Tellstrom, Doss Come Up Big In North State And Upstate races

#5K Kyle Tellstrom won the North State Modified Series feature

Eureka, CA (May 14, 2019) – It was a tremendous afternoon for racing this past Saturday at Redwood Acres Raceway. O’Reilly Auto Parts presented all of the action which included local roadrunners, mini stocks and Legends. The late models had the week off while local bomber racers joined the brand-new Upstate Bomber Series which held its debut race on the night. In addition, the North State Modified Series visited the Acres for the first of three scheduled times this year.

The evening for the Compass Community Credit Union roadrunners belonged to Tim Ratzlaff. He was victorious in the heat race and dominated the feature. Ratzlaff’s closest competition came from Troy Lee and Dustin Peterson but neither driver was able to do anything to take away the lead. At the checkered flag it was Ratzlaff over Lee and Peterson.

There was a similar tone for Compass Community Credit Union mini stocks. Rick Estes took wins in both the trophy dash and heat races. Jarrett Mayo was able to knife his way to the race lead quickly followed by Brett Murrell who was driving his father Brian Murrell, Sr.’s car on the night. Murrell’s regular ride was severely damaged in the April 29 race thanks to a stuck throttle.

As in the previous main event in April, Mayo and Murrell waged a hard but clean duel for the lead. Estes took a bit longer to get to the front but once he entered third position, the two leaders knew they were going to have to work even harder for the win. With only a handful of laps remaining, Estes was able to get around Murrell for second. With three laps left, Estes got on the outside of Mayo and the two raced hard for the lead. Mayo did everything he could to hold off Estes but he didn’t have enough. Estes was able to secure the lead with two laps remaining. From there, Estes was able to pull away to take a long-awaited main event win, his first in quite a while. Mayo held off Brett Murrell for second while Brian Murrell, Jr. placed fourth and Gary Klinetobe finished fifth.

Chris Lawrence was the winner of the North Coast Lighting And Electric Legends trophy dash. Heat race one was won by Carlee Austin while Leonard Ward took the second. It didn’t take Lawrence long to get to the front and once he got there, he stayed there. A few minor incidents slowed the race and allowed the field to reform but Lawrence was able to pull away each time. Lawrence was able to reach the finish first. Katina Baker placed second followed by Tyler Peach, Brent Mack and Austin.

As noted, RAR’s Four-Star Realty bombers joined the Upstate Bomber Series for their first race ever. Many time late model touring series winner and champion Mike Doss was the trophy dash winner. The heat race results determined the starting positions for the 60-lap feature event. Mikey Lovell won the first heat with Brian King winning the second. A stellar field of 17 cars were led to the green flag by pole-sitter Wade Coleman and David Dillinger. Dillinger was able to take the lead on the first lap as the field spread out. Lovell looked as though he was going to be the driver to beat as he sliced through the field and was able to pass Dillinger for the lead on lap 14.

As Lovell pulled away from the pack, the action focused on the father/son duo of Mike Doss and Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series star Jeremy Doss. Jeremy made it to second on lap 18 while Mike got to third on the same lap. By that time though, Lovell looked to have a substantial and insurmountable lead. Things didn’t seem to change either when Lovell started to move through slower traffic. While second and third were able to gain some ground, neither was able to make enough up to mount a serious challenge on Lovell.

Everything changed on lap 40 when officials threw a caution flag due to fear of fluid being on the racing service after several laps of the air of rear end gear fluid filling the air. Originally officials believed that Jeremy Doss was the cause and he was sent to the pits. His car was found not to be the culprit so he was allowed to reposition in second.

The double-file restart was to the benefit of Mike Doss and the detriment of Lovell as Doss was able to take the lead. Jeremy Doss filed into second while Lovell fell to third. Jeremy Doss looked to have a car capable of competing with his father’s but as the laps ticked off, Mike Doss was able to pull away. On lap 50, Lovell moved to second but he just did not have enough to catch the leader. At the finish it was Mike Doss winning over Lovell and Jeremy Doss. King ran solidly in the top five all race and placed fourth while Donnie Hyman’s fifth place effort was the highest finish of all Redwood Acres Raceway bomber regulars.

