August 11, 2007 --- Jimmy Lavell won his fourth pavement race this
evening at Altamont Motorsports Park to take the lead in the season pavement
points. With only one scheduled pavement race left, running at Madera Speedway
next Saturday, and fifteen points separating Lavell and Ed Amador, the Pavement
Points Championship is still up in the air. It will be one to watch as it goes
into the book.
Lavell once again set fast time this evening, with Michael Zarevich coming
right in behind him. E. Amador was third, David Goodwill fourth and Jeff Burrows
fifth. In a rare occurrence, five cars were allowed to run the Trophy Dash.
Burrows and Goodwill were one-two. Lavell and Amador were second row and
Zarevich started last. Goodwill took his classy Napa Auto Parts sprinter right
to the lead. By the second go-round, Lavell was trying to take it over, looked
as if he got into the marbles on the outside and bobbled enough to have the
field get past him. Goodwill continued his quest, taking his first pavement
Trophy Dash win. Burrows came in second, E. Amador, third, Zarevich and Lavell
finishing fourth and fifth.
After a six car inversion, Steve Amador and Rob Hammond brought the pack to
the green. Hammond went right to the lead, looking very strong. Lavell who
started in sixth position worked his way to the front by lap four. Hammond was
holding onto second and doing a good job until he got squirrelly, then bobbled
again and exited the track. Lavell was still in the lead, with the real race
going on behind him as Burrows, E. Amador and Zarevich looked like a freight
train hooked up. Hammond was able to reenter the track and continue the race,
but Goodwill was up close to the back stretch wall and off on the hook. At the
end of the race, Goodwill offered “We’ve had some problems (today) and no
sense wadding it up in the wall.” Two-thirds of the race E. Amador nearly lost
it and Zarevich knew exactly what to do as he took over third. Burrows was still
holding second. S. Amador got squirrelly going into turn one turned his 360
sprint around and came down nose first, leaving Denny Burrell with no place to
go but up and over Amador. Fortunately they were both able to continue. Several
laps later the thirty lap main event was complete, and Lavell has his fourth
main event win of 2007. Burrows, Zarevich, and E. Amador, were second, third,
fourth and S. Amador rounded out the top five including the spinout! Of note:
Gary Koster who has been the pavement points leader, has opted out to care for
wife Jeanette as she continues with health issues. The NCMA family offers them
both prayers and good wishes
NCMA Sprints will be competing at Madera Speedway in the last 2007 scheduled
pavement race next Saturday night. For further information check it out on
RaceMadera.com.
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