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HIROSHIMA WINS NMRA-TQ BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY MAIN - By Tim Kennedy
Bakersfield, CA., Apr. 19 - TQ midget owner/driver Bruce Hiroshima, a 51-year old from Camarillo, started from pole position and led all 25 laps of the NMRA-TQ feature Saturday at the third-mile clay Bakersfield Speedway in a multi-division event. Ten TQs raced in the second event this season for the Moorpark-based group. The winning time in an all-green flag race was a rapid six minutes and 19 seconds.
The 2005 NMRA-TQ rookie of the year drove his own No. 5 Rick Stewart chassis with power from a Clerc Honda. It was his first TQ victory since the 2010 season when he won two features. He took the 2010 season opener on March 13 at Perris Auto Speedway and event 12 on August 28 at Santa Maria Speedway. He has been racing VRA midgets at Ventura Raceway for several seasons and has been busy with his business. He intends to race his TQ often all season.
Anthony Lopiccolo, from Brea, started fifth and finished second in the No. 21 Stealth/Kawasaki owned by his father. Anthony took over the driver point lead by ten points (132-122) over Hiroshima and his father Paul assumed the car owner's point lead by ten over Hiroshima. Kenny Wiley started sixth and finished third in his self-built chassis with; Honda power. Chuck West, West Evans, 2013 rookie of the year Britt Grissom, Don Kiefer, Dave Lambert also completed all 25 laps. Doyle Mosley dropped out on lap 7; Chris Thomas did not start from the first row.
Lopiccolo started fourth and won the first eight-lap heat race in a five-car field. West, Grissom, Hiroshima and Kiefer followed. Wiley came from third grid position in the second five car heat. Lambert, Mosley, and Thomas followed. Evans was a DNF because of a broken fuel pump.
The next NMRA-TQ race will be Saturday, May 3 at the third-mile clay Santa Maria Speedway in another multi-division program.
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