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Meyers Wins Faria Memorial - By Al Drake
Saturday night at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Jason Meyers picked up where he left off at the last Golden State Challenge visit to the central valley track. Round 20 in the 2002 Golden State Challenge King Of California 410 sprint car series presented by Bryant Race Fuels and Hoosier Performance Tires, was all Meyers. Eric Rossi Came from 13th on the grid to finish second and may have had something for the leader if it had have gone the proverbial "one more lap".
In Qualifying Tommy Tarlton bested Brian Coelho with Tarlton taking quick time at 13.412. 19 cars posted times for the night. All three heat races were won from the front row as Mike Faria (pole - heat one), Brian Coelho (outside - heat two) and Robertson (pole - heat 3) went wire to wire. Tarlton having transferred to the feature, drew an invert 4 to set the line up in the main event.
After two completely lousy attempts at bringing the field to the green in formation, the starter waved the green and Brent Kaeding drove into the lead from the outside front row spot. After two early yellows, BK led, but by lap 10, Jason Meyers was by and Tim Kaeding, Brian Coelho, Eric Rossi and Steve Kent were all over the black 69 car. Lap 11 saw the dust storm begin that no one expected after the last event here. It wouldn't get mentioned (after all, it is a dirt track) but the visibility was so poor that fans were wondering if this thing was going to go red for that reason. The drivers even commented after the race that they were having a hard time too.
Yellows on laps 20, 21 and 26 eased the situation. Then on lap 29 BK was under attack from Tim Kaeding and Coelho on the frontstretch. Contact between the #69 and #5c collected Tim Kaeding's car and launched it into the infield flipping, for the second Tulare event in a row. Tim was okay, but done for the night. The 'closed red flag' allowed for the dust to clear out, an on the restart Jason Meyers drove away for his 5th GSC win of the year.
Ricci Faria blistered the field in the California Rebel Cup 360 sprint car supporting feature.
GSC Results
Fast time: Tommy Tarlton 13.412
Heat 1: Mike Faria, Brent Kaeding, Steve Kent, Tommy Tarlton, Eric Rosi, Rick Fowzer
Heat 2: Brian Coelho, Kevin Pylant, Jason Meyers, Tim Kaeding, Jason Statler, Charlie Louden
Heat 3: Blake Robertson, Peter Murphy, Craig Stidham, Garrett Ishii, Ricci Faria
B Main: Ishii, Rossi, Statler, Skinner, Danny Faria, Louden, Fowzer
A Main (30 Laps): Meyers, Rosi, B.Kaeding, Kent, Murphy, Pylant, M. Faria, Ishii, Coelho, Louden, Skinner, T. Kaeding, R. Faira, Tarlton, Fowzer, Stidham, Statler, D. Faria, Robertson.
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