Source: Manzanita Speedway/Windy McDonald
Date: 06/10/2007

CZOKA USES TRAFFIC TO BEAT OACHS AS HE SWEEPS THE NATIONALS

While Jeff Czoka's first ever win Friday night was a runaway, he was hard pressed and used the heavy lapped traffic to complete his sweep of the Manzanita Bomber Nationals.

Czoka drew an outside second row starting bertth for the 20 lap feature and chased down Aaron Oachs who had made a great drive from the fifth row to take the lead from three time main event winner Toby Webito on the the 11th lap and took advantage of heavy traffic as they lapped cars to slip into the lead on the 15th lap. He then used the traffic to his advantage to hold off Oachs in the final five laps. John Romero finished third, Matt Martinez fourth and Webito was fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Robert Taylor, Mike Bray, up from 15th, Marty Tait, Allen Hakes and Michael Knobaick who was the hard charger of the race after starting 19th.

The top ten cars from Friday night's feature drew for their starting positions while the other ten spots were filled through the running of three heats and a semi main. The top two in each heat made the feature. Joe Vlasity came out of the back row and beat Marty Tait in the first heat. Joel Martin took car of business as he came for the second row and beat two time main event winner Mike Bray in the second heat. Making the feature through the running of the final final six lapper were Kent Staley who stared seventh and Lyle Askren, Jr.

Randy Allen broke the one day old ten lap record as he led the way in the semi main. Allen trimmed another seven seconds off the mark that was set Friday night by Oachs. Before the assault on the record the best time had been 3:37.72. Allen's record run was clocked at 3:23.54. for an averge speed of 59.259 mph. Chuck Thornton finished second, third went to Knoblaick and the final main event berth went to fourth place finisher Don Robinson.

GEORGE SHOWS CHAMPIONSHIP FORM IN HOLDING OFF SHIPLEY

The mini sprint 20 lapper pitted Brandon George, the 2001 driving champion, against Kyle Shipley the current points leader with George able to hold on to the lead for his second win of the year at Manzy, his third overall. Shipley increased his points lead when Brandon Shelton, after leading the first seven laps, dropped out and was credited with a last place finish in the 20 car field. Kiley Fellers was third ahead of Colby Copeland and Ken Caskey. Matthew Shedarowich was the hard charger of the race with a drive from 17th to sixth. Rounding out the top ten were Geno Thomas, Ashley Robella, Dan Goodman and Jim Mattison.

The race was halted when a multi-car crash sent Paul Martin and Steve Tellas flipping while working the 17th lap. Josh Castro reportedly lost power and the cars stacked up behind him. Martin, who had earlier won the semi main, did a series of snap rolls and Tellas went high in the air as he flipped several times. Both drivers walked away from the crash. Dennis Parks was also involved and Copeland barely avoided the crash.

George, who had taken the lead from Shelton on the 8th lap, got a great jump on the restart and it carried him to a narrow win over Shipley.

Before his mechanical problem in the feature Shelton was enjoying a great night. He started off with a win in the trophy dash and then beat Robella, Tellas and Mattison in the first heat. Shelton came from seventh to claim the win. George earned a front row start alongside Shelton in the feature as he went wire to wire to beat Shipley, Goodman and Castro in the second heat. The final heat put Fellers, Caskey, Copeland and Dustin Cormany in the feature.

The top eight in the semi also transferred to the main event. Behind Martin were Mike Visser, Thomas, Austin Quick, Shedarowich, Parks, Duane Adams, Travis Keesler.

TAYLOR GETS NARROW WIN OVER RIM RIDING CHRIS SNYDER FOR HIS 13TH CAREER WIN

Veteran driver Paul Taylor, who was the Desert Dwarf Car rookie of the year 14 years ago, scored his 13th career win in the dwarf car 15 lap feature with a win over Chris Snyder, points leader Sandy Matthews, Tim Jones and Greg Loper.

Taylor had to call on his experience as he had a tiger by the tail in the form of Snyder who was pushing the cushion in his effort to get his first win of the year. Taylor started one row behind Snyder but made a quick move from the fifth row to take the lead when Scott Gannett bobbled and dropped from the lead to eighth after leading the first nine laps. He was driving back toward the front when his car virtually exploded on the 16th lap and he drove it to safety. The fire was extinguished and he climbed from his smoulding machine uninjured.

When the race resumed Taylor moved up on the track and successfully held Snyder at Bay. Snyder made a last desperate effort to get the win but fell a little short. Behind the front running duo were the 2005 champion and current points leader Sandy Matthews, former champion Tim Jones and Greg Loper.

Brian Stehr began the night ranked second in points and made a great drive from 19th to finish sixth. He had problems in his heat race and was forced to run in one of the semi mains which he won to get into the feature. Rounding out the top ten were Jim Gemmell, Rick Kochanowski, Sean Kreuziger and Kevin Cain.

The top four in each of the four heat races went into the feature. Kochanowski took the first eight lapper with Todd Bennett, Jeff Hoch and Tom Jones in pursuit. Snyder came from ninth to first in winning the second heat over Kevin Stalbaum, Gemmell and Loper. It was the points leader taking the checkered flag in front of Kelly Jenkins, Danny Matthews and Jones in the third heat. Gannett beat Taylor, Rat Stafford and Randy Johnson in the final heat.

The top four from each of the two eight lap semi mains filled the field for the feature. Kevin Cain lead the way in the first semi as he beat Denny Dowty, Richard Hoelzer and Eddie O'Neill. Behind Stehr in the second semi were Randy Haugen, Kreuziger and Mike McGrellis.

Stafford took the four lap trophy dash with McGrellis, Haugen and Hoch in pursuit.

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