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Klein,
Richards and the Bartletts rule at Twin Cities |
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Marysville CA. Herman Klein, Tony Richards and the father-daughter duo of Jerry and Heather Bartlett took home the hardware on Saturday night at Twin Cities Speedway. A near record crowd witnessed the opening event of the 2004 season. It was the first time in speedway history that a father and daughter won main events on the same night. Klein, of Sacramento led wire to wire from his pole position in the winged Pacific Sprint Car main event. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds. At the original green, Grayeagle’s Jim Richardson tangled with a spinning Geoff Duppman and flipped his black number 8. Richardson was finished for the night and Sacramento’s Duppman was relegated to the rear. In quick order another original start yellow flag was displayed for a minor spin. A single file start was required. Fellow front row starter, three-time track champion Korey Lovell, of Yuba City, fell in behind Klein with 20 other starters and the race was on. Klein was able to put about a second between himself and Lovell during the caution free first half of the event. When the lapping process began, Lovell closed the gap almost immediately. Duppman was on the move, from the back, passing eight competitors during that same period. A timely yellow at ½ distance closed the field and Lovell had a new opportunity. Colby Wiesz, of Colfax had settled into third position and was ready to test the leading pair. The concluding green flag segment provided a great race as the top three battled intensely. Lapped traffic once again nearly played into the result, but Klein masterfully twisted his way to victory. A last lap charge by Lovell had him nearly side by side with the leader out of turn four, but the challenge fell a few feet short. The victory was Klein’s 9th at TCS. Duppman’s impressive passing job was negated by a late race miscue that cost him several positions. Klein was short and to the point in victory lane. “We’ll be here next week and we’ll do ‘er again” he quipped. This is Klein’s second consecutive victory at TCS as he won the California Sprint Car Civil War Series Race here two weeks ago. Klein also picked up the Tipton Motorsports Fast Time Bonus by rocketing around the perfectly manicured track in an impressive time of 11.462. Jeff Hallieb, Richardson and Travis Berryhill won the heats and Kevin Lovell won the B main. Car owner Harley Van Dyke has put a formidable team together here and is a legitimate challenger for the championship this year. Tony Richards won the inaugural Speedway Sprint Car main event. The new class is an exciting addition to the program at TCS. The night’s most frightening moment came as the field came to the green flag for the main event. Outside front row starter, Richards lost control as the field accelerated out of turn four. Richards came across the front of the field and took out four cars sending Sacramento’s Tim Sherman skyward. Sherman executed a series of sharp barrel rolls that left the CSRA champ dazed and bruised. Surprisingly, Richards got out of the melee unscathed and kept the car rolling. While Sherman was being attended to, his #1 car was being quickly repaired. A short timer later, the battered Sherman strapped into his car and took the new green flag. Richards took off and Sherman rolled into the pits done for the night. Richards, who won the Speedway Sprint Car open competition event here last year, started to run away. A timely yellow flag at 1/3 distance tightened things up. Antioch’s Chris Magoon and Napa’s, Dave Goodwill had reached second and third respectively from their seventh and eighth starting positions. The new green waved and the best wheel-to-wheel race of the night was on. The three drivers went high and low looking for an advantage. In the end Richards prevailed with Magoon nearly banging on his rear nerf bar in the runner-up position. Goodwill got the show money. Magoon and Goodwill also won heat races. Richards also said that the first lap pile-up was his fault and the result of his tires being cold. Local female racer, Heather Bartlett, of Yuba City, took the measure of her male competitors when she inched out a victory over Olivehurst’s Robert Mull in the TCS Mini Stock Series main event. Bartlett needed every lap to secure her first ever victory at TCS. Starting 15th, Bartlett picked off other drivers one by one in her run to the front. The final five laps were real nail biters. Mull was leading easily in the late stages when his car began to push. Bartlett and Yuba City’s Kevin Sprague saw the opportunity and pounced. The crowd was on its feet when Bartlett passed Mull as the white banner waved overhead. Mull and Sprague battled side by side for the runner-up money and Mull prevailed by inches. Sprague charged hard from thirteenth to his third place finish. Bartlett, Sprague and 2003 champion Jeremy Blackshere won heat races. “The track was tacky and fast.” Bartlett reflected in victory lane. “There were lots of places to pass.” Jerry Bartlett, Heather’s dad, mirrored his daughter’s performance and came from last to first to win the TCS Stock Car Series main event. The three-time champion’s run to the front was spiced by a brief, early race duel with Charlie Duffey. Duffey won three in a row from a scratch starting place start last year. Duffey had to settle for third when former champion Bill Knoop got into second. Knoop started running some remarkable laps and closed on Bartlett. Knoop erased a straightaway lead, but ran out of laps when Bartlett took the checkers. Bartlett will bring out his Speedway sprinter next week and test his mettle in that class. Bartlett and Knight’s Landing’s, Aaron Taylor won the heat races. The new Speedway Sprint Cars, Pacific Sprint Cars and the TCS Mini Stock series will headline at Twin Cities Speedway on April 10th. The SORA Sprint 100s will run as an extra-added attraction. Gates open at 5 with racing at 7. Visit us on the web at www.twincitiesspeedway.net or call (916) 985-2089 to reach the business office. All the latest updates are always posted to the website first. FEATHERLITE PACIFIC SPRINT CARS, SPEEDWAY SPRINTS, PACIFIC SPRINT CARS SPEEDWAY SPRINTS TCS MINI-STOCKS MAIN EVENT TCS STOCK CARS MAIN EVENT
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