Corning Outraces Phipps Again

It seems that it takes a driver from out of town to beat Dave Phipps at Saugus Speedway.

Saturday night, for the second time in as many starts this season at Saugus, Mike Corning of San Diego made the lengthy trip north and came away the winner of the 30-lap Grand American Modified main event before 3,567.

Phipps of Simi Valley, the division’s defending champion and current points leader, has easily cruised to three victories in five Grand Am main events this season. The other two victories belong to Corning.

Corning, 21, who is second in the Grand Am points standings at El Cajon Speedway, started seventh, grabbed the lead on Lap 15 and held off Phipps for the final seven laps.

“He’s just another guy on the track,” Corning said of Phipps. “It doesn’t matter much to me.”

Phipps started 12th and, as he has done throughout the season, moved rapidly toward the front. Pole-sitter Rusty Stewart of Redondo Beach led for the first three laps, and Jim Marlewski of Simi Valley led until Corning passed him in the back straightaway of the race’s midpoint.

Marlewski spun out on the next lap, paving the way for Phipps’ charge.

“It was too far to catch up and he was too far ahead,” Phipps said of Corning. “What can I say?”

Said Corning: “He was closing down pretty hard. But I had a pretty good lead.”

Bill McLean of Canoga Park finished a distant third and Dave Blankenship of Reseda finished fourth.

The 40-lap Sportsman main event was still in progress at press time.

In other races, the 25-lap Outlaw Mini Stock main event, which featured disc jockey Joe Benson of KLOS (95.5 FM) in Los Angeles, ended with Preston Davis of Valencia finishing first. Benson, who spun out on the third, 15th and 18th laps, finished last among the 10 cars that crossed the finish line.

The 25-lap Street Stock main event became a two-driver duel between Eric Sunness of Canyon Country and Julianne Seeley of Canyon Country, with Sunness taking the checkered flag.