Santa Maria Raceway
Toste tops teammate, wins Simkins Memorial
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (Sept. 1) — Series points leader Tony Toste of Pismo Beach, Calif. topped teammate Jason Papich of Nipomo, Calif., to claim his first career West Coast Late Model Shootout victory Sunday at Santa Maria Speedway.
Toste led all 30 laps to earn $2,000 in the second leg of the tour’s doubleheader weekend. Papich settled for second at the finish followd by Steve Drake of San Luis Obispo, Calif., Rob Sanders of Bakersfield, Calif.., and Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas, Calif.
Jeff Decker of San Jose, Calif., who fought off Hogge to win Saturday’s weekend opener at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway, failed to finish Sunday’s feature after dropping out with engine issues.
The series returns to action with a Sept. 20-21 doubleheader at Canyon Speedway in Peoria, Ariz.
Danny and Sandie Simkins Memorial: (1) Tony Toste, (2) Jason Papich, (3) Steve Drake, (4) Rob Sanders, (5) Bobby Hogge IV, (6) Clay Daly, (7) Tommy Malcolm, (8) Devin Crockett, (9) Mike Kirby, (10) Jeff Manka, (11) Larry Childress, (12) Nick Bartels, (13) Bruce Duckett, (14) Larry Wise, (15) Jeff Decker, (16) Shawn DeForest, (17) Denis Souza, (18) Chris Laney, (19) Carla Laney. Fast qualifier (among 19 cars): Toste, 15.698 seconds. Heat winners: Drake, Wise, Sanders. Dash winner: Papich.
