Hamm wins, bags Modified title

Doug Hamm could have taken a Saturday night cruise.

All Hamm needed was a finish of no worse than seventh to claim his second consecutive Bullring championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

But that’s not how Hamm races.

“I owe it to my team, my fans and my sponsors to win races,” he said. “They put so much effort into this that we always try to win.”

And he won again Saturday night.

His sixth consecutive victory in the NASCAR Modified division of the All-American Racing Series closed out a season that didn’t start so well.

After winning the Bullring Late Models championship last year, Hamm and crew chief Larry Holona decided to move back to the open-wheel Modifieds division.

A blown engine in practice of the season’s opening weekend on the three-eighths-mile oval wasn’t the best way to start.

Hamm, 35, didn’t earn a victory until the fourth race of the season.

That started a hot streak that included eight wins over the last nine races.

Hamm and Holona are planning to compete next year in the regional ASA Modified Tour and to continue racing at the Bullring whenever possible.

In Super Late Models, Dennis Rock Jr. won his first feature race of the season while Scott Gafforini finished seventh and won his second championship in three years.

Mario Opipari won his second Charger race of the year but lost his championship to teammate Phil Goodwin.

Dusty Davis won the Legends Cars feature, and Jeremiah Wagner (Pro), Frank McCourt (Masters) and Dylan Kwasniewski (Semi-Pro) won season titles.

Justin Johnson won for the 14th time in 15 races to take the Thunder Roadsters championship.

Fred Harding won the Bombers championship.

In Bandolero youth racing, Jonathan Eakin won the featured Bandits race, and Jacob Tilton won the championship.

Haley Lager won the Young Guns race, with Patrick O’Hanley taking the season title.

• DRAG RACING — The Jerry’s Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series at the speedway’s dragstrip also came to a conclusion Saturday night.

Winners of the last event of the season were John Phlegar (Super Pro), John Irving (Pro), Jeff Shaw (Sportsman) and Kahea Woods (Motorcycle). Final championship points standings will be announced today.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.