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Tracy, CA...March 20......Shattering
the track by nearly a half-second in time trials, Santa Rosa's Brian McClish
charged to wins in both the trophy dash and the 25 lap main event for the
unwinged CASA Sprint Cars Saturday night at opening night for Altamont
Motorsports Park. McClish lined up 4th for the 25 lapper, but charged into the
top spot on lap 1 and was never challenged. The race ran without a caution flag
and second quick Daniel Hood finished second ahead of Ivan Worden and defending
champion Tony Iacobitti. The NCMA unwinged sprint cars followed up their dirt
track show in Bakersfield the previous week with their pavement debut for 2004
and veteran Ed Amador gained his first ever Altamont win in their 25 lap main
event. Fast timer Pat Ariaz challenged E Amador until he ran out of brakes.
Ariaz still ran second ahead of Keith Shipherd. The 15 lap super stock feature
found Rick Avila taking the lead from Nick Hutto on lap 2. Avila won with fast
timer Matt Erickson second ahead of Chris Bammer. Some late action in the 15 lap
mini super truck main found Ron Pestana leading just the final 3 laps for the
win. Dash winner Tom Moss ran second ahead of Larry Bohringer.
The CASA
sprint cars have expanded their schedule in 2004 with events in Carson City and
Anderson beside their home track at Altamont. They had a 14 car turnout for the
season opener and McClish ripped off his track record lap of 17.208 on the paved
half-mile. Hood ran a 17.720 and Brian Bullard was third quick at 18.021.
Bullard's night ended in time trials and Brad Bumgarner could never get his car
to fire during the afternoon or night. The scratch of Bullard put McClish on the
front row for the dash and he charged to that win ahead of Worden and Hood. Matt
DeMartini won the first heat race over Iacobitti and McClish. Glenn Hopper
outraced Scott Clough and Worden in heat 2. The sprint car feature closed the
long day of racing just before midnight and the 12 starters ran the 25 laps
without a yellow flag. McClish charged into the early lead over Iacobitti and
Earle Stanton. Hood took fourth from Worden on lap 2 and McClish had a quarter
lap lead in just five laps. Hood got underneath Stanton in turn 4 for third on
lap 6 and he took second from Iacobitti on lap 9. Worden then made a charge,
taking fourth from Stanton on lap 11 and third from Iacobitti on lap 12. At the
midway mark, McClish was a full half-lap ahead of Hood. DeMartini broke into the
top five on lap 18. The final lap saw Stanton and McCreary tangled as they came
off the final corner. McClish won easily ahead of Hood, Worden, Iacobitti,
DeMartini, Hopper, Clough and Chad Ede.
The
NCMA sprint cars had a 9 car turnout, but veteran racer Don Hicks slammed into
the turn 2 fence in hot laps to end his day. Ariaz' fast time was a 18.865 lap.
E Amador ran a 19.113 and son Steve Amador ripped off a 19.412. Shipherd was
fourth quick at 19.595 and Burt Siverling ran a 19.793. After settling for
second quick, E Amador swept to wins in his heat, the dash and the 25 lap
feature. He beat Shipherd and Tracy rookie John Silva in his heat and Ariaz beat
Siverling in the other heat race. E Amador beat S Amador in the dash. The 25 lap
main event had just a single yellow flag on lap 3 when fifth place Siverling
spun. E Amador raced into the lead over Ariaz, S Amador and Shipherd. Silva
gained fifth with the Siverling spin. E Amador had a scary moment on lap 12 as
he slipped into the infield grass in turn 4 while lapping cars. Ariaz slowed
with his brake problems with ten laps to run and never challenged E Amador
again. E Amador had a half lap lead over the third place duel. Shipherd passed S
Amador on lap 23 to finish third. Silva placed fifth ahead of Siverling, Mike
Zarevich and Sam Davies.
