OILDALE, Calif. -- A track official on the nights when he is not racing his IMCA Modified, Jimmy Irwin got his first feature win in his new class and his first win since 1994 Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway Park. Irwin led the final 15 laps after starting third and Buck Cox passed Lonnie Welch for second on the final lap. Recent Kings Speedway winner Steve Smothermon crossed the line in third only to be disqualified for only having an 11 inch window opening when IMCA rules require 12 inches. Nick Sylvester was next across the line, but he was called for a jump start and Welch ended up third ahead of George Scott. Moving into second in points and cutting Richie McGowan's point lead down to just 30 tallies, Steven Johnson won his third straight 25 lap hobby stock feature and fourth overall for 2004. McGowan led the first 14 laps from his pole start, but clipped the fence coming off turn 2 and fell back to third. S Johnson led the final 11 laps and Eric Cimental came from 20th starting to finish second ahead of 11th starting Ron Schmidt. McGowan briefly fell out of the top five, but scrambled back to fourth. Rick Spicer broke an engine riding fourth and fell to third in points, 5 behind S Johnson. The American Stock point fight also tightened as Sam Henry won his second straight 20 lap feature and climbed into second in points, just 7 behind point leading Michael Johnson. M Johnson ran 11th and Chris Martin lost second with his 14th place run. Christine Carl ran fourth behind James Cecil and Jesse Bowles. Carl is fourth in points, just 18 out of the point lead and just 3 behind Martin.

The IMCA Modifieds split 19 cars into three heat races with Ventura regular Wes Richardson making another Oildale appearance. Sylvester won heat 1 over Mike Hood and Cox. Point leader Larry Hood came from sixth to win heat 2 over pole starter Robert Sanders. It was outside front row starter David Childress taking the win in heat 3 over Smothermon and Darrell Hood. With all the engine claiming going on here in Central California, D Childress has renumbered his car to $525. L Hood won the dash from the outside front row over Sylvester. Pole starter Sanders led the first ten laps of the 25 lap feature with Irwin in second. Irwin, D Hood and Sylvester all passed Sanders on lap 11 and then D Hood spun for a yellow flag. Sanders pitted during the yellow and the restart found Irwin leading Welch, Sylvester and Cox. Sylvester gained second on lap 13, but fell back to fourth on lap 15 when both Welch and Cox got by. Seeking a fifth win, 15th starting Jeff Miller took fourth from Sylvester on lap 16 and third from Cox a lap later. Miller got by Welch for second on lap 19, but his strong run ended on a lap 23 yellow flag. Richardson had spun to bring out the yellow and Miller's right rear tire went flat. Miller had to pit from second and Irwin stayed out front for those final two rounds. Cox got around Welch for second and Smothermon had third before his DQ. Sylvester was penalized from fourth for his jump start to move Welch into third ahead of Scott and Sylvester. Steve Morrison and L Hood also drew jump start penalties to move D Childress into sixth over Morrison and L Hood. Miller came back for 9th.

The hobby stocks had over 20 cars for the first time in weeks as 22 checked in. Mike Wilson won heat 1 from third over Devan Jones. Outside front row starter Spicer got heat 2 ahead of S Johnson and pole starter Tom Klamorick. It was Chad Johnson also using that outside front row start to win heat 3 over pole starter Robby Sawyer and R McGowan. Super Street Stock point leader Sawyer was subbing in the Sean Minor car. Wilson won the dash from the pole over C Johnson and Spicer. Justin Schweitzer was a feature scratch and Sawyer was blackflagged off the track when his car dropped lead on the track during the pace laps. McGowan, Spicer, S Johnson and Klamorick started in the front two rows and McGowan took an early lead over S Johnson. Lou Wolfe spun for a lap 1 yellow and Jones briefly took over third. When Wilson and Eric Olson tangled for a lap 3 yellow, Spicer was back in third. Schmidt gained fifth when Klamorick pitted on lap 9 and fourth place Jones suffered a flat tire for a lap 13 yellow flag. Schmidt was now fourth ahead of last starter Cimental. Amy Hedden stalled for another yellow on lap 14 and McGowan was shuffled back to third behind S Johnson and Spicer on lap 15 as he clipped the fence coming off turn 2. Schmidt, Cimental and James Diede all drove around McGowan on lap 16. Spicer began to smoke and the second place car pitted on lap 19 to move Schmidt into second over Cimental. Jim Perry gained fourth over McGowan. McGowan retook fourth on lap 22 and Cimental moved around Schmidt for second on lap 23. S Johnson won for the third straight race over Cimental, Schmidt, McGowan, Perry, Diede, Roger Brewer, Clyde Benson and Matt Wankum.

