Kelley’s Late Move Gives Him 6th Win at Saugus

It was Trucker’s Night at Saugus Speedway on Saturday night, so Brian Kelley of Arleta decided to keep on truckin’ before 3,710 fans.

In the 25-lap Street Stock oval main event, Kelley charged late and won his sixth main event of the season--two oval and four figure-eight. Kelley, who entered the evening tied for fourth in the points standings, started 10th and didn’t assume the lead until Lap 19.

Pole-sitter Oliver Aguilar led the race until Kelley’s move for first. When Kelley did make his bid, he and Aguilar raced door to door for 1 1/2 laps before Kelley pulled away. After that, Aguilar failed to finish among the top four.

Rip Michels of Arleta, who was tied with Kelley for fourth place in the standings, finished second. Ed Horst of Canoga Park, who was third in the points standings, finished third. Garrett Cromsight of Antelope Valley finished fourth.

Points leader Dave Blankenship of Reseda suffered damage to his left front tire on Lap 13 and had to pit. He returned, however, to finish the race one lap down.

The 40-lap Sportsman main event was under way relatively early, but an accident involving racers Ken Sapper of Glendale and Pat Mintey Jr. of Quartz Hill caused a delay. The two tangled coming out of Turn 2 on Lap 3, with Mintey hitting the wall particularly hard.

Sapper left his vehicle under his own power, but Mintey was taken to Henry Mayo Medical Center for precautionary measures. Mintey was alert and talking when he left the track.

Fresh off first- and second-place finishes a week ago in the Winston 100 (twin 50-lap races), Lance Hooper of Palmdale started on the pole and won the six-lap Sportsman trophy dash.

Michels won the Street Stock oval trophy dash after Craig Rayburn of Newhall and Cromsight tangled bumpers in a small pileup at Turn 3.

Horst took the Street Stock figure-eight trophy dash.

Hooper continued his fine driving in the six-lap fast-heat race, passing Russ Beckers of Sepulveda on the outside of the back straightaway to take the checkered flag. Blankenship won the Street Stock oval fast heat and Richard Smith of Reseda won the Street Stock figure-eight fast heat.

Sean Woodside of Saugus, a relative newcomer to the Sportsman class, set the fast time for Sportsman cars with a time of 16.82 seconds. The Street Stock fast time was turned in by Cromsight, who clocked 18.52 seconds.

B main events were run in both the Street Stock oval and figure-eight divisions. In the oval B main, Jim Gunnarson of Reseda, Brent Slotte of Whittier, Daniel Handley of Whittier and Mitch Thompson of Sylmar qualified for the A main.

In the figure eight, David Willman of San Gabriel, Glen Whitton of Lancaster, Larry Durm of Northridge and Glen Werdon of Canyon Country qualified for the A main.