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USAC: DeBeaumont, Johnson Surprise Irwindale Victors

20 April 1999

SPRINTS, MIDGET CARS PREP FOR SATURDAY'S TUCSON "DOUBLEHEADER"

Marc DeBeaumont of Clayton, Calif. and Walt Johnson of Simi Valley, Calif. scored surprise feature victories in USAC races at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway Saturday night. DeBeaumont won the 30-lap MCI WorldCom USAC Western Midget Car main event and Johnson captured the accompanying 20-lap MCI WorldCom USAC TQ Midget Car main.

DeBeaumont's triumph was his first in series competition as he withheld determined challenges from several competitors to put his Grapekist Stealth Gaerte into victory lane. He go by Shane Scully on lap 22 and led the final nine laps to beat Scully, fast qualifier Wally Pankratz, Davey Hamilton and defending series champion Rick Hendrix to the checkered flag.

Johnson's victory was even more surprising, coming in his first race in nearly two years! His last start resulted in a third-place at Ventura, Calif. in June of 1997, but Saturday night's win was the fifth of his USAC TQ career. Driving the Cynthia Welcomer machine, Walt took the lead from Joe Finger on lap two around Irwindale's 1/3-mile paved oval and never looked back. Greg Edenholm finished second ahead of Todd Hunsaker, Ron Wade and fast qualifier Randi Pankratz.

DeBeaumont and Pankratz lead their respective series standings after the Irwindale races. DeBeaumont will try to protect his lead when the MCI WorldCom Midget Cars join the USAC Western Sprint Cars at Tucson (Ariz.) Raceway Park this Saturday night for a "doubleheader" on the 3/8-mile paved oval there. A 30-lap feature is slated for each series. Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Calif., winner of the March 27 race at Irwindale, Calif., leads the Western Sprint Car standings going into the Tucson program.

Pankratz will lead the TQ Midget Cars to their next event, back at Irwindale on May 8.

WESTERN SPRINT CAR STANDINGS

1. Bud Kaeding 129
2. Jeff Gardner 127
3. Dave Fitzgerald 121
4. Bobby McMahan 112
5. Rick Williams 95
6. Mike Boat 87
7. Rick Hendrix 84
8. Billy Felts, Jr. 80
9. Kevin Urton 73
10. Ivan Worden 65

MCI WORLDCOM WESTERN MIDGET CAR STANDINGS

1. Marc DeBeaumont 133
2. Clay Klepper 114
3. Jason Leffler 100
4. Shane Scully 89
5. John Starks 84
6. Rick Hendrix 76
7. Alex Harris 75
8. Wally Pankratz 69
9. Dave Steele 68
10. Tracy Hines 60

MCI WORLDCOM TQ MIDGET CAR STANDINGS

1. Randi Pankratz 51
2. Joshua Wise 45
3. Todd Hunsaker 43
4. Ron Wade 43
5. Gene Godepski 35
6. Ron Ahrendt 33
7. Greg Edenholm 32
8. Walt Johnson 31
9. Deborah Paull 31
10. Steve Davis 29

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