RED BLUFF, Calif. (Jan. 18, 2003) - Chico’s Mitch Mootz scored his first Open Outlaw A Main win of the 2002-2003 Winter Indoor Season as the January portion of the schedule closed on Saturday night. Mootz had timed in 11th quick and ran second to point leader Brian McCain in his heat. A big night for B McCain increased his point lead to 36 points over defending champion Sean Becker. B McCain set fast time, won his heat, ran third in the dash and 4th in the feature.

Third-ranked Daniel Becker was second in the A Main with last week’s winner Kyle Cattanach third. In the Open Intermediate A Main, Austin VanKeuren outraced point leaders David Wilson and Michael Hubert III to win. Wilson ran second and now trails Hubert by just 3 points in their title fight with just two February events left to run. Long tow Richard Bailey from Napa turned front row starts into wins in both the dash and A Main for the 125 Intermediates. He is one of an incredible 7 drivers still battling for the track title as he stands 7th, just 49 points back of the point lead. Brett Miller continued his string of fast times with the first 8 second run for the class this year and his 5th place feature run left him just 5 points back of point leader Matt DiBenedetto as DiBenedetto had a rare last place feature finish. Nevada’s Tom Purcell ran second ahead of Steven Rogers. Derek Copeland won his second straight Box Stock A Main and red hot Jonny Lentz ran second ahead of point runnerup Keith Bloom Jr. Casey McClain outraced point leader Tyler Reddick in the Beginner Box Stock A Main, but still trails Reddick by 16 markers in their title fight.

B McCain was the quickest of 41 Open Outlaws with a 8.782 lap as Ryan Kaplan ran a 8.794 and Tyler McCain a 8.799. Fourth quick Cattanach won the dash with Jason Webb second. Each of the five heat races transferred just two karts into the A Main. B McCain beat Mootz in heat 1 with Kyle Hirst, Steven Gannon, Cattanach and Robbie Whitchurch the other heat winners. Both top runners T McCain and S Becker had problems in their heat action and had to start their feature efforts in the D Main. T McCain was able to race all the way to the A Main as he beat S Becker and Oregon’s Richard Weststeyn in the D Main, then edged Aaron Colburn and S Becker in the C Main. S Becker’s night ended in the highly competitive B Main as Beau Perkins beat C W Tiner, Jason Schuppert and T McCain. Colburn and S Becker just missed with their 5-6 finishes. In the A Main, it was Mootz winning ahead of D Becker, Cattanach, B McCain, Gannon, Kaplan, T McCain, Tony Sousa and Perkins. B McCain is 36 points ahead of S Becker and 44 in front of D Becker.

Justin Reinolds showed his strength early in the day for the Open Intermediates. He was quickest of 22 entries with a 8.861 lap that nipped the 8.894 of Hubert. Cycleland champion Quintin Crye ran a 8.907 and Micah Parmer a 8.939. The top 8 all broke into the 8’s with VanKeuren 8th quick. Crye beat Reinolds in the dash. Each of the three heat races transferred four into the A Main. Parmer beat Reinolds in heat 1, Tyler Ritcheson outran Hubert in heat 2 and Wilson won heat 3 ahead of Oregon’s Joe Weststeyn. Crye had problems in his heat and won the B Main over Michael Tarter and Billy Aton. VanKeuren was the feature winner with Wilson second ahead of Hubert, Parmer, J Weststeyn, Michael Helwig, Robbie Ritcheson and David Maples. This division has six drivers within 48 points of the point lead with Hubert 3 ahead of Wilson, 25 ahead of Crye, 26 in front of Parmer and 37 ahead of Reinolds. Chad Widener rounds out that top six.

