McKellar captures first SportMod victory of 2016
Chris McKellar of Bakersfield picked the perfect weekend to win his first IMCA Northern SportMod main event Saturday night at the Bakersfield Speedway. Hosting the annual Make A Wish night, the very competitive class was racing for a $1000 winner’s check. McKellar took his time and made his pass for the lead just past the half way point of the 25 lap event. After getting the front spot he never looked back grabbing his first win of the 2016 season followed by Nick Spainhoward, Gary Dutton and Jason Nation rounding out the top four.
A 17 car field of IMCA Winged 305 Race Saver Sprint cars show up for there second time of the year to do battle on the 1/3 mile high banked clay oval. Blake Robertson again took the checkered flag and making two for two in Bakersfield appearances. Chris Ennis of Bakersfield was second followed by Matthew Moles and Mike Schott.
An epic three-car battle for the Hobby Stock feature win came down to a seven-lap dash to the finish Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway.After a caution on Lap 18, Roger Welch, Kevin Collier and Michael Scruggs slugged it out on the third-mile clay oval until the checkered flag waved. Welch came out on top in the Hobby Stocks race after passing Scruggs with two laps to go. Collier, who started 12th in the 17-car field was right in the middle of the battle for the win finished second while Scruggs fell back to fourth. Lloyd Wren Jr. placed third and Mike Hill Jr. was fifth. Scruggs led a race-high 12 laps of the 25-lap race and looked to be in good position to win. But Welch didn’t give up and his persistence eventually paid off. “I was thinking I was probably going to finish second and then I got a good run on him and got it,” Welch said following his first win of the year.
Lee Jensen dominated the 20-lap Pro Stock feature. The veteran Bakersfield driver started on the pole and led the entire race, finishing 2.724 seconds ahead of runner-up Brady Bell. Mike Corwin was third followed by Tim Randolph and Billy Simkins. Though Jensen made his second win of the year at Bakersfield Speedway look easy, he said it wasn’t. “I was working and working hard in there,” Jensen said.
Jerry Flippo made a thrilling last-lap of Kevin Jones to win a caution-filled 20-lap Mode Lite main event. Flippo, who started eighth in the 11-car field, never led until he powered around Jones coming out of Turn 4 coming to the checkered flag. Roy Maynard Jr. passed Matthew Mayo for the lead on Lap 2 and led a race-high 15 laps. But Maynard Jr. got loose in Turn 4 with four laps remaining and Jones blew past him on the inside. Three laps later Flippo, the points-leader made his move and grabbed his fourth feature win on the season. “It was pretty rough down there,” Flippo said. “At first I didn’t think I was going to get him (Jones) but I did.” Jones held on to finish second. Anthony Balcazar was third. Maynard Jr. Took fourth and Mayo placed fifth.
Charlie Caraccilo of Madera out-dueled Kingsburg’s Doug Nunes to win the 20-lap California Lightning Sprint main event. The two drivers swapped the lead back and forth before Caraccilo took control of the race for good on Lap 12. Nunes finished second. Three-time champion Bobby Michnowicz was third. Bruce Douglass took fourth and three-time 2016 winner Alex Grigoreas rounded out the top-five.
