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Senior

Senior
1. 12e Jeff Lessley
2. 25d Steve Craft
3. 96a Jack Alexander
4. 58q Stu Cardott
5. 15 Mark Stuckert
6. 55e Mark Davis
7. 88y Bob Graves
8. 38g James Kohls
9. 79x Cary Tanner

Vet “A” Main

Vet “A” Main
1. 9 Don Howard
2. 4z Craig Johnson
3. 48y Mike Vital
4. 42z Anthony Mitchell
5. 3 Clay Chambers
6. 6 Kurt Chandler
7. 33 Wes Powell
8. 33y Ken Netto
9. 110 Daniel Kane
10. 79z Jeremy Chisum

Vet “B” Main

Vet “B” Main
1. 6 Joe Steffen
2. 24c Craig Estrada
3. 571 Mike O’Neil
4. 86 Steve Sandman
5. 42 Bill Kolkman
6. 42 Craig Johnson
7. 1nw Darren Vieira
8. 54 Dave Reinhard
9. 77 Kyle Lessley
10. 37 Geoff Ball
11. 42a Brian Schmeltz
12. 91w John Larson

Vet “C” Main

Vet “C” Main
1. 36 Marshall Lapp
2. 54y Wayne Karcich
3. 533 Dan Geery
4. 87 Mark Babcock
5. 33 Johnny Costarella
6. 96a Jack Alexander
7. 146 Bill Wright

Sr Novice/Super Sr

Sr Novice/Super Sr
1. 49x Mickey Alzola
2. 68 Ken Barrow
3. 16 Ed Steffen
4. 27t Steve Lacey
5. 27 Ron Alexander
6. 61y Wayne Sumner
7. 52c Dave Cheney
8. 58y Randy Douglas
9. 86d Allan Girdler
10. 80x Bob Harris

Classic 250

Classic 250
1. 28z Bruce Reynolds
2. 28d Ron Lessley
3. 58q Stu Cardott

Classic 500

Classic 500
1. 87y Chris Rudy
2. 28d Ron Lessley
3. 58q Stu Cardott

Dinosaur

Dinosaur
1. 32 David Duvarney
2. 22y Marsh Runyon
3. 29 Charles Koog
4. 53 Brent Johnson

Youth 50

Youth 50
1. 80 AJ Alves
2. 88t Tyler Shelter
3. 45 Tyler Kolkman
4. 6 Avery Nicholson

Youth 60

Youth 60
1. 4r Ander Ochs
2. 27 Tyler Villalobos
3. 942 Ethan Gray
4. 46 Josh Malaguarnero

Youth 80

Youth 80
1. 309w Bronson Bauman
2. 15w Scott Hampton, Jr
3. 4r Andre Ochs
4. 33g Geoffery Shelter
5. 735 BJ Vieira

Modern 250

Modern 250
1. 32y Mike Gonzales
2. 12e Jeff Lessley
3. 33y Ken Netto
4. 45 Pauley Herman
5. 71e John Frank

Modern 500

Modern 500
1. 209 Cliff Nagatani
2. 15 Mark Stuckert
3. 13p Allan Malm
4. 52c Dave Cheney

Modern 750

Modern 750
1. 58y Jim Ottele
2. 57 Keith Speir
3. 556 Steve Mihovil

Indian Arrow

Indian Arrow
1. 6 Jeff Lessley
2. 2 Chris Rudy
3. 4 Ron Lessley
4. 1 Malcolm Roe
5. 3 Brian Schmeltz
6. 5 Craig Johnson
7. 7 Todd Eagen

Guinn Lawnmower

Guinn Lawnmower
1. 7 Gary Guinn
2. 8 Ed Mayberry
3. 21 Craig Alexander
4. 1 Lyle Joslin
5. 2 Mike Brown

250 Open

250 Open
1. 73 JD Beach
2. 18h Tony Davila
3. 33e Mikey Avila
4. 45 Kayl Kolkman
5. 310w Briar Bauman
6. 87 Lindsey King
7. 64w Lauren Wallace
8. 58 Brandon Bates
9. 500 Eddie Paulson
10. 170 Nia Pinnow
11. 60n Phillip Nicholson
12. 10 Ross Stuckert

500 Support “A” Main

500 Support “A” Main
1. 21y Tommy Carriger
2. 54x Wayne Karcich
3. 571 Mike O’Neil
4. 6 Joe Steffen
5. 84j Jeff Gonzales
6. 19z Joe Brown
7. 29 Dan Shaw
8. 41 Doug Cohen
9. 86x Art Guilfoil
10. 54x AJ Neelings
11. 9t Dave Tice

500 Support “B” Main

500 Support “B” Main
1. 91w John Larson
2. 86 Steven Sandman
3. 37s Geoff Ball
4. 33 Johnny Costarella
5. 70x Greg Sais
6. 82 Tim Barnes

Open Amateur “A” Main

Open Amateur “A” Main
1. 15 Garrett Stout
2. 23z Joe Hernandez
3. 23 Joe Meyer
4. 342w Jesse Sleeper
5. 18h Tony Davila
6. 35w Brady Mueller
7. 48z Matt Rohr
8. 45 Kayl Kolkman
9. 79 Joey Alves
10. 110 Daniel Kane
11. 25d Steve Craft

