In Due Time, Rogers Earns Win at Saugus

On a night that featured a demolition derby as the final event, an accident-marred program seemed fitting.

Saturday night’s 15-lap Street Stock Oval semi-main event at Saugus Speedway before 3,709 was delayed five times by accidents, two of which brought out red flags.

When the race had finally reached its conclusion, Don Rogers Jr. of Palmdale held off a challenge from Jim Marlewski of Simi Valley on the back stretch of the final lap for the win.

Rogers had passed Eric Foster of North Hollywood on lap 9 to take the lead.

Accidents also played a part in the 30-lap Street Stock Oval main event. Mitch Thompson of Sylmar opened up a comfortable lead until an accident enabled Dean Johnson of Hidden Hills to close the gap.

Johnson, who entered the race seventh in the overall points standings, tailed Thompson’s bumper until the race was called when Larry Greenspan of Thousand Oaks was involved in an accident on turn 2 of lap 28.

“Once the tires get cold it takes a while to warm them back up,” said Thompson, who won his first main-event race since taking a three-year hiatus from the sport. “I had to hold him off until the tires warmed up again.”

Jeffrey Phillips of Newbury Park won the 40-lap Sportsman main event. Simi Valley’s Dave Phipps, who entered the race second in points, finished second.

Tom Colgan of Ontario passed Terry Harmes on lap 2 and won the 15-lap Sportsman semi-main event by a half-lap.

Foster won the 10-lap Street Stock Figure 8 semi-main event easily. Gerrit Cromsigt of Palmdale finished second.

Eight-lap heat race winners in the Sportsman division included Colgan, Steve Burdett of Sylmar and Arlyn Olson of Chatsworth.

Other heat-race winners included Greg Benner of Whittier, Rogers Jr., Gus Hernandez of Mission Hills, Craig Wayburn of Simi Valley (Street Stock Oval), Foster of North Hollywood and Marlewski (Street Stock Figure 8).

Trophy-dash winners included Rich Wolf of Studio City (Sportsman), Tom Kimmel of Sylmar (Street Stock Oval) and Mitch Thompson of Sylmar (Street Stock Figure 8).