Mike Griffith: With Hogge out, Saturday's Late Model race at Speedway is up for grabs
| Wednesday, Aug 27 2008 10:23 PM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 06:04 PM
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Bobby Hogge drives in the Late Model division during a July race at Bakersfield Speedway.
Good news for the Western All Stars Dirt Late Model drivers competing Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway: Bobby Hogge IV of Watsonville won't be on hand.
Hogge, the runaway series point leader, is opting out of driving at what just might be his favorite track to compete in a $10,000-to win Modified race elsewhere.
And why not? Hogge will still have the points lead after Saturday night's race.
Hogge has driven to victory in four of the five races he's competed in at the Oildale track and finished second in the other race. A.J. Kirkpatrick of Castroville is the only driver to have beaten Hogge at the Speedway. Hogge, Kirkpatrick and Chris Shannon were among a group of drivers who did not compete in the June 14 race, which was won by Lompoc's Mike Johnson.
With Hogge out of the picture for this race, the door opens for Shannon of Merced, who has finished in the top four in four Bakersfield races, including a second to Hogge on July 5.
Kirkpatrick won the July 5 race and has two other top-five finishes at Bakersfield.
Also in action on Saturday night will be IMCA Modifieds and the NMRA Three-Quarter Midgets. Action starts at 6.
QUICK SHIFTS
* Bryce Prince of Bakersfield raced to a third-place finish on Aug. 17 in a Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup road race at Virginia International Raceway for his first podium finish of the year. Prince, 16, started seventh. All riders compete on KTM RC 125 motorcycles.
* Brad Pounds appears to be making the most of his suspension from racing at Bakersfield Speedway for the rest of this year. He headed to Santa Maria Speedway Saturday night and raced to victories in the Late Model and IMCA divisions. Pounds also won his heat race in each division. Jason Selvidge of Buttonwillow finished fifth in the Late Model race.
* Bakersfield drivers Bobby Boone and Shannon McQueen finished second and third, respectively, Saturday in a USAC Western Midget race at Kings Speedway in Hanford. Nic Faas was the winner. The Midgets compete at Calistoga Speedway Friday and Saturday before heading to Bakersfield Speedway on Sept. 6.
* The California Sports Car Club is holding a double regional points race Saturday and Sunday at Buttonwillow Raceway. Competition takes place in a wide variety of classes with practice and qualifying each morning and feature races each afternoon. Gates open daily at 7 a.m.
* Bakersfield Speedway will celebrate its past on Sept. 27 when Kenny Farris' Okie Bowl Hardtops will compete at the third-mile clay oval.
Farris has pieced together more than a dozen vintage stock cars which will be in action that night. The track wants to honor drivers who competed at Bakersfield Speedway from the 1950s on into the 1970s on that night. Those drivers are asked to call the Speedway office, 393-3373.