Open Amateur “B” Main

Open Amateur “B” Main
1. 41z Austin Helwig
2. 42 Kayl Kolkman
3. 10 Ross Stuckert
4. 146 Bill Wright
5. 6 Kris Bunch
6. 11c Cody Wood
7. 19m Troy Milligan

A&A Racing $1,000 Dash-4-Cash

A&A Racing $1,000 Dash-4-Cash
1. 51y Stevie Bonsey
2. 10 Dan Stanley
3. 73 JD Beach
4. 17y Brandan Bergen
5. 21y Tommy Carriger
6. 2 Patrick McNamara

Digger Pro 600

Digger Pro 600
1. 51y Stevie Bonsey
2. 17y Brandan Bergen
3. 23z Joe Hernandez
4. 51z Shawn Raggio
5. 35 Kyle Ragsdale
6. 10 Dan Stanley
7. 45 Kayl Kolkman
8. 35w Brady Mueller
9. 21y Tommy Carriger
10. 73 JD Beach
11. 15 Garrett Stout

A&A Racing presented Digger with a trophy befitting Diggers contributions to flat track.

Eddie Mulder's W.C.V.D.T.

Series Round #5 Kern County Fairgrounds

Bakersfield, California 9-23-2006

Article by Jamey Blunt

As summer faded to fall, the West Coast Vintage Dirt Track Series fired back up Saturday night on the fair circuit by returning to the Kern County Fairgrounds for round #5, the Digger Helm Short Track National, named for former national #57, on his home turf Bakersfield, Calif. A perfect eighth mile oval flat track, carved in front of the rodeo arena main grandstands by Rick Hollenbeck, beckoned the two hundred forty one entries that comprised thirty-one heat races and twenty-seven main events to enjoy a spectacular night of racing. Special contributions from local sponsors, including Helm, Fred Cummings Motorsports, Coors Light, and SuperKart Racing totaling a $6,000 Pro Purse, rewarded some lucky pros quite a nice prize. Special guest, Chris VanAndel from Motion Pro timed the Pro heats and Dennis Mahan from K&N was also on hand to enjoy the show.

Bultaco mounted Jeff Lessley led the pack into turn one in the Brown's Cycles/Tuffplates Senior main event. Jack Alexander and Steve Craft gave chase with Stu Cardott and Mark Stuckert nipping at their heals. Exiting turn two for the second time Craft got a wheel under Alexander and moved him out of the way to take over the second position, three laps in the books saw Bob Graves running in seventh with Mark Davis sixth. All the while Lessley gapping the field at the front with every lap had a full straight lead. With a lap remaining Alexander was getting pressure from Cardott but would fend him off to the finish, making the final order Lessley, Craft, Alexander, Cardott, Stuckert, Davis, and Graves.

Riders over the age of thirty five on any year or size machine make up the highly contested ARD Ignitions/Berkeley Honda-Yamaha Vet class. Thirty six riders battled through three heat races for one of just twelve spots in the "A" main event. Don Howard looked good all night and did not disappoint as he took the lead off the line. Mike Vital was away in the second position but quickly lost it to Anthony Mitchell, when he made a fourth to second place move on the outside. By lap three Craig Johnson working from a poor start had passed Vital to take over the third spot. Clay Chambers ran fifth, with Kurt Chandler sixth, and Paul Herman seventh. Exiting turn four on the fourth lap Johnson put a move on Mitchell to take over second while in turn two Herman was down. At the front Howard had an eight bike length lead, but now Johnson had a clear track and was closing. On the last lap Howard made a mistake and went wide between turns one and two and Johnson closed to within a bike length. But Howard is a veteran and rides smart; he protected his line and brought it home for the victory followed closely by Johnson. Vital exiting turn four to the checkered flag put a move on Mitchell, got a drive and won the drag race to the stripe to steal third. Chambers stayed in fifth with Chandler sixth.

Mickey Alzola hit the ground hard in turn one at the start of the Bartels/Mr. Ed's Super Senior/Senior Novice main. Joining Alzola in the dirt were Ken Barrow, Bob Harris and Cliff Nagatani. Alzola, shaken, joined Barrow, Harris, Nagatani, and the twelve other riders back on the starting line for a full re-start. This time Steve Lacey nailed it and led into turn one, followed by Randy Douglas, Alzola, Barrow, Ed Steffen, and Nagatani. On the second trip into turn one Douglas went down while Alzola moved up along side Lacey looking for a way past. On lap three Alzola made his move on Lacey up the front straight and took over the lead going into turn one. While between turns three and four Bud Riddle was on the ground. Wayne Sumner from a ninth place start had found his rhythm and was on the move through the field and would climb as high as fourth, but finish in sixth. On the last lap Nagatani while running in the third place position stalled his Bultaco in turn four making the finishing order Alzola, Barrow, Steffen, Lacey, Ron Alexander, and Sumner.

