by Gary Jacob
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Nov. 10, 2002) - Flown in to drive the Mike and Dawn Redstone owned Rayburn that is usually wheeled by dirt late model rookie Chris Kearns, number one ranked national racer Don O’Neal from Martinsville, Indiana lapped the field in the rich Western World 100 race presented by George Steitz at Bakersfield Speedway Park on Sunday evening. The victory in the $44,000 race paid $10,000. O’Neal jumped to the top of the national rankings by winning $80,000 is just two weeks of Florida action in February with six major wins and tonight’s victory was his 19th of the 2002 season. The former Steve Shaver car uses a ten year old motor that was first used when Steve Drake started his dirt late model career and the Apex Auto Glass sponsored mount was crewed by usual driver Kearns and David Geisman. The Redstone team was formed this spring when the long time Santa Maria Speedway spectators decided to become car owners. O’Neal timed in 12th fast and complained that the CarQuest Tour spec mufflers were robbing horsepower, so the team purchased a set of mufflers from Utah racer Chuck Buchanon in time for the 100 lapper. O’Neal led the final 67 laps after fast timer Dick Shepherd blew his rear end. Despite a badly damaged front end from an early race accident with Mike Collins, Steve Drake ran a strong second until a broken ball joint put him in the turn 2 fence on lap 83. This left O’Neal the only lead lap car and California Harley Davidson magnet Bill Bartels drove the race of his career to place a $6,000 second. The top 3 spots were swept by Rayburns as Ohio’s Donnie Moran was a $3,000 third in the Chris Sivesind car that CarQuest Champion Scott Pounds finished the 2002 season in. The Sivesind team borrowed an engine by CarQuest rookie of the year Eric Jacobsen for this race. Colorado champion Brett Hallmark was a $2,500 fourth in his GRT and Shawn DeForest collected $2,000 for his fifth place run with his Rocket. Jay Edens finished two laps down in sixth for a $1,500 payoff with Colorado ace Dean Moore 7th after racing the final 98 laps with no power steering. Kansas star Gary Gorby was the fastest of the invaders in time trials and he recovered from a lost lap early in the race when he was collected in another racer’s spin to finish a $1,200 8th.
The race was originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights, but rain on Friday and again on Saturday morning forced Steitz to move it to a Sunday-Monday format. When so many teams complained that they couldn’t be there on Monday, Steitz agreed to pay the advertized purse for a one day show on Sunday if the pit pass fee was raised from $35 per day to $60 for the one day effort. Top teams like Darren Coffell, Bob Boyd and Bill Pearson all went home on the announcement of the Monday final and did not return when the decision was made to complete the show on Sunday.
With just the one day to complete the show, the event was structured to take the 16 fastest qualifiers, add the top 6 from the B Main and two promoter’s options. Coming off a $11,300 win in the Pacific Coast 100 here in October, Shepherd led the talented 48 car turnout through time trials with a quick 13.040 lap on the 1/3 mile clay oval. Richard Papenhausen was second quick at 13.157 and Bartels started his strong day with a 13.298 qualifying effort. 2001 CarQuest champion Mike Collins turned in a 13.432 and the big Denver, Colorado race winner Gorby was fifth at 13.437. Drake, MLRA Champion Alan Vaughn, Dana Nelson, Mike Johnson and Wisconsin’s Steve Laursen rounded out the ten quickest. It took a 13.697 to make the 16 car cutoff. The B Main went 17 laps and transferred the top 6. Moran missed the A Main by one spot in time trials and led all 17 laps to win the B Main. Derek Nance broke running 2nd on lap 9 and Moore ran second for the rest of the race. Devin Crockett came from deep in the field to finish third ahead of Oregon’s Rob Mayea, C Main winner Chad Reichenbach and Ron Bartels. Just missing transfers were Jerry Stewart, Phil Barrow and Brian Kuhn. Colorado super star Kelly Boen suffered damage in an early race tangle with Moore, but was added to the 100 lapper as a promoter’s option. Dirt modified star Nick Perivolaris was in the John Silva 2002 season mount that he recently purchased for the first time, but was an early race crash victim.