North State Modified Series points leader Cameron Austin’s time of 16.408 broke Darrin Knight’s track record 16.482 which was set in the series’ previous visit to the Acres on September 8. Ian Elliott was the winner in the Lucas Oil Dash For Cash. The invert for the 60-lap feature was six which put Dustin DeRosier and Randy Houston on the front row of the 20 car starting field. Houston got the jump at the start but the race was slowed on lap four when veteran racer Richie Potts spun in the fourth turn. Houston returned to the lead on the restart and it looked as though his car was dialed in.

A caution resulted due to a spin by Larry Knight off turn two and it ended up playing right into Kyle Tellstrom’s favor. Knight was driving for his son Darrin for championship points. Houston retained the lead once again when the green flew while Tellstrom was able to take second from Sullivan. The front two of Houston and Tellstrom raced nose-to-tail for several laps until Houston’s car moved up slightly off the bottom groove allowing Tellstrom to take the lead.

Two more cautions flew due to Knight spins which resulted in him having to pull into the pits for the night. On lap 38, Donovon Cox spun and Austin was able to break into second. A yellow flag with three laps remaining brought a single file restart and gave Austin his best and only chance to pressure Tellstrom. Unfortunately for Austin, Tellstrom did exactly what he needed to do to maintain the lead all the way to the finish. Robbie Knittel had a great run in third with Houston placing fourth and Elliott finishing fifth.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway will go on a bit of a spring break. Action at the track returns Saturday June 8. All local divisions will be in action including the Mid-City Motor World late models. For more information on the upcoming races at RAR and other information, visit www.RacinTheAcres.com or on Facebook www.facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway2019/. You can also follow Redwood Acres Raceway on Twitter @RacingTheAcres.

White Stops Moulton’s Streak, Wins Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100

#19 Brandon White earned his fourth straight Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100 Saturday night

Eureka, CA (July 8, 2018) – Redwood Acres Raceway was fortunate to have beautiful weather this past Saturday night for one of the biggest races of the 2018 season. Bi-Coastal Media Night at the Races which featured the late models in a 100-lap main event and a spectacular firework display which concluded the evening’s festivities. While the Bandolero and Legends divisions had the night off, roadrunners, bombers and mini stocks were the other divisions in action for the evening.

Jennifer Murrell was fast time for the Compass Community Credit Union roadrunners with a time of 21.766. Nick Ford took the race lead at the start of the first feature event. His biggest rival in the 2018 season has been Tim Ratzlaff and the two engaged in a race-long dual for the lead. The lead changed four times between both drivers. With two laps remaining, Ratzlaff gained the upper-hand and was able to fend off Ford for the win. Murrell, Lindsey Zito and Amanda Lohr rounded out the top five.

Zito jumped into the lead on the second main event which was run backward. Zito led the first five laps until Ratzlaff took over. On lap nine, Zito’s left front tire began to spark as the cords in her tires started to fail. As she entered turn two, her tire went flat and she lost control. Zito ended up hitting the rear-end of Ford’s car and both drivers were out of the race. Ratzlaff went unopposed the rest of the race as he won by over eight seconds. Lohr placed second with Allison McCarty and Murrell third and fourth. Zito was credited with a fifth-place effort.

The Fortuna Wheel & Brake/Four Star Realty bomber division qualifications were paced by Wyatt Roach with an 18.117. Ryan Walters took the trophy dash victory. Sam Brown led the first five laps of the feature event but was overtaken by R.J. Randall on lap six. Randall began to pull away as the other drivers tried to sort things out. With 10-laps remaining there appeared to be contact between Brown and Walters with both drivers hitting the wall between turns one and two. Brown was unable to continue while Walters tried to continue the race but was unable to due to the severe damage he sustained. Randall continued to lead in the subsequent restart and was able to maintain a comfortable gap over the rest of the field. At the checkered flag it was Randall winning over Jim Redd, Bethany Rapp, Roach and Chris Naughton.

Qualifying for the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division was paced by Brian Murrell, Sr. with a 19.039. The mini stock trophy dash win was taken by Brett Murrell. Nick Ford let the opening lap of the main event but was passed by Brian Murrell, Jr. on lap two. Murrell, Jr. gapped the rest of the field with his lead being nearly a straight-away over second place. Eugene Palmer moved to second with Murrell, Sr. running third. On lap 15, Murrell, Sr. took second and tried to catch his son. Lap 20 proved to be the turning point for the race. Murrell, Jr. spun out of the lead off turn two moving Murrell, Sr. to the point. Just moments later, a major wreck took place in turns three and four with Brett Murrell, Rick Estes and Ken McCarty all sustaining major damage.

