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Bakersfield, CA., Aug. 21, 2010 – Fifth-starter West Evans took the lead on the inside entering the first turn on lap 25 of 25 and won his series-high fourth 2010 NMRA-TQ Midget feature Saturday at the third-mile clay Bakersfield Speedway. It was his third victory at the north Bakersfield track this season in his No. 36 Spike chassis with 750cc Suzuki power. He also won in June at Perris. No other driver has more than two victories this year after round 11 of 15. The winner, from Moorpark, had three NMRA-TQ main event triumphs from 2002 through 2009. Evans moved into a first-place tie at 605 points with Anthony Lopiccolo in their battle for the 2010 NMRA driving championship. Both drivers are seeking their first TQ Midget driving title. Evans also leads the car owner point standings by 45 points with his No. 38 car.
Race-long leader Scott Dobson, the outside front row starter, finished second in his own No. 18 Stewart/Honda. Chuck West came from seventh in the nine-car field to earn third place in the second Evans Motor-sports Suzuki 750cc-powered entry. Bruce Hiroshima started and finished fourth, with Ron Ahrendt fifth. Lopiccolo started and finished sixth. Dave Lambert, the last feature winner a week ago, started on the pole and finished seventh. Newcomer Brian Baker started and finished eighth in his second TQ race and completed all 25 laps. Chris Thomas made his TQ debut in Ed Thomas' No. 40 usually driven by Amanda Thomas. The raw rookie started and finished ninth, down a lap.
West (from starting P. 3) and Dobson (from the pole) won the pair of eight-lap heat races. The next NMRA-TQ race will be Saturday, August 28 at the third-mile clay Santa Maria Speedway as part of a multi-division program with stock cars and sprint cars. NMRA teams will be competing at their third different speedway for the third consecutive Saturday. It will be the sixth Ron Otto Memorial race in honor of the late NMRA officer and track official who lived in Nipomo, just north of SMS, at the time of his death.
Summary:
Heat 1 – Chuck West, West Evans, Ron Ahrendt, Dave Lambert, Brian Baker.
Heat 2 – Scott Dobson, Anthony Lopiccolo, Bruce Hiroshima, Chris Thomas.
Feature – Evans, Dobson, West, Hiroshima, Ahrendt, Lopiccolo, Lambert, Baker, Thomas.
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