Cajon Speedway results 2004-09-18

EL CAJON, CA (09/18/04). David Beat and John Manke closed out the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series season for the late model sportsman at Cajon Speedway Saturday night when each made his way to victory lane in the Steve Brucker Memorial twin 30-lap features on the 3/8-mile paved oval.

Beat had already wrapped up his second consecutive track championship before he took the green flag in the points' finale Saturday night. So with nothing to lose and everything to gain, he posted fast time and came from 11th starting position to claim the opening race. Then in the nightcap Manke led all the way from the pole position but had Beat sitting on his bumper when the checkered flag fell.

Trailing Beat in the first race were Scott Moses, Rick Chavez, Billy Hoagland, and Stephen Peace, who sewed up second place in the season long standings. Behind Manke and Beat in the finale were Stephen Peace, his twin brother Michael, and Hoagland. It was Beat's 11th victory of the year. He also earned his tenth Sid's Auto Body Hard Charger $200 check for earning the most passing points.

In the companion races, Richard Hinze stormed to his fourth win of the season in the street stocks. But Rick Hagen, who finished fourth, virtually locked up the divisional title. Ed Hale outran Earl Downing to pad his point lead slightly over Downing in the pony stocks. Rick Nies scored for the second time this year in the bomber stocks. That tight title chase is now led by Brian Fitzgibbons with their Grand Prix the only race remaining.

Beat steadily worked his way forward in the first sportsman feature. He broke into the top five on lap 10. But then on lap 11 he was barely clipped by Michael Peace in turn two and spun. The officials put him back in fifth for the restart and Peace was send to the rear. Beat gained fourth when Manke tagged Chavez in a battle for third on lap 18. He zipped under Chavez into third two rounds later. Then just after he passed Moses for second and was challenging for the lead, pacesetting Ron Overman had a left front brake caliper blow and he skated up to the third turn crashwall. On the restart Beat was re-placed in second behind Moses. But it only took him a single circuit to regain the lead for good. He then motored away to a 10-length victory.

Despite at least three close calls on the track, Beat had no complaints. "Everyone raced me clean," he stated. "We had some close calls. I missed Rick (Chavez) by about a foot (when he got spun)."

"The car was really good," Beat continued. "I'm definitely relieved about the championship. That is a good thing to get out of our system for now. Now we can have some fun (in the open comps)."

Manke went unchallenged until the final circuit of the nightcap. Had the race gone one or two more circuits, Beat might have been able to pass his rival. But time ran out and Manke was able to end a frustrating season with only his second victory of the year after prevailing four and five times the past two seasons.

"It wasn't important. They had a plan for this year and so did we," Manke replied when asked if he was disappointed not to get second spot in the standings for the third year in a row. "So it's all right."

"The car has been good since Steve (Teets) at STR put a front clip on. We had a suspicion that it was a little out of whack since it was wrecked in a trophy dash (in May). You never want to put a new clip on. But as it turned out, the car has been flawless. We have not turned a screw on it, nothing, since the day we picked it up at Steve's."

Hinze was the third and final leader of the 25-lapper for street stocks. After Ivan Harrison broke from the pole, Rob Overman worked his way past on the fifth lap. Hinze, who started sixth, challenged Overman and took over the number one spot on lap 10. Hinze then put distance on the rest of the pack, only to see that lead erased when Josh Green looped it in turn three four laps from the finish. In the final sprint Hinze could not shake second running Eric Ferguson. Kenny Hall finished third ahead of Hagen and Matt Arnold. Hagen, the 2003 bomber champ, needs only be in the top five qualifiers in next week's finale or take the green flag in the main event to sew up the 2004 street stock title.