Murrell, Sr. led the Palmer and the rest of the field to the restart. Palmer’s vehicle began to have issues which moved him out of the second position and struggling to finish the race. The final few laps came down to the father/son duo of Murrell, Sr. and Murrell, Jr. With two laps to go, Murrell, Jr. was right on his father’s bumper. Murrell, Sr. was able to withstand his son’s late run and was first at the finish line. Scott Taylor was second followed by Nick Ford and Trevor Eacret.

Brandon White’s 15.802 time set the standard in the Mid-City Motor World Super Six Challenge Series late model division. The heat race finishes determined the starting positions in the main event. The first heat was won by Dane Nissen. The second heat got off to a bad start as an incident took place down the backstretch which damaged the cars of Luke Hall and Marty Walsh. The incident dealt Walsh another bad blow for 2018 as he was unable to fix his car for the feature. Hall was more fortunate as his damage was repairable. Alan Cress earned pole position in the 100-lap feature with the win in the second heat race.

Cress used his front row start to take the lead on the first lap of the Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100 presented by NorthCoast Lighting and Electric. Cress held the lead until lap 10 when White was able to get under and by for the top position. The race was slowed as incidents involving Dustin Walters, David Miller, Scott Baker and Chris Sarvinski all ran into trouble. White was able to maintain his lead after every restart and looked to have the best handle all race long. The second position swapped hands on lap 50 as Dane Nissen took over the spot from Cress. White had a comfortable lead over the rest of the field in the final few laps. Mic Moulton moved by Cress into third and he and Nissen battled with three laps remaining. At the finish it was White taking his fourth-straight Firecracker 100 victory. Nissen held off Moulton for second. Cress placed fourth with David Henderson finishing fifth.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway returns Saturday July 23rd. It will be a special weekend as the late models and North State Modifieds will both be in action. For more information on the upcoming races and the rest of the season, visit the track’s website www.RedwoodAcresRacing.com or Facebook page www.facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway

Murrell Survives Last-Lap Tangle To Win

#65 Tim Ratzlaff took the in in the second roadrunner main event

Eureka, CA (June 24, 2018) – A special Friday night event took place this past week at Redwood Acres Raceway. It was day two of the Redwood Acres Fair and the excitement could be felt throughout the entire fairgrounds including the 3/8-mile paved oval.

While the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bombers and the Mid-City Motor World late models were not in action, all four other divisions took to the track on Fair Night at the Races presented by Pepsi, Del Reka Distributing and Humboldt Lighting. In addition, the night finished with a boat race which has become a big hit with fans in the past several years.

Nick Ford was fast time in the Compass Community Credit Union roadrunner division with a 20.525. The first main was run in normal fashion and was a thriller from start to finish. Ford and Tim Ratzlaff traded the lead 10 times in the 20-lap main event. Ford was able to take the lead from Ratzlaff on the final lap to take the victory. Ronnie Crump was third with Jennifer Murrell fourth and Austin Peterson fifth.

The second main event was run backwards and proved to be a completely different race. Ratzlaff dominated only losing the lead to Steve Kimberling with three laps left to go. Ratzlaff was able to retake the lead and crossed the line first. Kimberling was second followed by Crump, Andy Savage and Shawna Estes.

Lane Anderson has displayed terrific pace in the first season for the Bandoleros. Anderson was fast time with a 21.706. Anderson took the trophy dash while Maleesa Miles hung on to win the heat. Kadence Mace led the first lap of the 15-lap main event. Lap two saw Anderson take over. From that point on, Anderson was able to run away from the rest of the field to victory lane. Miles placed second followed by Mace, Trey Daniels and Aiden Kimberling.

The NorthCoast Lighting & Electric Legends division had a great turnout for the evening. Chris Lawrence has become the main to beat in the division this season. His qualifying time of 18.133 was fastest of all. Tyler Peach was the heat race winner while the two heat races were won by Katina Baker and Lawrence.

