Kirby Salutes Birthday With Win at Saugus

The backstretch at Saugus Speedway is hardly the place to expect favors from fellow stock car drivers--even if it is your birthday.

So John Kirby of Ventura was forced to take matters into his own hands in order to make his 46th birthday a happy one Saturday night.

Kirby, who began the 25-lap Street Stock oval main event in fourth position, quickly nudged past Kenny Wilson of West Hills and points leader Dave Blankenship of Reseda and went bumper to bumper with pole sitter Eric Foster of North Hollywood.

“I had a broken rocker arm in the heat race,” Kirby said. “I was just happy to get it fixed in time for the race.”

Kirby’s spirits soon soared even higher. He shot past Foster on the backstretch of Lap 7 and raced to his first win of the season before a crowd of 3,006.

“I had trouble getting past Blankenship,” Kirby said. “But once I got past him I was pretty sure I could hold them off.”

Kirby, who is currently seventh in the points standings, opened a seven-car lead over Sepulveda’s Russ Beckers, who moved into second place and chased Kirby to the checkered flag.

“He happened not to get bumped when I did,” Beckers said about Kirby’s successful maneuver. “I just tried to follow him the rest of the way.”

Kirby’s celebration was delayed briefly by a yellow flag on Lap 22. But he easily held off Beckers on a trophy dash to the finish. Dean Johnson of Hidden Hills finished third and Blankenship finished fourth.

Ray Hooper Jr. of Valencia won the 40-lap Sportsman division main event. Hooper passed Roger Theobald of Saugus on the inside on Lap 33.

Theobald, fourth in the points standings, took the lead on Lap 27 when the leader, Steve Burdett of Sylmar, was involved in a crash.

Points leader Dave Phipps of Simi Valley moved up from the middle of the pack to finish third.

Rich Wolfe of San Bernardino won the 15-lap Sportsman semi-main event just ahead of Loren Spangler of Northridge.

In the 15-lap Street Stock oval semi-main event, Greg Benner of Whittier held off J.D. Leedy for the win.