The 40-year-old Medford resident has more than fulfilled his objective as the stock car racing season nears its halfway point.

Bryant has won four of 10 starts in the super truck series, has added a pair of third-place finishes and has emerged as the points leader in what essentially is his rookie season.

"I'm very surprised to be leading in points -- I'm still learning the ropes out here," Bryant says. "I only got in two races last year and didn't accomplish a thing. Racing is harder than it looks."

Bryant grew up racing dirt bikes near his hometown of Kirby, entered motorcycle hill climb competitions when he got a little older and in recent years entered his pickup in four-wheel drive pulling contests at the Josephine County Fair.

He has been mechanically inclined his whole life. He could put together an engine from scratch. But Bryant never became interested in stock car racing until he helped modified driver Rob Fitzsimmons build his engine last year.

"And then I got hooked," he says.

Bryant paid just $100 for a 1985 Chevy S10 pickup that was lying in a friend's yard, then bought another one for parts.

He now admits having invested $5,000 into the rig, but the bright orange truck looks good and runs even better.

The added oomph has helped Bryant zip to or near the front of the super truck class week after week. But more important than the added horsepower -- Bryant and pit crew chief Alvin Mitchell installed a 153 cubic inch Chevy engine in the offseason -- is the suspension setup.

"The hardest thing about circle track racing is setting the cars up and getting them to corner properly," Bryant says. "I think we've gotten a little lucky this season because our set-up always seems to be right."

Bryant has also been a work in progress behind the wheel. He learned quickly that patience might be a racer's No. 1 virtue.

"You don't win a race on the first lap," he says. "Once you have to replace some sheet metal, you learn that real fast.

"I try to be aggressive but not to the point where I'm tearing up my equipment."

The super truck series has grown from a half-dozen in its maiden season a year ago to 10 or 11 this season.

"I think it's got a future," Bryant says. "People can relate to pickups."

Bryant works for a repossession company for a living. He spends most of his time doing mechanical work on the repossessed vehicles, but occasionally heads out in a seek-and-retrieve mission.

There, as on the track, Bryant doesn't fail very often.

Season-long modified points leader Dan Estramado of Gold Hill bagged his fourth victory of the season. Estremado took the lead on the second lap from pole-sitter Rob Gavin and dominated the rest of the 25-lap event.

Markey James of Jacksonville took second, followed by Dennis Silva, Mark Wauge and McCoy. Dave Duste, Jr., was sixth and Dave Duste, Sr., was seventh.

Eric Ralph started on the outside pole of the pro stock main and led all 25 laps to earn his first- ever feature victory.

Brian Poppa, Bob Dees and Jim Walker, Jr., waged a spirited battle for second and finished in the aforementioned order.

It was Walker's first trip to the White City track this season and Saturday marked his 34th birthday.

Jon DeBenedetti dominated the dwarf car main event for the first 17 laps only to come to a dead stop on turn four of the 18th lap. He had to be towed from the track.

Bert Endicott of Corning, Calif., took advantage of the opening and dashed to the win.

John Dentone was second and Joe Fort was third.

Buck Hornbaker won the super truck main and Jerry Apland took the mini stock main.

FIRST HEAT -- 1, Dave Duste, Jr; 2, Rob Fitzsimmons; 3, Markey James; 4, Lenny Toolanen.

SECOND HEAT -- 1, Dennis Silva; 2, Dan Estremado; 3, Dave Duste, Sr; 4, Rich McCoy.

TROPHY DASH -- 1, Dan Estremado; 2, Rob Gavin; 3, Dennis Silva; 4, Dave Duste, Jr.

FIRST HEAT -- 1, Gary Rotarius; 2, Tony Walker; 3, Ken Irving; 4, Jerry Severson.

SECOND HEAT -- 1, Jeremy Richey; 2, Chris Charlton; 3, Rob Smith; 4, Bob Dees.

THIRD HEAT -- 1, Toby Ezell; 2, Eric Ralph; 3, Dan Thomas; 4, Keith Scott.

FOURTH HEAT -- 1, Donn Johnston; 2, Rick Norman; 3, Jim Walker, Jr; 4, Frank Word.

TROPHY DASH -- 1, Jeremy Richey; 2, Toby Ezell; 3, Donn Johnston; 4, Gary Rotarius.

B MAIN -- 1, Brian Poppa; 2, Mike Petray; 3, Dave Munson; 4, Ray Kniffen, Jr; 5, Ken Heywood; 6, Dave Haze; 7, Glenn McElreath; 8, Dave Everson; 9, Paul Heinlein; 10, Jay Hinton, Jr; 11, Bo Shields, Jr; 12, Jer Deubert.

FIRST HEAT -- 1, Joe Fort; 2, Jeff Gault; 3, Mark Allen; 4, William Vanpraag.

SECOND HEAT -- 1, Jon DeBenedetti; 2, Bert Endicott; 3, John Dentone; 4, Morris Chamberlain.

TROPHY DASH -- 1, Bert Endicott; 2, Jon DeBenedetti; 3, Joe Fort; 4, Jeff Gault.

HEAT RACE -- 1, John Wayne Cahill; 2, Harvey Foster; 3, Lindsey Bryant; 4, Terry Townsend.

TROPHY DASH -- 1, Lindsey Bryant; 2, John Wayne Cahill; 3, Terry Townsend; 4, Harvey Foster.

MAIN EVENT -- 1, Buck Hornbaker; 2, John Wayne Cahill; 3, Roger Lee, Jr; 4, Lindsey Bryant; 5, Travis Ainsworth; 6, Mike Quinday; 7, Terry Townsend; 8, Mickie Froling; 9, Harvey Foster; 10, John Zeulner.

MINI STOCKS

FIRST HEAT -- 1, Tracy Bradley; 2, Clarence Cole; 3, Bill Swift; 4, Mike Shaffer.

SECOND HEAT -- 1, Todd Hackworth; 2, Pete Bowne, Jr; 3, Larry Best.

THIRD HEAT -- 1, Patrick Lanigan; 2, Dave Casperson; 3, Matt Roland; 4, John Kreftmeyer.

FOURTH HEAT -- 1, Ken Thomas; 2, Jerry Apland; 3, Justin Holt; 4, Eric Bray.

TROPHY DASH -- 1, Patrick Lanigan; 2, Tracy Bradley; 3, Ken Thomas; 4, Todd Hackworth.