The American Stocks fielded 19 cars and 17 started their 20 lap feature. Carl won heat 1 from the pole over Jonny McKinley. Steve McKinley also won heat 2 from the pole with Jason Bannister second. Chris Martin made it three straight pole winners in heat 3 as M Johnson ran second. J McKinley came from fourth to win the dash over M Johnson. S McKinley broke in the dash and was joined as a feature scratch by Michelle Childress who had engine woes. The 20 lap feature had to be restarted after half the field crashed on lap 1. The race was over for Bannister and Jackie Wood. Pole starter Henry led the whole 20 laps. Carl started outside front row and ran second until lap 19 when both Cecil and Bowles got by her. Newcomer Rick Childress Jr moved into third on lap 2, but lost the spot to Cecil on lap 9. R Childress regaind second on lap 12, but was passed by both Cecil and Bowles on lap 16. M Johnson pitted on lap 11 and Martin had a flat right rear on lap 14. Henry won with Cecil making his late move into second over Bowles. Carl settled for fourth ahead of Childress Jr, Adam Wadkins and Wade Meinke.

RESULTS

AMERICAN STOCK

Dash-Jonny McKinley, Michael Johnson, Chris Martin.
Heat 1-Christine Carl, J McKinley, Jesse Bowles, Wade Meinke, Jackie Wood.
Heat 2-Steve McKinley, Jason Bannister, James Cecil, Mike Boyd, Michelle Childress.
Heat 3-Martin, M Johnson, Sam Henry, Mike Armitage, Adam Wadkins.
Main-Henry, Cecil, Bowles, Carl, Rick Childress Jr, Wadkins, Meinke, Matt Morris, Kenneth Dixon, J McKinley, M Johnson, Earl Farris, Armitage, Martin, Boyd, Bannister, Wood.

HOBBY STOCK
Dash-Mike Wilson, Chad Johnson, Rick Spicer.
Heat 1-Wilson, Devan Jones, Lou Wolfe, Kathy Irwin, Ron Schmidt.
Heat 2-Spicer, Steven Johnson, Tom Klamorick, Jim Perry, Jacky Wood.
Heat 3-C Johnson, Robby Sawyer, Richie McGowan, Eric Olson, Matt Wankum.
Main-S Johnson, Eric Cimental, Schmidt, McGowan, Perry, James Diede, Roger Brewer, Clyde Benson, Matt Wankum, Geoff Menees, Spicer, Olson, Wolfe, Amy Hedden, Jones, Wood, Klamorick, C Johnson, Wilson, Irwin.

IMCA MODIFIED
Dash-Larry Hood, Jimmy Goldsmith, David Childress. Heat 1-Nick Sylvester, Mike Hood, Buck Cox, Jimmy Irwin, Goldsmith. Heat 2-L Hood, Robert Sanders, Lonnie Welch, Jim Deines, Marvin Leist. Heat 3-Childress, Steve Smothermon, Darrell Hood, Chett Reeves, Mike Scott. Main-Irwin, Cox, Welch, Scott, Sylvester, Childress, Steve Morrison, L Hood, Jeff Miller, Leist, M Hood, Sanders, J Deines, Goldsmith, Lin Deines, Wes Richardson, Reeves, D Hood.