Yellow Flag Costs Wade Saugus Win

Scott Wade of Burbank, enjoying perhaps the largest lead of any driver in a main event this season at Saugus Speedway, fell victim first to a yellow flag, then to Joe Barreras Jr. on Saturday night before a crowd of 3,582.

Wade, who entered the evening second in the Hobby Stock division points standings, had all but bagged the checkered flag of the 25-lap oval main event.

With three laps remaining, Wade, who started from the pole position, led by more than a half-lap--a seemingly insurmountable margin on the 1/3-mile paved oval.

But an oil leak by one vehicle forced a yellow flag, allowing Barreras, who climbed to second after starting 13th, to close on Wade.

Less than two laps later, Barreras slid past Wade on the slick surface and on to his second oval and third main-event win of the season.

“It was a sloppy track,” said Barreras, a resident of Canyon Country who entered the evening ninth in the standings. “There was oil everywhere--on the inside, on the outside, everywhere.”

For Wade, who entered the evening 34 points behind divisional leader Brian Kelley of Arleta, the second-place finish was frustrating.

“There was no reason for them to throw the yellow flag, I don’t think,” Wade said. “I’m mad. (Kelley) is 30 points ahead of me.”

Kelley, who started 16th, sped through traffic and finished third to all but clinch his first track championship.

“I wanna win bad,” said Kelley, who earlier in the evening established a one-lap track qualifying record of 22.57 seconds. “I wanna win real bad because, with my luck, something will happen. These guys are tough. You can’t let up.”

In the crash-filled, 12-lap oval jalopy main event, Scott Harmon of Reseda assumed the lead on Lap 7 and held off Russ Wolff to win. Butch Pfankuchen of Simi Valley finished second and Phil Budinger of Mission Hills finished fourth.

In other races, Cal Northrup of Thousand Oaks won the 12-lap Sportsman semi-main event to lead six drivers who advanced to the main event.

Eight-lap Sportsman heat-race winners included Larry Krieger of Reseda, Rod Johnson of Canyon Country and Glen Mullins of Valencia.

Eight-lap Hobby Stock oval heat race winners included Kerry Mulligan of Granada Hills, Rick Bonifield of Palmdale, Wade and Neil Conrad of Arcadia.

Thad Friday of Reseda won the eight-lap Hobby Stock figure 8 heat race.

Trophy dash winners included Gary Sigman of Carson (Sportsman), Kelley (Hobby Stock oval) and Barreras (Hobby Stock figure 8).