WHITWELL, HOGGE, DOTSON AMONG BIG WINNERS IN INAUGURAL THANKSGIVING THUNDER
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA (December 1, 2014) – RC Whitwell and Bobby Hogge, IV kept Bakersfield out of the Modified victory lane, while Ethan Dotson swept Sport Mod action, in Friday and Saturday’s inaugural Thanksgiving Thunder at Bakersfield Speedway. The event closed the 69th season at the fastest one-third mile clay oval in the West with large fields across the nine divisions racing.
Hogge followed up his sweep of the Budweiser Nationals by topping the 28 car Modified field on Friday night. Whitwell came home second with 2014 Bakersfield Speedway champion Kyle Heckman fifth. Whitwell’s second place finish served as the precursor to his dominate performance on Saturday night, where the Arizona driver led all 30 laps of the feature. Hogge’s victory made him seven for seven at Bakersfield Speedway across Late Models and Modifieds in 2014.
Whitwell ended up winning the $2000 contest by nearly five seconds although the rest of the podium was Bakersfield Speedway regulars with 2013 Sport Mod champ John Piker second and Robby Sawyer third.
Dotson, the 2014 speedway runner-up in Sport Mod, took over the Shane Thompson-owned #13 ride for the weekend but promptly won Friday’s 30 lap main event and added a 12th place run in the Modifieds as well. Saturday’s win for Dotson came from the eighth starting position. Dotson picked off Kyle Griffith with just three laps to go and brought along Gary Dutton as well.
Dotson was able to claim a 1.2 second win with Dutton second and Griffith holding off Nick Spainhoward for third. All told, the young driver led only eight laps total in scoring the two wins.
Hobby Stocks were the third division that ran main events on each night. Perris Auto Speedway regular Luke Dodd of Riverside won the Friday main event over Budweiser Nationals winner Kevin Collier and Jimmy Irwin. Dodd opted not to return on Saturday which opened the door wide open. Kevin Irwin scored his biggest win of the season with Ocean Speedway Watsonville’s Matt Hagio second and Kyle Wood improving from Friday’s fifth spot to finish third.
Other Friday winners were Rich Denman in American Stocks and Brady Bell topping Tina Bell for the Mini Stocks.
Saturday’s action saw Super Streets join the fray with Brady Bell getting the win. The addition of Dwarf Cars attracted nearly 30 entries with Jonny Conley getting past Shawn Jones on the final lap for a thrilling narrow victory with Sprint Car star Johnathon Henry slipping ahead of Jones for second at the stripe. Chloie Jones took the win in the Sr. Mini Dwarfs with 2014 track champion Anthony Balcazar relegated to third. 2014 track champ Jakob Carey affirmed his championship with the win in Jr. Mini Dwarfs.
Bakersfield Speedway continues action all winter long with Chris Kearns Presents kart and Mini Dwarf races. Check BakersfieldSpeedway.com for dates and times. The 2014 Bakersfield Speedway championship awards banquet will be held on Saturday February 21st 2015 at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace. Tickets are available by calling 661-393-3373
Bakersfield Speedway thanks its major marketing partners: Budweiser, Monster Energy, Coke, Motor City GMC, DC’s RV Center, Melo’s Gas & Gear, H&S Body Works, and Mid Cal Fabrication.
