Phipps Takes Another Saugus Grand Am Main

No surprises were in store in the 25-lap Grand American Modified main event Saturday night at Saugus Speedway.

Dave Phipps of Simi Valley won again. Easily.

Phipps, the defending track champion and winner of the season-opening main event a week ago, started sixth in the grid but quickly improved to fourth before the second lap was completed.

Three yellow flags tarnished the first lap, but when traffic began to move, so did Phipps.

“We’re having a lot of fun,” he said. “I have a lot of experience here. But they’re not easy passes, I can tell you that much.”

They looked easy. Phipps moved to second, then passed pole-sitter and leader Jim Marlewski of Simi Valley on Lap 5 before opening as much as a five-second lead on the nearest challenger.

The going only became easier when Marlewski spun out on Lap 9 and Dave Blankenship of Reseda, who started seventh, pulled out on Lap 14.

Bill McLean of Canoga Park finished second.

The 40-lap Sportsman main event, in progress at press time, was marred by a four-car crash on the second lap that resulted in a lengthy delay and at least three cars being towed from the track.

The accident occurred when the car of Joe Heath of Northridge spun into the front straightaway wall and caromed back into the field. No one appeared to be injured.

In the 25-lap Mini Stock main event, Ed Fuller Jr. of Carson withstood a hard charge by Rock Ake Jr. of Moorpark for the victory. Fuller took the checkered flag in his powder blue Pinto, a car length ahead of Ake’s Escort.

Preston Davis of Valencia won the 20-lap Outlaw Mini Stock main event.

Heat-race winners included Rich DeLong Jr. of Van Nuys and John Watkinson III of Canyon Country (Sportsman); Marlewski of Simi Valley and Mike Kirby of Faleta (Grand American Modified); Fuller, Rick Pianelli of Downey and Dave Suber of Simi Valley (Mini Stock); and Dennis Patterson of Whittier and Davis (Outlaw Mini Stock).