2014 Local Tracks

  STOCKTON 99 SPEEDWAY
2014 Schedule         Last race: WEEKLY RACE RECAP

Philpott closes in on crown

By Scott Niendorf
Record Correspondent
Posted Sep. 14, 2014 @ 12:01 am

STOCKTON – Justin Philpott of Tracy knows races can be won – and lost – at the start.
Philpott managed to avoid a collision with his father, David Philpott, also of Tracy, on the start of the Western Late Models main event and found an opening three laps later to take the lead and pull away for his second consecutive victory at Stockton 99 Speedway on Saturday.
David Philpott had the pole but had trouble shifting at the start, which held up Justin Philpott behind him, allowing both Jason Aguirre of Atwater and Bryce Napier of Santa Cruz to jump into an early lead.
But Justin Philpott passed Aguirre and Napier on turns three and four on lap 4 and parlayed that into his win.
“You never want to run into your own father (in a race),” said Justin Philpott, who earned his fifth victory of the year after holding off Danny Guibor of Manteca for the win. “I saw (Aguirre and Napier) run into each other, sized it up and took advantage of it. I work for my father and if he beats me I have to hold my head down and hear about it all week. If I beat him, I can hold my head high.”
Justin Philpott has a chance for his second track championship, which would match David Philpott’s achievement, but it will come down to the Oct. 4 race.
Brendan Jones of Lodi is the hot driver at the Speedway after sweeping the Pure Stocks main event and trophy dashes for the third event in a row. Jones beat out Jeremy Tucker and Guido Bindi, Jr., both of Stockton. Jones also beat Bindi, Jr. in the dash.
“We’re all battling for points,” Jones said. “Anything can happen. It’s all about who gets (the lead) first. I just try to get there as soon as I can and then try to stay there.”
Jimmy Sorrels of Ukiah led the Pro-4 Modifieds main for 34 laps, but Neo Nuno of Santa Rosa reeled Sorrels in a half car length at a time over the final five laps to catch Sorrels at the finish line by .025 of a second, with Curt Lewis of Forestville coming in third. Sorrels took home the dash trophy.
Brad Mast jumped into the lead on lap 5 and cruised to a huge win in the 25-lap main by more than half a lap in the B-4 division ahead of Justin Terry of Modesto and Billy Rodriguez of Galt.
Rodriguez outlasted the field to win the B-4 dash.
Michael Ray of Farmington was a double winner in the Grand American Modifieds, grabbing the checkered flag in both the 10-lap main and the trophy dash over Rick Avila of Stockton.