Bishop Snaps Southern’s So Cal Oval Karters Open Class Win Streak at Perris Auto Speedway
After missing a race, San Diego’s Jason Bishop returned to action by winning the So Cal Oval Karters Rogue Specialties Open Class main event at world famous Perris Auto Speedway on July 18th. In doing so, he ended the three-race domination of Chris Southern in the popular class.
Southern, who lives in Hesperia, was undefeated through the first three races of the year and was favored to make it four straight wins after he won both of the Open class heat races and started on the pole for the 16-lap main event on the hot Sunday afternoon. He was accompanied to the green flag by fellow front row starter “Hubcap” Mike Collins of Lake Forest. Southern got the jump at the Steven Fangmeyer green flag and led the field into turn one. Collins was second until Scott Rogers shot by for the number two spot going into turn three on the opening circuit. Southern, utilizing his powerful GM, built up a sizable lead by the midway point of the second lap, but it was wiped out when Collins and club newcomer Brian Pusey of San Diego tangled in turn four bringing out a yellow flag.
The field bunched up on the back bumper of Southern for the restart and it featured Rogers in second. Bishop, who started eighth, was already up to third. The entire field did not even get past the green flag on the restart before George Wolf of El Cajon and Collins tangled resulting in another yellow flag. The incident knocked both out of the main event with only one lap in the books. The next try saw Southern get another good restart . Bishop drove around Rogers going into turn one and took over the runner up spot. By the time he raced into second, Southern was happily extending his lead. At the halfway point , the “High Desert Speedster” was nearly a half straight away in front. Likewise, Bishop had moved away to nearly the same advantage over third place Rogers.
The field got tightened up one more time when Brian King spun in turn four on the 11th lap. For the restart, essentially nothing changed. Southern built up a comfortable lead over Bishop who likewise expanded his advantage over third place Rogers again. Nothing was going to change, or was it? Heading into turn 1 on the 14th lap, Southern went in high in one and got into the loose stuff on the outside. With the extreme temperatures, by that time of the day, there was no grip out there and the leader spun by himself. By the time he got it going again both Bishop and Rogers had raced by. If it stayed green, Southern’s goose was cooked. That is just what happened and Bishop, whose daughter won her main event a few minutes earlier, took his first SCOK win of the year by a comfortable margin over Bishop. Southern placed third with El Cajon’s Marty Wolf and Pusey rounding out the top five.
The YOA Racing Engines KT-100 main event saw Torrance racer Bryan Drollinger win for the second time in 2021. Before the main event, Drollinger and Riverside’s Tyson Talkington, who was starting his second club race, won the two heat races. That made them partners on the front row for the main event on the freshly watered track. Drollinger led the first circuit over Talkington, Temecula’s Art Laski and point leader Luis Calderon of Whittier, who started sixth. When Laski slid a little high coming off turn four on the ninth-lap, Calderon took full advantage of the situation and raced by on the inside for third place and immediately turned up the heat on second place Talkington. Meanwhile at the front, it was all Drollinger. He had built up a full straightaway lead that he carried to the checkered flag. Second spot was still up for grabs but going into turn 3 on the next to last lap Calderon and Talkington touched, costing both. The contact saw Calderon shoot up the track and opened the freight train lane on the bottom. Talkington had bigger issues in the form of a broken front end that allowed Laski, Calderon and Collins to race past for spots two through four.
In June, Banning’s Scott Gaynor was not in attendance for the race at Perris Auto Speedway. However, he came back with a vengeance in July winning one of the heat races and capturing the checkered flag in the 16-lap main event in the Burris Racing F200 Class. Point leader Tyler Rose Bohle of Fountain Valley, San Marco’s Norm Reynolds and Jason Erickson chased Gaynor’s black #3 across the line.
The Uncle Frank’s SR L206 and Caymus Vineyards Senior Clones ran together. Wildomar’s Mike Demello prevailed over Drollinger for his third win in four starts in the Senior Clones. Bohle took the trophy home for the fourth straight time in the L206s.
Junior Clones, Junior L206 and Junior/Juniors all ran together. Lauren Bishop of San Diego returned from a one race absence to win in the Junior Clones over Riverside’s Zate Legend and Tristen Juillerat of Whittier. Michael Cangelosi in the Junior L206 and Dylan Young in the Junior/Junior were the lone representatives in their respective classes.
The Mini Dwarfs wrapped up the show with newcomer Olly Shank racing home first over Riverside racers Sadie Talkington and Khaleya Caley.
After the June round, Bohle leads the championship standings in both the SR L206 and F200s. Calderon sits on top of the heap in the KT100’s and Southern does likewise in the Open Class. Demello heads the pack in the Senior Clones. In the point paying Junior classes, Lauren Bishop leads in the Clones and Michael Cangelosi is first in the L206s.
The So Cal Oval Karters are off this weekend but will return to action at Perris Auto Speedway on August 7th.
