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| Press Release |
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2004 Santa Maria Speedway Season Recap |
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Santa Maria, CA - November 24, 2004...2001 Street Stock champion Joey
Claborn began his rookie year in the Century 21 Hometown Realty Late model Stock
division with a strong second place finish in the opening event back on April 3,
and never slowed down. Since the late Models decided not to run for points
during the Xtreme Dirt Car events, it was over a month before the next points
race. The Santa Maria driver was near the top again, finishing third. Claborn
was in the top-five in all but one of the remaining races scoring four seconds, a fourth and his first victory as a Late Model Stock driver. This allowed Claborn to become the first rookie in the Speedway's history to win the Late Model championship. Jimmy Thompson, of Grover Beach, made a good start toward
taking his fifth J.B. Dewar Sprint Car championship, in succession, but his
attempt would come up short. Thompson won the 30 lap sprint car feature event
April 17, and broke on top in the title chase. But, that would be his only local
win of the season and consistent top-five placings by Davey Pombo would be the
deciding factor in the championship. In nine local point runs, during the J.B.
Dewar/ Bandit Sprint Car Series with Kings Speedway in Hanford, It is not surprising that Kenny Kirkpatrick is the 2004
Diamond Jewelry & Loan Street Stock champion. In eleven championship events,
the Nipomo driver finished no lower than fifth. Kirkpatrick served notice to his
fellow competitors that he was going to be tough to beat when he opened the
season with a second place finish on April 3, and his first of three 25 lap
feature victories the next time out. He also scored another second, three thirds
and When his 2003 championship winning mid-engine Porsche 914 was banned for the 2004 season, Tom Grzincic brought out a Porsche 944 which is front engine and rear wheel drive as specified in the rules. After winning the opening night 20 lap main event on April 3, Grzincic seemed to fade the next two races, giving rise to the possibility of a tough title fight for the 2004 Christianson Chevrolet Mini Stock title. That changed on May 15 when the Atascadero driver started a run of five straight victories, interrupted only when Atascadero's Darrin Davis won the main on August 21. Grzincic ripped off two more feature wins before turning the car over to Davis, the final race of the season, to allow him to sew up his second straight runner-up spot in the championship, behind Grzincic. There was another run-away championship charge in the
Crossroads Community Church Factory Stock class. David Addamo finished eleventh
in the first 20 lap main event of the season on April 17. But, from that point
on it was all Addamo. The Santa Maria resident won nine of the next eleven races
on his way to the crown, including a string of eight straight. The only driver,
other than Addamo, to see victory circle during that run was Other shows during the season included Carquest/Stacker 2 Western Xtreme Dirt Late Models, round 1 of the California Street Stock Championship, Budweiser Golden State Challenge - "King of California" Sprint Cars, California Rebel Cup Sprint Cars, California Lightning Sprints, BCRA Midgets and Midget Lites, NMRA TQ Midgets, and CDCRA Dwarf Cars. The annual Danny Simkins, Bud Stanfield, Don Roberts, Bill Baker, and Johnny Baldwin memorials were all on the schedule along with the 1st Annual Pacific Coast 100 Nationals for Late Model Stocks, Street Stocks and Modifieds. The next event for the Speedway will be the Annual Awards Banquet scheduled for Friday night, February 4, 2005, at the Radisson Hotel in Santa Maria. The 2005 racing season is set to begin in early April. |