B Miller has dominated time trials for the 125 Intermediate class and his 8.952 qualifying effort was the quickest of the season, pacing 27 entries. Point leader DiBenedetto had a 9.002 and Oregon’s Chadd Noland a 9.016. Sixth quick Bailey won the dash with Nevada’s Tom Purcell second ahead of Noland. Again, three heats moved the top four forward. Heat winners were Rogers, Tyler Wolf and Derek O’Bannon. Mason Moore was the B Main winner with Ryan Gomes second ahead of Cody Ambers. Bailey drove to his A Main win in front of T Purcell, Rogers, Noland, B Miller, Nic Helwig, Wolf and Alan Ambers as DiBenedetto placed 16th. DiBenedetto is five points ahead of B Miller with Noland just 21 points out of first. N Helwig is 26 points back and 7 ahead of Wolf.

Dustin Jenkins has also turned into a qualifying terror and his 9.798 qualifying run paced 33 entries. Point leader Brian Southers had a 9.935 lap and Lentz ran a 10.026. Copeland was fourth and defending champion Derek Kennemore fifth. Copeland’s big night went out to include a dash win over Lentz and a heat victory. Other heat winners were Derek Kennemore, Dillon Silverman and Lentz. Three karts moved forward out of each heat and Cory Lyon beat Dylon Greenleaf in the C Main. Last year’s Beginner Box Stock champion Doug Kennemore won the B Main with Andrew Anderson second ahead of Nevada’s Christian Steele. In the A Main, Copeland won with Lentz second ahead of Bloom, Southers, Raymond Close, Silverman and Leanna Kenyon. Southers’ point lead is 32 over Bloom with Lentz 8 more points back. Copeland is fifth in points behind Derek Kennemore.

Nevada’s Jay Primm beat the track title duelers in time trials for the 32 Beginner Box Stocks. He ran a 11.262 and McClain ran a 11.320. Reddick was third at 11.387. Fourth quick Cameron Bartlett won the dash ahead of Reddick and Primm. Since this class limits their feature fields to 12, only two karts advanced out of the four heat races. Heat winners were Nevada’s Kellcy Bell, McClain, Reddick and Wyatt Pruitt. Tanner Thomson won the D Main and Sean Martin took the C Main honors. Primm had to run the B Main, but won with Tyler Seavey second ahead of Matt Morrison and Kaylee Eiler. In the A Main, it was McClain on top of Reddick, Pruitt, Primm, Eiler, Nicholas Bellamy and Bartlett. While Reddick is just 16 points ahead of McClain, third ranked N Bellamy is now 110 behind the point leader. Pruitt is fourth in points.

RESULTS

Beginner Box Stock

Fast Time: Jay Primm (11.262).

Dash: Cameron Bartlett, Tyler Reddick, Primm.

Heat 1: Kellcy Bell, Trevor Tennison, Primm, Kaylee Eiler, Jason Mittry.

Heat 2: Casey McClain, Wesley Dougherty, Tristan Miller, Tyler Seavey, Braedon Enos.

Heat 3: Reddick, Nicholas Bellamy, Jacob Miller, Matt Morrison, Thomas Bellamy.

Heat 4: Wyatt Pruitt, Bartlett, Jonathan Hoheisel, Cameron Perron, Sean Martin.

D Main: Tanner Thomson, Logan Taylor, Cabel Price, Steven Nelson, Bailey Crowell, Zack Rushing, Cyle Allison, Tanner Thorson.

C Main: Martin, Mittry, Jake Morgan, Price, Katina Baker, Keith Aton, T. Bellamy, Nick Larson, Thomson, Taylor.

B Main: Primm, T. Seavey, Morrison, Eiler, J. Miller, T. Miller, Morgan, Hoheisel, Perron, Mittry.

A Main: McClain, Reddick, Pruitt, Primm, Eiler, N. Bellamy, Bartlett, Bell, T. Seavey, Morrison, Dougherty, Tennison.

Box Stock

Fast Time: Dustin Jenkins (9.798).

Dash: Derek Copeland, Jonny Lentz, Derek Kennemore.

Heat 1: Derek Kennemore, Jenkins, Brad Patchen, Kyle Larson, Doug Kennemore.

Heat 2: Dillon Silverman, Raymond Close, Brian Southers, Leana Kenyon, Bryanna Powers.

Heat 3: Lentz, Keith Bloom Jr., Chase Hill, Jesse Red, Andrew Cumpton.

