STOCKTON, Calif. – Shane Golobic picked up $2,000 for winning the 25-lap open competition sprint car feature at Stockton Dirt Track on Saturday.
The Fremont, Calif., veteran piloted his familiar Elk Grove Ford No. 17w for Matt Wood Racing.
Golobic started on the pole of the main event in front of a 10-car field, but it was Michael Faccinto who led the pack into the first turn when Golobic had a slight hesitation at the drop of the green.
Golobic quickly recovered, got around Faccinto on the second revolution and then set sail around the four-tenths-mile San Joaquin County Fairgrounds oval.
It was Faccinto and Ryan Robinson who staged a torrid battle for second, while Golobic pulled way to a comfortable lead. The race ran caution free to that point, but on the white-flag lap, Faccinto’s left rear tire went flat and forced him to give up the second spot.
He pitted for a replacement tire, but was forced to tag the rear of the field.
The race’s only caution period set up a green-white-checkered finish. Faccinto’s brother Mitchell – who started last in the field – had slowly worked his way into contention.
He was battling JJ Hickel for third on the white-flag lap when Hickel went wide coming out of the fourth turn, narrowly missing the outside wall and giving up a podium finish.
Golobic easily cruised to the win, despite giving up a good lead when the yellow lights came on. The restart put Robinson on the leader’s tail, but he was no threat to Golobic.
Two heats lined up by a pill draw determined the starting line up for the feature.
Justyn Cox won heat one over Golobic.
The starting line up for the second heat was a complete reversal of the lineup of the first. That heat was won by Michael Faccinto, with Golobic again finishing second.
Golobic earned the pole position for the feature by virtue of having the best finishes in the two qualifying heats.
The finish:
Shane Golobic, Ryan Robinson, Mitchell Faccinto, JJ Hickel, Michael Faccinto, Zane Blanchard, Jodie Robinson, Andy Forsberg, Justyn Cox, Chase Majdic