There were 12 super
stocks and Erickson's quick time was a 15.354 lap on the smaller quarter-mile
paved oval. Al Sherfield had a 15.563 and Avila ranked third at 15.588. Heat
winners were Bammer and Andy Cowan. Steve Cronk spun and was hit headon by
Sherfield to end Sherfield's night. Avila was the dash winner ahead of Cronk.
Cronk used a lighted airplane fly over to wish his wife a happy birthday. The 15
lap feature had a single yellow flag on lap 1 when Cowan spun and got hit hard
by Howard Poe to end the night for both. Newcomer Nick Hutto paced that first
lap, but got passed by Avila, Bammer and Erickson on lap 2. Erickson took second
from Bammer on lap 6 with an inside pass and Scott Winkler lost fifth with a
late race spin. Avila won ahead of Erickson, Bammer, Hutto, Gary Hazelhofer and
Winkler.
The mini super trucks also
raced on the quarter-mile track. Walt Bruegger posted quick time with a 15.503
lap and Moss was second quick. Moss passed Pestana on the final lap to win the
dash honors. David Burchett won the first heat over Bruegger and Bohringer won
heat 2 ahead of Moss. Rudy Marquez and Burchett tied for the 2003 track title
and Tim Cardoza was in the Marquez truck for the season opener. The 9 truck
field ran a 15 lap main event and newcomer Erin Serbantes paced the first 2
laps. Bohringer took over on lap 3 and Pestana was second at the same time. Moss
and Bruegger closed to make it a four way duel for the lead. Moss gained second
with an inside pass on lap 8 and the yellow fell on lap 9 as Cardoza, Ray Bunn
and Debbie Parks crashed. Moss used a high line pass to take the lead from
Bohringer on lap 11, but Bohringer then forced Moss even higher on the track a
lap later. This gave Pestana his opening and he drove underneath both of the
dueling duo for the top spot on lap 13. Moss emerged in second ahead of
Bohringer. Bruegger spun Burchett out and then crashed with Cardoza as the race
ended with Pestana winning ahead of Moss, Bohringer, Parks and Bunn.
Summary
Mini Super Trucks
Fast Time-Walt Breugger 15.503
Dash-Tom Moss, Ron Pestana, Brugger.
Heat 1-David Burchett, Breugger, Debbie Parks, Erin Serbantes, Ray Bunn.
Heat 2-Larry Bohringer, Moss, Pestana, Tim Cardoza. Main-Pestana, Moss,
Bohringer, Parks, Bunn, Serbantes, Burchett, Cardoza, Breugger.
Super Stocks
Fast Time-Matt Erickson 15.354 Dash-Rick Avila, Steve Cronk, Scott
Winkler.
Heat 1-Chris Bammer, Nick Hutto, Avila, Winkler, Howard Poe.
Heat 2-Andy Cowan, Gary Hazelhofer, Ryan Mock, Cronk, Al Sherfield.
Main-Avila, Erickson, Bammer, Hutto, Hazelhofer, Mock, Winkler, Cronk, Cowan,
Poe.
NCMA Sprint Cars
Fast Time-Pat Ariaz 18.865
Dash-Ed Amador, Steve Amador, Ariaz.
Heat 1-Ariaz, Burt Siverling, S Amador, Mike Zarevich.
Heat 2-E Amador, Keith Shipherd, John Silva, Sam Davies.
Main-E Amador, Ariaz, Shipherd, S Amador, Silva, Siverling, Zarevich,
Davies.
CASA Sprint Cars
Fast Time-Brian McClish 17.208 NTR
Dash-McClish, Ivan Worden, Daniel Hood.
Heat 1-Matt DeMartini, Tony Iacobitti, McClish, Chad Ede, Larry Texeria.
Heat 2-Glenn Hopper, Scott Clough, Worden, Mike McCreary, Hood.
Main-McClish, Hood, Worden, Iacobitti, DeMartini, Hopper, Clough, Ede, Texeria,
Earle Stanton, McCreary, Roger Hamilton
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