The main event was a race to see how fast the quicker qualifiers would be able to maneuver through the field. Kylie Daniels showed great speed and led the majority of the race. Lawrence quickly sliced through the field to get second on lap five. Daniels and Lawrence had a fantastic battle for the lead with both drivers displaying great patience. On lap 19, Lawrence took the lead and was able to pull away. At the finish it was Lawrence beating Daniels, Peach, Tyler Krupa and Katina Baker.

The Humboldt Hydroponics mini stocks had a special 40-lap main event on the night. Brian Murrell, Sr. was quickest in qualifying with a time of 18.846. Gary Klientobe took the trophy dash win. Heat race victories were claimed by Jordan Paiment and Klientobe. Paiment took the lead at the start of the main event. Things got jumbled five laps into the race when Brett Murrell’s hood got loose and blocked his windshield. While he was able to get to the pits, Paiment was able to put a major gap on the field while faster qualifiers like Murrell, Sr. and Eugene Palmer lost significant track position.

It appeared as nobody had a chance of catching Paiment but a caution flag on lap 20 completely changed the complexion of the race. Klientobe cut a tire and spun out. Then a battle for second between Trevor Eacret and Scott Taylor resulted in Eacret’s truck being disabled, bringing out the caution. Paiment still held the lead on the restart but had Taylor and Palmer right on his heels. As the race drew closer to the checkered flag, things tightened up at the front. On the last lap, Paiment and Taylor were nose-to-tail going into the first turn. Coming off turn two, Taylor got into the back of Paiment who spun. Third place Palmer also got collected. Murrell, Sr. was able to get through the mess and was able to cross the finish line first after being in the fourth position on the white flag lap. Klientobe was able to recover from his flat tire to get second. The next three positions were determined by scoring on the previous lap as none of the drivers were able to make it back to the line. Paiment was credited with third over Palmer and Taylor.

Following the mini stock main event was the crowd-pleasing boat race. At the end of the carnage, the top three finishers were winner Armand Deny, second place Matt Taylor and third place Mark Murray.

The next race in the 2018 season for Redwood Acres Raceway is Saturday July 7th. The big event for the evening will be the Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100 for the Mid-City Motor World late models. There will be a test and tune on Friday July 6th. Another big event will happen after the races with a spectacular fireworks display.

For more information for Redwood Acres Raceway’s 2018 season can be found at www.RedwoodAcresRacing.com or by visiting the track’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway

Moulton Wins Third Race In A Row

#10 Mic Moulton made it three-for-three in the Super Six Challenge Series main event

Eureka, CA (June 10, 2018) – Racing returned to Redwood Acres Raceway on Saturday for the fourth race of the 2018 season. All six divisions were in action for Renner Petroleum Night at the Races including the Super Six Late Model Challenge Series cars which last raced on May 12th.

Fast time for the Compass Community Credit Union roadrunners was Daniel Buell with a 20.565. Main event one was dominated by Buell. Tim Ratzlaff got past Buell on lap eight but had to surrender the lead on lap 10 as he broke the 21-second barrier. Buell was able to pull out a substantial lead while Ratzlaff had to do all he could to close in on the leader. Ratzlaff finally caught up to Buell with three laps remaining and maneuvered by to take the lead. At the checkered flag it was Ratzlaff winning over Buell, Ronny Crump, Lindsey Zito and Allan Anderson.

Zito led the field to the green in the second main but Nick Ford quickly took over. Ford led up to lap 11 until he broke the 21-second rule and had to give up the lead to Ratzlaff. The three cars of Ratzlaff, Buell and Ford had a great battle for the lead. With four laps remaining, Buell was able to take over the lead. He was able to maintain that lead from that point on to take the victory. Ratzlaff took second while Crump, Ford and Jacob Wilkinson rounded out the top five.

Lane Anderson set fast time for the Bandolero cars. Anderson took the trophy dash win while Maleesa Miles was the heat race winner. Miles and Anderson had a spectacular race from the drop of the green flag. Anderson dogged Miles all race long. Miles got loose on a few occasions but was able to maintain the lead on Anderson. The two drivers were never more than less than a car-length apart. At the finish it was Miles winning flag-to-flag just narrowly over Anderson and Kimberling.

Qualifying for the NorthCoast Lighting & Electric was paced by Chris Lawrence at a 18.241. The trophy dash was won by Tyler Peach while the two head races went to Brandon White and Lawrence. Katina Baker took over the lead for the first four laps before giving way to Lawrence. His closest competition came from White. Lapped traffic played a role in the last half of the race. White was able to close in on Lawrence several times, including finding himself inside of Lawrence. In spite of White’s pressure, Lawrence kept his cool and was able to cross the line first at the finish. White placed second while Aiden Daniels, Wyatt Hobart and Baker finished the top five.

