Gerrit Cromsigt

John Watkinson of Canyon Country traded in his Sportsman race car this season for a Grand American Modified. Saturday night at Saugus Speedway, Watkinson accomplished in his second Grand Am race what he pulled off only once in five years behind the wheel of a Sportsman: a main-event victory. Charging from an 11th-place start, Watkinson moved into the lead with seven laps to go and held on to win the 30-lap race in front of 4,747.

Craig Rayburn of Santa Clarita had an easy go of it in Saturday night's 40-lap Sportsman division main event at Saugus Speedway, driving from pole to checkered flag to win before a crowd of 4,943. Good thing, because Rayburn, who also competes in the track's Pro Stock division, found himself behind the wheel in three main events on one of the warmest evenings of the season.

Will Harper waited four years for a Sportsman division main-event victory before finally winning two--and the track championship--last season at Saugus Speedway. On Saturday night, Harper, along with the 4,631 fans in attendance, waited 50 minutes for his first victory of the season in the division's season-opening 40-lap main event. Harper, who started sixth, steered his way into the lead on Lap 32 and held off Lance Hooper of Palmdale and Dave Phipps of Simi Valley to win.

On a night that featured a demolition derby as the final event, an accident-marred program seemed fitting. Saturday night's 15-lap Street Stock Oval semi-main event at Saugus Speedway before 3,709 was delayed five times by accidents, two of which brought out red flags. When the race had finally reached its conclusion, Don Rogers Jr. of Palmdale held off a challenge from Jim Marlewski of Simi Valley on the back stretch of the final lap for the win.

The track ambulance and tow truck were among the most visible vehicles Saturday night at Saugus Speedway. Crashes and delays marred the 30-lap Grand American Modified and 25-lap Street Stock oval main events before a crowd of 4,382, with Rod Johnson of Canyon Country and Gerrit Cromsigt of Palmdale taking the respective checkered flags. "Seemed like everybody kept spinning out," said Johnson, who recorded his first Grand Am victory of the season on the eve of his 32nd birthday.

Rick Crow could not hold the lead in Saturday night's 25-lap Pro Stock oval main event at Saugus Speedway. So, Crow yielded the right of way to Terry Custer, who could. Custer, a resident of Northridge, slipped inside Crow on the first turn of Lap 19 and went on to win his first main event of the season before a season-high crowd of 6,443. The 100-lap main event, race No. 5 in the 17-race NASCAR Southwest Tour, had not been completed at press time.

Michael Ayers and Dave Blankenship probably figured they would never see victory lane again. But both Saugus Speedway veterans enjoyed long overdue main-event victories Saturday night before a crowd of 4,263. Ayers, 29, the track's Sportsman division champion in 1986, led wire to wire to win his first 40-lap Sportsman main event since 1990.

The battle lines were drawn early in the Street Stock division at Saugus Speedway on Tuesday night. Intense competition in the preliminary races set the stage for the oval and figure-eight races. While several drivers were battling it out in the third through fifth positions, Northridge driver Jeff Drummen cruised wire to wire in the 25-lap oval feature for his second consecutive victory. Drummen started in the first row and extended his lead to almost a full straightaway by the eighth lap.

It resembled more of a high-speed parade than a stock-car race--with a bit of destruction derby near the finish. Rick Carelli of Denver began the NASCAR Winston West 200 in first place, and that's where he finished. Carelli, last season's Winston West rookie of the year, held the lead the entire 66 2/3 miles to post his first victory of the season in front of a season-high crowd of 5,640 at Saugus Speedway. The race was the third main event of the 15-race series.

Gerrit Cromsigt of Palmdale went about business as usual on a busy Saturday night at Saugus Speedway, driving to a 25-lap victory in the Street Stock oval main event and also drove to a 15-lap victory in the Street Stock figure-eight event before 3,659. For Cromsigt, who is running away with the Street Stock points race, the victory was his 12th of the season to go with four victories in Pro Stock.