Cody Laney drives to another IMCA Modified win

The dust stirred up by the IMCA Modifieds flying around Bakersfield Speedway’s third-mile clay oval track during the division’s 25-lap feature as the fans witnessed a tremendous multi-car battle for the checkered flag on Saturday night.

When the heart-pounding action was over and the dust finally settled, it was Cody Laney in Victory Lane. Laney led only two laps: the final two. He took the lead from Rick Childress Jr. on Lap 24 after the leader made a slight bobble in Turn 2.

“I think Ricky just missed his mark a little bit,” Laney said after his second feature win of the year.

Childress led for eight laps after powering past early-leader John Piker on Lap 16.

Several drivers remained in hot pursuit of Childres once he took the lead until Laney skillfully made his move to the front.

“I was just staying right around the bottom and waiting for them guys (ahead of me) to make a mistake,” Laney said.

The top four finishers (Laney, Childress Jr. Brad Pounds, and Ethan Dotson) all took the checkered flag within seven-tenths of a second of each other. Justin Schweitzer was fifth.

Brody Schweitzer passed J.R. Garcia with nine laps remaining to win the 20-lap American Stock main event.

Garcia paced the 11-car field the entire way until Schweitzer powered inside of him for the lead going in Turn 3.

After that Schweitzer’s biggest challenge to earning his second feature win of the year was holding off points-leader Dakota Brown during the closing laps.

Brown ended up finishing second. Brandon Ratcliff was third followed by Bob Ellis and Justin Tuey.

“I feel great,” Schweitzer said. “It was awesome to come out here after a couple of bad weekends and get a win.”

Veteran driver Wayne Dotson completed just three laps before hitting the wall hard in Turn 3, causing heavy damage to his car, which had to be towed off the track.

Steve Roark dominated the first half of the 20-lap Mini Stock feature. But when his car went away during the second half of the race, Kylie Conway took advantage and picked up the first main event win of her career.

Roark led the 12 car field by almost half a lap at the midway point. However for some unknown reason his car slowed down dramatically on Lap 13, allowing the hard-charging Conway to quickly track him down and take over the lead.

“It feels amazing,” an emotional Conway said. “Finally!…I saw (a couple of drivers) right behind me (there at the end) so I knew I just had to hold on.”

Andy Boydstun finished second. Points leader Shawn Schwartzenberger was third. Misty Warren took fourth and Clinton Massey placed fifth.

Michael Faccinto ended Ronnie Gardner’s season-long dominance of the USAC Western States Midget series, handing the three-time champion his first loss of the year.

Faccinto started on the pole and led all 30 laps en route to the victory. Gardener came into the night having won all three of the series’ previous feature races this season, including the one held at Bakersfield Speedway at the end of April.

Faccinto finished second to Gardener on that night but there was no keeping him out of Victory Lane this time as he held off a late challenge from his on-track nemesis.

Faccinto stayed glued to the bottom of the track the entire race, forcing Gardener to have to go high to get around him.

“Ronnie has been on his game all year,” Faccinto said. “It feels good to be (in Victory Lane).”

The highly-competitive race featured seven cautions.

Gardener finished second, .285 seconds behind Faccinto. Darren Hagen was third followed by Corey Elliott and Tyler Dolacki.

Only two cars competed in the 15-lap USAC Micro main event won by Danny Valdez. Jack Kassick was second.