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NCMA Sprints
Madera Speedway
Madera, CA
April 4, 2009
By Sharyn Bragg
Goodwill Picks Up Where He Left Off!
David Goodwill took home the honors for the first pavement race of 2009. After gathering all the trophies for 2008, (Pavement Champion, Dirt Champion and Over All Champion) he made his presence known this evening.
Several racers brought out their new rides for the New Year. Ed Amador’s flame red #76 set fast time for the night. Goodwill was a pretty close second. Gary Koster and Rob Hammond made up the fast four this evening and set up the Trophy Dash. Hammond, from Morgan Hill and Woodland’s Koster were the front row, Goodwill and Amador right behind them. Hammond started off with a fight, but Koster whipped around him and gained the lead for the four quick laps. Amador of Modesto came in second, but achieved the fasted time in that event. Napa’s Goodwill finished third and Hammond was fourth.
The 50 lap main event, which was a shared event with the USAC Sprints, was very interesting to watch. NCMA Sprints are 360, 2-Barrel carb racers. USAC are 360 injected sprints and in most instances that keeps NCMA Sprints to the rear of the field but still a race within a race. There was lots of action as all jockeyed for the lead. Denny Burrell of Ripon and Tracy’s David Burchett led the NCMA Sprints. By the first go-round, Burchett was leader of the pack. In fact he led a good portion of the race. A yellow came out and everyone was racing hard at the restart. The next caution was NCMA’s Burt Siverling of Concord. About a dozen laps in, Siverling lost his left rear wheel and sent his beautiful newly refurbished #77 into the first turn wall. Siverling, who along with others, spent a hectic week, including a trip to mid Oregon, getting the car ready, arrived at the track late with no qualifying, was heart sick. At the conclusion of the race, Siverling stated,” I was really having fun out there.” The car was a mess. As racing resumed, Goodwill who had been close to the front, dropped back and then achieved the lead. Amador, Koster and Burchett were fighting for the second position. Koster finally took it, with Amador finishing third and Burchett, fourth. Hammond took fifth and Burrell was sixth. An interesting side fact, was all NCMA members that finished the race were eighth position to thirteenth in the overall race, and finished ahead of some of the USAC Sprints. Burchett allowed to his fading as he found out after the race he was running with only three tires up, ”I wondered why it was getting so hard to steer!” First night jitters are now past for the pavement series and our opening event for the NCMA Select Dirt Series begins at the ocean, Ocean Speedway that is! April 17, Friday NCMA Sprints will return to Watsonville. Check their web site for starting times and fees. See you there!!
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