The 100 lapper had 25 starters with Ohio’s Audie Swartz another option. Swartz was driving the usual Alan Updyke entry. Billy Griffin was added to the lineup when the officials failed to tell him that he had transferred from the C Main to the B Main. Shepherd took a quick lead in the 100 lapper ahead of Papenhausen, Collins and Drake. Young Matt Barrett spun for a lap 1 yellow and Boen was out with electrical problems. Papenhausen took the lead on lap 3 from Shepherd and the race ended for both R Bartels and Barrett when they tangled on lap 4. Mike Johnson stalled for a lap 6 yellow and was rear-ended by DeForest. On this restart, Drake got into the rear of Collins hard and Collins’ race was over as he lost his brakes. Drake’s mount was severely towed out after the incident. Nelson spun into the turn 4 infield and took Gorby with him. Gorby lost a lap stuck in the mud as the yellow did not fly until the next lap when Reichenbach and Swartz tangled. On the next start attempt, the race ended for leader Papenhausen with a broken rear axle. When green flag racing resumed, Shepherd led Drake, Vaughn, O’Neal and Laursen. Vaughn was driving the Darryl Brown car from Oklahoma. Mayea spun and was hit by Wisconsin’s Eric Pember for a lap 16 yellow flag. Laursen had to pit his Cobra with a flat left rear tire. Shepherd had a big lead wiped out by a spin by Edens on lap 20 and his car began to smoke. O’Neal and Vaughn were waging a hard duel for third and Vaughn had just muscled his way back around O’Neal when a tap from O’Neal sent Vaughn spinning in turn 1 for a lap 21 yellow flag. The angry Vaughn drove over the right rear corner of the O’Neal car under caution and Vaughn was blackflagged from the race. The top five was now Shepherd, Drake, O’Neal, B Bartels and Hallmark. O’Neal took second from Drake on lap 29 and inherited the lead when the now badly smoking Shepherd was blackflagged off the track on a lap 33 yellow for a Swartz spin. Crockett raced into fourth, but broke on lap 38. As he tried to limp off the track, he was hit by both Gorby and Laursen, ending the race for Laursen. Johnson had now climbed back into fifth behind O’Neal, Drake, B Bartels and Hallmark, but he ran out of fuel on lap 42. DeForest was lapped just before the midrace fuel break to leave six cars on the lead lap with O’Neal pacing Drake, B Bartels, Hallmark, Moran and Moore. Moran had a brake rotor issue and he started the second 50 last after pitting for repairs following the fuel stop.
O’Neal commanded the second 50 lap segment as he put both Moran and Moore a lap down before debris forced a lap 62 yellow flag. At the 75 lap mark, O’Neal was 1/2 lap in front of Drake and he then lapped Hallmark and B Bartels to leave just two lead lap cars. Griffin spun with a flat tire for a lap 80 yellow flag. After racing for 80 laps with his broken front end, a broken ball joint sent Drake into the turn 2 fence on lap 83. The race was redflagged on lap 91 when Nelson blew in a huge ball of flames on the frontstretch. The fire engulfed his car, but he climbed out unhurt. Moran passed Hallmark for third on lap 88 and challenged B Bartels for second over the final laps. O’Neal was unchallenged with B Bartels, Moran, Hallmark and DeForest all one lap down. Edens, Moore and Gorby all finished two laps behind the leader and all the top ten finishers earned at least $1,000 in the race that paid $600 to start. Oregon’s Mayea was 9th and Wisconsin’s Pember 10th. It was the first time that Moran had visited California in his life.
