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4.13.09:
Mawhinney
maintains narrow points lead over Pitta in Westcar Series
Steven Blakesley
/ Westcar Late Model Series
 Gridley,
Calif.
– Jonathan Mawhinney of Sacramento, Calif. maintained his points
lead in the Westcar Late Model Series, while Jason Romero and Gary
Glenn pulled in victories in Saturday’s Twin .44 Magnum events at
All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.
Racers on
Saturday were also competing for a share of NASCAR and track points,
and the event attracted 21 sparkling Western Late Models to the
one-third mile asphalt oval. 16 of the 21 entries also carried
Westcar licenses as they chase the $14,000 points fund up for grabs
in that series.
Ron Chunn of
Roseville, Calif. was the winner of the tire raffle in the driver’s
meeting. One tire will be given away each week this season at
Roseville in addition to the lucrative purse payouts up for grabs.
Zane Lovelace,
Jr. of
Roseville,
Calif. led the opening laps in the first 44 lap feature, with Romero
leap-frogging from fourth to second on the opening lap.
Romero challenged
Lovelace on the inside but spin coming off of turn two on lap 21 to
bring out the caution. The spin relegated Romero back to 14th
position.
On the
double-file restart Glenn charged past Lovelace. Lovelace was also
passed by John Moore of
Granite Bay,
Calif.
on lap 27, and Juan Pitta of Galt, Calif. on lap 30. Glenn was able
to hold off Moore and Pitta in a close finish, with Lovelace and
Sacramento’s
Bobby Butler rounding out the top-five. Romero was able to battle
all the way back to seventh at the finish.
The second
feature’s starting grid was set with a nine car invert of the first
feature results, placing Romero third on the grid behind David
Hulsey of Manteca, Calif. and Greg Hock of Ione, Calif.
An opening lap
skirmish saw
Moore
loose his nose and have to report to the pits for repairs. He
returned in 16th position.
Romero took the
lead from Hock on lap two of the event, with Glenn coming from ninth
to fourth by lap three.
An accident on
lap seven saw
Butler
and Hock suffer minor damage, and Glenn having to restart near the
rear.
Pitta took over
second from Hock on the restart. Glenn and Moore were mired in heavy
traffic working their way through the field.
The caution was
in the air once again on lap 14 when Hock spun off of turn two.
Butler’s night ended when he went the pits during the yellow.
Pitta challenged
Romero hard at the halfway point in the event, with a drag race down
the front stretch on lap 22. A quick caution came out, and on the
restart Pitta appeared to have lost his momentum with Romero.
With seven laps
to go the caution flew again. On the restart, Romero powered away
from Pitta and
Moore
to win his third feature of the season.
Moore
finished his dramatic drive to the front to finish fourth, with
Mawhinney coming home fifth.
Pitta’s strong
performance on the evening puts him just four points behind
Mawhinney as they prepare for Westcar’s next event on May 2nd.
16 year-old Matt Scott, Glenn, and Hock round out the top-five in
the Westcar Late Model Series points.
Race fans can
learn more about the All American Speedway at
www.allamericanspeedway.com
More information
on the Westcar Late Model Series can be viewed at
www.westcarseries.com
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