Modified Division Opens at Saugus With Phipps’ Win

It may be a new division, but the winner’s name looked familiar.

Dave Phipps of Simi Valley, who has three Sportsman points championships to his credit, won the 12-lap main event in the inaugural Grand American Modified Division on Saturday night at Saugus Speedway before an opening-night crowd of 6,146.

The new division was greeted warmly by the fans, who seemed to enjoy the maneuverability of the open-wheeled stock cars in the turns and the impressive speed displayed in the straightaways. Phipps, too, pronounced the new division a success.

“I love those cars,” Phipps said after beating a seven-car field expected to grow as the season progresses. “They’re just a whole lot of fun to drive. Of course it’s more fun when you win, but I think they’re the thing of the future.”

The division’s appeal is different than the more powerful Sportsman Division. Though smaller and featuring less power, the Grand American Modified cars pass more easily in turns, creating a spectator’s delight.

Phipps said that he and the other drivers were careful not to bump wheels on the first night of racing. “We didn’t want to bump into anybody,” he said. “We don’t want to see anybody’s car damaged this early. But those things get squirrelly in the corners, don’t they?”

In an exciting, 25-lap Street Stock oval main event, Ken Maler of Castaic roared past Santa Clarita’s Ken Wilson at the finish line after Wilson had the lead in the back straightaway of Lap 25.

The 40-lap Sportsman Division main event was run after press time.

In the first Grand American Modified trophy dash, Phipps won a six-lap race that showed off the new division’s appeal: The smaller cars slipped and slid in the turns, making passing easier, and showed good speed down the straightaways. Other trophy dash winners included John Watkinson of Canyon Country (Sportsman), Dave Blankenship of Reseda (Street Stock Oval) and Brian Kelley of Arleta (Street Stock Figure Eight).