surfnsprint

The wait broke about five in the afternoon with hot laps and then qualifying. Bakersfield runs a tight show, pleasant staff with a lean professional approach. Keep up or get out of the way. They ran qualifying laps for forty two sprints in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Allan Ballard was the only driver to break 13 seconds with a 12.821. Chris Wakim clocked second with a 13.438. Here’s a word you’re going to hear over and over in this review. Fast! Hunsaker, Carlile and Severson rounded out the top five. Wakim has been slow for the start of the season, he was happy to have the car going fast!

Sean and Ron talk fast over the 9w

Heat Races

Heat one got Troy Rutherford out front with Luis Espinoza falling right in behind him. The real story was top qualifier Allan Ballard trying to move from third to second, tracking the same line as Luis and trying to pass at every opportunity. Great defensive driving by Luis kept things in order. It ended Rutherford, Espinoza, Ballard and Eric Severson taking the fourth spot. Severson ended on the outside front row for the main event.

Second heat had Kevin Kierce rocket to the front. Evan Suggs, Michael Trimble and Chris Wakim spread out behind him and everyone looked comfortable. Two crashes in the final laps took out Angel Figueroa and John Itturia. Kierce was way gone by the end, followed across by Suggs, Wakim and Trimble. Trimble took the pole for the main event.

The next heat had Daniel Hood out front. I don’t know Daniel but he ran a great heat from start to finish. Clark Templeman and Steve Conrad got caught in the back. There was tight racing in second and third between Tom Schneider and Todd Hunsaker. Jimmy Crawford was fourth and having to beat back Clark Templeman. Clark gave it a yeoman’s effort at the last lap, even banging wheels hard with Crawford at the finish. Not good enough, it was Hood, Schneider, Hunsaker and Crawford. Surprisingly Steve Conrad was also going to the B main.

The fourth and final heat race had Greg Taylor jump from the front to the finish. He was lapping cars by the ninth lap. Ross Millar continued his fast ways by taking second. Bruce Douglas (looking very smart) and Rusty Carlile pushed each other for third and fourth. Richard Harvey Jr. just missed the transfer.

It appeared the track was gone. I didn’t think a cardiac defibulator could have brought it back.

They ran two B mains each with thirteen cars. Three cars from each semi would advance into the main. Main event would have a total of twenty two cars. First semi featured Bandit Jesse Mack holding off a determined push by Clark Templeman. They got way ahead of everybody. Oren Prosser was behind them with Angel Figueroa trying to pass. Angel finally got his mojo working but it was too late. It finished Mack, Templeman and Prosser. This Jesse Mack is awesome.

Second B main had hitters Harvey, Conrad, Pombo and Richardson among others. Through the dust cloud, it shook out with Ron Wade leading the pack, Richard Harvey controlling second, a persistent Steve Conrad in third, Albert Pombo and Jeff Fiscus battling behind them. First of the spectacular crashes occurred on the back straightaway taking out Logan and Pombo. The restart went to the checker with Wade, Harvey and Conrad finishing in that order. Fiscus tried, but he was over and out!

Ross Millar was fast in Bakersfield

The Main Event

The sun was down and the dry valley air was still climbing over the ridge and raking the track as the drivers loaded for the Main Event. The mayor and I were trying to figure out who had the advantage in a “dry slick’ track. But something happened on the way to the races. Although the track was dry, it was taking rubber in a way no one had expected. Maybe an oil derrick was leaking in the distance, maybe somebody’s rear end was dripping oil, but this track started to take a liking to rubber, started getting grip in a real serious way. Over by the tower, Cliff Morgan watched his Grand Slam main event get fast, really fast.

The green for these twenty two drivers was so fast and furious a huge dust cloud just erupted over the track. Michael Trimble took his pole position (also had the pole last week in Ventura) and rocketed down the straightaway. He had Severson, Carlile, Hunsaker, Wakim and Ballard all in close pursuit. Jimmy Crawford was definitely in the hunt. Right about the third lap Allan Ballard put his rear end into the wall and that ended all his hard work. Big disappointment as he clearly had one of the fastest cars on a very fast track.

