Perris, CA., Jun. 6 – Scott Dobson,
of Newbury Park, became the first 2009 NMRA-TQ Midget Series repeat
feature winner during round seven Saturday in a 20-lap race on the
Perris Auto Speedway clay quarter-mile track. He won round four at
Bakersfield Speedway on April 4 and used the same No. 18 Guy Barber
Stewart/Honda, the 2001 NMRA championship car. The TQ midgets were
part of a seven series cavalcade of racing at The PAS that included
four classes of stock cars, modifieds and California Lightning
Sprints powered by motorcycle engines. Racers in Saturday action
used both the half-mile and quarter mile clay ovals.
NMRA opened this season on March 7 at
The PAS and Chuck West became the first point race winner of 2009.
Dobson finished third in that race. Dobson, the 2006 NMRA-TQ rookie
of the year, won his first NMRA feature in the 2008 season opener at
Bakersfield Speedway. He scored his second victory that season in
round nine, also at Bakersfield Speedway. He won his third TQ main
event this year in round four on April 4 at the same Bakersfield
third-mile clay track. His fourth career victory Saturday was his
first at a track other than Bakersfield. He started seventh and led
the final four laps (17-20).
Two prior 2009 feature winners led the
first 16 laps. Pole starter Ron Ahrendt paced the first four laps in
his Ellis/Honda. Fourth starter Kenny Wiley led laps 5-16 in his
self-built chassis with Honda power before settling for second
place. West Evans started and finished third in his
Stealth/Kawasaki. Richard Ortega, Jr (from 6th) and 2009
co-rookie of the year Anthony Lopiccolo (from 5th)
finished fourth and fifth respectively. Bruce Hiroshima, Scott Niven,
Ahrendt and Dave Lambert were the only other finishers and all ran
20 laps. Rookie Amanda Thomas and Steve Parke dropped out during lap
14.
A pair of six-lap heat races went to
Wiley and Evans, who both started from the outside front row
position in the six and five-car lineups. Dobson's 60 points earned
Saturday at Perris enabled him to climb for second to first in 2009
point standings. Former point leader Hiroshima dropped into a second
place tie with Ortega and now trails Dobson by ten points (386-376)
after seven of 17 scheduled races. Barber now leads the car owner
points by ten points (407-397) over Ortega's No. 8. The next NMRA
race will be the fifth annual Ron Otto Memorial event at the
third-mile clay Santa Maria Speedway on Saturday, June 13.
Summary:
Heat 1: Kenny Wiley, Bruce Hiroshima,
Richard Ortega, Jr., Scott Niven, Steve Parke, Dave Lambert.
Heat 2: West Evans, Anthony Lopiccolo,
Scott Dobson, Ron Ahrendt, Amanda Thomas.
Main: Dobson, Wiley, Evans, Ortega,
Lopiccolo, Hiroshima, Niven, Ahrendt, Lambert, Thomas, Parke.
POINT STANDINGS
Drivers Car
Owner
1 Scott Dobson
386
1 No. 18 Guy Barber
407
2 Bruce Hiroshima
376
2 “ 8 Richard Ortega, Jr. 397
2 Richard Ortega, Jr
376 3
“ 5 Bruce Hiroshima
395
4 Anthony Lopiccolo 362
4 “ 21 Paul Lopiccolo
383
5 West Evans
355
5 “ 36 West Evans 376
6 Kenny Wiley
309
6 “ 96 Kenny Wiley
327
7 Scott Niven
293
7 “ 66 Scott Niven
301
8 Dave Lambert
259
8 “ 55 Dave Lambert
281
9 Amanda Thomas
® 248
9 “ 40 Ed Thomas
269
10 Jimmy Dodson
225
10 “ 6 Jimmy Dodson
240
|