|
Bakersfield, CA., July 24 – Chuck West, of Clovis, won his second NMRA-TQ Midget Series main event of the season Saturday on the third-mile clay Bakersfield Speedway. The three-time NMRA champion (2002, 06 and 08) drove the No. 38 West Evans Motor-sports Stealth/Suzuki 750cc to his 19th NMRA feature victory since the club reformed in 2002. West was the third different race leader in a race with four lead changes.
A red flag on the final lap concluded the race one lap short of its scheduled 25 lap distance after West Evans flipped without serious injury on lap 25. Evans, who owns the No. 38 SDTC Equipment Rental/Repell/CW Industries TQ driven by his cousin West, ended the evening tied with West for second position in driver points at 480. They are 13-points in back of point leader/2008 NMRA co-rookie of the year Anthony Lopiccolo after nine of 16 scheduled events.
Jimmy Dodson, hometown driver/2009 NMRA rookie of the year Dakota Schweitzer, Lopiccolo, Ron Ahrendt, Scott Niven, Bruce Hiroshima, Amanda Thomas, Evans and Dave Thomas finished in that order behind winner West. The top eight drivers completed 24 laps, while Evans and Lambert logged 23 laps. Main event lap leaders were Thomas (laps 1-5 and 9-12), Dodson (laps 6-8) and West (laps 13-24). The ten-car field was split into a pair of five-car heat races. Evans (from third starting spot) and Thomas (from pole) won the two heats.
In car owner points, Evans' No. 38 TQ leads by 44 points over Paul Lopiccolo's No. 21 that his son Anthony drives. NMRA teams are off for three weeks following the July 24 race. The next three rounds will take place August 14 on the Perris quarter mile, August 21 at the Bakersfield third-mile, and August 28 at the Santa Maria Speedway third-mile. The August 28 race will be the sixth annual Ron Otto Memorial race in honor of the popular, late NMRA officer and official.
Summary:
Heat 1 – West Evans, Chuck West, Jimmy Dodson, Ron Ahrendt, Dave Lambert.
Heat 2 – Amanda Thomas, Scott Niven, Bruce Hiroshima, Dakota Schweitzer, Anthony Lopiccolo.
Main – West, Dodson, Schweitzer, Lopiccolo, Ahrendt, Niven, Hiroshima, Thomas, Evans, Lambert.
|
