Hooper Starts at Front, Ends That Way at Saugus

Lance Hooper of Palmdale found nothing but empty pavement before him at the start of Saturday night’s 100-lap Sportsman division main event at Saugus Speedway.

And Hooper, who started in the pole position, kept the field in his rear-view mirror, driving to a wire-to-wire victory before an annual Saugus Fall Spectacular crowd of 6,275.

The race was the first in a year-end, three-race series billed as the Southern California Sportsman Championship. The series is scheduled to resume Oct. 10 at El Cajon Speedway and conclude Oct. 16 at Bakersfield’s Mesa Marin Raceway.

Hooper, who finished second in the Saugus Sportsman points standings this season, said he was able to benefit from seven yellow flags but, in the final 20 laps, he had to withstand a hard challenge from Ed Hale of El Cajon.

Hooper, Hale and John Higgins of Simi Valley finished within a length of one another. Craig Rayburn of Santa Clarita finished fourth.

“I’m tired,” Hooper said. “That’s the first time I’ve run 100 laps in a long time. The yellows helped. I was able to rest.”

Hale nudged Hooper’s bumper at every turn until the checkered flag, then nearly pulled off an inside pass in the front straightaway on Lap 90.

“He was slowing down, I think,” Hale said. “I could have roughed him up a bit, but I don’t want to be roughed either, so . . . I tried to make it a gentlemen’s race.”

In other races, Dennis Logue of Mission Hills and Dennis Wooldridge posted 15-lap Sportsman semi-main event wins.