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SUPER TRACK SCENE

by LYN PHERIGO

"WILLARD WINS GRAND PRIX AND CHAMPIONSHIP AT SAUGUS"

Reseda's Mike Willard the '79 Modified Rookie of the Year, collected the
"gold and glory" Saturday night at Saugus Speedway. The "gold" came in the
form of $2000 for his winning effort in the 100-lap grand prix and the "glory"
was the 1980 SAUGUS SPEEDWAY MODIFIED CHAMPIONSHIP!
Willard started the evening with only a 65 point lead over '77 Saugus champ
Jim Robinson of Sylmar, who was third in the point standings, Nineteen
seventy eight champion Dan Press of Valencia, who led the points race all the
way until his season-ending crash two weeks ago, held down the second place
position ten points behind Willard. Press, however, would only be a spectator
and the battle for the title would be a Willard-Robinson affair.
Willard, first to qualify for the hundred lapper, turned in a fast 15:91 in
Falconer & Sons Camara breaking the 15:98 record that Robinson had set two
weeks ago. Robinson, showing he was going all out for his second title,
pushed the Oval 3 Enterpri3e Monza to a new track record of 15:84 around the
third-mile, flat paved oval of Saugus Speedway.
Robinson and Willard, by virtue of their record-breaking fast times would
"sit" on the front-row of the 24-car starting field. The battle for the 1980
Saugus Modified championship would be "up front", just as it should be!
Robinson led the first lap with former Saugus and Winston Western champion
Jim Insolo of Mission Hills moving into second from his inside-second-row
starting position. Willard was third followed by Ken Sapper, La Crescenta,
Chris Robinson, Simi and Steve Starr, Woodland Hills.
Sapper moved ahead of Willard on lap nine but two circuits later Willard
regained the third spot as Robinson and Insolo dueled for the lead.
At the 40-lap mark it was still Robinson and Insolo battling for the lead,
with Willard in third followed by Sapper, Chris Robinson and Starr, but two
laps later Insolo moved into the lead when Robinson went "wide" in turn three.
Six laps later, Robinson spun in the same third turn slightly grazing the
crash-wall and a lap later went to the pits ending his bid for a second title.
Willard slowly closed on the leader and on the 58th lap moved inside and
around Insolo on the fourth turn. He won by a half-lap over Sapper who got
by Insole on the 78th lap. Insolo held on for third, all three cars ' on the
lead lap. Starr finished in fourth, one lap down, Chris Robinson was fifth,
two laps back.
Walt Price Sr. of Sylmar, came in sixth, Bryan Brown of Bakersfield was
seventh, Don Lindner, Reseda, eighth, current champ Tru Cheek of Sylmar, was

ninth and Greg_l3cates, Newhall, finished tenth.