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Bakersfield, CA., Jul. 15 - Car owner/driver
Bruce Hiroshima won the first NMRA-TQ-Midget main event of his
three-year career Saturday night in sweltering 100+ heat at the
banked, third-mile clay Bakersfield Speedway. The 43-year old
resident of Camarillo, CA led all 25-laps in his own No. 5 BH Custom
Ag Rick Stewart-built chassis with Honda power. He climbed from
ninth to sixth in 2006 driver point standings after four rounds of
the currently scheduled 12-race season. His car is now tied for
fifth place in owner points.
Hiroshima won NMRA's 2004 rookie of the year
title after he finished sixth in final driver point standings, only
four points from fifth place. He raced in 11 of the 12 races during
his rookie campaign. His No. 5 TQ midget ranked ninth in final 2004
NMRA owner points. Last year Hiroshima finished fourth in driver
points, only five points from third position. His No. 70 TQ midget
also finished fourth.
Chuck West, the 2002 NMRA driving champion and
winner of the last main event on June 17 at Santa Maria, drove West
Evans' No. 38 Spike/Suzuki to second position. The Clovis-based
former USAC midget racer increased his point lead from four to nine
points over third place finisher Chris Hedge, the winner of the
first two features this year. Ron Ahrendt and rookie Jeff Marshall
completed the top five finishers. Michael Bliffen, rookies Richard
Marshall and Nick Cali, 2005 NMRA rookie of the year Richard Ortega,
Jr and Kenny Wiley rounded out the top ten in a 13-car field.
West and Hiroshima won the pair of eight-lap heat
races. Time trials were not conducted. The next race for the
three-quarter midgeteers will be Saturday, July 22 at the banked,
third-mile clay Santa Maria Speedway on the cooler central
California coast, about ten miles inland from the Pacific Ocean.
The Summary:
Heat 1: Chuck West, Scott Dobson, Michael Bliffen, Richard Marshall,
Ron Ahrendt, West Evans, Nick Cali.
Heat 2: Bruce Hiroshima, Kenny Wiley, Chris Hedge, Jeff Marshall,
Richard Ortega, Jr., Steve Parke.
Main: Hiroshima, West, Hedge, Ahrendt, J. Marshall, Bliffen, R.
Marshall, Cali, Ortega, Wiley, Evans, Parke, Dobson.
POINT STANDINGS:
Drivers
Car Owners
1. Chuck West 256
1 # 38 West Evans 265
2 Chris Hedge 247
2 # 98 Hedge & Hendrix 256
3 Ron Ahrendt 219
3 # 87 Judi Ahrendt 227
4 Michael Bliffen 208 4 #
3 Michael Bliffen 217
5 Kenny Wiley 198
5 # 21 Paul Lopiccolo 204
6 Bruce Hiroshima 195 5 #
5 Bruce Hiroshima 204
7 Steve Parke 178
7 # 18 Guy Barber 182
8 Scott Dobson (R) 173` 8 # 36 West
Evans 165
9 West Evans 156
9 # 59 Steve Parke 155
10 Jeff Marshall (R) 129
10 # 9 Jeff Marshall 137
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