It was career victory number 159 for Hale at Cajon where he started racing 42 years ago. Hale took the lead in the 20-lap main when he, Steve Dickerson, and Pete Franke came off turn four three-wide. Downing, the night 's quick qualifier and the only driver with a chance to catch Hale in the points race, took over second on lap 12 and ate into Hale's lead lap-by-lap. But Hale was still four lengths in front when the checkered was dropped. George Behlman placed third ahead of Franke and Tim Beeney. Hale added only one digit to his point leader over Downing. That margin is now only 47 digits.

The wild bomber stock standings where the night started with six drivers separated by only 66 markers concluded with that spread now 79 points with 147 possible in next week's Grand Prix. Nies, who does not figure in the battle for the title, moved past Bill Holland eight laps into the 20-lap feature. Greg McCown was in second when the race ended with new point leader Brian Fitzgibbons in third. Holland was fourth and Rodney Shaw fifth. The others with championship hopes are Scott Denton, who was eighth, Hayden Smith, who placed sixth, Marty Lehrke, who was tenth, and Randy Hart, who was ninth. David Whisenant who started last week leading the points was suspended for the rest of the year following the September 11 race for "actions detrimental to auto racing."

NASCAR DODGE WEEKLY SERIES RESULTS

LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN
Fast Time - David Beat, El Cajon; Time - :16.104.

1st Main (30 laps) - 1. David Beat, El Cajon; 2. Scott Moses, Chula Vista; 3. Rick Chavez, Lakeside; 4. Billy Hoagland, Santee; 5. Stephen Peace, El Cajon; 6. John Manke, Ramona; 7. Michael Peace, El Cajon; 8. Ben Carver, El Cajon; 9. Ray Butler, El Cajon; 10. Dee Cable, Santee; 11. Bill Parenteau Jr., Santee; 12. Jeff Thompson, Lakeside; 13. Ron Overman, Lakeside; 14. Mark Norris, Ramona; Time - 18:20.79.

2nd Main (30 laps) - 1. John Manke, Ramona; 2. David Beat, El Cajon; 3. Stephen Peace, El Cajon; 4. Michael Peace, El Cajon; 5. Billy Hoagland, Santee; 6. Ron Overman, Lakeside; 7. Jeff Thompson, Lakeside; 8. Dee Cable, Santee; 9. Bill Parenteau Jr., Santee; 10. Rick Chavez, Lakeside; 11. Ray Butler, El Cajon; 12. Scott Moses, Chula Vista; 13. Ben Carver, El Cajon; 14. Mark Norris, Ramona; Time - 8:18.26.

STREET STOCK
Fast Time - Eric Ferguson, El Cajon; Time - :17.468.

1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Ivan Harrison, Santee; 2. Neil Rodvold, Lakeside; 3. Jeff Coskey, Santee; 4. Josh Green, Lakeside; 5. Don Moore, Lakeside; 6. Tony Masey, El Cajon; 7. Brian Collins, Oceanside; 8. Jason Pontsler, Poway; Time - 4:08.91.

2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Richard Hinze, Lakeside; 2. Rob Overman, San Diego; 3. Eric Sweetman, Santee; 4. Dave Arce, Santee; 5. Kenny Hall, El Cajon; 6. Rick Hagen, Rancho SD; 7. Matt Arnold, San Diego; 8. Eric Ferguson, El Cajon; Time - 2:24.06.

Main (25 laps) - 1. Richard Hinze, Lakeside; 2. Eric Ferguson, El Cajon; 3. Kenny Hall, El Cajon; 4. Rick Hagen, Rancho SD; 5. Matt Arnold, San Diego; 6. Eric Sweetman, Santee; 7. Neil Rodvold, Lakeside; 8. Dave Arce, Santee; 9. Jeff Coskey, Santee; 10. Josh Green, Lakeside; 11. Don Moore, Lakeside; 12. Rob Overman, San Diego; 13. Ivan Harrison, Santee; 14. Tony Masey, El Cajon; 15. Brian Collins, Oceanside; 16. Jason Pontsler, Poway; Time - 20:16.67.

PONY STOCK
Fast Time - Earl Downing, Spring Valley; Time - :18.335.

