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Originally Published Friday, June 29, 2001
The Record
There will be fireworks at Stockton 99 Speedway on Tuesday night. The celebratory kind that explode in the air at this time of the year? Yeah, those, too.
The 29th running of the Firecracker 100 for the Late Model Sportsman class headlines Tuesday's program, which includes a fireworks show.
Steve Belletto of Modesto, fresh off a 10th-place finish in the NASCAR Southwest Series Snap-On Tools 200 on Saturday at Sears Point Raceway, should have his car ready to try and extend his points lead at Stockton 99. Belletto leads Dave Byrd of Pacific Grove by 12 points and brother Jeff Belletto by 21.
But the regulars are going to have company.
Burney Lamar of West Sacramento, the 1999 Tri-Track Challenge champion, and Bob Strandwold of Modesto are scheduled to race. Lamar finished fifth in the first leg of the Tri-Holiday Classic, a 100-lapper held Memorial Day Weekend. He also is ninth in Southwest Series points. Strandwold made his season debut June 9 and won and placed second in twin 38-lap main events.
But they'll have competition.
Track general manager Ken Gross said Thursday that Jim Inglebright, who practiced recently at Stockton 99, will race Tuesday night. Inglebright drove his Jelly Belly machine to victory in the Snap-On Tools 200, his second in two years during Sears Point's NASCAR Winston Cup weekend.
''We have Late Models coming out our ears,'' Gross said. ''Inglebright's coming. We're going to have all the heavy hitters there. I can't even list all of them.''
Saturday night, Stockton 99 has scheduled 50-lap mains for the Grand American Modified, Pro Stock, Pure Stock and Ultra Wheel Spec Truck divisions.