PRESTON BREAKS THE MINI-STOCK DOMINATION THE DUKES TAKE THE BOMBER POINTS LEAD

Source: Lakeport Speedway Public Relations
Date: 06/04/2007

LAKEPORT, California -- Late Models, Mini-Stocks, and Bombers competed last Saturday night in the “King of the Hill Challenge Series” event at the Lakeport Speedway. This was the first time this season that the powerful Late Models raced the Lakeport “Equalizer”.

The Late Model fast time of 12.494s was set by Mike Doss of Nice, who also made a late race pass and avoided a fiery finish to win the main event.

All 20 Bombers started the main event which, while hard run and contentious, only suffered three cautions. Ron Duke Sr. of Redwood Valley, who set the fast time of 14.947s, overcame Jimmy Sorrels in a final three-lap shootout to win. This was enough for the Dukes (Sr. and Jr. share driving the #7 car between the Lakeport and Ukiah Speedways) to take the points lead for the first time this season.

Robert Schmidt from Lucerne set the Mini-Stock fast time of 13.990s. However, Schmidt's domination of the Mini-Stock class this season came to an abrupt end as Dale Preston from Kelseyville swept the trophy dash, heat race, and main event.

For 12 laps Donahoo looked for Nowlin to make a mistake and give him an inside opening, but it was not to be. In lap 13 Dalerio finally advanced from outside Collins to a better line outside Donahoo. Two laps later he passed both for the lead, and Mike Doss quietly followed him to battle Nowlin for second.

Nowlin tried to hold off the outside challenge of Doss by taking some of his groove, but took too much to often and a yellow was thrown in lap 20 so the flagman Johnny Miskill could talk to him.

This gave Doss second behind Dalerio for the restart. It only took two laps for Doss to take the lead from the outside as both Collins and Donahoo passed Nowlin for third and fourth.

The race was on to catch Doss when, in the last lap, Donahoo spun into the turn three wall in front of Chris Salmina and Caturegli. Caturegli had no time to react as his car literally drove up and over Salmina's, stripping sheet metal from the car as it went.

Track officials were immediately on the scene checking on both drivers when they noticed a strong smell of fuel. Just as they were calling for the fire crew and warning the drivers, a spray of fuel from a broken line under Salmina's car burst into flame that engulfed a strip from the apron, up the track, and over the front of Salmina's car.

The fire crew, already called up, had the fire doused within seconds. No one was hurt in the fire although Salmina was somewhat shaken up by the initial crash.

The race was called at that point giving Doss the win followed by Dalerio, Collins, Kuecker, and Nowlin. Salmina won the trophy dash, and Estep and Dalerio the heat races.

At the finish it was Preston, followed by Schmidt, Coyne, Laird, and John Johnson.

Ronald Portlock fell back on the outside pushing Jon Waner and Shelby Helm back and giving Kevin Brackett, Richie Schwarm, George Abella, and Jimmy Sorrels fourth through seventh. In lap six, Roman Rose and Manya Tenney made contact and spun to bring out the first caution.

Norton and Byers restarted the field in front of Randy Portlock and Brackett. Brackett suddenly slowed during the restart and everyone accordioned into each other and the wall around him. Byers and Schwarm spun to the infield. Byers recovered and rejoined the race, but Schwarm suffered a flat tire. Everyone else recovered and no yellow was thrown.

Norton now led Randy Portlock inside Sorrels, Mike Bray inside of Cory Carlson, and Abella inside of Ron Duke Sr. In lap 12, Norton came up on lapped traffic. Tenney held her speed ahead of him, but Tommy Nugent was quickly passed forcing Randy Portlock and Sorrels to go three-wide inside him.

Sorrels advanced to challenge Norton on the outside for the lead. Duke held a strong outside line, passed Abella and Carlson, and then Bray three laps later. In lap 16, Sorrels pinned Norton behind the lapped car of Chris Gamble to take the lead, but Gamble suffered a flat bringing out a caution and negating that pass.

Norton and Sorrels restarted the field as Bray fell back behind Duke and Carlson. It took Sorrels until lap 21 to finally get around Norton, and Duke followed him. For six laps, Sorrels ran side-by-side inside Duke for the lead. In lap 27, R. Rose and Ronald Portlock tangled to bring out the last caution.

Sorrels and Duke restarted the three lap shoot-out. The rest of the pack jockeyed hard for position with Norton loosing two positions when he got wicked loose in turn one, and Tony Ramazzotti, Richie Schwarm and Robert Byers going three-wide resulting in Schwarm spinning to the infield.

Duke finally overpowered Sorrels from the outside in lap 28 and Carlson tried to follow but could not hold the line. At the checkers is was Duke followed by Sorrels, Carlson, Abella, and Helm. R. Rose won the trophy dash, and Wendy Ray Pierce, Randy Portlock, and Helm the heat races.

This Friday and Saturday June 8-9, Lakeport Speedway will host the Monster Truck Mud Bog Rally. Side-by-side trucks attempt to survive the deep mud drag. In addition, the Lakeport Sliders: Front-wheel drive cars with skid plates instead of rear wheels. Also featured is the Ski Car Stuntman.

See Also .:

• Lakeport Speedway Track Page

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