Field set for big payout at Speedway
| Saturday, Oct 24 2009 12:16 AM
Last Updated Saturday, Oct 24 2009 12:19 AM
Images
Jay Marks (97) races beside Troy Morris in a Modified race Friday at Bakersfield Speedway.
The track was tacky, the air was crisp and the action was fast-paced Friday night at Bakersfield Speedway during preliminary events for the George Steitz Memorial Dirt Track Shootout.
Thirty-three Modified drivers were on hand as tonight's feature race pays $3,000 to win.
And starting from the pole will be Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas who made a clean sweep on Friday with wins in a heat race, the trophy dash and the 12-lap qualifiers race, which set the top 12 positions for the feature.
Hogge passed Jay Marks of Bakersfield six laps into the qualifiers race and led the rest of the way.
"This car is working real good," said Hogge, who won the Budweiser West Coast Nationals here two weeks ago. "I'm sure it will be a good race (tonight)."
Alex Stanford of Chowchilla will start next to Hogge after a second-place finish. Marks finished third, followed by David Mayhew of Bakersfield and Kellen Chadwick of Oakley.
Starting up front in the Super Street qualifying race proved beneficial to Jeremiah Van Scoy of Bakersfield, who will start tonight's feature from the pole after leading all 12 laps.
"Starting up front definitely helped," Van Scoy said. "(The car) was pretty tight but it has a lot of horsepower and rockets off the corners. If we had started in the back we probably would have finished in the back.
"Hopefully we can get it to handle a little better."
Toby Randolph of Nipomo finished second and will start on the outside of the front row. Bakersfield's Brad Pounds finished third, followed by Tim Randolph of Santa Maria and Lonnie Welch of Bakersfield.
Lee Jensen of Bakersfield doesn't climb into a car very often any more, but when he does the former regular at Bakersfield Speedway likes to make the most of his opportunity.
He did just that in the Hobby Stock qualifiers race, as he held off a determined challenge from Wayne Dotson to win the event.
"I could see his nose under me, his shadow with every little mistake I made," said Jensen, who ran the high side and left room on the bottom. "I knew he was right there. You could carry a lot of momentum (up high) and I knew if Wayne had to keep his car pitched he wouldn't have as much momentum."
The win means Jensen starts tonight's feature from the pole with Dotson, who won the trophy dash, next to him,
Jay Bannister finished a close third, followed by Rick Childress and Bruce Johnson.
Scott Black Jr. of Tehachapi took a little parental advice and it paid off as he won the Mini Stock qualifiers race to earn the pole position for tonight's feature.
Black took the lead after a couple of laps when trophy dash winner Robert Gallaher was slowed by a flat early. Once there, Black ran the rest of the way unchallenged.
"My dad told me to move up higher (on the track) and it worked," Black said. "It's an old car but it works good up high."
Taylor Paddock of Bakersfield finished second and will start on the outside of the front row. Matt Sotomayor of Watsonville finished third with Bakersfield's Miranda Dotson fourth.
To add a unique flair to tonight's event, modified lawnmowers will compete in drag races down the front stretch and in circle-track races on the small infield track.
Racing start at 6.
