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Placerville Results 99-04-24

Defending Champions return to victory lane at Placerville Speedway Moran, Hansard, Alberdi, Carstens celebrate early season wins during second race PLACERVILLE, CA 4-24-99 - Defending stock car champions Mike Moran of Rancho Cordova and Eric ...

Defending Champions return to victory lane at Placerville Speedway Moran, Hansard, Alberdi, Carstens celebrate early season wins during second race

PLACERVILLE, CA 4-24-99 - Defending stock car champions Mike Moran of Rancho Cordova and Eric Hansard of Orangevale returned to their victorious ways at Alan Padjen's Placerville Speedway Saturday night. Moran won his first season feature event in the Pro Stock division, Hansard did much the same in the Pure Stock division and both drivers celebrated in victory lane with dwarf car racer Steve Alberdi Sr. of Stockton and Rick Carstens of Fresno who won the Mini Sprint feature event. In the Pro Stock division, Moran started in the 20-lap feature event in fifth, inside of the third of the third row next to teammate and former crew member Mike Lightfoot of Placerville. When the green flag flew to front row starters Ron Hayden of Shingle Springs and Mike Gamble of El Dorado, Moran maintained his fifth place position behind Larry Burton of Shingle Springs and used the same took that led him to seven feature wins last season, that tool was patience. With Gamble taking the initial lead being challenged by Hayden, the battle for the top positions in this race was far from any cake walk. While gamble and Hayden dueled from the front spot, seventh place starter Mike Nuss of Pollock Pines rapidly advanced from the seventh position into third, passing Moran in the process. Setting his sights on Hayden'ss second place position, Nuss began to move in on the leader and it was then that Moran's patience paid off. Cruising back in the fourth position, Moran watched as Nuss continued to pressure Hayden, suffered a flat tire and collided with third place runner Larry Burton in turns one and two which brought out a yellow flag. On the ensuing restart, Moran overtook Hayden for second and began participating in a door to door battle with Gamble for the lead. After rubbing side panels for several laps with the leader, Moran came out of the fourth turn on lap 17 and took over the front position from Gamble. At the checkered flag it was Moran, followed by Gamble, Dennis Armstrong of El Dorado, Charlie Mars of Yuba City and Paul Spencer Jr. of Placerville. "We came out here last week with no other intentions other than getting the feel of the car again and getting it set-up right," said Moran. "I've got a whole year to go and just didnÕt want to make any mistakes. Tonight we came out here with the car set up right and didn't make any mistakes. I love running these main events, especially when theyÕre races like this was tonight. Side by side racing is the best kind of racing." In the Pure Stock division, Hansard started the feature event on the pole, inside of second place starter Matt Keeler of Placerville. At the waving of the green flag, Hansard pulled ahead of the field and quickly distanced himself from Keeler and the rest of the pack. While the two-time track champion drove his own race out in front, Keeler had his hands full holding on the second place position over Les Friend of Galt. While Hansard lapped nearly the entire field, Keeler held of the challenges of Friend to the finish line where the order was Hansard, Keeler, Friend, Will Fanning of Placerville and Kenny Redmond of Sacramento. "I didn't know how far ahead I was but I knew I had to keep going or they would catch me," said Hansard. "I just kept a tight line and did my best to keep out in front." The two regular Placerville divisions were joined Saturday night by the open wheel racers of the the Bay Cities Racing Association Midget Lites and the Mini-Sprints of the Northern Stars Tour. The two sanctioning bodies ran a combined program in which 32 mini-sprints took to the Placerville clay in heat race, a b-main event and a 20-lap feature. Rick Carstens of Fresno came home victorious in this division. Carstens was running in second place on the 18th lap when race leader John Taylor of Antelope spun out in the fourth turn to draw a yellow flag. During the caution period, Carstens drove to the rear of the field, assuming that was where he belonged and much to his surprise was summoned to the front of the line-up for the restart. At the green flag, Carstens maintained his lead all the way to the checkered flag where he was trailed by Doug Watts who scored a new track record of 12:653 in qualifying. Harley VanDyke finished in third ahead of Tony Dominguez Jr. and Jason Curti. "I had no idea I had taken the lead in that deal," said Carstens. "I assumed all of those cars were on the lead lap and as it turned out they weren't and on the restart I learned I was in the lead. It was really a nice surprise." The Nor-Cal Dwarf Cars feature event had Alberdi jumping out in front early in the race. Alberdi started in the tenth position and sliced and diced his way through multiple traffic jams, collisions and caution flags to work his way to the front. One he was at the point, Alberdi was challenged for much of the race by Tracy driver Frank Munroe until the 13th lap when Howard Ross moved in to challenge the leader as well. At the finish line it was Alberdi finishing ahead of Ross, Brian Quilty, Michael Corbridge and Greg Winter. "Starting on the outside of the fifth row I was lucky on the start and got through the traffic pretty clean," said Alberdi. "I knew someone was right behind and I didnÕt know who it was but I assumed it was Frank (Munroe) because it usually is.I just kept my line and figured they'd have to go under me if they were going to pass me." Next Saturday night championship point racing will take a one week break from Placerville Speedway to allow for the California Spring Car Civil War Race Series as it competes in the third of 13 season events. The event will be the first of three visits to Placerville this season for the competitive series dedicated to 360 cubic inch powered sprint cars. More than 40 of CaliforniaÕs top teams are expected.

