Points leader shows why

Bakersfield driver claims Southwest Tour main event

By Kevin Niendorf

Record Correspondent

August 19, 2012 12:00 AM

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#18 Jim Pettit dives into turn one at practice.

STOCKTON - Bakersfield's Derek Thorn, #43, maintained his dominance of the SRL Southwest Tour circuit during the latest stop at Stockton 99 Speedway, but it wasn't without a challenge from Manteca's Jacob Gomes.

Thorn claimed the Performance Electrical Co. 125 on Saturday by taking the lead away from Gomes on the 30th lap and held on for the victory over Jim Pettitt II and Gomes, who finished third. Thorn and Pettitt remained first and second in the overall standings while Gomes, who was ninth overall before the race, moved up by adding another 165 points.

Stockton's Ross Strmiska finished fifth, while Ripon's Michael Sandoval was ninth. French Camp resident Dave Byrd was 12th in the field of 18.

The Budweiser Clydesdales opened the evening's events with an honorary lap around the track to the cheers of an estimated 2,500 fans. During the singing of the national anthem, fireworks startled the previously stationary team of horses into a brief dash across the finish line.

"We saw them in Daytona and they were magnificent," said Kathleen Gomes, 68, of Manteca. "But this is up close and personal, and they're still magnificent."

Here's Jeremy Wood after his fender is torn in 2010 at Stockton 99 Speedway.

Tracy's Jeremy Wood, a multiple winner at Stockton 99 over the past 10 years, returned to race in the Legends of the Pacific event. However, he finished 10th in a field of 24 cars after a series of unfortunate events.

"We had a rather tough weekend to say the least," said Wood, whose team spent nearly all of Friday night modifying a second car after crashing his first in an exhibition race. "Our race team was definitely tested. I had about 2 hours of sleep last night."

Wood set the best preliminary time in that second vehicle, but that car was later deemed unusable because of engine problems for the main event. He borrowed fellow driver Greg Baxter's car for the race, starting at the back of the field.

Wood now spends his time with a team building racecars for drivers and tutoring them as they develop in their teen years. He especially likes to see them compete at Stockton 99 Speedway.

"This racetrack puts on one of the best shows on the West Coast," Wood said. "I've raced a lot at a lot of tracks and this one has the most passing and side-by-side racing in all of California."

West Sacramento's Garrett Peterson, who has lost only once this season, easily won the first of two 30-lap USAC Ignite Midgets races. In the second race, Peterson started fifth in a field of seven but had the lead by lap 11 and held on for the victory.

Bryce Napier of Scott's Valley won the Mini Cup event, with Manteca's Seth Holman finishing third. Everett Edlund of Caruthers won the Vintage Super Modifieds.