Davenport, Kendrick score wins and championships
7/20/2009

 
Doug Davenport (Photo by James Drew)

Doug Davenport and Nick Kendrick both picked up wins and locked up season championships at the WCTA Fremont Reunion NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series event at Sacramento Raceway.  Ten other racers joined the two in the winner’s circle for the celebration.  The event marks the season end for eight of the series classes while the remaining classes continue to earn points toward the series championship which culminates at the California Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA in October, at Auto Club Dragway at Famoso.

Davenport of Las Vegas won in the Nostalgia Eliminator II class with his ’04 dragster over Danny See, Clovis, Calif., running 8.708 seconds at 154.34 mph for his second win of the season.

 
Bill Wayne, near lane, collected A/Fuel honors. (Photo by James Drew)

Kendrick, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., was third in points coming into the event and worked his way though the C/Gas field of competitors facing off against Ron Coomes in the final.  Kendrick posted a 9.646 on a 9.60 index at 140.48 mph in his ’65 El Camino for the win.  His round two win over Andrew Berry proved to be the deciding factor in the championship as Berry was No. 1 in points at the start of the event.

Bill Wayne and Chuck Moore took home the trophies in A/Fuel and AA/Gas respectively with Wayne ousting Claude LaVoie with a 6.384, 221.24 to LaVoie’s 6.471 at 221.00.  Moore had a stellar 0.002 second reaction time in the final with his ’63 Corvette to win easily over Sean Renteria.  The Castro Valley, Calif., racer went 7.118 seconds at 172.16 mph for the win.

Wayne and Moore each have one more race to score points for the Hot Rod Heritage Series as do Bud Hammer, Oxnard, Calif., and Jason Richey, Pleasanton, Calif., who also made their way to the winner’s circle for the 20th Anniversary of the event.

Rounding out the winners were Tony Wimer, Redlands, Calif., in NE I over Austin Frey, Taft, Calif.; John Eskelson, Auburn, Calif., beat Craig Wallace of Nevada City, Calif., for the NE III title; Dave Matson beat series champion Rob Patten, Tracy, Calif., in A/Gas; John Saliani, Saugus, Calif., held off Kevin Riley, Santa Clara, Calif., in B/Gas; Tom Marchesano, Roseville, Calif., won in Hot Rod against Bob Brun Jr., Vacaville, Calif.; and Ed Carey of LaJolla, Calf., punched his way into the winner’s circle with a holeshot win over Mike Williams in D/Gas.