Barnwell finally beaten, Peeples still unbeaten

Barnwell finally beaten, Peeples still unbeaten

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was another typical night of action packed racing at Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday night as all five local classes returned to put on the fourth race of the 2007 season. All but one of the five divisions had a repeat winner from this season’s first three races. Paul Peeples, Jr., Bill Middleton, Byron McIntosh and Orion Mosher each returned to claim main event victories in the thunder roadster, real stock, mini stock and limited street stock divisions while North State Challenge Series driver Luke Hall won in the sportsman division.

Fast time for the limited street stocks was set by Orion Mosher with a 17.513. Mosher took the dash win over Robert Miller, Scott Lyons and Todd Freeman. Mosher continued his winning ways in the heat race winning over Duane Mayo, Kenny Demello, Stan Young and Freeman. Unfortunately during the heat race, contact between Demello and Miller on the back stretch sent Miller into the wall and taking him out for the rest of the night. Mosher made quick work of his competition in the main event, taking the lead on lap five and scoring his third straight victory for the season.

Jason Shaha set the fastest lap for the mini stock division with a 19.004 lap. Shaha won the dash followed by Brian Murrell, Byron McIntosh and Max Capps. McIntosh won the heat over Shaha, Murrell, Brian McIntosh and Capps. The main event was almost over as quickly as it started. By lap three, Byron McIntosh took the lead away from Glenn Bernald and built up a substantial lead. By the time Shaha and Murrell moved into second and third, there wasn’t enough time for either driver to close the gap on McIntosh. The win was McIntosh’s third of the season.

The quickest qualifier for the real stock division was Steve Kimberling who set a lap of 19.488. Barry Barnwell won the trophy dash over Kimberling, Ryan Peeples and Troy Wood. Chuck Essex won the first heat race over Wood, Marvin Savage, Peeples and Ray Robinson. Jim Redd took the win in the second heat followed by Bill Middleton, Kimberling, Barnwell and Mark Mullan. Savage took the lead early in the main event and held it comfortably for the entire race. The best battles on the track proved to be between Middleton and Barnwell along with Kimberling and Chuck Essex who raced side by side for many laps. Savage crossed the line first, but in post race inspection, his car was deemed illegal giving the win to Middleton who had finished second.

Paul Peeples, Jr. set what was a relatively slow fast time for the thunder roadsters with a 17.249 lap. Peeples won the dash over Mark Arroyo, Chris Banfill and Jay Bahner. The win in the first heat race went to Rob Nelson over Donn Cole, Gerhy Foster, Fred Hanks and Chris Lawrence. Peeples took the second heat in a close finish over Mike Ward, Leroy Marsh, Jr., David Henderson and Banfill. The main event proved to be an exciting one as it featured an exciting battle for the lead between Marsh, Peeples and Henderson. Peeples was able to gain the upper hand, but had to hold off Henderson who followed closely but could never mount a challenge. At the line it was Peeples winning his fourth straight race.

Rick Fox set the fast lap for the sportsman cars with a 16.493 lap. Larry Pries won the trophy dash followed by Luke Hall, Rick Fox and Jerry Peterson who was making his first start of the season. The heat race saw a bit too much excitement when Ken Hallis spun collecting Hall, Peterson, Donnie Brown and Joe Bonomini, the worst damage going to the cars of Hallis and Bonomini. Luke Hall won the heat over Angelo Marcelli, Pries, Fox and Aaron Byers. Hall used his experience to dice his way to the lead by lap three and pull away to a sizeable gap. Brandon Barnwell, winner of the previous three main events put on a show moving from the back of the field to the front by the time there were ten laps left in the race. As time ran down, Barnwell edged closer and closer to Hall’s car. Barnwell was able to get within car lengths with two laps remaining but got loose off the second turn, ending his chances at the win. Hall was able to break Barnwell’s stranglehold on the division to take the victory.

As quickly as the show ran this past Saturday night, starting at 6:30 and ending just after 9, the drivers and crew members have a quick week to fix any damage and get back out for this weekend’s race. Along with the five local divisions will be a special Powder Puff race, so it will only add more excitement to should already be a great show.

Race Results
Limited Street Stocks
Fast Time: Orion Mosher 17.513
Dash: Mosher, Robert Miller, Scott Lyons, Todd Freeman
Heat: Mosher, Duane Mayo, Kenny Demello, Stan Young, Freeman, Lyons, Romeo Venza, Miller
Main: Mosher, Demello, Mayo, Young, Lyons, Freeman, Venza

Mini Stocks
Fast Time: Jason Shaha 19.004
Dash: Shaha, Brian Murrell, Byron McIntosh, Max Capps
Heat: By. McIntosh, Shaha, Murrell, Brian McIntosh, Capps, Bernald, Nick Karanopoulas
Main: By. McIntosh, Shaha, Murrell, Capps, Bernald, Karanopoulas, Br. McIntosh

Real Stocks
Fast Time: Steve Kimberling 19.488
Dash: Barry Barnwell, Kimberling, Ryan Peeples, Troy Wood
Heat 1: Chuck Essex, Wood, Peeples, Ray Robinson, Mike Cataldi, Donnie Hyman
Heat 2: Jim Redd, Bill Middleton, Kimberling, Barnwell, Mark Mullan, Nick Mitchell, Rick Stone
Main: Middleton, Barnwell, Kimberling, Essex, Wood, Robinson, Mullan, Mitchell, Redd, Peeples

Thunder Roadsters
Fast Time: Paul Peeples, Jr. 17.249
Dash: Peeples, Mark Arroyo, Chris Banfill, Jay Bahner
Heat 1: Rob Nelson, Donn Cole, Gerhy Foster, Fred Hanks, Chris Lawrence, Thomas Payne, Bruce Ziemer, Belinda Ward
Heat 2: Peeples, Mike Ward, Leroy Marsh, Jr., David Henderson, Arroyo, Bahner, Sarvinski
Main: Peeples, Henderson, Marsh, M. Ward, Sarvinski, Banfill, Bahner, Ziemer, Foster, Cole, Hanks, Nelson, Arroyo, B. Ward, Lawrence, Payne

Sportsman
Fast Time: Rick Fox 16.493
Dash: Larry Pries, Luke Hall, Fox, Jerry Peterson
Heat: Brandon Barnwell, Angelo Marcelli, Pries, Fox, Aaron Byers, Peterson, Lissa Uselton, Donnie Brown, Ken Hallis, Joe Bonomini, Hall
Main: Hall, Barnwell, Pries, Marcelli, Byers, Fox, Brown, Peterson, Uselton.