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August 6, 2005 -
Hanford, CA -- After
timing in fourth quick and placing third in his heat,
young Robert Ballou
raced to victory in the Rebel Cup Winged 360 Sprnt Car
feature at Kings Speedway on Saturday night. It was the
first race for the class in nearly two months and Ballou
earlier this year became the youngest driver to ever win a
Golden State Challenge Series winged 410 sprint car
feature with his Antioch Speedway win. Blake Robertson
chased Ballou to the feature win ahead of point leader
Craig Stidham as only 8 cars raced after three others
scratched. Part time racer Jason Selvidge from
Buttonwillow got his first win of 2005 in just his fourth
appearance of the year at the 3/8 mile clay oval in the
IMCA Modified main event. Santa Maria’s David Addamo
returned to action with a second place run in his JetMod
and Merced’s Joe Gonella Jr continued his impressive
recent runs with a third. Racing for a third straight
night, Alex Stanford was fourth and he gained ground on
point leaders Aaron Barnell and Steve Smothermon. Barnell
was last in the 18 car feature, but still holds a 10 point
lead on Smothermon as Smothermon struggled to a 13th in
his backup car. Stanford is 12 points back of Smothermon
but only two point races remain as IMCA is cutting off the
point season on Labor Day this year. Rodney Sullivan from
Coalinga broke before the feature in his season debut last
race, but had his act together this week as he raced to
wins in both his heat and the feature in the Hot Stocks. J
T Contente ran second ahead of Tony Contente. J T gained
ground on point leader Preston Martin who was last in the
7 car rundown, again after three other cars scratched.
Andy Ferris was quickest of
the 10 Rebel Cup winged 360 sprint cars with his 14.161
lap that easily paced the 14.398 of Robertson. C Stidham
ran 14.519 and Ballou’s 14.570 was fourth. Ricci Faria
posted a 14.658, but broke on his second lap and his night
was over. Jerry Wise Jr also trailered after time trials.
Ferris won the first heat over Jeff Delte and C Stidham.
Mark Barroso won heat 2 over Robertson and Ballou. Joe
Mafara joined Faria and Wise on the sidelines to produce
an 8 car feature. Ballou won ahead of Robertson, C Stidham,
Delte, Adam Main, Mike Stallings, Barroso and Ferris.
Ferris lost ground to C Stidham in the point action as he
started the night 34 points out of the point lead. The 18
IMCA Modifieds were divided into three heat races. 2004
Hot Stock champion Ron D’Artenay Jr is racing Bryan
Burnes title car from 2004 and he won heat 1 ahead of Art
Devult and Gonella. Burnes’ new mount captured heat 2 in
front of Gerard Felipe and a brand new car for Mike
Villaneuva. Tom Stidham outraced Ed Nichols and Smothermon
in heat 3. Selvidge was the feature winner ahead of Addamo,
Gonella, Stanford, T Stidham, Villaneuva, Felipe, Claudine
Contente, Jim Reed and Jon Schlundt. Stanford spent three
days on the road as he raced the Ventura fair show on
Thursday, trailered up the coast to his regular Friday
night track in Watsonville and closed out his weekend here
at Kings. C Contente fell five points back of Stanford and
12 ahead of Joe Chapman Jr. The ten Hot Stocks were
divided into a pair of heat races and J Contente won the
first over James Brown and Joe Ealy. Sullivan outraced T
Contente and Chris Davis in heat 2. Brown, Ealy and
Michael Redding were all unable to start the main event
and it was Sullivan again on top ahead of J Contente, his
uncle T Contente, Chuck Nevels, Joey Salazar, Davis and
Martin.
With the cancellation of
the USAC/CRA event on August 13, the track will be dark
that weekend and the IMCA Modifieds, Hot Stocks and Enduro
cars will be featured on August 20.
Summary
Hot Stock Heat 1-J T
Contente, James Brown, Joe Ealy, Preston Martin, Michael
Redding. Heat 2-Rodney Sullivan, Tony Contente, Chris
Davis, Joey Salazar, Chuck Nevels. Main-Sullivan, J
Contente, T Contente, Nevels, Salazar, Davis, Martin.
IMCA Modified Heat 1-Ron
D’Artenay Jr, Arthur Devult, Joe Gonella Jr, Alex
Stanford, Aaron Barnell. Heat 2-Bryan Burnes, Gerard
Felipe, Mike Villaneuva, Jason Selvidge, Scott Selzer.
Heat 3-Tom Stidham, Ed Nichols, Steve Smothermon, Jon
Schludt, Claudine Contente. Main-Selvidge, David Addamo,
Gonella, Stanford, Stidham, Villaneuva, Felipe, C Contente,
Jim Reed, Schlundt, Joe Chapman, Nichols, Smothermon,
D’Artenay, Devult, Selzer, Burnes, Barnell.
Winged 360 Sprint Car Fast
Time-Andy Ferris 14.161 Heat 1-Ferris, Jeff Delte, Craig
Stidham, Mike Stallings. Heat 2-Mark Barroso, Blake
Robertson, Robert Ballou,
Adam Main, Joe Mafara. Main-Ballou,
Robertson, C Stidham, Delte, Main, Stallings, Barroso,
Ferris.
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