Ryan Walters was the fastest in qualifying for the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bombers at a 18.332. Sam Brown won the trophy dash after Walters and Jim Redd got together. Walters recovered to take the heat race win. Wyatt Roach took the lead and he and Walters had a race-long fight for the lead. Walters stayed on Roach’s bumper and with less than five laps remaining it appeared as thought he was going to make a serious challenge for the lead. With three laps to go, Walters got loose coming off turn four allowing Roach to pull away. At the finish it was Roach winning. Walters, Redd, Bethany Rapp and Brown rounded out the top five finishers.

In the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stocks, Brian Murrell, Sr. was quick time setting an 18.899 qualifying effort. The trophy dash was won by Gary Klientobe while the heat race victors were Trevor Eacret and Eugene Palmer. Several caution flags slowed the feature event. The most notable when it appeared Klinetobe hit the wall between turns one and two. Eacret led most of the race but had his hands full with Murrell, Sr. who was right in his mirror. Murrell, Sr. swept into the lead with five laps remaining. Murrell, Sr. was able to hang on to the lead and take the win over Palmer, Eacret, Brian Murrell, Jr. and Jordan Paiment.

Fast time for the Mid-City Motor World Super Six Challenge Series late model cars was David Henderson 15.874. The first heat was won by Kenny Demello while Marty Walsh’s win in the second heat granted him pole position for the main event. The 60-lap feature event presented by NorthCoast Lighting & Electric was slowed from the start when Scott Baker got loose crossing the start line and sliding into the mud created by rain earlier in the day. The restart was clean and Walsh immediately jumped to the lead. David Henderson slotted into the second position and did his best to try and chase down Walsh. As the laps clicked off, it appeared as though Walsh had the race-winning car. He had a substantial advantage over Henderson and the rest of the field. Mic Moulton passed Henderson on lap 30 and made his try to challenge Walsh.

At lap 40, it was heartbreak for Walsh as his car lost power down the straightaway. Moulton moved to the lead while Walsh had to limp his car to the pits. Henderson made one last run on Moulton in the final five laps but time ran out for him. Moulton was able to take the victory, his third straight of 2018. Henderson was second. Dennis DelBiaggio was third in his first race of the season. Kenny Demello was fourth while Ken Hallis had a solid run with a fifth.

Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway in two weeks. The event will be a special one as it will be on Friday June 22nd. The late models and bombers will have the night off while the rest of RAR’s divisions will be in action. The first boat race of the year will conclude the event. More horsepower will be displayed the following night Saturday June 23rd as tractor pulls are the featured event. VIP tickets are available on Redwood Acres Raceway’s website, www.RedwoodAcresRacing.com/tickets More information about the tractor pulls can be found at www.mlm-motorsports.com You can also visit Redwood Acres Raceway on Facebook www.facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway

Philpot wins in the North State Modified Series first visit to the Acres

#57 Eric Johnson finished second to Jason Philpot in the North State Modified Series' feature race

Eureka, CA (May 28, 2018) – It was O’Reilly Night at the Races this past weekend at Redwood Acres Raceway. It was a special Sunday show for Memorial Day weekend which featured five of RAR’s local divisions as well as the North State Modified Series who were making their first of three visits to the track.

Kadence Mace was fast time for the Bandoleros with a 22.375. Aiden Kimberling was the trophy dash winner while Trey Daniels took the heat race. The 15-lap main event was dominated by Daniels. He jumped to the lead on lap one and never looked back. Daniels took the victory ahead of Kimberling and Mace.

The Compass Community Credit Union roadrunners were paced by Nick Ford in qualifying as his time was 20.449. Tim Ratzlaff got the lead right from the drop of the green flag of the first main event. Ratzlaff dominated, so much so that he broke the 21-second barrier on lap 12. This moved Patrick Sproul to the point and it looked as though the race fell into his hands. Ratzlaff had other plans as he charged hard to regain the lead. With two laps remaining, Ratzlaff retook the lead and was able to pull away. At the finish it was Ratzlaff, Sproul, Ford, Landon Newell and Ronny Crump.

