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HIROSHIMA TOPS IN TQ MIDGET FEATURE & POINTS – By Tim Kennedy
Santa Maria, CA., Jun. 7 – Bruce Hiroshima set fastest qualifying time, won the 20-lap NMRA-TQ Midget feature, and took over the 2014 series point lead Saturday in a multi-division program at the third-mile, clay Santa Maria Speedway. He now has won three of the five NMRA main events this season and holds a 14-point lead over the runner-up. His points average per event is 63.20 after five of 12 scheduled races.
The race was the tenth annual Ron Otto Memorial that had one rain-out about six years ago. Otto was a major figure in NMRA-TQ midget racing history in California. He was a winning car owner, racing official, NMRA board member and president of NMRA for decades. He succumbed to a massive heart attack after retiring and moving to Nipomo, just north of Santa Maria Speedway.
The 51-year old car owner/driver, 2004 NMRA rookie of the year turned the fastest of two qualifying laps during afternoon time trials. He turned a 16.283 in his No. 5 Rick Stewart chassis with a Clerc Honda engine. He started eighth and chased laps 1-12 leader Britt Grissom, the 2013 NMRA rookie of the year. Hiroshima, from Camarillo, took the lead on lap 13 and stayed out front to the lap 20 checkered flag.
Owner/driver Kenny Wiley started fourth and finished second. Chuck West started and finished third. Outside front row starter Grissom settled for fourth. West Evans, the NMRA leader since 2002, came from sixth to earn fifth. Prior point leader Anthony Lopiccolo started fifth and placed sixth. Don Kiefer slipped from pole position to seventh. Dave Lambert started last and finished eighth. He also completed all 20 laps. Chris Thomas finished ninth, with 19 laps completed.
Heat winners Kiefer and West both started second and won the pair of eight lap heat races. The next NMRA race, round six, will take place at NMRA's “home track” Bakersfield Speedway on Saturday, June 21 as part of a multi-division racing program.
Summary:
Fast Time – Bruce Hiroshima, 16.283.
Heat 1 – Don Kiefer, Hiroshima, West Evans, Kenny Wiley, Dave Lambert.
Heat 2 – Chuck West, Britt Grissom, Anthony Lopiccolo, Chris Thomas.
Main – Hiroshima, Wiley, West, Grissom, Evans, Lopiccolo, Kiefer, Lambert, Thomas.
POINT STANDINGS
Drivers Car Owners
1 Bruce Hiroshima 316 1 No. 5 Bruce Hiroshima 331
2 Anthony Lopiccolo 302 2 No. 21 Paul Lopiccolo 317
3 Kenny Wiley 287 3 No. 38 West Evans 310
4 West Evans 273 4 No. 96 Kenny Wiley 302
5 Chuck West 242 5 No. 36 West Evans 288
6 Britt Grissom 231 6 No. 43 Britt Grissom 246
7 Don Kiefer 183 7 No. 9 Don Kiefer 195
8 Dave Lambert 162 8 No. 55 Dave Lambert 132
9 Chris Thomas 152 9 No. 87 Doyle Mosley 120
10 Scott Niven 114 9 No. 66 Scott Niven 120
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