2004 99 Schedule

Mike David takes Grand National Division West Series checkered flag, Dave Byrd captures 40th Stockton 99 Speedway career win

STOCKTON 99 SPEEDWAY, SATURDAY, AUG. 14 -- Close to 4,500 NASCAR fans gathered to see Modesto’s #2, Mike David win his first DODGE COUNTRY/HAVOLINE, NAPA AUTO PARTS NASCAR GRAND NATIONAL DIVISION WEST SERIES 200.

“It was a great win,” said David. “ A long time coming.”

David took the lead in lap-26, however, holding it on the fastest quarter-mile oval west of the Mississippi wasn’t easy.

Midway through lap-42, a Stockton area power failure knocked out Stockton 99 Speedway’s lights, casting the track into temporary blackness. When the lights came back on some minor damage was cleared from the track, David’s number 2 Ford Taurus was among the unscathed and he was able to hold the lead through to the end.

The blackout was only the first incident -- in what turned out to be a caution-flag filled race -- that David had to maneuver his way through.

The final caution flag flew in lap-185 when Fontana’s #11, David Eshelman hit the wall coming out of turn-1. David recaptured the lead on the restart.

David, and his fans flocked to an electrified winners circle.

“I consider Stockton 99 Speedway to be my home track,” said David. “It’s always good to win at home.”

Granite Bay’s John Moore, #25, and Stockton’s Buzz DeVore, #45, gave the Stockton 99 Speedway crowd an extra dose of home track excitement in the race, both of the track regulars ran in the Grand National. Moore pulled double duty, racing in his regular Western Late Model division and in the Grand National, where he finished fifth. DeVore finished in the top 10 at ninth.

Additional Notes: Mayor Gary Podesto was the Grand Marshall and called out, "Gentlemen start your engines"! Also former 99 racer and now a Busch Series and Nextel Cup Driver Kasey Kahne's Busch Series "Great Clips" car was also on display at the Speedway. As is the custom with the Grand National Series, the drivers joined the fans for an hour long autograph session, signors included, Kerry Earnhardt, Mike Duncan, Mike David, and Tim Smith, to name a few.

 

 

Western Late Model

Pacific Grove’s, #9,  Dave Byrd hit a milestone when he earned his 40th career Western Late Model division win in DODGE Weekly Series racing.

“I thought tonight we’d have it tough,” said Byrd. “We qualified good and took advantage of where we started.”

Byrd started the race at the pole, grabbed the lead in lap-1, held it through the race and made the win look easy. The win was his ninth of the season.

A couple of restarts gave a number of the division’s top five drivers a shot at Byrd, but none could take it from him.

The first caution flew in lap-18 when Stockton’s Jerry Crawford went into a spin out of turn-2. Byrd and Turlock’s, #11, Chris Monez lined up at the pole and outside pole, at the waving of the green flag Byrd again jumped into the lead.

A second caution waved in lap-25 when Chowchilla’s Eric Humphries kicked up the dirt on an infield spin out of turn-4. Byrd, at the pole on the restart, quickly jumped back into the lead and held it through to the checkered flag.

In the HAVOLINE/CL BRYANT sponsored main Monez took second, Manteca’s Guy Guibor took third, Stockton rookie Joey Stearns earned fourth and Stockton’s Pete Anderson Jr. finished fifth.

Pure Stock

Again, the do-it-for-the-thrill-of-it Pure Stock drivers pumped high octane adrenaline directly into the Stockton 99 Speedway’s screaming NASCAR fans!

In the end it was Stockton’s Chad Holman who slithered through spin outs, maneuvered around pileups and held off a hard-challenging Jacob Cardoza, of Manteca, at the wire to take the checkered.

“I started in the outside pole position,” said Holman following the win, his third of the season. “I stayed out of trouble, that’s what you gotta do in this division.”

Holman was challenged for the lead throughout the race, but managed to hold onto it from the beginning.

His toughest moment came in lap-30. Cardoza, hard pressing him for the lead, had managed to make his way up to second. Coming out of turn-4 Cardoza, in a play for first, moved to the outside, made contact with Holman and crossed the finish line a car hood length behind him.

After the race Holman said there was nothing out of line about Cardoza’s move, “It was just part of the race.”

Grand American Modified

After earning the fastest qualifying time Newark’s, #34, Ted Montague IV went onto win the 30-lap main, his third of the season.

Montague IV took the lead in lap-2 and held off Galt’s Jason Kerby and Citrus Height’s #10, Jay Linstroth through the race.

Linstroth took second, Kerby took third, Modesto’s Mike Beeler earned fourth and Sacramento’s Jason Philpot finished fifth.

