Johnson Makes Late Pass, Wins Street Stock

Dean Johnson of Hidden Hills stuck to Dave Blankenship of Reseda like a bumper sticker for 23 of the 25 laps in the Street Stock oval main event Saturday night before a crowd of 3,581 at Saugus Speedway.

Into every turn, Johnson clicked bumpers with Blankenship, who currently is in first place in the points standings. Finally, the 10th-place Johnson stuck it to Blankenship by slinging inside him on turn 4 and overtaking him at the starting line.

Two laps and a brief yellow flag later, Johnson, 19, posted his first career main event victory while Blankenship, 29, dropped to third behind John Kirby of Ventura.

“I started passing him in turn 3,” Johnson said. “He was loose. His rear end wasn’t coming around the way he wanted it to.”

Said Blankenship: “I held him off as long as I could. He had a better handling car. Nice race.”

The third-place finish broke a string of four races in which Blankenship finished at least second.

In the 40-lap Modified main event, Glen Cummings of Highland started 10th but streaked to win a close race with Dan Press of Frazier Park close behind.

“I was in the middle of the pack but I stayed on the outside and got a break past about five cars,” said Cummings, 33, who recorded his second consecutive victory. “Right then I knew it was going to be a good race.”

Cummings is currently third in the points standings.

In the street stock semi-main events, Eric Foster of North Hollywood streaked into the lead on lap 3 of the 15-lap oval race and held off Dennis Johnson of Valencia to win.

In the 10-lap Figure-8, Little Rock’s Vance Tompkins led from start to finish.