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Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
| VISITOR GONDERMAN WINS,
GURNEY LIGHT HANDS YOCKEY WIN by Gary Jacob |
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Wingless Spec Sprints and Mini Sprint 600s |
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Sacramento, CA..August 19....Antioch's Dan Gonderman joined the CSRA
Wingless Sprint action Friday night at Sacramento Raceway and he ended up
leading the final 8 laps to win the 25 lap feature race. Seeking a third win,
Jerry Kobza paced the first 17 laps but blew a left front tire and got into the
inside fence on the backstretch to end his race. Heat winner Tony Silveira ran
second and dash winner Greg Higginbotham was third. 2004 champion Billy Garcia
bounced back from a hard flip in the dash and an early race crash in the feature
to salvage a fourth. Incoming point leader Patrick Russum crashed into a
spinning Gary Lewis early in the race and finished last in the 9 car feature.
The mini sprint 600s had the best turnout of their brief Sacramento season and
veteran race car builder and racer Stan Yockey inherited the 20 lap feature win
when Chuck Gurney Jr weighed in 85 pounds light after passing Yockey on lap 17.
Yockey was prepping for a Labor Day weekend race in Pittsville Illinois. Gurney
Jr was wheeling a brand new Yockey creation finished at the track today. Yockey
will wheel his normal car in the $2000 to win winged action in Illinois and
wheel the car that Gurney drove tonight in a compainion $1000 to win wingless
race. Delta Speedway point leader Brandon Carey finished second ahead of Jim
Christian and David Engstrom. There were a dozen wingless spec sprints, but the early action took it's toll. Don Emery was done after hot laps. Rick Crumley flipped wildily out of the ball park in turn 3 in the heat action and Jacob Serven was also a feature scratch. Garcia won the opening heat race over Higginbotham and Kobza. Crumley flipped in heat 2 and Silveira won ahead of Gary Lewis and Serven. Orland's Higginbotham controlled the dash from the pole. In his duel with Silveira for second, Garcia flipped coming off the final corner but his scrambled to get the car repaired while the mini sprint 600s ran their feature. Serven scratched from the pole for the 25 lap feature moving Lewis onto the pole with Kobza alongside. Silveira and Higginbotham shared row 2 and Russum shared row 3 with Garcia. Kobza raced into the lead over Lewis and Higginbotham. Russum had just passed Silveira for fourth when second place Lewis spun in turn. Lewis was hit by Russum and Silveira with only Silveira able to continue in the action. Higginbotham was now second over Garcia and Guy Morrison and debris forced another caution on lap 6. Morrison was driving the car normally wheeled by Scott Pierson. As Morrison attempted an outside groove pass on Garcia for third, they had contact and Garcia got into the inside fence. Both were able to make repairs and tag the field. It was now Kobza in front of Gonderman, Higginbotham and Silveira. Gonderman had lost ground to Kobza with a turn 1 bobble on lap 17, but he emerged as the new leader when Kobza blew his left front tire and hit the inside fence on the backstretch. The final caution came on lap 20 when Morrison spun to end his race. Gonderman stayed out front of Silveira over the remaining rounds for the win. Higginbotham ran third ahead of Garcia and rookie Eddie Gardner. The largest field of mini sprint 600s for the Pac West Trailers Summer Series was split into three heat races. Yockey lined up fourth for heat 1 and blasted into the high line with his PMP chassis to have the lead at the green flag. He easily won with a best lap of 12.50 as Christian ran second ahead of John Swenson. Carey had the pole for heat 2 and won with a best lap of 12.63. Gurney Jr was quick as he ran second ahead of Ian Adell. Southern California transplant Christine Root, now living in Fair Oaks, won heat 3 from the pole with a best lap of 13.52. Shane Golobic ran second ahead of rookie Kyle Harris. The 20 lap feature had a straight up start off the heat results putting Yockey, Carey and Root in the front three slots. Freddy Hight was a scratch to leave a 15 car feature. Yockey raced into the lead over Carey and Christian. Gurney settled into fourth and Golobic lost fifth to Root when he slipped high on lap 2. The first caution came on lap 6 as Root and Golobic got tangled up and Golobic flipped. The race was over for both and Harris restarted in the rear after pitting. A tangle between Adell and Greg Folena forced a lap 8 caution. David Engstrom was now in fifth. Gurney got around Christian for third on lap 10 and Folena's race ended with a lap 12 spin. Gurney ducked underneath Carey for second on the backstretch on the restart. His chances of catching car owner Yockey appeared small, but Gurney was flying and he made a inside move under Yockey in turn 2 on lap 17. Adell was a last lap spin victim. When Yockey saw a #1 flashing past him, he was hoping it was Gurney not Christian as he knew the Gurney car would be light. Gurney's drive thrilled the crowd, but gained him nothing as he was the 85 pounds light and disqualified with Yockey the official winner over Carey, Christian, Engstrom, Ralph Cortez, Kelvin Lewis, Harris and John Swenson. Both divisions return to the track on August 26. Summary Mini Sprint 600 Wingless Spec Sprint |
