Bennett claims first IMCA Modified victory
BY STEPHEN LYNCH For The Californian
The IMCA Modified feature Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway came down to a one driver mastering the track better than the rest of the field. Bret Bennett passed Chad Reichenbach for the lead on Lap 6, and then demonstrated his grasp of getting around the third-mile clay oval quicker than everyone else, winning the 25-lap race by five-car lengths. Reichenbach was the runner-up. Cody Laney took third. Jay Marks finished fourth and Ethan Dotson was fifth. “She (the car) was working,” Bennett said. “The thing was a rocket.” Bennet’s previous best finish this year was a third in the season-opener. “The track was real good,” Bennett said. “The first 10 laps it was hammer down.”
Tina Bell made it three-for-three on the season in the Mini Stock division. Bell remained the division’s only winner this year out-dueling Jacob Shepherd for first place in the 20-lap feature. Doug Shepherd was third. Loni Spiller finished fourth and Josh Nichols took fifth. Bell and Jacob Shepherd both went around race-leader Scott Black Jr. at the same time on Lap 10. After that Bell held off the hard-charging Shepherd to take the checkered flag by half a car-length. “I love racing with Doug and Jacob,” Bell said. “… It’s always a great time racing with them.” Black Jr. led the first nine laps but retired from the race on Lap 11.
Kercie Jung dominated the Sr. Mini Dwarf race, leading from wire-to-wire in picking up her first win of the year. Kaden Cochrun was second followed by Stephen Johnson, Chloie Jones and Seth Wise.
Mason Ratcliff won the Jr. Mini Dwarf A-main event. Trenton Rickel was second followed by Cole Forester and Mallory Meyers. Ratcliff took over the lead of the seven lap race on Lap 4 after Sylvester, who ran up front the first three circuits, spun out in turn No. 3.
The IMCA Northern SportMods checked in 23 cars to do battle. Levi Kiefer started on the front row and held it for 25 laps to claim the main event win. Wayne Dotson finished followed by Michael Johnson and Gary Dutton. With Dutton’s fourth place finish he keeps the points lead in the highly contested division.
Mod Lites raced for the second time of the 2015 season with Zach Forster claiming another victory on the year. The newly formed division is growing very fast as 13 Mod Lites hit the high banked clay oval Saturday night. This should be a very interesting division to watch as the season continues.