Dash (4 laps) - 1. Len Cartwright, Lemon Grove; 2. Tim Beeney, Escondido; 3. Ed Hale, El Cajon; 4. Earl Downing, Spring Valley; Time - 1:15.19.

1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Chris Vaughn, San Diego; 2. Robert Parenteau, El Cajon; 3. Robert Minnick, El Cajon; 4. Marvin Chappell, El Cajon; 5. Lee Slaughter, El Cajon; 6. Jason Hollingsworth, El Cajon; 7. Shalya McEntarfferr, El Cajon; 8. Carl Thomas, El Cajon; 9. EJ Brett, El Cajon; 10. Shealynn Longwell, El Cajon; Time - 5:21.15.

2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Steve Dickerson, El Cajon; 2. George Behlman, Santee; 3. Pete Franke, Lakeside; 4. Darrell McKee Jr., San Diego; 5. Douglas Wright Jr., Santee; 6. Ed Hale, El Cajon; 7. Russ Gregson, Santee; 8. Earl Downing, Spring Valley; 9. Tim Beeney, Escondido; 10. Len Cartwright, Lemon Grove; 11. Phil Griffin, Santee; Time - 2:30.50.

Main (20 laps) - 1. Ed Hale, El Cajon; 2. Earl Downing, Spring Valley; 3. George Behlman, Santee; 4. Pete Franke, Lakeside; 5. Tim Beeney, Escondido; 6. Russ Gregson, Santee; 7. Darrell McKee Jr., San Diego; 8. Len Cartwright, Lemon Grove; 9. Phil Griffin, Santee; 10. Marvin Chappell, El Cajon; 11. Robert Parenteau, El Cajon; 12. Chris Vaughn, San Diego; 13. Carl Thomas, El Cajon; 14. Lee Slaughter, El Cajon; 15. Jason Hollingsworth, El Cajon; 16. Shalya McEntarfferr, El Cajon; 17. Steve Dickerson, El Cajon; 18. Robert Minnick, El Cajon; 19. Shealynn Longwell, El Cajon; 20. EJ Brett, El Cajon; 21. Douglas Wright Jr., Santee; Time - 13:51.33.

BOMBER STOCK
Fast Time - Marty Lehrke, San Diego; Time - :19.976.

1st Heat (8 laps) - 1. Brandon Haag, Santee; 2. Bill Holland, El Cajon; 3. Perry Humphries, San Diego; 4. Darrell Moore, Ramona; 5. Bob Underwood, Spring Valley; 6. Dave Ensall, Lakeside; 7. Kevin Gantz, Spring Valley; 8. Michael Burford, Ramona; Time - 7:12.33.

2nd Heat (8 laps) - 1. Rick Nies, Lakeside; 2. Rodney Shaw, El Cajon; 3. Randy Hart, National City; 4. Greg McCown, Lakeside; 5. Mike McGlone, Fallbrook; 6. Brian Fitzgibbons, El Cajon; 7. Scott Denton, Fallbrook; 8. Hayden Smith, San Diego; 9. Marty Lehrke, San Diego; Time - 2:43.44.

Main (20 laps) - 1. Rick Nies, Lakeside; 2. Greg McCown, Lakeside; 3. Brian Fitzgibbons, El Cajon; 4. Bill Holland, El Cajon; 5. Rodney Shaw, El Cajon; 6. Hayden Smith, San Diego; 7. Brandon Haag, Santee; 8. Scott Denton, Fallbrook; 9. Randy Hart, National City; 10. Marty Lehrke, San Diego; 11. Darrell Moore, Ramona; 12. Kevin Gantz, Spring Valley; 13. Dave Ensall, Lakeside; 14. Bob Underwood, Spring Valley; 15. Perry Humphries, San Diego; 16. Mike McGlone, Fallbrook; Time - 6:54.83.

TRAIN RACE -- Joe and Robby Totten

-cs-