Santa Maria Raceway
Malcolm tops Decker at Simkins Memorial
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (Sept. 5) — Tommy Malcolm of Corona, Calif., went from third to first amid traffic just before the final caution and led the final 10 laps at Santa Maria Speedway for a West Coast Late Model Shootout victory. The Simkins Memorial paid $2,000 to Malcolm.
Polesitter Jason Papich of Arroyo Grande, Calif., led from the outset, but Jeff Decker of Morgan Hill, Calif., took command on lap on lap 15 and Papich later dropped out.
Malcolm was third behind Decker and Mike Kirby of Torrance, Calif., as the 40-lap race entered the late stages, and he slipped by Kirby and then Decker just before a lap-30 caution.
Decker settled for second followed by Kirby and Mike Johnson of Lompoc, Calif. Bill Bartels of Marina Del Ray was fifth and Bakersfield's Jerry Stewart, who announced his retirement from driving, was ninth.
Simkins Memorial: (1) Tommy Malcolm, (2) Jeff Decker, (3) Mike Kirby, (4) Mike Johnson, (5) Bill Bartels, (6) Robert Sanders, (7) A.J. Kirkpatrick, (8) Johnny Cardoza, (9) Jerry Stewart, (10) Steve Drake, (11) Andy Obertello, (12) Jason Papich, (13) Clay Daly, (14) David Spears, (15) John Lowrey, (16) Nick Bartels, (17) John Crow, (18) Chet Buckley, (19) Logan Drake, (20) Dino Napier.
