SNIDER, NELSON, AND BRAY CLAIM FIRST WINS OF THE SEASON

Source: Curtis Clauson
Date: 07/30/2007

UKIAH, California Darin Snider of Kelseyville won his first Modified main event of the season in a green-white-checker shootout as well as his heat race. Terry McIntire of Kelseyville set the fast time of 13.380s.

Keith Nelson of Ukiah took and held an early lead to win his first Bonus Bomber main event of the season. Richard Page of Ukiah set the fast time of 14.898s.

Mike Bray of Redwood Valley survived a lot of yellow flags to win his first Bomber main event of the season. Ron Duke Jr. of Redwood Valley set the fast time of 15.875s.

Ken Gifford of Cobb won the Pro-4 Modified main event. Andy Leuzinger of Lakeport set the fast time of 13.878s and won his heat race.

Pro-4 Modifieds Ten cars started the Pro-4 Modified main event with John Barker and Kevin Barba in the poll row. Barker let the field pass him as K. Barba took the lead ahead of Devin La Horgue and Greg VanCleave.

In lap four, La Horgue passed K. Barba for the lead and the rest of the field freight-trained him to the back. VanCleave settled into second while Ken Gifford and Jake Tillman passed Codi Barba for third and fourth.

In lap 13, VanCleave got by La Horgue for the lead and La Horgue was also freight-trained to the back. Gifford made the pass for the lead two laps later and Tillman followed.

By lap 20, Barker was being lapped while C. Barba and Andy Leuzinger made it past VanCleave for third and fourth. In lap 24, Andrew Snider was stopped on the frontstretch for the only caution.

Gifford and Tillman restarted the field and Gifford took the lead. In lap 27, C. Barba exited to the pits with problems. At the finish it was Gifford followed by Tillman, Leuzinger, VanCleave, and La Horgue. VanCleave won the trophy dash and Snider a heat race.

Modifieds The Modified main event 15 car field was led to the start by Bob Strauss and Mark Marek. Strauss, who had new car problems all night, let the field pass while Scott Sabol took the lead. By lap six, Clay Caturegli, Drew Foster, and Darin Snider had also passed Marek for second through fourth when fifth place Terry McIntire blew an engine bringing out the first caution.

Sabol and Caturegli led the restart, but it was called off as Noel McCormick Jr., Ron Connor, and Rick Pardini at the back of the pack spun into the turn two infield.

Sabol and Caturegli again led the field to the start in front of Snider and Foster with Danny Bishop and Marek close behind. Derrick Crayford made a charge up to the outside of David Furia behind Marek for seventh.

In lap nine, the pack bunched up into turn one and and Marek was sent into the frontstretch wall collecting Crayford, Foster, Jeremy Nowlin, and McCormick. Marek lost a wheel in turn one which bounded into the pack, bounced off the hood of Codi Barba, and ran a circle into the infield before finally coming to a stop behind one of the infield trucks.

Sabol and Caturegli restarted the pack in front of Snider and Foster. Sabol took the inside lead and Snider followed for second. Foster got loose and wide in turn two and was shuffled to the back. Barba made an inside pass on Furia and settled into fifth behind Bishop. In lap 15, Crayford had just finished an outside pass by Nowlin when they touched and Crayford spun in turn four for another caution.

Sabol and Snider led them to the green and Sabol took the lead. Bishop was slow outside Caturegli and was quickly passed by the pack. Furia settled in behind Caturegli and was followed by McCormick, Barba, and Connor.

Furia looked to the outside of Caturegli but broke loose in turn two and was passed by McCormick before he could recover. McCormick continued past Caturegli for third and Furia followed for fourth. Crayford again made his way from the back by Bishop, Connor, and Barba for sixth.

In lap 28, Crayford and Barba tangle sending Crayford over the turn three berm. The reaction on the backstretch also sent the lapped Pardini over turn three and into the fence.

Sabol and Snider led the green-white-checker shootout in front of McCormick and Furia. Snider held the outside lead as Furia kept a nose ahead of McCormick. Snider claimed the checkers followed by Sabol, Furia, McCormick, and Caturegli. Furia won the trophy dash and Sabol a heat race.

