Saugus Races Look Like a Destruction Derby

The track ambulance and tow truck were among the most visible vehicles Saturday night at Saugus Speedway.

Crashes and delays marred the 30-lap Grand American Modified and 25-lap Street Stock oval main events before a crowd of 4,382, with Rod Johnson of Canyon Country and Gerrit Cromsigt of Palmdale taking the respective checkered flags.

“Seemed like everybody kept spinning out,” said Johnson, who recorded his first Grand Am victory of the season on the eve of his 32nd birthday. “But all that happened pretty far ahead of me.”

Two laps into the race, sparks flew when the car of Greg Austin of Mission Hills went airborne after a brush with the car of Bill McLean of Canoga Park. Both cars spun into the infield but neither driver was injured.

On the restart, Johnson darted past leader Jim Marlewski of Simi Valley. So did several other cars.

“I was stuck in second gear,” Marlewski said. “All the guys got around me by the time I got it into third.”

In Street Stock, Cromsigt won his fourth main event in six starts this season in a race delayed 20 minutes by a violent wreck involving Brett Myers of Simi Valley and Oscar Sevilla of Mission Hills.

Myers was taken to the hospital with a lower back injury, according to officials. Sevilla was unhurt.

Points leader John Schultz of Valencia finished second and Kelly Colgan of Shadow Hills took third.

In other races, Michael Price of Gardena won the 15-lap Street Stock oval semi-main event and advanced to the main with Yagel Berkovitz of Burbank, Randy Goldsmith of Cerritos and Greg Bratschie of Granada Hills.

In the 40-lap Sportsman main event, Sean Woodside of Saugus, fourth in the division’s points standings, moved into the lead on the 27th lap and held on to record his first main-event victory of the season in five starts.

Woodside, who finished third in two main events, sped past leader Terry Custer of Mission Hills near the starting line and faced little challenge thereafter.

Russ Beckers of Sepulveda finished second, Tim Huddleston of North Hills finished third and John Higgins of Simi Valley finished fourth.