Tracy Press

Three racers notch victory No. 1 at Altamont.

Three racers claimed their first career wins July 19 at Altamont Raceway. Scott Pierovich of Alamo won the U.S. Auto Club’s Western Sprint Car feature, C.J. Sarna of Palm Desert won the USAC Western States Midgets and Alex Bowman won the USAC Ford Focus race.

Two NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Western Late Models races went to Brentwood’s Doff Cooksey and points leader Jason Gilbert of Pleasanton.

The first NASCAR 50-lap feature was slowed with a crash on the second lap. On the restart, Modesto’s Mike Beeler pulled away from Gilbert. On Lap 11, Gilbert and Justin Philpott of Tracy collided, giving Gilbert a flat tire and putting both cars to the rear.

The restart allowed Cooksey to pass Beeler on Lap 16. It took Gilbert 17 laps to get back to fourth place. Beeler dropped out of contention on Lap 38, yielding second to Sacramento’s Josh Bews.

The top five included Manteca’s Guy Guibor, Gilbert and Carlos Vieira of Merced.

Gilbert took the lead at the start of the second 50-lap event, with Bews in second. Gilbert hung on after a lap race restart with Bews, to take home his fourth win of 2008. Rounding out the top five were Vieira, Trevor Schlundt of Clovis and 2007 Altamont champion Ryan Philpott of Tracy.

The USAC Western States Sprint Car 30-lap main event saw Pierovich claim his first win in his third start in the series. Three-time champion Tony Hunt of Lincoln led the opening laps, but Pierovich took the lead from Hunt on the eighth lap and claimed the win in the caution-free event. Chowchilla’s Eric Humphries finished second, and Brian McClish of Santa Rosa was third. Tanner Swanson of Kingsburg and visiting Bobby Santos of Franklin, Mass., placed fourth and fifth.

Sarna earned the win in the USAC Western States Midgets. Sarna led every lap and fought off Shane Golobic of Fremont and Paul Zimmerly of Ridgefield, Wash.

Nic Faas finished second and Golobic third. Michael Faccinto of Hanford came in fourth, and Pierovich was fifth.

Alex Bowman took a wire-to-wire USAC Ford Focus California Pavement series win on the quarter-mile. Bowman chased Brandon Langlois for 19 of 30 laps before making the pass on the inside of Turn 2.

Racing resumes Saturday with the NASCAR Whelen All- American Series 100-lap feature. American Limited Stock Cars and Grand American Modifieds will also be on the half-mile, with Future Champions Development Series on the quarter-mile and Formula-4s on the 1.1-mile road course.

• Information provided by Steven Blakesley, Altamont Raceway. For more information: www.altamontracing.com .

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