In a 20-lap main event for the limited sportsman, it's difficult to imagine two drivers going side-by-side for 17 of those 20 laps, but Dave Lester (34) and Craig Paulsen (65) did Saturday evening at Silver State Raceway.
The crowd braving the cold in the grandstands loved the action, as Lester pulled out a slim victory.
With Lester starting third and Paulsen fifth, within one lap the two drivers were battling for the lead. Paulsen, on the outside line, would pull even with Lester, but Lester would gain just a few feet coming off the turns.
Paulsen edged Lester several times on the outside off turn four to lead the race, but the slower, lapped cars of Steve Planka (10) and Frank Sanfelipo (29) would slow him down.
At the finish it was Lester with the win about one car-length ahead of Paulsen in second and Mike Millard (22) closing in for third. Rounding out the field were: Rafael Gomez (2x), Les Kipler (54), Mike Glisson (7), Sanfelipo and Planka.
"You have to have a lot of trust in a driver to race side-by-side like that," said Lester. "With Craig's driving talents, I had no worries running like that. He's got great skills and with that you don't think about being put in the wall. He's that good."
Lester also won the trophy dash and the second heat race over both Paulsen and Millard. Kipler won the first heat over Gomez in second and Sanfelipo third. In the maverick division Jason Perry (45) picked up his second main event win of the season with Bill Gould (37) having a good run to finish second and Mike McMordie (77) third. Rounding out the field were: Randy Bauer (25), Mike Fuller (44), Thom Eldridge (68), Danny Kemp Jr. (11), James Meerly (23), Dow Lazenby (86x), and Mike Firebaugh (8).
McMordie won the trophy dash; Lazenby won the first heat over Gould in second and Perry third. Meerly made a great run to win the second heat over McMordie, while Bauer finished third.
C.J. Bawden (50) has a perfect main event record going in the legends division, winning his fourth straight, over Bill Brown (111) in second and Jeff Pisciotta (88) in third. Brown was the winner of the trophy dash.
"I came out here for fun and that's what I'm doing," said Bawden. "Racing these legends cars is a lot of fun."
Racing at Silver State Raceway is now in a regular Saturday evening venue with qualifying at 6 p.m. and racing at 7. For information, call 885-2079.
