Johnson Captures Saugus Feature as Phipps Moves Up

Rod Johnson of Canyon Country rolled to his first main-event win of the season Saturday night at Saugus Speedway, easily winning the 40-lap Sportsman division main event before a crowd of 3,655.

But the evening really belonged to Dave Phipps of Simi Valley, the two-time defending Sportsman champion.

Phipps, by virtue of a hard-fought fourth-place finish, moved atop the division’s points standings for the first time in the 4 1/2-month season.

Phipps, 41, who entered the evening second in the standings, three points behind Keith Spangler of Northridge, finished two positions ahead of Spangler--a value of four points--to assume an unofficial lead by a one-point margin.

Will Harper of Tarzana, who entered the race third in the points standings, six points behind Spangler, gained two points on Spangler by finishing fifth.

In the 25-lap Street Stock oval main event, Jim Marlewski of Simi Valley cruised from pole position to checkered flag to earn his second main-event win of the season.

Marlewski, who entered the evening seventh in the points standings, finished two seconds ahead of Russ Beckers of Sepulveda, who moved into second place ahead of Dale White Jr. of Simi Valley on Lap 22.

Beckers entered the race third in the points standings, four points ahead of White. Had White been able to finish ahead of Beckers, he would have narrowed that gap by two points.

Gary Ebeling of Monrovia, in the right place at the right time, capitalized on his good fortune to win the Mini Stock Racing Assn. 20-lap main event.

Ebeling, who last month established a track qualifying record for Mini Stocks with a one-lap time of 16.62 seconds (72.20 m.p.h on the one-third-mile paved oval), started the race in 13th position and had climbed to third by Lap 14.

But when Mike Frieson of Bakersfield tried to wedge past leader Tim Mitchell of La Crescenta while navigating Turn 4, both cars spun into the infield and a yellow flag resulted as the pack roared past the start-finish line.

According to track rules, drivers are permitted to complete a lap begun before the yellow flag is waved. And Ebeling raced to the yellow, edging Mal Border of Tujunga at the start-finish line before drivers were slowed by track officials.

Ebeling easily sped to victory, despite another yellow and one red flag.

In the first of five main events, Garrett Yamada of North Hollywood sped unchallenged to win the 10-lap main event for Saugus Mini Stocks ahead of Jeff Walker of Thousand Oaks.

In other races, Victor Nill won the 12-lap Street Stock oval semi-main event.

Eight-lap Sportsman division heat-race winners included Richard DeLong Jr. of Mission Hills, Herb Reich of Alta Loma and Harper.

Eight-lap Street Stock oval heat race winners included John Schuetze of Simi Valley, Larry Durm of Northridge and Dale White Jr. of Simi Valley