MOTOR RACING / VINCE KOWALICK : Twin 50s Raise Sportsman Ante

The Sportsman division points race at Saugus Speedway, already one of the hottest in recent years, is on the verge of coming to a boil tonight as drivers gear up for the annual running of the Winston Twin 50s.

Instead of the standard 40-lap main event, Sportsman drivers will compete in two 50-lap main events, both of equal value in points.

However, the ante has been upped.

For instance, a driver on a hot streak could post two main-event wins with only one trip to the track. Then again, should a driver crash early in the first race, not only will he come away with virtually no points, he will not have the luxury of a one-week break to repair his vehicle in time for the next main event.

Emerging pointless from two main events could put an end to a bid for a track championship. Conversely, circumstances could elevate an also-drove into contention.

“Everything is on the line,” said points leader Pat Mintey Jr. of Quartz Hill. “If we can’t win the race, our goal is to finish (among the top four).”

Sportsman drivers are awarded 24 points for the winner of a 24-car main event, 22 points for second, 20 for third and so on.

Consistency might be the best policy, considering the traffic jam at the top of the points standings. For sheer drama, the Twin 50s couldn’t have come at a better time.

Only 38 points separate the top five drivers: Mintey (229 points), Sean Woodside of Saugus (222), Russ Beckers of Sepulveda (219), Gary Sigman (197) of Carson and John Higgins of Simi Valley (191). Only three main events remain after tonight.

“I think anybody in the top five could win the championship,” Mintey said. “You can’t count any chickens.”

Count on engines and emotions running full throttle.

Sigman, the defending champion, and Mintey and Woodside each have won two main events. Beckers has won one. Higgins has no wins but has finished second twice. And all five have held the points lead at one point this season.

Getting to the head of the pack hasn’t been easy.

Twice during the past month, tempers flared between Woodside and Beckers after their vehicles bumped on the track. After a heat race July 24, Larry Woodside, Sean’s father and a former Saugus Sportsman driver, jumped atop the hood of Beckers’ car as it coasted through the pits.

Woodside claimed that Beckers tried to run him over. “I didn’t try to run him over and I have numerous witnesses,” Beckers said. “I consider it over with and I hope it doesn’t happen again.”

Said Sean Woodside: “I’m not too happy with him. He’s (damaged) my car twice.”

Woodside agreed that the matter is in the past.

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Dinger disqualified: Pro Stock points leader Scott Dinger of Simi Valley turned in an impressive performance at Saugus last weekend, winning the 25-lap oval and 15-lap figure-eight main events, as well as both trophy dashes.

But Dinger’s efforts went for naught.

During a post-race inspection of several cars, Dinger was found guilty of mechanical violations and was stripped of his four wins. Dinger’s losses amounted to 29 points, $590 in prize money and the division’s points lead. Ed Horst of Reseda, defending Pro Stock champion and Dinger’s chief rival, moved into the lead ahead of Dinger, who dropped to second.

Dinger vehemently disputed the ruling and said he is in the process of appealing to track officials, who ruled that Dinger’s vehicle had illegal exhaust valves.

“The same valves were in the car last year,” Dinger said. “They weren’t illegal then. The rule didn’t change, the interpretation changed.

“Now, they’re calling me a cheater. I don’t think they realize the effect that has on a driver. It affects my family, my pit crew, my sponsors, my friends. And it makes my motor builder look like an idiot too.”

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Bolio is OK: Joey Bolio of Lake View Terrace provided a scare last weekend at Saugus when his Pro Stock slammed into the wall on the first lap of the opening trophy dash.

Bolio, who remained in his car as a precautionary measure, immediately complained of neck pain and numbness in his left arm. Proceedings were delayed for more than 30 minutes while track crew members and paramedics, amid a shower of sparks, worked feverishly to cut Bolio’s car apart.

Bolio was loaded into an ambulance and taken to a hospital, where he underwent a CAT scan and had X-rays taken. He was released five hours later after being treated for a pinched nerve in his neck.

“I was nervous right after it happened,” Bolio said. “I pretty much couldn’t feel anything in my left arm or hand and I couldn’t move too well. They had to cut the roof off my car.”

Bolio, who dropped from seventh to ninth in Pro Stock points, said he will not continue the season.

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Miscellany: The NASCAR Winston West series resumes tonight with a 200-lap race at Cajon Speedway near San Diego. Rick Carelli of Denver, a former Southwest Tour champion, is the series points leader. Carelli, who has won four of 10 main events, has 1,723 points. Rookie Dirk Stephens of Tumwater, Wash., is second with 1,621. Bill Sedgwick of Granada Hills, the series defending champion, is third with 1,473.