Victory Pushes Horst Closer to Saugus Title

Ed Horst of Reseda took four checkered flags Saturday night at Saugus Speedway, the most important of which moved him a step closer to winning the Pro Stock division championship.

Horst, who has been atop the points standings since April, came from fifth position to win the 25-lap oval main event before a crowd of 4,372. Horst also won oval and figure-eight heat races and the figure-eight trophy dash.

Horst’s second main-event victory of the season--coupled with a ninth-place finish by Scott Dinger of Simi Valley--enabled Horst to open the gap between himself and Dinger in the division’s points standings with four main events remaining. Dinger trailed Horst by 28 points at the start of the evening.

“Excellent night. Couldn’t be better,” Horst said.

Dinger, who has won a division-high six main events this season, could not say the same. Dinger won the oval trophy dash, then blew an engine during a heat race.

Dinger drove the car of Paul Lindlief of North Hills for the main event, starting last in the 24-car grid.

“We gotta get lucky now to be able to catch (Horst),” Dinger said.

Horst sped past Victor Griffin of North Hollywood and into the lead on the 17th lap and was challenged only by Rick Crow of Canyon Country. Crow, driving the car of Steve Reynolds of Sylmar after his own car was demolished in a figure-eight crash last week, finished second. Griffin took third.

“It’s unfortunate that (Dinger) had that happen,” Horst said. “He’s a good, fast guy.”

The 40-lap Sportsman division main event was still in progress when this edition went to press.

In other races, Dennis Patterson of Whittier won the 12-lap Mini Stock Racing Assn. main event. Garrett Yamada of North Hollywood finished second, Scott Gallagher of Thousand Oaks finished third and Ron Katz of Simi Valley finished fourth.

In qualifying, Joe Heath of Northridge set a track record for Sportsman cars with a one-lap time of 16.36 seconds. Pat Mintey Jr. of Quartz Hill set the previous record a week earlier with a time of 16.37 seconds.

Brian Mumford of Simi Valley won the 15-lap Pro Stock oval semi-main event to lead four drivers who advanced to the main event. Glen Whitton of Lancaster, Albert Tester of Lancaster and Rick Hopkins of Simi Valley also advanced.