Bobby Dalton understood the significance of Johnny Brazil’s record at Stockton 99 Speedway: 11.899 seconds around the quarter-mile paved oval in a Super Modified set 40 years ago on June 1, 1985. But …
“I really wanted to get the all-time track record with the wing sprint car,” the Morgan Hill driver said in Victory Lane after winning the Speed Tour Super Modifieds main event on Aug. 23 and breaking Brazil’s class record with a qualifying blast of 11.769 seconds (76.472 mph) and backing it up with an 11.774 on his second lap. It was the first appearance for the Super Modified division at Stockton 99 in 20 years.
While Dalton broke the class mark, Brazil’s overall track record was broken 10 years ago on Aug. 8, 2015, when four drivers competing in a King of the Wing Western Sprint Car event beat the Stockton 99 legend’s time. Davey Hamilton Jr. left the track that night with the new overall record at 11.527 seconds in what Dalton described as “a straight-up pavement sprint car, a little bit shorter wheelbase.”
Dalton was there. He recalled the weather being “overcast and beautiful, nice and cold and sticky.” Sure enough, world-weather.info lists Aug. 8, 2015, recording a high of 88 and a low of 61 in Stockton. Saturday’s high reached 99 degrees.
“It was a little slick today,” he said.
Dalton has been the qualifying king on the tour in his orange No. 31 this season, having topped time trials May 3 at Shasta Speedway, on June 13 and 14 at Meridian (Idaho), and July 12 at Wenatchee (Washington). The Speed Tour Super Modifieds points leader, Dalton placed second twice and fifth twice in those races running a 410 small-block Chevrolet engine with heads built in 1998 that he said performed Saturday night “the best the motor has actually run all year.” Dalton set the quickest lap of the feature at 12.528 seconds.
Dalton started fifth in the 11-car field and ran third for several laps behind leader TJ Sneva and Darin Snider before Snider pulled off the track on lap 32 of the 40-lap main event. Snider qualified second and Sneva fourth.
“TJ Sneva and Darin Snider, they were running really well. They were rolling the corners and getting out for them,” Dalton said. “I could run them in, but passing’s another thing.”
Now running second, Dalton made his move and blew by Sneva down low in turns 3 and 4 on lap 35, using a move the team dialed in during practice laps.
“We were working through testing in practice to run the bottom of 3 and 4 because not a lot of cars can run the bottom and actually get through there,” Dalton explained. “So we were trying to find the balance to get through the bottom and get enough run out of the corner and still make the car work in (turns) 1 and 2.”
They made it work. Dalton led the last five laps and beat Sneva to the checkered flag by .713 of a second. Randy Anderson finished third, Matt Martinez fourth and 84-year-old Kenny Hamilton, father of Indy 500 veteran Davey Hamilton, rounded out the top five.
“I was trying to make sure I left enough room for TJ up high because he would have a run, so I didn’t want to cut him off,” Dalton said. “It was just pushing as hard as we can go.”
With the winner’s trophy in hand and pictures taken, Dalton’s post-race interview was interrupted by several children who wanted to sit in Dalton’s car and touch the tires.
“That was a good comeback, bro,” said one young boy.
“I was rooting for you the whole time,” said another.
NCMA Sprint Cars: Shauna Hogg of Fair Oaks ran out front for the first 26 laps of the 30-lap feature with Tony Hunt of Rocklin and Pat Goodwill of Rescue right behind her. Within two laps, Goodwill was out of the race after driving up the back of Hunt’s car, followed by Hogg and Hunt moving to the back of the pack after Hunt sent Hogg spinning.
That allowed Austin Carter of Clovis to move from fourth to the lead on the next restart on lap 28 enroute to the checkered flag by .884 of a second over runner-up David Dias of Sacramento with Alan Beck of Peyton, Nevada, third for his first podium finish.
“Sometimes, it’s better to run second or third and let those guys figure it out,” Carter said in Victory Lane. “It feels good to be up here.”
Carter has considerable wing experience and said he’s still learning a lot in the NCMA Sprint Cars. He said he had a decent car, if not the car to beat.
“With a wing car, you don’t have any patience, you have to be on top of the wheel the whole time,” he said. “I’m learning the patient side; and these things, basically the opposite.”
Grand American Modified: A hiccup by Scott Winters of Tracy allowed Calvin Hegje to shoot to the front on a restart on lap 12, and the Sacramento driver led the rest of the 25-lap main event for his second victory this season. Winters fell back to fourth but rebounded to place second, 2.56 seconds behind Hegje.
Winters (14.638) and Hegje (14.669) ran 1-2 in qualifying.
“It’s not the greatest way to win, but it’s a win,” Hegje said. “We were coming to the green and I don’t know if he didn’t shift or something happened, but we were together most of the race, and it was amazing.”
Legends of Kearney Bowl: Driving the same car Brazil piloted to his 100th career victory, C.J. Stubbles of Grass Valley easily outdistanced Fresno’s Duane Woodward and Adam Peter of Clovis to win the caution-free 25-lap feature.
Stockton 99 Speedway returns to action Saturday, Sept. 6, with action in the Stockton Late Model, Pure Stock, NorCal Mini Stock, Legends of 99 and Fast Kar Solutions Mini Modified divisions. Ticket prices are $20 for adults ages 16-59, and $15 for juniors 11-15, seniors 60 and over and military with an ID. A family pack (two adults, two juniors) costs $55. Kids 10 and under are free. A pit pass for all ages costs $50, and parking is free.
Stockton 99 Speedway
Results for Aug. 23
Johnny Brazil Memorial (Speed Tour Super Modifieds, 40 laps): 1. Bobby Dalton, 2. TJ Sneva, 3. Randy Anderson, 4. Matt Martinez, 5. Kenny Hamilton, 6. Rick Brophy, 7. Darin Snider, 8. Dusty Green, 9. Jimmy White, 10. Roger Galleano, 11. Art McCarthy.
NCMA Sprint Cars (30 laps): 1. Austin Carter, 2. David Dias, 3. Alan Beck, 4. Dan Gonderman, 5. Jerry Kobza, 6. Shauna Hogg, 7. Tony Hunt, 8. Tylor Amador, 9. David Burchett, 10. Mauro Simone, 11. Pat Goodwill.
Grand American Modified (25 laps): 1. Calvin Hegje, 2. Scott Winters, 3. Jordan Smith, 4. Rick Avila, 5. Sam Winkler.
Correspondent Dale Bosowski contributed to this report.
