Cran Holds Off Harper, Wins 40-Lap Main

Will Harper banged John Cran’s bumper 160 times--once at every turn in Saturday night’s 40-lap Sportsman division main event at Saugus Speedway.

Exaggeration? Of course. Yet it is a fairly accurate account of a competitive duel won by Cran before a crowd of 4,266.

Cran, a 10-year track veteran from Reseda, had never won a Sportsman main event in three years in the division.

Things looked promising, however, when Cran, 30, posted the evening’s top qualifying time with a one-lap time of 17.00 seconds.

Things looked even better when Cran, by virtue of the track’s random starting system, was placed in the pole position for the main event.

Harper of Tarzana, the defending division champion and current points leader, qualified second (17.01) and consequently started on the outside of Cran. Both drivers held their positions throughout the race.

“I knew I could hold him off,” Cran said. “I watched the other cars and I paid attention. I was coming off the corners well. I was a little worried about him. Will Harper has a lot of motor.”

Said Harper: “I was going as fast as I could, I just couldn’t pass him. I thought if he just made one mistake, I could get by him. But he never made a mistake.”

Harper, however, benefitted by the second-place finish. Two of his closest pursuers in the points standings--second-place Craig Rayburn of Simi Valley and fifth-place Dave Phipps of Simi Valley--failed to finish.

Rayburn spun out on Lap 23 and Phipps was forced out with ignition problems four laps later.

Gary Sigman of Carson finished second and Gary Whitney of Moorpark took third.

Oliver Aguilar’s only obstacle to a second consecutive Hobby Stock main-event victory was Robert Vigil of Lancaster. And for 18 of the 25 laps Aguilar, a division rookie from Sun Valley, could not navigate his Camaro past Vigil’s.

Finally, after closing in on Vigil’s bumper on each of three lengthy yellow flags, Aguilar capitalized on a golden opportunity when Vigil’s car slid against the backstretch wall because of a flat tire.

Aguilar darted past Vigil and roared to the checkered flag.