Take seven riders and put them on identical Indian Arrow 250cc single cylinder machines and you get the Johnson Cams/Maxima Racing Oils Indian Arrow I.R.O.C. Hitting turn one side by side were Jeff Lessley and Chris Rudy, down the back straight by virtue of his inside position Lessley settled in at point. Three laps gone saw Brian Schmeltz move from last to third, which is where his march forward would stop. Rudy with no horsepower advantage tried every possible line around the track, but just couldn't find a way around Lessley. With a lap remaining Rudy exiting turn four kissed a hay bale with his back wheel costing him a couple bike lengths, this and Lessley's fast 12.33/100 second lap times secured his victory. Rudy three bike lengths back came home second, with Schmeltz third. Hats off to Mike O'Neil for all his work maintaining these pieces of history, and allowing everyone to witness them in action!

The A&A Racing/Maxxis Tires 250 Open class is a hotbed of young talent. On the start Kayl Kolkman beat the field to turn one with J.D. Beach in tow only to have Tony Davila go down hard between turns three and four bringing out the red flag. Davila was shaken, but a true racer and after getting a new helmet made the full re-start. This time Beach nailed the start with Mikey Avila, Davila, and Kolkman giving chase. Davila showed Avila a wheel on the second lap but made a big bobble that cost him as Kolkman got by. Lap three had points leader Lindsey King coming through the field up to fifth. By lap four Davila was back in third around Kolkman, Avila ran second, Briar Bauman quietly was in fifth, and Beach in another zip code for this class, turning 11.45/100 second laps was gone. With one lap remaining Beach had put six riders a lap down on his way to the victory. This final lap also had Davila slip past Avila for second position, Kolkman stayed in fourth, Bauman fifth, and King sixth.

The top twelve riders all on Yamaha TT-500's staged for the Megacycle Cams/Ron Wood Racing 500 Support "A" main event. Wayne Karcich led the other eleven into turn one with Tommy Carriger, Mike O'Neil, and Jeff Gonzales glued to his back side. Jay Gosvenor was away in fifth followed by Joe Steffen, but upon entering turn three for the third time Gosvenor lost traction and went down. Karcich and Carriger went one inside and one outside of Gosvenor to avoid hitting him, with Carriger choosing the better option as he gained the lead. By lap four the running order was set, Carriger up front, Karcich second O'Neil with the fastest lap of the race at 11.62/100 seconds third, Steffen up to fourth, and Gonzales fifth. The officials ruled this was the finishing order as Carriger did what he had to, to avoid a fallen rider, not just to gain a position. This was the right call.

A new name has appeared at the top of the list for the Barnett/Works Performance Open Amateur class. From a field of twenty eight through three heat races, twelve riders staged for the "A" main event. Garrett Stout launching from second off of pole shot into the lead aboard his 450cc Yamaha only to have the red flag come out due to Kayl Kolkman, Matt Rohr, Daniel Kane, and Brady Mueller all going down. On the full restart Stout repeated his hole shot with Joe Hernandez, Joe Meyer, Tony Davila, Joey Alves, and Brady Mueller in tow. Stout couldn't shake Hernandez, but neither could Hernandez find a way around Stout. Four laps in saw Davila take third from Meyer only to have him put a hard pass back on Davila between three and four. All the while Jesse Sleeper from a poor start was coming up through the field and would eventually finish fourth. At the front Hernandez pressured Stout till the end but settled for second with Meyer solid in third.

Fresh off his A&A Racing $1,000 dash for cash victory where he topped the other five pro heat race winners, Stevie Bonsey had to be the favorite for the Digger Helm Pro 600 twenty five lap main event. Through six heat races and two semis only fourteen made the final. From the first wave of starter Fred Allen's flag Bonsey launched into the lead, J.D. Beach got squeezed out in turn one and cut through the infield with no where to go and emerged in the fifth place position. Starting lap two Dan Stanley ran second, with Clawson Motor Sport's Brandan Bergen third, Beach up to fourth. By lap four Patrick McNamara and Paul Herman had both gone down but were quickly back in the race. At the end of five laps the order was Bonsey (checked out) Stanley, Bergen, Beach, Joe Hernandez, Kyle Ragsdale, and Eric Beers. On lap six Beach ran up inside of Bergen and also got a wheel under Stanley entering turn one, but unfortunately took Stanley and himself out. Stanley would rejoin to finish in sixth. Bonsey's fastest lap of 10.96/100 seconds no one could match as he worked through the lappers, lapping all the way up to third place. Meanwhile Shawn Raggio was quietly working his way through the field looking very impressive, and would climb to finish fourth. With about ten to go Eric Beers lost it coming out of turn four and left Paul Herman no where to go as Herman launched through the air upon impact. Bonsey on cruise control went on to the victory with Bergen second and Hernandez third. After the race Bonsey had this to say. "We just got off the start with the hole shot and that makes it so much easier. The track was pretty smooth and I just started getting away. Once I was in traffic, I was still pushing but not as hard as I could of, I was just being careful, I didn't want to run into someone and ruin the whole race. The track was better than it was last year, it stayed together real well. I want to thank A&A Racing, Motion Pro, KLH Racing, Maxxis Tires, Motor X Oils, MSR Gear, Tucker Rocky, KR Racing and Arai Helmets for getting me here."