Calczynski Places Fourth in NASCAR Tour Opener

Two quick turns of events put Sepulveda stock car driver Roman Calczynski into the lead and then right out of it at Saugus Speedway on Saturday night in the Saugus 100, the inaugural event in the 14-race NASCAR Southwest Tour.

Don Wilson, of Arvada, Colo., led until the 65th lap when he blew his engine, engulfing the track in thick smoke. And Calczynski made his move, going from fourth to first.

But on the 98th lap of the one-third mile oval, Calczynski took a bump from driver Ivan Baldwin, and his car spun in the second turn. Calczynski managed to get back on the track to finish fourth behind winner Roger Avants of Littleton, Colo., who drove a late-model Camaro.

Avants won the $1,650 first-place money, running at an average speed of 54.21 m.p.h.

Baldwin, of Ceres, Calif., was penalized a position for the bumping incident with Calczynski and finished second. Ron Esau, of Lakeside, finished third.

Reseda’s Jim Robinson placed seventh in the race. The three-time NASCAR Winston West champion complained of brake problems prior to the race. Charlie Saied of North Hollywood finished 11th, three laps off the leaders, and Canyon Country’s Carl Lux was 19th. He had to pull out of the race after 36 laps because of a broken transmission.

Fifteen of 22 starters finished the race.

Despite his misfortune two laps from the finish line, Calczynski put on his best face afterward.

“It was just one of those things. This was just the first race; it’s a long season. This has happened to me at Saugus before, and I’ve probably done my share of it here, too.”

The race included many Saugus veterans, including former track champions Calczynski and Robinson, and experience figured to be an essential. But Avants had never seen the Saugus track before Saturday.

“The finish was definitely different,” Avants said. “I didn’t think I’d ever win one in California, but anyway I get it, I’ll take it.”