MERCED, Calif. – Robby Sawyer became the fourth different winner in as many nights of the inaugural California IMCA Modified Speedweeks when he took the checkered at Merced Speedway on Thursday night.
The Bakersfield, Calif., hotshoe bested Shane DeVolder by half a car length with Bobby Hogge right on his heels.
Troy Foulger, winner on Tuesday night at Petaluma, finished fourth in his No. 49 while polesitter Justin Dunn fell to the fifth spot.
Sawyer took the lead from Dunn lap seven as Dunn couldn’t hold the bottom of the track any longer. Two laps later Hogge also used an inside move to get around Dunn and set his eyes on leader Sawyer.
One lap later it was Foulger who would pass Dunn and the trio of powerhouse A Modified drivers held the top three spots. Dunn’s difficulties continued as he would fall back to the sixth spot while the top-three were dealing with the lapped car of Mike White.
With a clear track once they cleared White, the leaders were driving as defensively as they were offensively. Sawyer holding his line on the bottom of the track with Hogge and Foulger in his tire tracks. DeVolder had moved into the fourth spot and was visually the fastest car on the track.
With 10 laps to go, Hogge closed the gap on Sawyer and moved right up on his bumper. The two ran nose to tail for the next five laps, with Hogge giving Sawyer a wake-up tap coming out of the fourth turn on the 25th lap. Hogge however backed off, allowing Sawyer to get straight again and the two continued to duel.
The race’s only slow down came on lap 28 when Gavyn Manning stopped coming out of the second turn. With three laps remaining, the field took the restart green single file.
DeVolder took the gamble and went to the high side, passing both Foulger and Hogge. Race officials determined he had jumped the restart and was given a post race penalty of two positions, which ironically was the spots he had gained by the end of the race.
Garrett Jernagan won the 25-lap Sport Mod feature for his fourth-straight win in as many nights. Cody Johnson won the 20-lap IMCA Stock Car feature over Chad Johnson.
The finish:
Robby Sawyer, Bobby Hogge, Troy Foulger, Shane DeVolder, Justin Dunn, Collen Winebarger, Jerry Flippo, Jake Pike, Kellen Chadwick, Jim Pettit III, Danny Wagner, Bryan Clark, Trevor Fitz, Troy Morris iii, Mike White, Gavyn Manning, Danny Lauer, Nick DeCarlo, Austin Kiefer, Paul Stone.