Hooper Surges Past Sigman for Sportsman Victory

The first leg of Saturday night’s annual running of the Winston Twin 50s at Saugus Speedway packed enough drama for two races.

Lance Hooper of Palmdale and Gary Sigman of Carson dueled for the lead virtually the entire way in the first of two 50-lap main events showcasing the track’s frontline Sportsman division.

Sigman, who started in the pole position, led for the first 45 laps--35 with Hooper closing in at every turn and looking for an opening.

With five laps to go, Hooper found one. He passed Sigman in the first turn and went on to win before a crowd of 4,384.

The second 50-lap race was not yet under way when this edition went to press.

The victory was a division-high fourth this season for Hooper, last season’s Sportsman champion. He entered the evening fourth in the points standings.

“I was pressuring him, but I wasn’t going to take us both out,” Hooper said. “He pushed up enough for me to get underneath him. I was just waiting for Gary to mess up.”

Sigman, the division points leader, said his strategy going in was to race conservatively. “I told my crew that if Lance starts pounding on my car, I wasn’t going to get confrontational,” he said. “Lance is here to win the race. I’m here to win the championship.”

Hooper would argue that point. The win was Hooper’s third in a row after a problematic beginning this season. Hooper attributed his streak to a new engine.

“It makes it so I don’t have to work as hard,” Hooper said.

Keith Spangler of Northridge finished third and Ken Sapper of La Crescenta finished fourth.

In the 25-lap Pro Stock oval main event, Mark Miller of Chatsworth, fourth in the division points standings, sped to his first win of the season.

But the Pro Stock division’s real battle continued to rage between Ed Horst of Reseda and Scott Dinger of Simi Valley.

Battling for the top position the entire race, Horst, the division points leader, finished second, and Dinger, second in points, finished third.

Horst entered the evening with a 16-point advantage over Dinger. Either Horst or Dinger has led the points standings every week this season.

John Cran of Reseda won the 12-lap Sportsman semi-main event to advance to the main event. Rick Winakur of Temple City, who finished second, also advanced. Tim Huddleston of Sepulveda won the 12-lap Pro Stock oval semi-main event.

Sportsman heat-race winners included Cran, Hooper and Sean Woodside of Saugus (Sportsman).

Pro Stock oval heat-race winners included Jeff Holmes of Canyon Country, Huddleston and Terry Custer of Northridge. Larry Durm of Northridge and Richard Smith of Reseda won Pro Stock figure-eight heat races.

Trophy dash winners included John Higgins of Simi Valley (Sportsman), Victor Griffin of North Hollywood (Pro Stock oval) and Horst (Pro Stock figure-eight).