Hood Holds Off Calczynski in Southwest Tour Race for 1st Career Win

If Mike Hood of Bakersfield could hear anything but the roar of engines and 4,615 spectators Saturday night at Saugus Speedway, it might have been the horn of Roman Calczynski.

Calczynski, who entered the 16th NASCAR Southwest Tour race as its points leader, nudged, bumped, slid beside and shoved Hood’s car with his own for the final 42 laps.

But Calczynski could not pass as Hood, who began in seventh place, went on to win the 100-lap race and post his first career tour win.

“I knew Roman was there the whole time,” Hood said. “He was giving me everything I could handle. He’s been around this track a few times.”

Perhaps more important for Calczynski, however, is that he finished ahead of Troy Beebe of Modesto, his nearest competitor in the tour’s points standings. Entering the race, Calczynski held a slim seven-point lead, which he extended to eight by virtue of his second-place finish.

Loran Kelley of Vacaville led virtually unchallenged for the first 58 laps before pulling into the pits and surrendering the lead to Hood.

The race was uneventful until Lap 36 when Dan Press of Frazier Park and Harry Brady of Canyon Country became involved in a flame-flying spin-out.

Press emerged from his car unhurt but was forced to leave the race. Brady rolled back into the pack and continued.

In the Street Stock oval main event, Dave Blankenship of Reseda slid inside Craig Rayburn of Simi Valley on Turn 4 of Lap 8 and went on to win the 25-lap race.

The win enabled Blankenship to remain tied with Russ Beckers of Sepulveda in the points standings. Beckers, who finished fourth in the main event, earned three points for a heat race win, but Blankenship made up the difference in the main event.

In the 20-lap Modified semi-main event, Brady finished three seconds ahead of Greg Perhacs of Highland and both drivers advanced to the main event.

Don Rogers Jr. of Palmdale won the 15-lap Street Stock oval semi-main event to advance to the main event. Bill McLean of Canoga Park, David Downs of Lancaster and Glen Mullins of Valencia also advanced.