Top runner Jacobsen broke an engine in time trials. Racing for the first time in six months, Reichenbach returned his family mount and led the final 6 laps to win the 12 lap C Main. He took the lead from Vance Beltran, who finished 2nd ahead of R Bartels and Swartz. Beltran collected a bonus as the highest finishing stock front stub car on the day. Oregon’s Jerry York climbed the front wall on the first lap, but escaped unhurt as he crashed out the pit entrance. Dirt modified star A J Kirkpatrick made his dirt late model debut with a victory in the 12 lap D Main with Oregon’s Craig Hanson second ahead of Larry Childress and Mike Meazell. Some early contact left Oregon star Trevor Glaser with a flat tire.
RESULTS
Fast Time-Dick Shepherd 13.040
D Main-A J Kirkpatrick, Craig Hanson, Larry Childress, Mike Meazell, Chuck Buchanon, Danny Baldridge Jr, Trevor Glaser.
C Main-Chad Reichenbach, Vance Beltran, Ron Bartels, Audie Swartz, Billy Griffin, Kirkpatrick, Doug Jeffers, L Childress, Josh Eyerly, Hanson, Meazell, Jerry York.
B Main-Donnie Moran, Dean Moore, Devin Crockett, Rob Mayea, Reichenbach, R Bartels, Jerry Stewart, Phil Barrow, Brian Kuhn, Donnie Hampl, Beltran, Robbie Witwer, Donnie McGowan, Childress, Roger Lorenzini Jr, Derek Nance, Kelly Boen, Pete VanIderstine, Kirkpatrick, Nick Perivolaris, James Tesch Jr.
A Main-Don O’Neal, Bill Bartels, Moran, Brett Hallmark, Shawn DeForest, Jay Edens, Moore, Gary Gorby, Mayea, Eric Pember, Mike Johnson, Griffin, Steve Drake, Dana Nelson, Kelly Boen, Crockett, Steve Laursen, Shepherd, Swartz, Alan Vaughn, Reichenbach, Richard Papenhausen, Mike Collins, R Bartels, Matt Barrett.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Nov. 10, 2002) - Flown in to drive the Mike and Dawn Redstone owned Rayburn that is usually wheeled by dirt late model rookie Chris Kearns, number one ranked national racer Don O’Neal from Martinsville, Indiana lapped the field in the rich Western World 100 race presented by George Steitz at Bakersfield Speedway Park on Sunday evening. The victory in the $44,000 race paid $10,000. O’Neal jumped to the top of the national rankings by winning $80,000 is just two weeks of Florida action in February with six major wins and tonight’s victory was his 19th of the 2002 season. The former Steve Shaver car uses a ten year old motor that was first used when Steve Drake started his dirt late model career and the Apex Auto Glass sponsored mount was crewed by usual driver Kearns and David Geisman. The Redstone team was formed this spring when the long time Santa Maria Speedway spectators decided to become car owners. O’Neal timed in 12th fast and complained that the CarQuest Tour spec mufflers were robbing horsepower, so the team purchased a set of mufflers from Utah racer Chuck Buchanon in time for the 100 lapper. O’Neal led the final 67 laps after fast timer Dick Shepherd blew his rear end. Despite a badly damaged front end from an early race accident with Mike Collins, Steve Drake ran a strong second until a broken ball joint put him in the turn 2 fence on lap 83. This left O’Neal the only lead lap car and California Harley Davidson magnet Bill Bartels drove the race of his career to place a $6,000 second. The top 3 spots were swept by Rayburns as Ohio’s Donnie Moran was a $3,000 third in the Chris Sivesind car that CarQuest Champion Scott Pounds finished the 2002 season in. The Sivesind team borrowed an engine by CarQuest rookie of the year Eric Jacobsen for this race. Colorado champion Brett Hallmark was a $2,500 fourth in his GRT and Shawn DeForest collected $2,000 for his fifth place run with his Rocket. Jay Edens finished two laps down in sixth for a $1,500 payoff with Colorado ace Dean Moore 7th after racing the final 98 laps with no power steering. Kansas star Gary Gorby was the fastest of the invaders in time trials and he recovered from a lost lap early in the race when he was collected in another racer’s spin to finish a $1,200 8th.