Ratzlaff took the lead at the start of the second feature event. Sproul took over on lap two and had a race-long battle with Nick Ford for the win. As the finish came closer, Sproul led with three laps remaining. The next lap, Ratzlaff who had stayed closely behind the two leaders made a move for the lead. The maneuver paid off as he was able to take the lead. Ratzlaff crossed the line first sweeping both feature events. Ford, Sproul, Newell and Crump rounded out the top five.

Derek Copeland was quick time in the NorthCoast Lighting and Electric Legends division with a 17.873. Copeland followed up with wins in the trophy dash. Heat race wins went to Kylie Daniels and Copeland. The lap one leader was Tyler Peach and he held on to the lead for five laps before Copeland took over. The most serious challenger to Copeland’s lead was Chris Lawrence. Just as Lawrence made an inside move for the lead, the yellow flag dropped. Copeland led the field to the restart and was able to go on unchallenged. At the finish it was Copeland winning over Lawrence, Peach, Katina Baker and Daniels.

In the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bombers, Wyatt Roach was fast time with an 18.331. Roach was the winner of the trophy dash and Jim Redd won the heat race. Redd moved to the lead on lap one. Roach proved to be Redd’s closest competition but fell out early. Redd was able to pull away from the field and lead the race flag-to-flag to win. Chris Naughton placed second, Doug Way third, Kolby Jackson fourth while Roach was scored fifth.

Brett Murrell set the fastest time in qualifying for the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stocks with a 18.769. Eugene Palmer was the dash winner while the heats went to Trevor Eacret and Murrell. Jordan Paiment led the first five laps of the feature event before Murrell took over the lead. Palmer moved to second the same lap and tried his best to stick to Murrell’s bumper. Murrell was able to gap Palmer enough that it appeared as though he was going to cruise to the victory. With one lap remaining, Murrell’s car failed moving Palmer to the lead. The last lap proved to be the only lap Palmer needed to lead as he won his first main event of 2018. Scott Taylor took second over Eacret, Gary Klientobe and Brian Murrell, Sr.

Randy Houston’s 16.514 in qualifying was the standard set in qualifying for the North State Modifieds. Ian Elliott took the victory in the six-lap Lucas Oil Dash For Cash. Eric Johnson led from the drop of the green flag of the 60-lap event. Jason Philpot followed into second and the first two ran-nose-to tail for several laps. Just past the halfway point, Philpot was able to maneuver past Johnson for the lead. The best battle on the track proved to be for second as Johnson did all he could to hold off Kris Price and Houston. Even after a couple of caution flags, Philpot was able to pull away while Johnson had his hands full with Houston and Price filling his mirror. Philpot was able to cruise to the checkered flag by over two seconds. Johnson held on for second over Price, Houston and Dustin DeRosier.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway returns Saturday June 9th. The Super Six Challenge Series late models will be returning to action along with the five other local divisions. Visit www.RedwoodAcresRacing.com for more information on the upcoming event as well as race and points result. You can also find RAR on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway

White Wins Third Firecracker 100 In A Row

#19 won his third straight Firecracker 100

Eureka, CA (July 2, 2017) – After a two week break in action, racing at Redwood Acres Raceway returned this past Saturday night for a very special Independence Day weekend event presented by North Coast Lighting And Electric. Roadrunners, bombers and mini stocks were in action along with the fourth race in the Super 6 Late Model Challenge Series, the third annual Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100. Following the 100-lap feature event, RAR treated fans to a dazzling fireworks display.

Qualifying for the California State And Federal Employees’ Credit Union roadrunner division was paced by Daniel Buell with a 20.530. The first 20-lap main was run backwards and proved to be a Ratzlaff family affair. Bob Ratzlaff dominated from the pole, leading the opening 10 laps. On lap 11, Tim Ratzlaff took over and never looked back. Tim Ratzlaff took the win over Buell, Nick Ford, Jake Keeling and Lindsey Zito.

Natya Dawn led the first three laps in the second main which was run in normal fashion. Things got busy after that as Buell and Ford traded the lead several times. Buell finally got a firm hold on the lead on lap 12 and looked as though he had the win in the bag. Unfortunately for Buell, he broke out of the 21-second rule on lap 17 and was forced out of the lead. Ford took over and was able to hold off Tim Ratzlaff from there to take the win. Dawn narrowly beat Buell to the line for third while Jake Keeling finished fifth.

