Matt Scott remained perfect for 2013 by taking both ends of the twin Western Late Model features while veteran drivers Jay Lindstroth and Scott Winters split the spoils in the twin Modified mains that highlighted the five division NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series program at Stockton 99 Speedway on Saturday night.
The blistering hot afternoon weather mellowed to perfect racing conditions by the time Lindstroth and Winters led the 13-car field to the green flag for the first 30-lap Modified feature. Lindstroth, of Citrus Heights, got the jump on his rival and maintained a narrow lead over Winters, who stayed glued to his tailpipe through the first 18 laps when Lindstroth suddenly slowed and limped off the track with a broken transmission.
With Lindstroth parked helplessly in the pits Winters, the defending Modified division track champion out of Tracy, held off a determined Colin Milroy of Southampton, NJ for the win.
A six car invert based on the results of the first race put Winters at mid pack for the start of the second 30-lap Modified main, but ironically Winters never took the green flag as he crawled to the pits during the warm-up with a broken hub and just like that was done for the night.
“It was a hot and cold night for us with a win and a DNF. We had a decent and reliable car tonight and that allowed us to win the first race,” explained Winters at the end of the evening. “We made a few changes and thought we would be better in the second one, but that’s racing.”
Lindstroth had to begin the nightcap from the back of the pack and it took him 24 laps to get to the front, finally getting underneath Ripon’s Mike Regelman to take the lead after a thrilling multi lap, side by side battle. Milroy once again was the bridesmaid after he got alongside of Regelman and nipped him by the length of his front bumper at the finish line.
“We had a good car until the transmission went in the first race,” said Lindstroth. “We had to scramble to get it back for the second main and it was slipping real bad throughout the race. I don’t know how we won that:”
There was little drama in the first Western Late Model feature as Scott, the top qualifier, lead the nine car field from the pole and never looked back in the caution free 30-lap opener. Stanislov Osterlund, of Los Gatos, finished second while former track champion Justin Philpott, of Tracy, completed the top three.
Fremont’s Cody Thompson held the lead for the first half of the second Western Late Model main as Scott, starting from the sixth position, struggled to get to the front. Scott managed to get by Philpott for second when Manteca’s Jacob Gomes lost an oil line, causing him to spin in turn two. When the car came to a stop it burst into flames, causing the race to be red flagged as Gomes scrambled to safety unhurt.
When the race resumed, Thompson got off to a bad start as Scott, Osterlund and Philpott all got around him. They would remain in those positions through the remainder of the race as Scott made it perfect five wins in five starts this season.
“My crew has put together such a great car for me. It was a lot of fun out there tonight. Everybody raced clean and hard,” said Scott. “I wasn’t happy to see that red flag, but it turned out to be in our favor. I hope we can keep this going next weekend.”
In other races, Stockton’s Joey Sarafin earned his first career win at the 99 by besting a strong 17-car field in the Pure Stocks, Modesto’s Larry Toon held off Manteca’s Brad Mast for the victory in the Basically-4s and Gabriel Herzog of Clovis took the checkers in the Mini Cup feature.
The 99 Speedway hosts Hawaiian Shirt Night next Saturday night with double points on the line for the Western Late Models, Super Stocks, Pure Stocks, B4's and Mini Cups
There will also be a double bill on the new dirt track at the San Jouquin Fairgrounds this week with the Lodi AMA Motorcycles churning it up Wednesday and Tractor Pulls on Thursday.
Mike Self, 22 from Park City, Utah, pulled away from runner up Dylan Kwasniewski, of Las Vegas, in the Casey's General Store 150 at Iowa Speedway on Friday night to became the first NASCAR K&N Pro Series West driver to win the annual combination race with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
Former three time K&N Pro Series West champion Eric Holmes, of Escalon, finished 35th in the stellar 42-car field in only his second start of the 2013 season.