Upcoming

On Saturday, Aug. 21 Western Late Model, Pure Stock, Pro-4 Trucks and Grand American Modified will return to Stockton 99 Speedway.

Saratoga’s Carrie Miller, who took the Pro-4 Trucks points lead after her Aug. 7 main win, will be back. She hold’s the lead by only 5 points, this main event will offer NASCAR fans true competitive action.

Admission to the area's only NASCAR Saturday night family entertainment is $12 for adults, children 5 and under free, juniors and seniors are $10, children 6 to 12 are $5 and family packages for two adults and up to four kids under 12 are $29.99. Kids 5 and under are free, accompanied by an adult. VISA and Master Card are always welcome. Grand stands open at 3 p.m., qualifying runs start at 4:30 p.m., dashes, heats and mains follow at 6 p.m..


 

Powerful finish after outage at 99
 

By Bill Poindexter
Record Staff Writer
Published Sunday, August 15, 2004

STOCKTON -- Turn out the lights, the party is just starting.

Stockton 99 Speedway has been the site of some spectacular incidents in its long history, but possibly the most bizarre of all occurred Saturday night.

The lights went out during the NASCAR Grand National West NAPA Auto Parts 200.

That didn't stop Mike David, #2, of Modesto from scoring his first victory in the series in front of 4,402 fans at his home track. David led the final 175 laps and held off series points leader and top qualifier Mike Duncan, #9, of Bakersfield. Tim Smith, #33, of Roseville and John Moore, #25, of Granite Bay, both making their fourth starts in the series, finished third and fifth, career highs for both.

The 21-car field, with David leading and popular Kerry Earnhardt, #20, running fourth at the time in his first trip to Stockton, was at full speed when the blackout occurred. A packed house responded with a collective gasp as the cars immediately shut down, then built a loud applause when there was no sound of mashing metal.

The blackout originated at a local PG&E substation, according to track officials.

Stockton 99 regular John Moore of Granite Bay, driving a Ford Taurus for Tony Oddo of Fairfield, said he "drove by Braille" until the field stopped.

"That's a hard thing to do, go from 100 to nothing with a lot of other cars around you," Moore said.

"It was a little bit scary," said Austin Cameron, #16,, who had winning streaks of three in a row overall and two in a row at 99 snapped. "It's a good thing this wall is white. That was the only thing I could see."

David took the lead from Scott Lynch of Burley, Idaho, on lap 26 after they tangled coming out of turn four.

Earnhardt returned to the track twice after repairs but finally parked it in the pits.

Western Late Model

Dave Byrd's ninth main-event victory of the season wasn't as easy as it looked. #9, Byrd started on the pole thanks to a favorable invert number -- he qualified fourth -- and led all 30 laps to post his 47th career win.

But Chris Monez, #11, of Turlock settled into second early in the race and pressed Byrd all the way to the checkered flag.

"We started in a good spot, which made all the difference in the world," said Byrd, the points leader. "We tried everything we had and couldn't shake Chris. If he'd have gotten the lead, I'd have never passed him, that's for sure."

Guy Guibor of Manteca was third and Joey Stearns of Stockton fourth.

Grand American Modified

An eight-car field made it easy for #34,Ted Montague IV of Newark, who set fast time in qualifying, started on the pole and led all 30 laps in an all-green flag feature that took about eight minutes to run. Montague has three main-event victories and five fast times this season.

There were two passes in the race: Runner-up Jay Linstroth of Citrus Heights drove by runaway points leader Jason Kerby of Galt for second place early, and Mike Beeler of Modesto passed Jason Philpot of Sacramento for fifth on lap 14.

Pure Stock

Chad Holman, #75x, of Stockton held off points leader John Medina of Galt early and Jacob Cordoza of Manteca late to win his third main event this season and the 10th of his career.

Coming out of the final turn Cordoza tapped the outside wall, ricocheted into the right side of Holman's car,.

Jim Vosberg of Stockton was third and Medina fourth.

* To reach assistant sports editor Bill Poindexter, phone (209) 546-8289 or e-mail bpoindex@recordnet.com

Stockton 99 Speedway is located at 4105 North Wilson Way. Traveling south on Highway 99, take the Wilson Way exit. The track is two blocks up the road just past the first stop light. On Highway 99 north, take the Cherokee Road exit, loop over the freeway to Newton Road and turn right. Drive one mile and turn left at the Wilson Way stoplight. From Interstate 5, get on the Cross-town Freeway and head east to Highway 99 north, then drive north on Highway 99 to the Cherokee Road exit. For information, call (209) 466-9999, or visit www.stockton99speedway.com.

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