The race was originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights, but rain on Friday and again on Saturday morning forced Steitz to move it to a Sunday-Monday format. When so many teams complained that they couldn’t be there on Monday, Steitz agreed to pay the advertized purse for a one day show on Sunday if the pit pass fee was raised from $35 per day to $60 for the one day effort. Top teams like Darren Coffell, Bob Boyd and Bill Pearson all went home on the announcement of the Monday final and did not return when the decision was made to complete the show on Sunday.
With just the one day to complete the show, the event was structured to take the 16 fastest qualifiers, add the top 6 from the B Main and two promoter’s options. Coming off a $11,300 win in the Pacific Coast 100 here in October, Shepherd led the talented 48 car turnout through time trials with a quick 13.040 lap on the 1/3 mile clay oval. Richard Papenhausen was second quick at 13.157 and Bartels started his strong day with a 13.298 qualifying effort. 2001 CarQuest champion Mike Collins turned in a 13.432 and the big Denver, Colorado race winner Gorby was fifth at 13.437. Drake, MLRA Champion Alan Vaughn, Dana Nelson, Mike Johnson and Wisconsin’s Steve Laursen rounded out the ten quickest. It took a 13.697 to make the 16 car cutoff. The B Main went 17 laps and transferred the top 6. Moran missed the A Main by one spot in time trials and led all 17 laps to win the B Main. Derek Nance broke running 2nd on lap 9 and Moore ran second for the rest of the race. Devin Crockett came from deep in the field to finish third ahead of Oregon’s Rob Mayea, C Main winner Chad Reichenbach and Ron Bartels. Just missing transfers were Jerry Stewart, Phil Barrow and Brian Kuhn. Colorado super star Kelly Boen suffered damage in an early race tangle with Moore, but was added to the 100 lapper as a promoter’s option. Dirt modified star Nick Perivolaris was in the John Silva 2002 season mount that he recently purchased for the first time, but was an early race crash victim.
The 100 lapper had 25 starters with Ohio’s Audie Swartz another option. Swartz was driving the usual Alan Updyke entry. Billy Griffin was added to the lineup when the officials failed to tell him that he had transferred from the C Main to the B Main. Shepherd took a quick lead in the 100 lapper ahead of Papenhausen, Collins and Drake. Young Matt Barrett spun for a lap 1 yellow and Boen was out with electrical problems. Papenhausen took the lead on lap 3 from Shepherd and the race ended for both R Bartels and Barrett when they tangled on lap 4. Mike Johnson stalled for a lap 6 yellow and was rear-ended by DeForest. On this restart, Drake got into the rear of Collins hard and Collins’ race was over as he lost his brakes. Drake’s mount was severely towed out after the incident. Nelson spun into the turn 4 infield and took Gorby with him. Gorby lost a lap stuck in the mud as the yellow did not fly until the next lap when Reichenbach and Swartz tangled. On the next start attempt, the race ended for leader Papenhausen with a broken rear axle. When green flag racing resumed, Shepherd led Drake, Vaughn, O’Neal and Laursen. Vaughn was driving the Darryl Brown car from Oklahoma. Mayea spun and was hit by Wisconsin’s Eric Pember for a lap 16 yellow flag. Laursen had to pit his Cobra with a flat left rear tire. Shepherd had a big lead wiped out by a spin by Edens on lap 20 and his car began to smoke. O’Neal and Vaughn were waging a hard duel for third and Vaughn had just muscled his way back around O’Neal when a tap from O’Neal sent Vaughn spinning in turn 1 for a lap 21 yellow flag. The angry Vaughn drove over the right rear corner of the O’Neal car under caution and Vaughn was blackflagged from the race. The top five was now Shepherd, Drake, O’Neal, B Bartels and Hallmark. O’Neal took second from Drake on lap 29 and inherited the lead when the now badly smoking Shepherd was blackflagged off the track on a lap 33 yellow for a Swartz spin. Crockett raced into fourth, but broke on lap 38. As he tried to limp off the track, he was hit by both Gorby and Laursen, ending the race for Laursen. Johnson had now climbed back into fifth behind O’Neal, Drake, B Bartels and Hallmark, but he ran out of fuel on lap 42. DeForest was lapped just before the midrace fuel break to leave six cars on the lead lap with O’Neal pacing Drake, B Bartels, Hallmark, Moran and Moore. Moran had a brake rotor issue and he started the second 50 last after pitting for repairs following the fuel stop.
