Laney races to first win of the season in IMCA feature

BY STEPHEN LYNCH Special to The Californian

Brad Pounds, whose nickname is “The Dominator,” was honored for his 100th career IMCA Modified feature win early Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway.

But later, it was Cody Laney who dominated the 40-lap IMCA Modified feature, beating Robert Sanders and Pounds by a complete straightaway for his first win of the year.

Laney led the final 26 laps on the third-mile clay oval after passing early-leader Larry Hood on Lap 15.

The biggest challenge for Laney once he took over the lead was working his way through lap traffic.

“I was hoping they weren’t going to hold me up too much,” Laney said. “We got through them.”

Sanders took second. Pounds was third. Points leader Kyle Heckman finished fourth and Brian Clark came home in fifth.

Laney’s win capped a successful Make A Wish Night hosted by the speedway.

A total of $8,325.51 was raised for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Kevin Collier out-dueled Lloyd Wren to win the 25-lap Hobby Stock A-Main event.

Collier passed Wren Jr. with two laps remaining and then narrowly held on to win by half a car-length.

Collier powered by 79-year old Ralph Cooke with 11 laps to go to take over the pole position but he later lost the lead temporarily to Wren Jr. on Lap 18.

Steven Johnson was third, followed by Mike Bulley and Kevin Irwin.

“It’s awesome,” Collier said. “It’s been a long time. To win one here is with the competition the way it is, is awesome. These guys are tough.”

Roger Welch made a last-lap pass of Tyler Irwin to win the 20-lap American Stock feature race.

Irwin led the race’s first 19 laps. But Welch went low for the winning pass coming out of turn four as they headed for the checkered flag.

Chris Settlemire finished third, Brian Childress took fourth and Traci Childress was fifth.

“Just being patient, watching, staying, back,” Welch said when asked what was they key to his second straight feature victory. “They keep telling me you aren’t going to win the first five laps.”

Jerry Flippo held off Anthony Balcazar to win a caution-filled 15-lap Senior Mini Dwarf feature race.

Flippo led from start to finish, holding off a late charge by Balcazar, to claim his first A-Main event win of the year.

Balcazar, the points leader and winner of three of the previous four Senior Mini Dwarf feature races this year, was second, followed by Jeremy Clark, Chloie Jones and J.D. Brown.

Jakob Carey passed Bailey Thompson with two laps remaining to win the 12-lap Junior Mini Dwarf A-main event.

The win was the second in a row for Carey, the division’s points leader.

Thompson led the entire way until she was slowed by a lap-car, allowing Carey to dive to the inside and grab the lead.

Kyleigh Forster finished second. Thompson was third followed by Kabe McClenny, and Kercie Jung.