Motor Racing / Vince Kowalick : Hits Hard Among Saugus Regulars

“I can’t believe it,” Dave Phipps said in amazement. “He was just here.”

Two weeks ago to be exact. Phipps, Saugus Speedway’s Sportsman division points leader, is still “tickled” about what he calls the biggest thrill of his career: racing at Saugus against NASCAR superstar Bobby Allison.

Phipps returns to the track tonight for the first time since the June 11 thriller in which he finished a close second to Allison in a 40-lap Sportsman main event. Meanwhile, Allison is in a hospital in Allentown, Pa.

Allison’s car spun out Sunday and was rammed by another car during the first lap of the Miller 500 in Long Pond, Pa. The three-time Daytona 500 champion was knocked unconscious and had to be pried from his car. He suffered a concussion, bruised heart, broken bone in his left leg and possible rib fractures.

Nearly a week after the crash, Allison, 50, still is listed in critical but stable condition. The impact of the crash is being felt as far away as Saugus.

“It’s shocking,” Phipps said. “Sad part is, only a week or so ago he was here racing with us guys.”

Eight days before the crash, Allison made a more pleasant impact with his second career visit to what he called one of his favorite short tracks. He thrilled the fans by signing autographs for 45 minutes and winning the trophy dash and main event on the one-third-mile oval.

“He’s always a pleasure to have here,” Saugus promoter Ray Wilkings said.

Said Phipps: “I was smiling for a week just that he came to race with us guys. He’s always been a favorite of mine.”

Phipps, defending Sportsman champion, gave Allison all he could handle, applying pressure at every corner for 37 laps. “I tried my darndest to pass him, but I couldn’t,” Phipps said. “He’s a great driver. It was one of the highlights of my life just to get to race with him.”

The aftermath of Phipps’ highlight has been dimmed, but he says Allison’s crash has not extinguished his flame for racing.

“I always think about safety, but I don’t really worry about it,” he said. “But I’m really worried about him. Everybody else is, too.”

Add Phipps: Phipps is speeding away virtually unchallenged with his second consecutive Sportsman title. With 148 points, he holds a commanding lead over Chatsworth’s Arlyn Olson, who is second with 89 points.

“I think it’s a fairly substantial lead,” Phipps said. “But it’s not overwhelming. I just try to win the main event every time out; that’s what I’m gearing up for every week. I worry about the points at the end of the season.”

Phipps has two wins and three second-place finishes, both Saugus season-highs.

Add Saugus: Last Saturday’s Miller American 100 for Modifieds earned winner Roman Calczynski $4,000, and the race stole the show with its total purse of more than $19,000. Lost in the shuffle, however, were 77 street stockers that raced for a total purse of about $3,600.

Allen Meek of Simi Valley pocketed $300 for his first 25-lap oval main-event win of the season. Meek grabbed the lead from fellow Simi Valley racer Jim Marlewski on the first lap and ran unchallenged.

Dave Blankenship of Reseda earned $250 for his second win in the 15-lap figure 8 main event. Blankenship is currently third in points.

Stopgap measure: What do you do when your car starts leaking oil while you’re taking a few warm-up laps?

“Usually, that’s it for you,” Brian Kelley of Arleta said. “You trailer the car and take it home.”

Kelley was almost forced to do just that when the rear seal on the oil pan to his Camaro gave way last week at Saugus. But Kelley had an idea--one he admittedly can’t stop laughing about.

“I’d heard of people using them and that they worked pretty good,” he said. “But we didn’t know where to get one. It was kind of embarrassing because I didn’t want to go up to someone and ask them for a. . . .

Tampon. But Kelley finally obtained one after a frantic search.

“It sure sucked up the oil,” he said.

More importantly, it allowed Kelley to get back on the track. Faced with the possibility of a wasted trip to Saugus, Kelley rallied to win an eight-lap heat race, then easily won his seventh 25-lap Hobby Stock oval main event of the season.

Kelley’s crew replaced the tampon with another between races. But the oil pan has been properly sealed for tonight’s race.

“It worked great,” Kelley said. “Now I keep one in my tool box.”