Santa Maria Raceway
Kirby gets past Drake for $2,000 at Santa Maria
By Jim Pluhar
Santa Maria SpeedwaySANTA MARIA, Calif. (June 27) — West Coast Shootout points leader Mike Kirby of Torrance, Calif., overtook fast qualifier Steve Drake on the 16th of 30 laps at Santa Maria Speedway to win the fourth round of the two-track miniseries.
Kirby earned $2,000 for the victory while Drake settled for second ahead of Nick Bartels of El Segundo, Calif. Clay Daly of Watsonville, Calif., was fourth and A.J. Kirkpatrick of Castroville, Calif., rounded out the top five.
Notes: Kirby's No. 5 is sponsored by Communication Innovation and Gardner Pipe & Mechanical. ... The night's racing at Santa Maria was sponsored by Burke & Pace Lumber, Mega 97.1, and Hyundai of Santa Maria. ... Kirby has 612 points to lead West Coast Shootout points over Steve Drake (606), Mike Johnson (556), Robert Sanders (542) and Ron Bartels (525). ... Among drivers failing to make the Santa Maria feature: Tommy Malcolm and Donnie Hampl. ... Two more West Coast Shootout events remain with a Sept. 6 event at Santa Maria and a Sept. 19 event at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway.
West Coast Shootout @ Santa Maria: (1) Mike Kirby, (2) Steve Drake, (3) Nick Bartels, (4) Clay Daly, (5) A.J. Kirkpatrick, (6) Chris Shannon, (7) Robert Sanders, (8) Zack Forster, (9) Ron Bartels, (10) Nick Perivolaris, (11) Devin Crockett, (12) Dino Napier, (13) Bill Bartels, (14) Jeffrey Priddy, (15) Brian Wirtz, (16) Carla Laney, (17) Mike Johnson, (18) Jerry Stewart, (19) John Lowrey, (20) Dana Beattie. Fast qualifer (among 26 cars): Drake, 15.907 seconds. Heat race winners: Kirby, R. Bartels, Shannon, Daly. Consolation winner: Wirtz.
Correction: Fixes West Coast Shootout standings with Steve Drake, not Brad Pounds, in second place.
