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Willie Croft Wins Night One at Chico
By: Troy Hennig
(Chico, CA 5-24-08)...Sacramento driver Willie Croft led all 25-laps to win his first sprint car main event at Silver Dollar Speedway this season. Croft started on the outside of row one and drove around fellow front row starter Kyle Larson for the lead. It also marked the second win of the year for new crew chief Brian Cannon who joined the Holy Smoke Barbecue #29 over the off-season. Croft and Cannon won on March 29 at Placerville Speedway earlier this year. Croft was on the gas throughout the race and seemed to enjoy the fast racing surface that developed. With threatening weather all afternoon and night it was just exciting to be able to race. Other winners on the night included Keith Bloom Jr. for the wingless sprints and Mark Abouzeid in the dirt modified's. A total of 60 cars competed during the first night of racing during the 2008 Silver Dollar Fair.
Croft drove his car deep into turn one and passed pole sitter Kyle Larson at the start of the race. Larson dropped into the second spot while Tyler Walker ran third. Andy Forsberg started sixth but moved into the fourth spot on lap one. With the track super fast and a little greasy still some drivers had issues keeping all four wheels on the race track and headed straight. A serious of cautions slowed the event. All together we had eight cautions and two red flags during the 25-lap main event. While the leaders stayed single file throughout the early laps the drivers in the back of the field were dicing it up real good.
The race complexion changed during a caution when Tyler Walker rode over Emalee Ramirez's tire and took a nasty spill off turn three. Walker was running third at the time. Walker's flip looked dangerous but he quickly crawled out of the damaged race car. During the red, second place Larson motioned a push truck to take him back to the work area. He had a flat tire and it had to be changed. This would send him to the rear of the field for the restart. The race resumed with a new second place driver. Andy Forsberg inherited the second position but was not able to challenge Croft for the lead. Greg DeCaires moved into the third spot and it is a position he would finish in. The biggest mover and shaker of the night was Chad Riolo. Making his first sprint car start in over a year and a half Riolo Started the main event in eleventh but finished fourth. It was an impressive finish for a driver without much track time during the last two seasons. Up front it was all about Croft. He was the class of the field tonight and it had to be a great feeling to get the win in convincing fashion.
Keith Bloom Jr. was the winner of the 20-lap wingless spec sprint main event. He started outside row one and never was challenged for the win. Bloom Jr. is a freshman in high school, a rookie phenom, and the current point leader of the division. Tonight, he led the race by a full straightway which equals a five-second lead. Finishing in the second spot was Taylor Simas. The Orland driver and current Chico State University student was able to hold off a charging Kyle Hirst at the checkered flag. Hirst, who might of challenged Bloom, jumped a right rear wheel half way through the race while running in second. The mishap pushed him back to sixth. He worked his way back to a third place finish. Mason Myers of Browns Valley is a steady as they come. Always in the top five and an ultra-competitive driver, along with his brother Cody, finished fourth. Gary Lewis made a rare Chico start and finished fifth.
Mark Abouzeid was the class of the light dirt modified field tonight. Only six car attended the race and at the end of the 12-lap race only four were racing. Abouzeid led all 12-laps and was never challenged for the lead. Duane Cleveland moved into the second spot on lap nine but was too far away to catch Abouzeid. It was Abouzeid's fourth win of the season and Chico in Chico Volkswagen #27.
Racing continues tonight with the Hoosier Racing Tire California Civil War Sprint Car Series. Over 40 drivers are expected for tonights racing. Qualifying scheduled to start at 7 pm sharp.
Full results available at www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com
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