WESTERN HPDs AT MADERA SATURDAY;
T.THOMAS, JESSOP, PANKRATZ, LUNDSTROM & LAMB (2) SCORE
Madera (Calif.) Speedway hosts the USAC Western HPD Midget series Saturday, while the Eastern series takes a week off before joining with the Midwest series for an August 22 date at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Speedway.
Cody Jessop (overall) and Dylan Nobile (pavement) stand atop their respective Western points entering the Madera race, while Chris Lamb continues to lead the Eastern standings.
Chris Lamb of Colfax, N.C. scored a pair of victories last week. He won Saturday night’s 35-lap race at Shenandoah (Va.) Speedway, passing Matt Lundstrom on lap 16, and led the final 20 laps to beat Lundstrom, Jake Nelke, Andrew Layser and Jessica Bean.
Lamb and Matt Lundstrom of Concord, NC grabbed 25-lap wins Friday night at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C. Lamb passed Sam Hatfield on lap 16 of the first feature and led the rest of the way to beat Bean, Lundstrom, Nelke and Layser. In the nightcap, Lundstrom passed Layser on lap 23 and led the final three laps to beat Layser, Kyle Craker, Lamb and Bean.
Jessop, of Madera, Calif., led all 25 laps to win Saturday night’s USAC Western HPD Midget feature at Lemoore Raceway. Ron Hazelton, Robert Dalby, Ashley Hazelton and fast qualifier Shawn Buckley rounded out the top-five at the finish.
Wally Pankratz of Orange, Calif. captured Friday night’s wild 20-lap USAC Western HPD Midget race at Keller Auto Raceway at Plaza Park in Visalia, Calif. He led the final seven laps after passing Tom Paterson on lap 14 and was trailed at the checkered flag by Buckley, Marvin Mitchell, Dezel West and Paterson. Jessop led the first 10 laps and Paterson laps 11-13.
Tristin Thomas of Burlington, Wash. won Wednesday night’s accident-shortened 18-lap USAC Western Dirt HPD Midget race at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway. Thomas passed Ashley Hazelton on lap 15 and led until Jared Pickens flipped on lap 19 at which time the race was halted. Trailing Thomas at the finish of the race, which opened the Ventura County Fair, were Hazelton, Buckley, Robert Dalby and Gary Howard.
Buckley’s finishes earned him the title of “HPD Midget Week” champion for the three-race series.