Driver listens to his mom — and it pays off

By Scott Niendorf

Record Correspondent

May 20, 2012 12:00 AM

#100.jpg (22873 bytes) STOCKTON - Oakdale's Mike Friesen didn't hesitate deciding whether to visit his mother on her 75th birthday Saturday or to go racing.

He chose the latter and some 500 fans at Stockton 99 Speedway saw him dominate the Vintage Hard Top division for a double win in both the 15-lap main and the trophy dash on Tony Queirolo Night, (#100 left).

"She saw me flip a car in a race at Merced when I was 18 and she's never seen me race since then," said Friesen, 55. "She told me to go driving (Saturday) and to have fun and do well. I'll go visit her tomorrow."

Friesen worked his way up to the lead on the sixth lap by passing Santa Rosa's Dan Williams, who was a little loose coming out of turn two.

Santa Rosa's Conrad Cavallero closed into second a lap later and chased Friesen the final nine laps to finish there.

"I waited for (Mike) to make a mistake and he never did," Cavallero said. "He's a good driver who knows how to handle a car."

Lakeport's Chris Straka took the lead on the fifth lap in the Pro-4 Modifieds and held off Windsor's Nick King through the next 25 laps for the victory despite six yellows, including one on lap 28.

"That's uncharacteristic for this group of drivers," Straka said. "I knew from the heat and dash that we had a good car tonight. I wasn't worried on the last restart because I saw that (King) was having trouble on turn one and two. I knew all I had to do was stay ahead of him on turn one and I'd have it (won)."

Santa Rosa's Marty Lewis took the checkered flag in the Pro-4 dash.

The Legends 40-lap main event came down to Cupertino's Luis Tyrell holding off Rocklin's Robby Czub for a thrilling win by half a car at the finish line.

Czub tried twice to go inside Tyrell on turn three, kicking up infield grass on the final lap, but Tyrell got the victory to earn a provisional qualifying berth in the nationals later this season.

Czub won the Pro dash, while Chase Madjik won the Young Lions Semi-Pro dash. Joe Leduc won the Masters dash.

The speedway hosts the Tri-Holiday Classic next weekend as the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series features Western Late Models in a 100-lap main, along with Modifieds (60 laps), Super Stocks (60), Bombers (50) and Basic-4's (40) all running.