Heat 4: Copeland, Jennifer Purcell, Mackena Bell, Spencer Stutesman, Robert Tophan.

C Main: Cory Lyon, Dylan Greenleaf, Jesse Taylor, Riley Gomes, Jacob Park, Alyssa Hogan, Shelby Price, Daniel Thompson, Chelsea Gamble.

B Main: Doug Kennemore, Andrew Anderson, Christian Steele, Kenyon, Red, Gomes, Larson, Cumpton, Matt Lyons, Lyon.

A Main: Copeland, Lentz, Bloom, Southers, Close, Silverman, Kenyon, Patchen, Jenkins, Anderson, M. Bell, Derek Kennemore, Doug Kennemore, Steele, Purcell, Hill.

125 Intermediate

Fast Time: Brett Miller (8.952).

Dash: Richard Bailey, Tom Purcell, Chadd Noland.

Heat 1: Steven Rogers, B. Miller, Alan Ambers, Rudger Worley, Amanda Reinolds.

Heat 2: Tyler Wolf, T. Purcell, Nic Helwig, Matt DiBenedetto, Nick Mathews.

Heat 3: Derek O’Bannon, Noland, Bailey, Christopher Phillips, Ryan Gomes.

B Main: Mason Moore, Ryan Gomes, Cody Ambers, Cody Miller, Shane Graham, A. Reinolds, John-Thomas Eaton, Mathews, Mackena Bell, R.C. Pinkney.

A Main: Bailey, T. Purcell, Rogers, Noland, B. Miller, N. Helwig, Wolf, A. Ambers, O’Bannon, C. Miller, Moore, Phillips, Worley, C. Ambers, Gomes, DiBenedetto.

Open Intermediate

Fast Time: Justin Reinolds (8.861).

Dash: Quintin Crye, J. Reinolds, Garet Morton.

Heat 1: Micah Parmer, J. Reinolds, Austin VanKeuren, C.J. Putnam, Cody Braund.

Heat 2: Tyler Ritcheson, Michael Hubert III, Morton, Michael Helwig, Michael Tarter.

Heat 3: David Wilson, Joe Weststeyn, David Maples, Robbie Ritcheson, Jerryd Stanley.

B Main: Crye, Tarter, Billy Aton, Taylor Simas, Danny Tompkins, Chad Widener, Stanley.

A Main: VanKeuren, Wilson, Hubert, Parmer, J. Weststeyn, M. Helwig, R. Ritcheson, Maples, Tarter, Reinolds, Morton, Simas, Crye, Aton, T. Ritcheson, Braund, Putnam.

Open Outlaw

Fast Time: Brian McCain (8.782).

Dash: Kyle Cattanach, Jason Webb, Brian McCain.

Heat 1: B. McCain, Mitch Mootz, Josh Chartier, Todd Carmichael, Chris Faulkner.

Heat 2: Kyle Hirst, Ryan Kaplan, C.W. Tiner, Ryan Foster, Scott Morton.

Heat 3: Steven Gannon, Daniel Becker, Jason Schuppert, Troy Combs, Bubba Hill.

Heat 4: Kyle Cattanach, Pete Johnston, Beau Perkins, David Lewallen, Aaron Colburn.

Heat 5: Robbie Whitchurch, Tony Sousa, Jason Webb, Kyle Whitley, Robert O’Bannon.

D Main: Tyler McCain, Sean Becker, Richard Weststeyn, Kevin Putnam, Keith Hill, Andy Cumpton, Branden Mansfield, Nathan Zander, James Mathews Jr., John Burch.

C Main: T. McCain, Colburn, S. Becker, Faulkner, S. Morton, Todd Boyd, R. Weststeyn, Jimmy Pettit, Bubba Hill, Clint York.

B Main: Perkins, Tiner, Schuppert, T. McCain, Colburn, S. Becker, Faulkner, Foster, Lewallen, Combs.

A Main: Mootz, D. Becker, Cattanach, B. McCain, Gannon, Kaplan, T. McCain, Sousa, Perkins, Hirst, Johnston, Whitchurch, Schuppert, Tiner.