Modesto's David
races to 99 victory
By KELLY JONES
BEE STAFF WRITER
Last Updated: August 6, 2006, 05:18:16 AM PDT
STOCKTON
— Everything went according to plan for Modesto's #2, Mike David at Stockton 99
Speedway on
Saturday.
David won the Grand National West Dodge Country 200 to sweep the Stockton races this season and take the lead, however slim, in the points standings.
Escalon's
#62, Eric Holmes finished
second after winning the pole. He and David were the only drivers to lead the
race.
"It was a lot of fun," David said. "Eric's a good racer. We were better on the longer runs and Eric was a little better on the short runs."
David benefited from
green-flag racing in the final 55 laps. He jumped out in front of Holmes on the
restart and never
looked back. The 1-2 finish broke the first-place tie in the
standings, with David going up five points.
It was the final Grand National West race at Stockton 99, which will close after this season. David has won three of his four series victories at Stockton. The other came at Bakersfield's Mesa Marin Raceway last season, the final event the series ran at the now defunct track.
Holmes said he "kind of let"
David go by him on the last restart, hoping he could wear him down closer to the
end of the race. It was Holmes' second consecutive second-place finish. He also
led the most laps for the second straight race, 116.
"I know my time's coming," Holmes said. "We couldn't be any faster."
David, who led 84 laps, said
he and Holmes were pretty equal, but he was able to get a little bit better jump
on him on
the last restart at Lap 145. From there, it was a matter of staying
out of lapped traffic and out of trouble.
"It's easier to drive out front," David said. "Your timing's better."
David earned 185 points to boost his total to 1,374. Holmes trails at 1,369. They put some distance between themselves and Peyton Sellers of Danville, Va. Sellers finished third, and slipped from 12 points behind to 27 in the points standings.
Pete Anderson Jr. won an
abbreviated Western Late Model main. Scheduled for 100 laps, the race was
slowed
by seven yellow flags and officials had to cut it short at 52 laps in order to
start the televised Grand National West race on time.
A substitute 100-lapper will be run on Aug. 19 at a regular night price of $15. Fans applauded the announcement, made at the halfway point of the Grand National West race.
The premier regional event was
aired live on HD Net television at 8 p.m.
Anderson
said he earned the Western Late Model victory, and would have held off all
competitors for another 48 laps, so the length of the race didn't matter to him.
Stockton's
Donny Darter won his second consecutive American Limited Stock Car main. It was
his fifth victory of the season.
The Stockton 99 Speedway is located just off Highway 99 at 4105 North Wilson Way. If you are traveling south on Highway 99 take the Wilson Way exit. If you are heading north on Highway 99 take the Cherokee Road exit, loop over the freeway, turn right onto Newton Road and then turn left on Wilson Way.
Stockton 99 Speedway Info/Race Line (209) 466-9999.