R.J. Randall was fast time in the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bombers with a time of 18.364. Jim Redd took the trophy dash win. Heat races in the bomber and mini stock divisions were not run on the night due to the 100-lap late model event and the post-race fireworks display. Kolby Jackson got the jump at the start of the 25-lap main event and dominated leading 17 laps. On lap 18, Randall was finally able to muscle by Jackson to take the lead. While coming to take the white flag, Randall’s car shut off. This allowed late arrival, Jeff French to take the lead. At the finish it was French winning by .810 over Kolby Jackson. Redd placed third while John Lally recovered from issues to finish fourth. Randall was credited with fifth.

Brian Murrell narrowly set the fastest time in the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division with a 19.025. Brett Murrell was the trophy dash victor. Trevor Eacret briefly held the lead in the 25-lap feature but by lap four, Brett Murrell had moved from the back to the front and past Eacret for the top spot. Murrell’s closest competition came in the form of Gary Klinetobe who was able to close in Murrell’s lead. Unfortunately for Klinetobe, he did not have the strength to provide a serious challenge to Murrell. At the finish it was Brett Murrell taking home the win by over a second over Klinetobe. Scott Taylor finished third followed by Eacret and Rick Estes.

19 cars showed up for the Super 6 Late Model Challenge Series Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100 presented by Danielson Construction, Mid-City Motor World and North Coast Lighting And Electric. Unfortunately two of the drivers were unable to take time as Dane Nissen and George Young both had issues that prevented them from racing. Brandon White set a new standard in the late model division with fast time and the track record, a 15.685. Marty Walsh won the first qualifying heat which netted him the ninth starting position. West coast racing legend, Jim Walker earned pole for the 100-lap feature with a win in the second heat race.

Brandon White used the outside pole to his advantage as he shot out to the lead at the start of the Firecracker 100. Right from the start, it was apparent that the handling on Walker’s car was not right as he dropped back dramatically in the field. Walker made seven laps before taking his car to the pits for the night. The first 22 laps were run incident-free until a three-car pileup in turn two involving Dennis DelBiaggio, Richard Knight and Dustin Walters brought out the caution. The leaders were able to narrowly avoid the incident.

Caution fever began with the yellow flying four times between lap 23 and lap 32. First, Kenny Demello spun. Then debris from Walsh’s car brought out two more yellows. Then contact between Ryun Leazer and Steven Gannon sent Gannon into the front stretch wall and out of the race.

The event only had one caution thereafter as there was a long and exciting green-flag run. White pulled out to the lead with his closest competitors coming in the form of Brandon Ash, Luke Hall and David Miller. As the race wound down, it appeared as though Hall began to close on White. On lap 70, series point leader Mic Moulton pulled off the track and out of the event. Four laps later, Hall succumbed to problems and was forced into the pits.

On lap 83, Ash had closed right in on White’s bumper. On lap 84, Ash got under White going down the back stretch for the lead. Just as Ash got to the lead, the caution flew as Kenny Demello spun on the front straightaway. This proved to be the big decider in the race as the caution cost Ash the lead due to the field not racing back to the caution flag and scoring reverting to the previous lap. The caution allowed White to cool his tires and he was able to pull away on the restart as Ash fell back to third following a pass by Miller. At the finish it was White winning the Firecracker 100 for the third straight year over Miller and Ash. Walsh placed fourth, the last car on the lead lap while Leazer was fifth.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway goes on a two-week summer vacation. The season resumes Saturday July 22nd with the North State Modified Series returning to the 3/8-mile oval for the second time in 2017. Between then and now, the Super 6 Late Model Challenge Series will be making its one and only stop to the 1/3-mile oval at Ukiah Speedway on July 15th. For more information on everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.RacingTheAcres.com

White wins Super 6 opener at the Acres

#19 Brandon White won round one of the Super Six Challenge Series

Eureka, California (April 30, 2017) – You couldn’t ask for a nicer afternoon this past Saturday night at Redwood Acres Raceway. A packed house enjoyed the first race of the season at the 3/8-mile paved oval in what proved to be a thrilling night of action across all six local divisions.

