|
Wingless Spec Sprints
Petaluma, CA
Aug.2, 2008
By Debbie Shipherd
BILLY ATON BLAZES TO VICTORY AT PETALUMA
Benicia's Billy Aton won his sixth Wingless Spec Sprint feature, his first at Petaluma Speedway's fast 3/8 mile track on Sat. Aug. 2 in an exciting battle down to the wire with RC Smith of Biggs. Rounding out the top five spots were Geoff Ensign in his first podium finish of the season, Oakley's Bob Newberry, and Foster City's Dave Press.
A season high record, 26 Spec Sprints towed to Petaluma for the 9th race of the track's first season running this fast growing class. Two new drivers experienced their first race in a Spec Sprint: Dan Payne of Petaluma and Ford Cook of Sonoma. Two young brothers made their first appearance at petaluma, Kody and RC Smith from Biggs, who usually run Friday nights at Chico. Missing from tonight's roster was veteran Darrell Hanestad, who has seven feature wins at Petaluma this season. This would tighten up the point race for contenders Bob Newberry and Dave Press.
The large field of Spec Sprints had the rare opportunity to qualify for positions, and Gotelli Speed's dave Press qualified fastest with a quick time of14.951, followed very closely by RC Smith with 14.954, Billy Aton with 14.958, Delta Demolition's Bob Newberry with 15.073, and Nickles Steel Erectors' Keith Shipherd with 15.147 in the 5th spot.
Three 8 lap heat races followed, with positions lined up by pill draw. The top five finishers in each heat would make the A main and line up by qualifying times, as well the top 4 from the B main would line up by qualifying behind the invert drawn. Dave Press pulled a zero invert, which would prove to be a huge advantage to Billy Aton.
Heat one began with Martinez's Dave Ellis and Santa Rosa's Jason McIntosh grid to start in the front row, but McIntosh's magneto issue prevented him from starting, which moved Kody Smith up to the front. Smith took the lead at the start and Press moved into second on lap 2 followed by Ellis and Napa's Lucas Nerlove. Newberry passed Nerlove to take 4th and the final finish was K.Smith, Press, Ellis, Newberry, and Nerlove in the top 5 transfer spots.
Santa Rosa's Jack Clark and Napa's David Goodwill sat in row one of the second heat. Goodwill took the point at the green with Antioch's Jeff Kindt, RC Smith, and Clark in tight formation. Shipherd overtook Antioch's Roy Fisher and then Clark for fourth, with Goodwill taking the win followed by Kindt, RC Smith, Shipherd and Clark. Both heats ran fast and flag to flag with great clean racing.
Heat three began with Ed Amador on pole with Santa Rosa's rookie Marcus Hardina next to him. Hardina hammered into the lead with Sebatapol's Geoff Ensign and Aton battling for second, and Aton carved his way to the front with an inside pass on Hardina. A rookie spin brought out the yellow, Aton led on the restart, but a lap later he was stopped in turn four and the race ended, with Hardina, Ensign, Martinez's troy Caraway, Antioch's Dan Gonderman and Amador in the top five.
Aton and McIntosh sat in front for the 12 lap B main. Aton throttled into the lead and brought home the win followed by McIntosh, Santa Rosa's Scott Dupont, Sacramento's Eddie Gardner, Rick Sharp, rookie Ford Cook and Concord's Burt Siverling. With a zero invert pulled, Aton even coming through the B main was able to line up in the third spot for the main since he got his qualifying time back!
The wild main event began with pole sitter Press powering into the lead and RC Smith, Aton, Newberry and Gonderman in a tight bunch behind him. Aton took third from Newberry on lap three and by lap five he was in second, launching his assault on the leader. Aton stormed into the lead on lap seven followed by Press, Newberry, RC Smith, Gonderman and Shipherd as lapped traffic became another factor in the fast paced action. Smith moved into third spot as Aton and Press battled for the lead. A red flag flew suddenly on lap twelve as Amador pulled into the infield with a fire which was quicly put out by the excellent safety crew. The restart order saw Aton, Press, Smith, Gonderman and Newberry as the top five and the race continued at a brisk pace. At lap fifteen Shipherd dropped from the sixth spot with magneto problems and Nerlove pitted as well. Aton boldly continued to lead the charge with RC Smith right on his tail and tenth starting Ensign with his elbows up in third. A red flag flew for Dave Ellis who was upside down on the front chute. Ellis emerged unharmed and racing resumed with Aton, RCSmith, Ensign, Gonderman and Newberry all hard on the throttle.The action was abruptly halted on lap seventeen for a flip by Kody Smith, who was OK. With a curfew looming closer a green and white checkered flag was to end the race, but on the restart Kindt and Gonderman tangled and the race ended with Aton and Smith dueling down to the wire. Aton brought home his first Petaluma win and RCSmith, Ensign, Newberry, and Press rounded out the top five. Hard charger Jason McIntosh posted sixth from a fourteenth start.
Thanks always to our sponsors who help make it possible to race and to Jim Soares and his friendly staff who make racing fun at Petaluma Speedway. The next Spec Sprint race at Petaluma is Sat. Aug.23, followed by the annual "Wingless360 Run What You Brung" show on Sat. Aug.30. This show features the injected 360's with the carbureted 360's, and the top three carbureted cars receive extra bonus awards over and above their finishing positions of $300, $200 &$100.Drive safe, have fun and take care.
Summary:
Heat 1: Kody Smith, Dave Press, Dave Ellis, Bob Newberry, Lucas Nerlove, Scott Dupont, Rick Sharp, Bill Boosembark
Heat 2: David Goodwill, Jeff Kindt, RCSmith, Keith Shipherd, Jack Clark, Roy Fisher, Eddie Gardner, Michael Vaughn, Burt Siverling
Heat 3:Marcus Hardina, Geoff Ensign, Troy Caraway, Dan Gonderman, Ed Amasor, Dan Payne, Billy Aton
BMain: Aton, Jason McIntosh, Dupont, Gardner, Sharp, Cook, Siverling, Boosembark, Payne
A Main: Aton, RCSmith, Ensign, Newberry, Press, McIntosh, Clark, Kindt, Caraway, Gonderman, KSmith,Goodwill, Fisher, Cook, Ellis, Siverling, Sharp, Hardina, Dupont, Shipherd, Nerlove, Amador, Gardner.
|
