STOCKTON 99 SPEEDWAY

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NASCAR races return to Stockton 99

By The Record

March 29, 2009 6:00 AM

STOCKTON - Justin Philpott, #05, had a hard time finding the words to describe his first Western Late Model main-event victory at Stockton 99 Speedway, but he knew what do after driving under the checkered flag.

He asked for the checkered flag, then drove clockwise around the quarter-mile paved oval in celebration in the first NASCAR-sanctioned races at the reopened track.

Philpott took the lead from #43, 19 year old Chris Hinkle of Lodi on the 28th lap and led the rest of the way to take the 50-lap feature Saturday night in front of a crowd estimated at 2,500. Philpott's dad, David, #05x, a two-time track champion, finished 10th in the 12-car main after being wrecked in the trophy dash and suffering car damage.

"I can't even talk right now man," Justin Philpott said before managing to convey that his trophy would go to grandfather John Philpott, who works extensively on the car.

Tony Noceti, #6, of French Camp and Chad Holman#75, of Valley Springs won the Grand American Modified and Street Stock main events.

Noceti, who along with his wife, Carol, is leasing the speedway and has spearheaded the renovation project that has brought racing back to the track after a two-season hiatus, took time out from work to get behind the wheel of his Modified racer.

He led the 40-lap race from in his start to finish and held off #24, Scott Winters of Tracy, last week's winner, time and again. Winters made several moves on Noceti coming out of turn 2, but Noceti pulled away in the straights.

Chad Holman maintained a lead of three car-lengths over #31, Jeff Ahl of Lodi throughout and won the Street Stock Main for the second week in a row.