PLACERVILLE SPEEDWAY RACE RESULTS, SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1999 POINT RACE # 2/ MIDGET LITE/MINI SPRINT SHOOTOUT

MIDGET LITES/MINI SPRINTS

FAST QUALIFIER:Doug Watts 12:653 (New track record)

HEAT 1: Don VanDyke; Jim Black; Doug Watts; Steve Thompson; Jeff Kyle.

HEAT 2: Terry Bergstrom; Danny Parker; Kenny Palmer; Andy Gregg; Lance Rescino

HEAT 3: Cameron Beard; Steve Roza; Chris Burnsed; Jason Curti; Rick Carstens

HEAT 4: Tony Domiguez Jr.; David Goodwill; Greg Shehan; John Taylor; Chris Deruyter.

B-MAIN: Carstens; Shehan; Bob Maiwald; Harley VanDyke; Jeff Kyle.

A-MAIN: Carstens; Watts; H. VanDyke; Dominguez; Jason Curti; Taylor; Goodwill; Black; Thompson; Bergstrom.

PRO STOCKS HEAT 1: Ron Hayden; Jeff Gavard; Mike Moran; Mike Nuss; Ray Smith

HEAT 2: Mike Gamble; Larry Burton; Mike Lightfoot; Dennis Armstrong; Paul Spencer Jr.

MAIN: Moran; Mike Gamble; Dennis Armstrong; Charlie Mars; Paul Spencer Jr.;Jeff Gavard; Ron Hayden;Mike Lightfoot; Ray Smith; Aaron Bozeman.

PURE STOCKS

HEAT 1: Eric Hansard: Les Friend; Eddie Simmons; Greg West; Phillip Harwood.

HEAT 2: Matt Keeler; Will Fanning; Rick Grunert; Kenny Redmond; Dan Farrington.

MAIN: Hansard; Keeler; Friend; Fanning; Redmond; Neil Webster; Farrington; Greg West; Simmons; David Newquist.

DWARF CARS HEAT 1: Frank Munroe; Steve Alberdi Jr.; Steve Alberdi Sr.; AJ Salido; Curtiss Romero.

HEAT 2: Howard Ross; Dale hogan; Shawn OÕLeary; Brian Quilty; Kenny Corbridge

HEAT 3: Dan White; Michael Corbridge; Shawn Salsbury; Randy Shurtz; Vuki Wilson.

MAIN: Alberdi Sr.; Ross; Quilty; M. Corbridge; Winter; OÕLeary; Wilson; White; Spike Parham; Munroe.

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