Laney dominates IMCA Modified feature at Speedway

BY LOUIS AMESTOY The Bakersfield Californian lamestoy@bakersfield.com

The main event for Bakersfield Speedway was supposed to a wide-open race Saturday night, but it turned into a rout in the IMCA Modifieds class.

Cody Laney became the first driver to win two races in the class with a dominating performance in a very quick Main Event.

Going into the race, five drivers had won during the 2015 season, but this was all Laney, who won by nearly a half lap.

Troy Morris Jr. finished second with a solid battle against Roger Holder and Robby Sawyer.

Bakersfield’s Lee Jensen waged war for 15 laps with Watsonville’s Clay Daly in the Western Pro Stocks.

It was Jensen’s second win in the class, which features a bevy of Central Coast drivers. Jensen, who won the season opener in March, took the lead about midway through the race while Daly battled the rough spots in the adventurous turn four.

“It was a little rough on this high side,” Jensen said. “We had a battle the last time and I finished with a DNF. I learned a lot from that.”

Daly was dominant early before he started battling steering issues and the track itself.

“I gave it all I had,” said Daly, who won a race here earlier in the season. “It was getting really hard to steer. It was an awesome race.”

Kevin Collier won his fifth Hobby Stock race of the season by working his way up from the middle of the pack.

“It was awesome drive the car just handled great,” said Collier, adding that he lost his brakes late in the 20-lap race.

Collier took the lead from fellow Porterville resident Brent Hosfeldt in the 10th lap. Hosfeldt battled Collier close until the last restart, when Collier broke away. Hosfeldt finished second with Bakersfield’s Robert Lawler third.

Collier maintained his big point lead with the win, but Lawler helped himself with his sixth top five effort of the season.

In a rough and tumble American Stocks race, Brian Childress held off 13-year-old Nicholas Johnson for his third win of the season.

Childress didn’t just win he survived a race that featured six cautions, including a major four-car crash midway through the 20-lap feature. The race also featured Mark Irwin crashing into the turn 1 wall and Mike Waters’ No. 86 car catching fire as he battled for the lead.

By the time the race finished, just nine of the 16 cars in the field remained. With the win, Childress takes over the class-points lead from his cousin, Tara Childress.

Johnson, who has been a force in his first season in the class, earned his fourth top five finish.

Chuck West got out fast and dominated the NMRA 3/4 Midgets race.