LOVELOCK - Wonderful spring weather set the stage for an afternoon of hard racing as the track in Lovelock began its sophomore season. Good car counts, especially after Friday's IMCA event was cancelled, required a B main to set the modified feature.

For one California driver, the day, although long, was just perfect even though the Modified feature didn't start out that way.

"I got up to second and was freight trained by Macedo and Natenstedt," Dustin "Dry Slick" Jenks said. "They got by me and I was sitting in fourth for awhile then people kept making mistakes. Thank god for lap traffic as that's what got me up front."

When the green waved on the 19-car field, Idaho based driver Don Baisch used his pole position to grab the lead. Behind him, Jenks, who started fifth, slotted into third and was soon second challenging for the lead.

Soon, Jeff Mancedo and Shawn Natenstedt made it a four-way battle as the lead group tore around the track. There was a change at the front that dropped Jenks to fourth until both Mancedo and Natenstedt were caught in a mess resulting when passing a slower car went wrong.

After the green waved, Jenks dove to the inside and grabbed the point when a slower car blocked Baisch. From then on the race was for second.

During the last third of the 25-lap event, Baisch got a bit too eager to pass his daughter, Janetee Moncur, who had raced her way into the feature from the B main. Contact sent Baisch's car into the air and broke Moncur's left front suspension retiring her car.

Eventually Baisch retired while up front Jenks had things his own way. Ward Amberson wound up second after a determined drive ahead of Richard Mueler and Lovelock resident Mancedo.

Asked about his inside pass for the lead, Jenks said, "I don't even remember it to be honest but with no tires on the bottom we just made room. The track was good, other than all the rocks and I wish it would stay black and slick like that all the time."

This year the officials removed the tires that used to mark the inside edge of the track but when asked the IMCA drivers all asked that they be returned. More than a few used the soft dirt inside of the corners to make passes.

Earlier in the afternoon there was a B main race to set the final IMCA field. With only eight transfer positions it was a hard fought 15 laps.

When the green waved, Josh Bertram briefly held the lead until James McCoy took it from him with Cory Sample giving chase.

Several cars spun but a three-car whirl around in Turn 4 brought out the first caution.

When racing resume Sample had the point followed by local Rich Hill, Bertram and McCoy, who had slipped to third.

When the checkered waved Sample won the B followed by Hill and McCoy. The final transfer spot was claimed by Idaho driver Janette Moncur, driving in one of her first IMCA races.

For defending Hobby Stock champion Royce Goetz, repeating was the name of the game. Last year he took the first ever checkered after winning the track's initial race.

This time, he repeated part of that feat by taking winning the first main event of the new season.

When the Hobby Stock feature began Goetz jumped into the lead and took off with the pack giving chase. Only a few laps later, John Wright's car blew up in a big way just as Rocky Goetz, in his first race wound up in the Turn 4 wall while Alec Childs hit the Turn 2 wall.

While the younger Goetz was able to limp into the pits, Childs' car was a bit more mangled by his crash.

After a long clean up, the green waved again the Goetz took off with his brother Ronnie Goetz in hot pursuit.

Only one more short caution slowed the pace but for the remainder of the event it was the Goetz family shootout. In the end, Royce took the checkered with his brother Ronnie close behind in second.

During the race, the winner lost his clutch so his victory lap was a rolling one with father R.D. Goetz both handing off and taking the flag back from his son, who could not stop.

Asked about the race, Goetz said, "It was fun, we built the car up in three weeks and the first time we ever drove it was today. I knew my brother was there as I felt him. And I lost the clutch so it was a little bit harder during the cautions to keep the RPMs up but I still did it."

Only three Legends cars showed up and Mike Firebaugh claimed the victory. It wasn't easy as one a slick track the technique was to get through the corner, let the car slide up the track then get on the gas.

Taking second was Charly Baron, who won the heat race, followed by defending champion Fred Handley.

The Pro Stock feature turned out to be another brother-to-brother battle. When the green waved Ed Goss took off with his brother Al and Josh Ogg giving chase.

For most of the race Ed Goss led until his brother finally got past and roared away to claim the victory. Ed ended up second followed by Ogg.

Two small features rounded out the racing card for the day.

In the Rat and 318 Mod race Gary Rogers won the overall followed by the 318 of Dave Woods. The Dwarf Cars put on another show of their blazing speeds but when the checkered waved Dave Jenkins as the run away winner.

While the track has made several improvements to the facility the lights are still to be installed so several events will be staged in the afternoon then switch to the evenings.

OTHER RACING NEWS

•While most series are taking the Easter weekend off, the Northern Nevada Kart Club kicks off its season Saturday at Desert Park Raceway. Things get going around 10 a.m. after an early driver's meeting.

•In Monday's rain delayed Camping World Truck Series event, two Nevada drivers didn't have such a good time at the Martinsville Speedway. Kyle Busch ended up 17th, while T.J. Bell fell to 31st due to being caught up in a wreck.

•Three Nevada drivers competed this weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch got things started when he started on pole and won the Nationwide event on Saturday while Brendan Gaughan ended up 37th.

Then in Sunday's Sprint Cup race both Busch brothers had very different results. Kurt started 28th and drove his way to an eighth place finish while Kyle started eighth, when the opposite way and finished 18th.

RESULTS

Lovelock Speedway - April 5, 2009

Hobby Stocks:

Heat Winners - #1 Paul Shamlian, #2 John Wright

Main (20-Laps) - 1 Royce Goetz, 2. Ronnie Goetz, 3. Walt Frazier, 4. Joe Millican, 5. Kevin Libbee

Pro Stocks:

Heat Winners - #1 Al Goss, #2 Ed Goss

Main (12-Laps) - 1 Al Goss, 2. Ed Goss, Josh Ogg, 4. Brent Lawrence, 5. Adam Watson

IMCA:

Heat Winners: #1 Shawn Natenstedt, #2 Ward Amberson, #3 Jeff Mancedo

B-Main* (15-Laps) - 1. Cory Sample, 2. Bob Cooney, 3. James McCoy, 4. Jeff Elerick, 5. Josh Bertram, 6. Bob Cooney, 7. Don Childs, 8. Janette Moncur

Main (25-Laps) - 1. Dustin Jenks, 2. Ward Amberson, 3. Richard Mueler, 4. Jeff Mancedo, 5. James McCoy

Dwarf Cars:

Heat Winners - #1 Leroy Kay, #2 Chris Forgnone

Main (8-Laps) - 1. Dave Jenkins, 2. Jeromy McKinnon, 3. Jim Long, 4. Leroy Kay, 5. Chris Forgnone

318 & Rad Mod:

Main (8-Laps) - 1. Gary Rogers, 2. Dave Woods, 3. Loren Bianchi

Legends Cars:

Heat Winner - Charly Baron

Main (8-Laps) - 1. Mike Firebaugh, 2. Charly Baron, 3. Fred Handley