Bonus Bombers Mike Marcum and Manuel Antonio led the 11 car Bonus Bomber field to the start. Marcum was very slow as Antonio took the lead. The entire inside line of Bill Mucci, Eric Johnson, and Andy Vander Veer was pushed to the back until Marcum cut across the infield to exit to the pits. The reaction spun Vander Veer to the infield and, by the time he got back onto the track, he was a lap down.

Brandon Szymczak and Keith Nelson passed Jerry Crapo for second and third, but Szymczak suffered a mechanical problem and had to exit to the pits. In lap five, Nelson continued on the outside past Antonio for the lead, and Richard Page brought out the only caution of the race when he stalled on the frontstretch and retired to the pits.

Nelson and Antonio led the restart and Nelson powered out ahead. Jared Martin and George Mavrakis followed on the inside for second and third. Antonio and Crapo were shuffled to the back as Johnson and Mucci moved into fourth and fifth.

In lap 21, Mavrakis passed Martin for second. The field lapped both Crapo and Antonio but retained the same order. Nelson finished first, followed by Mavrakis, Martin, Johnson, and Mucci. Mavrakis won the trophy dash, and Johnson and Vander Veer the heat races.

Bombers The Bomber main event started with a full field of 18 cars. Cory Mainini and Richie Schwarm transferred from the B-main. Brandon Powers and Kevin Brackett brought the field to the start ahead of Ronald Portlock and Andy Norton. In lap two, George Abella and Manya Tenney spun in turn two at the back of the pack for the first caution.

Powers and Brackett restarted the field but Brackett was slow off the mark and Powers surged ahead. Before Norton could take advantage on the inside, Brackett recovered and powered his way back outside of Powers.

Brackett had not quite cleared Powers when they touched and spun in front of the entire pack. Collected were Norton, Jimmy Sorrels, Ron Duke Jr., and Shelby Helm.

Ronald Portlock and Rick Tommila restarted the field ahead of Mike Bray and Zach Jenkins. They remained tight for a lap but, in turn one, they bunched up and Jenkins and Abella spun into the infield for another caution.

Ronald Portlock and Tommila led the restart in front of Mike Bray and Eric Hernandez. It didn't last as Hernandez was very slow on the outside which bunched up and tangled the field while, in the front, Ronald Portlock and Tommila also tangled and spun.

This put Bray and Hernandez in front followed by Jon Waner, Brackett, Mainini, and Abella. Four yellows and we're only restarting lap six, but we still had 17 cars with Tenney in the pits for repairs. Duke and Sorrels had come back out a lap down.

Bray took the lead as Mainini passed Brackett for fourth. Helm and Duke passed Richie Hoven for seventh and eighth while Abella nosed ahead of Bracket for fifth. In lap 12, Powers almost spun in turn four putting him only a few car lengths from being lapped by the leaders. In lap 14, Brackett and Abella touched and spun in turn four bringing out a caution.

Bray and Hernandez brought them to the green in front of Waner and Mainini followed by Duke and Helm. In just one lap, Hernandez and Waner made contact on the frontstretch sending Hernandez into the wall as the pack dodged to avoid both of them. Only Duke was collected behind Hernandez.

We still had 17 cars as Tenney was back in but Tommila was now in the pits. Bray and Mainini led the restart in front of Helm and Hoven. Bray took the lead while Mainini tried to hold the outside but slowly faded back behind Helm.

In lap 17, Powers and Sorrels made contact front-to-rear on the frontstretch and Sorrels was spun into the infield for the last caution At this point the race was called for time. Bray finished first followed by Helm, Mainini, Hoven, and Norton. Helm won the trophy dash and a heat race, and Mainini and Schwarm won the other heat races.

Coming Up The “King of the Hill Challenge Series” continues this Saturday night August 4 at the Ukiah Speedway featuring the Late Models, Modifieds, Bonus Bombers, Bombers, and the Bandoleros.

Racing then continues at the Lakeport Speedway August 11 featuring the Northern California Challenge Series Late Models, the Legends Cars of the Pacific, and the Pro-4 Modifieds as well as the Bonus Bombers and Bombers.

mith, 92 Darrin Silva, 24 Chelsea Champagne

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Article posted by RacingWest.com staff on 07/30/2007. http://www.racingwest.com