Mic Moulton returns to Acres victory lane

Mic Moulton returns to Acres victory lane

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It proved to be a fairly clean night of racing Saturday night at Redwood Acres Raceway. The racing action got started just after 6:30 in the evening and was finished just before 9:00. In between there was close competition, tight finishes and familiar faces taking home trophies for the mini stocks, real stocks, thunder roadsters and sportsman divisions. Unfortunately, for the second straight week the limited street stocks were not running.

After a serious accident in the previous race at the Acres, Jim Redd came back to win the trophy dash over Trevor Miller, Shaun Craig and Ryan Walters who was making his first race of the year behind the wheel of Bill Middleton’s yellow number 11. Dustin Walters won the heat race narrowly beating out Miller, Craig, Redd and Bob Lima. The first two laps of the main event were lead by Lima, until Craig took the help at lap three, stretching out to what would prove to be an insurmountable lead. Miller would prove to be the only car capable of running down leader Craig, but Miller was unable to get by Redd and Lima until the 8th lap of the 20 scheduled. At that time, Craig had a straightaway and a corner lead on Miller. By the end of the race, Miller was able to cut the lead to less than half a straight, but of course it wasn’t enough. It was a strong victory by Craig who had suffered engine woes the previous race. Redd held onto third while Ray Robinson took fourth and Lima fifth.

The mini stock dash was won by Denzil Barrett, a thin margin ahead of Chad Grammer who was driving Max Capps truck on the night. Craig and Scott Baker rounded out the dash finishers. Craig Baker won the heat race over brother Scott, Grammer, Barrett and Brian McIntosh. The lead in the main event was taken by Craig Baker in the early laps while the field stretched out. The lone incident of the night took place between Grammer and Scott Baker when the two made contact in the second turn. Craig Baker proved to have the race in hand as he was able to cruise to victory. Grammer moved his way into second with Barrett third, McIntosh fourth and rookie Brian Murrell, Jr. having his best finish of the year thus far in fifth.

Paul Peeples, Jr. must have had something to prove on the night in the thunder roadster division seeing as he was unable to win the previous race’s main event. Right off the bat in the dash Peeples was victorious over Tommy Payne, Bruce Ziemer and Mike Ward. Peeples followed up with the heat race victory over Doug Pulver in Jay Bahner’s car, Payne, Ziemer and Chris Lawrence. Dave McMurray led the first two laps of the main event only to be passed by Peeples on the third. From that point on, the race was for second position. Things got tight on lap nine when Robert Miller and Ward briefly locked their cars together, but both were able to separate and get back to racing. Payne held on to Peeples for a while, but at the end nobody was within range of pressuring Peeples and he took the victory over Payne, Ward, McMurray and Miller.

The trophy dash in the sportsman division went to Mic Moulton as he was able to beat Dennis Delbiaggio, Brandon Barnwell and Larry Pries. Jerry Peterson used the high line on the last lap between turns three and four to take the lead and the heat win away from Barnwell. Marcelli, Delbiaggio and Pries finished third through fifth. Al Acuna took the early lead in the main before Marcelli grabbed it away on lap four bringing Delbiaggio with him. Going into the third turn on the same lap, Delbiaggio got in too hard and spun out. Acuna had nowhere to go and ran into the side of Delbiaggio busting his radiator and ending his night.

Delbiaggio was able to continue as the top five to the green was Marcelli, Moulton, Barnwell, Peterson and Pries. On lap six Peterson used the high line to get by Barnwell. Three laps later, he used the same trick to get by Moulton for second and Marcelli for the lead. On lap 14, Moulton moved under and by Marcelli. On lap 24 Keith Dias spun bringing out the yellow flag. The restart proved to be just what Moulton needed. Coming off the green and down the back chute, Moulton moved under and by Peterson for the lead. Moulton was able to stretch his lead at the end and take the checkered flag first with Peterson second, Pries third, Barnwell fourth and Delbiaggio coming from the back to finish fifth.

Racing returns to the Acres August 9th. Joining the local classes will be the North State Challenge Series late model tour cars who will be making their second start of the season at the Acres, and their first race in several weeks.