LAKEPORT — Northern California Racing Association points leaders George Abella of Lakeport and Mitch Preston of Kelseyville increased those leads Saturday night with feature wins at the Lakeport Speedway.
Abella won the 30-lap main event in the Guy Strohmeier Auto Center bomber division, his third victory of the season, while Preston chalked up his fifth mini-stock win.
In special events action it was Santa Rosa”s Greg Van Cleave who led all 30 laps of the non-stop Pro-4 modified feature to collect his first career victory, and Gary Glenn of Orangevale set the track record of 12.466 seconds, started eighth in the 14-car field and rode the high side all the way to the front for the $1,250 win in the 75-lap Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino WestCar Late Model Challenge.
Bombers
Abella bided his time before moving into the lead on a lap 19 restart and held the top spot the rest of the way to take the checkered flag in front of Robert Byers, Jimmy Sorrels, Virgil Cokeley and Jon Waner.
Heat race wins went to Cokeley, Dave Jones and Roy Funderburk.
Mini-stocks
Preston forged ahead of Davey Coyne on the start but his car pushed high in turn four and Richie Schramm took advantage and filled the hole. Schramm and Preston ran side by side the next three laps before Schramm pulled ahead. Terry McIntire was right behind the leaders.
Lap 13 saw Coyne and Ryan Strugnell tangle and spin in turn two, right in front of Schramm and Preston. Schramm took control of the race again on the restart and held the lead the next 14 laps. But with only three laps to go, the leaders caught Coyne and Strugnell, who were involved in their own side-by-side battle. When Schamm attempted to get by the two, his car broke loose and went into a spin, knocking him out of the lead. Preston was the beneficiary as he moved into the lead and held it to the end.
Schramm snuck under McIntire for second place, McIntire finished third, Coyne was fourth and Strugnell came in fifth.
Schramm set the fast time (13.966) and won the trophy dash. Preston took the heat race.
n Pro-4 modifieds
Van Cleave broke out first with Zach Gifford right behind and the two put some space between themselves and the pack.
Jake Tillman, Ken Gifford and Estep battled for third before Tillman pulled in front. He caught the leaders on lap 20. With only two laps to go, Ken Gifford”s car slowed. At the checkered, it was Van Cleave, Zach Gifford, Tillman, Joe Sloan and Scott Bundschuh.
Sloan set the fast time (13.208), Kevin Barba and Zach Gifford won the heat races, and Codi Barba was first in the trophy dash.
WestCar Challenge
After a disappointing 2005 season, one that included two wins but also four blown engines, Glenn led the final 52 laps to claim first place and a check for $1,250 in the WestCar Challenge.
Glenn”s night started strong with his fast qualifying time.
“After that qualifying run it got my blood pumping,” Glenn said. “I was so confident in my car and I knew I had enough.”
Incoming points leader Byron Gonzales of Carmichael led the first 23 laps. At one point he led by several car lengths over Richie Crowell of Redding. Meanwhile, Glenn, who started eighth, stormed to the front while driving in the outside groove. He moved around Crowell for second place on lap 18 and set his sights on Gonzales, who he caught five laps later.
The top three positions seemed settled until Gonzales” car suddenly lit up in flames in turn three on lap 68. A blown rear-end ended his potential runner-up run.
The caution flag set up a seven-lap sprint to the finish. Glenn carried a great restart to a commanding win, while Troy Shirk passed Zane Lovelace to nab second at the line. Crowell and Shannon Mansch of Roseville rounded out the top five.
Auto racing continues Saturday night at the Lakeport Speedway with the return of the NCRA modifieds, street stocks and the L.A. Cruisers. They join the NCRA mini-stocks and the bombers for the mid-season points race.
