"Digger Helm Short Track National"

Article by Jamey Blunt  -    Photos by VFT

Eddie Mulder's W.C.V.D.T. Series
Round #5 Willow Springs Raceway
Walt James Stadium
10-18-2009

Round five of Eddie Mulder's West Coast Vintage Dirt Track series started things off with two backwards laps in honor of Walt James who is the 3/8th mile dirt oval's name sake. Both water trucks and the one hundred forty eight riders on hand participated.

Randy Griffith was first to leave the line in the MR. ED'S RACING/MEGACYCLE CAMS Senior main. But his Triumph was no match for the horsepower of Joe Suebert's Jim Kelly H.D. as Suebert was first into turn one. Ken Thiebaud left the line in fifth and shot all the way up to second position by the entrance to turn three. On this first trip through turns three and four Suebert came so close to the hay bales up high that he left two barn doors open which Thiebaud went through for the lead. Behind this action Tom Horton set in third with Steve Craft, Randy Griffith (now back to fifth), and Jeff Lessley giving chase. Once out front Thiebaud was gone, and the finishing order stayed as stated, although Horton pressured Suebert all the way home.

In the MAXXIS TIRES/MOTION PRO Vet "A" main event Mike O'Neil nailed the start to lead the pack into turn one followed by Don Howard, Jimmy Abrams, Gary Evans, and Steve Nichols dropping in behind. Nichols got a drive through turns three and four and pushed all the way up to third under Abrams; then entering turn three for the second time Nichols who had gotten a great drive down the back straight shot under Howard to take second away. Behind O'Neil and Nichols Evans had found his way past both Abrams and Howard to move up to third. Three laps down and O'Neil took a look over his shoulder to find Nichols only a few bike lengths behind him and closing. Abrams by now had also dropped a fading Howard another spot. With two laps remaining Nichols rode around O'Neil on the outside through turns one and two for the lead. O'Neil also by now had to contend with Evans who was at his back door. On the last lap Lloyd McGregor fought his way by Howard to finish in fifth as Nichols long gone took the victory with O'Neil riding mistake free to hold second over Evans and Abrams in a solid fourth.

The older Joe Brown gets the faster he seems to go in the WORKS PERFORMANCE/MAXIMA RACING OILS Sr.Novice/Super Sr. class. If you need a lesson in starting technique watch Herb Wolff as he always seems to lead into turn one. Tim Thomas was away in second with Brown running in third, on the run down the back straight Brown with a tremendous drive went from third to first to lead the first lap. Mickey Alzola was away in fourth with Dave Cheney, Sal Squeo, Guy Duckett, and Gary Swan behind. Mel Stoner who was away in fifth barley made a lap and he and his BSA were out. At the front Brown was disappearing turning 24.72/100 second laps while Alzola took over third from Wolff entering turn one for the third time. A lap later Alzola made the pass on Thomas for second down the back shoot while Brown was receiving the white flag. This put things in order for the finish at Brown, Alzola, Thomas, Wolff, Cheney, Squeo, and Duckett.

In the A&A RACING/BARNETT Modern 750 class Tom Horton led into turn one on his Triumph with Joe Suebert cutting to the inside to lead out of turn two. Mike O'Neil who ran fifth through turns one and two shot through the pack into second entering turn three. While Ken Thiebaud who was last to leave the line had his work cut out for him. Thiebaud running a high line through turns three and for came up the front straight now in third putting Horton back to fourth with Keith Speir in fifth. Through one and two Thiebaud was up to second and looking for a way past Suebert. O'Neil dropped way down low on the racetrack and was making it work somehow as most everyone else went up high. Four laps down and Thiebaud dove to the inside of Suebert entering turn three and made the pass for the lead, this also left a big enough gap for O'Neil to come through as they came down the front straight three abreast. By turn two Thiebaud was established solidly as the leader and O'Neil was holding off Suebert with a lap and a half remaining. At the checkered flag the order stayed Thiebaud, O'Neil, Suebert, and Horton.

Briar Bauman led Garrett Stout, Dillon Allen and Patrick McNamara into turn one in the TUFFPLATES/COVENTRY SPARES Open Amateur "A" main event. Bauman went high into turn three leaving Stout room to run up underneath to lead out of turn four. On the second time through turn one McNamara muscled his way past Allen for third while Tyler O'Hara, Bronson Bauman, and Katie Hawkins were up to fifth, sixth, and seventh. The next lap around Stout turned the fastest lap of the race at 22.04 seconds. On lap five O'Hara had a mechanical that saw him skid to a stop up by the hay bales out of the race. With one lap remaining Stout had a full second gap which he held to the finish in front of Bauman, McNamara, and Allen.

Another race worth noting was the KAWASAKI of SIMI VALLEY/K&N FILTERS Open Amateur "B" final where Ajay Hateley in his first appearance on a large oval and third race ever fought with Paul A Herman, Mark Prentice, Josh Chisum, Roger Hayashi, and Joey Alves lap after lap in a bunch that could have seen anyone of these racers take the victory. But just when you thought all was settled by the white flag Hateley dug deep and made a spectacular move from third to first to win the main. Cheers could be heard up and down pit row for this talented young man. Herman was second with Prentice third and Chisum fourth.