NCMA Sprints / Select Series
Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA
July 25, 2008 --- Benicia’s
“Wild Bill” Alton took his second NCMA Select Series win and his third
wingless sprint car win on Watsonville’s famed dirt track this evening.
Qualifying heats were held with
fourteen year old Ryan Bernal at the top of the first heat, “Wild Bill”
behind him, Kris Koontz towing from Coarse Gold, CA managed third, San Mateo’s
Rick Sharp held fourth and Ricardo Rivera was fifth. Heat two found Dan
Gonderman starting in the front and finishing in the front. Howard Fergeson, Jr.
was second, third was taken by Napa’s David Goodwill. Devon Ostheimer from
just over the hill in Morgan Hill was fourth, and “Cowboy” Craig Smith
rounded out with the five spot.
Pulling the top four drivers out of the
qualifying heats set up the Trophy Dash. Alton , Fergeson, Jr., Bernal and
Gonderman made quick work of the four fast laps. Nobody got past Alton as he
took the checkered flag.
The twenty lap main event, started with a five car inversion putting Koontz and
Fergeson, Jr. on the front row. Eighteen year old Alton and Gonderman were third
and fourth. Bernal and Goodwill brought around the third row in the seventeen
car race. Just a few laps in, there was a meeting between turns three and four.
Koontz didn’t fair well, but “Cowboy” Craig Smith and Bernal survived for
some more go-rounds. “Wild” Bill made it to the front with Antioch’s
Gonderman not far behind. Fergeson, Jr., Goodwill and Ostheimer were in the
hunt. Angela Liggegt had a spin out and Morgan Hill’s Rob Hammond had no where
to go, but both sprinters gathered it up and kept on running. Four laps to go
and the final line-up was set. Billy Alton and Gonderman, Fergeson, Jr., Mark
Chaves, Jr. and Ostheimer. However, there was still some racing going on around
fifth place as Modesto’s seasoned driver, Ed Amador challenged the fourteen
year old for the spot more than once. Kudos to the crew of Chaves, Jr. as he got
a little hot in hot laps, wacked the wall and tore up the rear end of his
sprinter. They really earned that fourth place position. Kudos #2 for Amanda
Alves first time doing any more than hot laps in dad, Jack Clark’s sprint car.
She persevered, spun out several times but took dad’s equipment home in one
piece to try another day. All in all, a great night of racing on a perfectly
set-up race track by the master, Tom Sagmiller.
NCMA Select Series will take the series to Petaluma Speedway for another night
of open-wheel,dirt tack racing next Saturday night, August 2nd. For more
information check their website at PetalumaSpeedway.com.
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