O’Neal commanded the second 50 lap segment as he put both Moran and Moore a lap down before debris forced a lap 62 yellow flag. At the 75 lap mark, O’Neal was 1/2 lap in front of Drake and he then lapped Hallmark and B Bartels to leave just two lead lap cars. Griffin spun with a flat tire for a lap 80 yellow flag. After racing for 80 laps with his broken front end, a broken ball joint sent Drake into the turn 2 fence on lap 83. The race was redflagged on lap 91 when Nelson blew in a huge ball of flames on the frontstretch. The fire engulfed his car, but he climbed out unhurt. Moran passed Hallmark for third on lap 88 and challenged B Bartels for second over the final laps. O’Neal was unchallenged with B Bartels, Moran, Hallmark and DeForest all one lap down. Edens, Moore and Gorby all finished two laps behind the leader and all the top ten finishers earned at least $1,000 in the race that paid $600 to start. Oregon’s Mayea was 9th and Wisconsin’s Pember 10th. It was the first time that Moran had visited California in his life.
Top runner Jacobsen broke an engine in time trials. Racing for the first time in six months, Reichenbach returned his family mount and led the final 6 laps to win the 12 lap C Main. He took the lead from Vance Beltran, who finished 2nd ahead of R Bartels and Swartz. Beltran collected a bonus as the highest finishing stock front stub car on the day. Oregon’s Jerry York climbed the front wall on the first lap, but escaped unhurt as he crashed out the pit entrance. Dirt modified star A J Kirkpatrick made his dirt late model debut with a victory in the 12 lap D Main with Oregon’s Craig Hanson second ahead of Larry Childress and Mike Meazell. Some early contact left Oregon star Trevor Glaser with a flat tire.
RESULTS
Fast Time-Dick Shepherd 13.040
D Main-A J Kirkpatrick, Craig Hanson, Larry Childress, Mike Meazell, Chuck Buchanon, Danny Baldridge Jr, Trevor Glaser.
C Main-Chad Reichenbach, Vance Beltran, Ron Bartels, Audie Swartz, Billy Griffin, Kirkpatrick, Doug Jeffers, L Childress, Josh Eyerly, Hanson, Meazell, Jerry York.
B Main-Donnie Moran, Dean Moore, Devin Crockett, Rob Mayea, Reichenbach, R Bartels, Jerry Stewart, Phil Barrow, Brian Kuhn, Donnie Hampl, Beltran, Robbie Witwer, Donnie McGowan, Childress, Roger Lorenzini Jr, Derek Nance, Kelly Boen, Pete VanIderstine, Kirkpatrick, Nick Perivolaris, James Tesch Jr.
A Main-Don O’Neal, Bill Bartels, Moran, Brett Hallmark, Shawn DeForest, Jay Edens, Moore, Gary Gorby, Mayea, Eric Pember, Mike Johnson, Griffin, Steve Drake, Dana Nelson, Kelly Boen, Crockett, Steve Laursen, Shepherd, Swartz, Alan Vaughn, Reichenbach, Richard Papenhausen, Mike Collins, R Bartels, Matt Barrett.