I wish I knew the Bandits better so I could give credit where due, so bear with me. Scanning the line up for the restart, I could see Jesse Mack, Espinoza, Kierce and Taylor further back. We go green and right away somebody clips Kierce and turns him around in turn four. Green again and Douglas stalls, gets tapped and there’s a mess in turn one and two. One the frontrunners, Carlile, leaves the track to fix a tire. Conrad is stopped at the wall and goes to the back. Douglas to the back. Carlile gets back on the track and goes to the back. Nobody’s lonely back there. Green again with Trimble, Wakim in second and Crawford in third, yellow again; can’t see who it is!

This green looks like we might get going but Clark Templeman flips it hard in turn four. It’s right in front of me and I can see he’s motionless. Then I see hand and arm move slightly. The safety crew gets him out and he’s standing. I don’t know how many bad crashes you’re allowed a season, but Clark is definitely going to the principle’s office. You should know you have a lot of fans, Clark.

In the meantime, Crawford had wobbled and lost a few positions. Restart has Trimble, Wakim, Mack, Espinoza, Taylor and Crawford with seven laps completed and twenty one to go. Now we’re gonna get going! Taylor starts getting a head of steam in that Raney and passes Espinoza. You can see the track’s speedometer click up. Although Crawford and Espinoza have slipped, they seem to get more focused and are both on the gas. Suddenly Tom Schneider lands his butt on the wall at turn three. Ron Wade and Evan Suggs are also out for contact on the back straightaway. We are down to 14 cars remaining and they are mostly VRA. On the seven hundredth green, Taylor notches Mack and is third behind Trimble and Wakim. The ground is shaking, Michael and Chris can feel it and the speed ratchets up again. Now Bruce Douglas gets in the wall at turn three and we are down to the real lucky thirteen! Nice drive Bruce, we know you like to go fast! Green (again) and you have some very high speed laps being knocked out by Trimble, Wakim, Taylor, Espinoza and Crawford. Now Taylor notches Wakim and is second! Taylor started in position 15! Just when the track is empty enough for some hyper speed competition, Wakim dies on the straightaway (rear end, ending a great ride) and we are yellow for the last time this evening.

Restart has Trimble, Taylor, Espinoza and Crawford. I could write a book about these four! This kid Trimble had the lead last week in Ventura for 29 laps, losing his grip on last lap! What’s going to happen tonight? Greg Taylor is without doubt one of the finest drivers in the Western United States. He is dominating the VRA this year and this track tonight! Luis Espinoza has emerged as one the VRA’s toughest drivers, showing mental and physical strength on every lap. I especially like Jimmy Crawford, brings his best to every race and puts it all on the line. We are green and the remaining twelve cars launch! Trimble and Taylor are locked in a high stakes chase and we are going to go fifteen laps at Mach Eight. The track is taking whatever Trimble and Taylor throw at it and suddenly we are at Mach Nine. The tires are smoking so bad I’m wondering if the mud is going to catch fire. Next to me Greg’s mom and the lovely Lea are going nuts, the mayor is screaming, we have three laps to go and suddenly we are at Mach Ten. I don’t think my pencil can follow what my eyes are seeing. Greg is physically trying to will his car around the 15T but Michael Trimble is taking this one home. Espinoza’s tire finally gives up the ghost and he stops dead as Crawford and Mack pass him for third and fourth. Eric Severson takes fifth and the amazing Steve Conrad takes sixth. Steve had to go to the semi, started in the back of the main, worked his way up to a crash, went to the back again and worked his way back to the seventh spot. That’s a lot of driving, lot of passes. You can’t make this stuff up! Same for Kevin Kierce, Oren Prosser, Rusty Carlile and Ross Millar, if you finished this race you are bad.

Thanks Cliff and Jimmy, another fantastic race in a fantastic season. We have a passionate promoter, top quality race direction, the best drivers and great fans. It’s like being part of a super cool club. Only the fast need apply!