Rookie, Daniel Whitley set fast time for the Legends division presented by Nor-Cal Automotive with a 18.346. Unfortunately, Whitley’s night was cut short in the trophy dash when he spun in turn four and backed into the wall. Brent Mack took the trophy dash win then went on to take the heat race win. Tyler Peach took the lead at the start of the 25-lap feature and made a good account for himself in spite of his inexperience in a Legends car. Peach held off the more experienced Mack for the first 17 laps before a spin by Dominic Vogelsang bunched the field. The restart proved to be to Mack’s advantage and he was able to take over the lead. Mack was able to hold on the rest of the way to take the victory over Peach, Vogelsand, M’Kinzy Uselton and James McBride.

Qualifying was paced by Jim Redd in the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber division. Redd’s time was 18.664. John Lally took the trophy dash win and was able to follow it up with a win in the heat race. The 25-lap main event was paced by Kolby Jackson in the opening stages. Redd took the lead away and had his hands full the rest of the race with Lally and Jackson filling his rear-view mirror. Lally made a late race charge on Redd but spun in turns three and four. Redd was able to hang on to take the victory. Lally recovered to place second followed by Jackson, Bethany Rapp and Kim Sorrels.

Fast time for the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division was set by Brian Murrell, Sr. with a 19.136. Troy Lee took the trophy dash victory while heat race wins went to Rick Estes and Murrell. Estes led the first lap of the 25-lap main until he spun in turns one and two. Rookie driver, Scott Taylor inherited the lead and showed surprising speed in his first race as he led the majority of the way. On lap 15, Ed Robinson took the lead and appeared to be on his way to his first-ever main event victory before spinning out of the lead off turn four. Murrell took the lead from that point and was able to take the victory after holding off a late charge by Eugene Palmer. Tayler placed third followed by Troy Lee and Trevor Eacret.

Ronnie O’Neil set fast time in the Thunder Roadster division presented by Lone Star Junction with a 17.179. Tommy Payne was the winner of the four-lap trophy dash while Paul Peeples, Jr. took the heat race victory. Payne shot into the lead from the start of the 30-lap main. All race long the 2016 champion had his mirror full with either Peeples or O’Neil right on his bumper. O’Neil’s spin in turns one and two on lap 25 took him out of having a chance at the victory. Payne was able to withstand Peeples’ final charge to take the win. Chris Sarvinski was third while Aaron Byers and Chris Lawrence rounded out the top five finishers.

Daniel Buell was quick time in the California State And Federal Employees Credit Union roadrunner division. Buell’s time was 20.456. Tim Ratzlaff was the winner of the trophy dash while heat race honors went to Nick Ford. The first 10 laps of the 20-lap roadrunner main were ran in the familiar counter-clockwise format. Ford briefly held the lead before giving way to Ratzlaff. When the field was turned backwards in the clockwise format, Ratzlaff appeared to have the upper-hand. Ratzlaff was able to lead the final stages and take the victory over Ford, Buell, Jake Keeling and Natya Hanson.

The first leg Super 6 Late Model Challenge Series took place on the night. The Super 6 Series will feature four more races at Redwood Acres Raceway in 2017 and one at Ukiah Speedway on July 15th and is presented by Danielson Construction, Mid-City Motor World and North Coast Lighting & Electric.

Mic Moulton set quick time with a 15.854. In all, 16 cars qualified for the event. Leonard Ward III was not one of them however as he had an incident prior to qualifying which took him out for the night. The heat races determined the starting positions for the 75-lap main event. Riley Watson won the first heat which gave him the ninth starting spot. Eddie Kline took the second heat and pole position for the feature.

Home-town favorite, Brandon White took the lead from the start. It was a position he would never relinquish. The big story of the race was the trouble that drivers in second place encountered in the final stages of the main event. Marty Walsh was a strong second the majority of the night before he seemed to encounter issues which knocked him out of the spot. Tim Crenshaw moved to second before his car broke. Watson was having a strong run and took second after Crenshaw’s problems but he too succumbed to issues and was forced to the pits. Up front, White encountered no issues and was able to take the victory. Kenny Demello had a stellar run with a second place finish. Moulton placed third over Eric Gannon and Walsh.

The second race of the season on the pavement at the Acres takes place May 13th. On May 12th, the Acres will host the season-opening event for the outlaw karts. For more information regarding all the racing action at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.RacingTheAcres.com