg, Steve Montgomery, Melissa Fuhrman. Main-S Kennedy, Billy Nelson II, Sorg, Jimmy Fernandez, Bowers, Clark, Ash, Rood, Farmer, Taddei, Tim Rodriguez, Eli Mendoza Jr, Gary Baker, Dawson Jr, G Fernandez Jr, Carr, Ayers, M Fuhrman, W Kennedy, Don Vesey, Montgomery, Aaron Hill, Remy VanHoose. Wingless Spec Sprint Heat-Steve Pemberton, Aaron Sirles, Arvo Backholm, Rob Hammond, Steve Mannina. Main-Mannina, David Press, Sirles, Kenny Fredenberg, Hammond, Backholm, Pemberton. Limited Late Model Heat 1-Ken Gregg, Jeremy Petrell, Mike Meazell, Vern Niewald, Chris Messmer. Heat 2-Bobby Scott Jr, Eric VanHooser, Danny Scott, Jeff Mead, Mitch Lettunich. Main-B Scott Jr, Gregg, VanHooser, Petrell, D Scott, Meazell, Ray Martin, Tony Oliveira, Messmer, Lettunich, Mead, Niewald, Bill Hyland. Super Stock Heat-Mark Cooper, Chris Messmer, Dennis Pelphrey, Chris Kulvicki, Scott Fuhrman. Main-Cooper, S Fuhrman, Pelphrey, Messmer, Kulvicki, Bill Hyland, Tony Oliveira, Ray Martin, Stu Cornick, Philip Priddy. IMCA Modified Heat 1-Todd Hermosillo, Alex Stanford, Troy Stone, Garrett Steitz, Jim DiGiovanni. Heat 2-Joey Golz, Tim Balding, Kenny Nott Jr, Joe Antonetti, Mike Gillard. Main-Balding, Nott, Stanford, Steitz, Antonetti, Stone, DiGiovanni, Golz, Raymond Keldsen Jr, Gillard, Mark Sargent, Hermosillo, Andy Obertello, Don Breeden, Chuck Harrell. June 3 Wingless Spec Sprint Heat 1-Darrell Hanestad, David Press, Bill Macedo,
Aaron Sirles, Ken Fredenberg. Heat 2-Scott Merrell, Jeff Rose, Steve Pemberton,
Steve Mannina, Rob Hammond. Main-Hanestad, Merrell, Macedo, Mannina, Press,
Hammond, Sirles, Fredenberg, Pemberton, Rose. |
