Henderson, Mayo back in victory lane

By Matthew J. Sullivan

After a week off, racing returned to Redwood Acres Raceway Saturday night for the annual Mother’s Day races. As always, the four local classes of real stocks, roadrunners, Thunder Roadsters and sportsman cars put on a great show for the fans in attendance.

Division rookie, Michael Lawrence took the trophy dash victory in the real stock division while the victor in the heat race was Nick Green. The feature event for the division was dominated by Matt Simon who led from the drop of the green flag. On the final lap, Simon got loose in turn two which allowed Green to take the lead and the victory. Lawrence took third followed by Harvey Holm and Leonard Ward.

Thanks in part to being the only driver who has started all three events in the real stock division, Lawrence holds a sizeable gap in the battle for the track championship. Lawrence’s margin over Green and Tyler Avelar who are tied for second is 44 points. The brother duo of Dustin and Ryan Walters is fourth in points with Simon fifth.

The roadrunner trophy dash winner was Jordon Paiment while the heat race winners were Gary Klinetobe and Paiment again. The main event featured a great battle between Jarrett Mayo and Paiment.  Unfortunately, Paiment was collected in an incident with Ken Lawrence with both drivers unable to continue.  Jarrett Mayo took his second main event win of the year ahead of Klinetobe, Kolby Jackson, Ken Barrett and Ryun Leazer.

Mayo’s victory allowed him to pull slightly farther ahead of Jackson in points with an 18 point gap. Tim Abeyta, Barrett and Klinetobe round out the top five with Paiment, Leazer, Gray Ethridge, Brett Murrell and Eugene Palmer sixth through tenth.

The Thunder Roadster trophy dash went to Thomas Payne while Lonnie Tamboury took the heat race win. David Henderson made his way through the field quickly in the main event and was absolutely dominant, creating a sizeable gap over the rest of the pack. Henderson easily took the main event victory over Payne, Mike Ward, Chris Sarvinski and Tamboury.

Saturday night’s victory helped boost Henderson in points after engine problems in the previous race.  Henderson holds a slim six point lead over Sarvinski while Payne, Belinda Ward and Robbie Nelson complete the top five in Thunder Roadster points.

Brandon Barnwell looked to be the man to beat on the night in the sportsman division taking wins in the dash and the heat race.  Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse at the start of the main event. Going down the backstretch on the first lap, Barnwell and Kevin Estep got together forcing both cars hard into the wall and ending the race for both drivers. Dennis DelBiaggio made his first start of 2013 and was the class of the field winning handily over Angelo Marcelli, Kenny Demello and Ken Hallis.

Thanks to Barnwell’s misfortune, Marcelli took over the division point lead. Marcelli leads Barnwell by eight points.  Demello lies third ahead of Jerry Peterson and Al Acuna.

Racing returns to the Acres this Saturday night with all four division returning to the track for what should be another exciting night of action.

Acres season just getting started

By Matthew J. Sullivan

After a week off, racing returns this Saturday evening for the annual Mother’s Day weekend races at Redwood Acres Raceway.  Two races have already been put in the books, the most recent occurring on April 27^th.

Ryan Walters won the most recent feature event for the real stock division over Nick Green, Michael Lawrence, Matt Simon and Harvey Holm.  Ryan and his brother Dustin hold the points lead for the class over Lawrence and William Sand.  They are the only three drivers who started both main events thus far this season.

Young Jordon Paiment held off Ken Barrett in the roadrunner main event on the 27^th, his first ever main event victory.  Things are tight in the battle for the track title in the division as Jarrett Mayo holds a slim three point advantage over Tim Abeyta while Kolby Jackson, Barrett and Paiment aren’t too far behind.

Chris Sarvinski was another first-time main event winner in the most previous race, taking home the checkered flag in the Thunder Roadster division.  The win gave Sarvinski the early season point edge by six markers over David Henderson.  Thomas Payne, Belinda Ward and Jim Rich round out the top five drivers in the roadsters.

Brandon Barnwell’s main event victory on the 27th closed the points gap between he and Angelo Marcelli.  Marcelli leads Barnwell by only three markers followed by Kenny Demello, Jerry Peterson and Al Acuna.

As previously noted, racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway this Saturday May 11^th.

Redwood Acres Raceway Points Standings (As of 5/9/13)

Real Stocks

Dustin/Ryan Walters 130, Michael Lawrence 116, William Sand 112, Tyler Avelar 79, Leonard Ward 66, Nick Green 65, Matt Simon 60, Harvey Holm 54, Chris Naughton 54

Roadrunners

Jarrett Mayo 134, Tim Abeyta 131, Kolby Jackson 123, Ken Barrett 122, Jordon Paiment 120, Gary Klinetobe 114, Gray Etheridge 110, Ryun Leazer 104, Brett Murrell 101, Kayla Foster 74, Paul Leazer 59, Eugene Palmer 53, Tony Miles 46, Steve Paiment 44, Brian Murrell, Jr. 42, Barbara Paiment 38

Thunder Roadsters

Chris Sarvinski 139 David Henderson 133, Thomas Payne 129, Belinda Ward 117, Jim Rich 110, Les Barnwell 102, Robbie Nelson 101, Paul Peeples, Jr. 77, Allen Olson 73, Lonnie Tamboury 68

Sportsman

Angelo Marcelli 132, Brandon Barnwell 129, Kenny Demello 119, Jerry Peterson 118, Al Acuna 114.

Marcelli, Peeples, Mayo and Avelar win on opening night

The 2013 season kicked off this past Saturday evening at Redwood Acres Raceway with all four local classes in action. A great crowd was on hand to see real stocks, roadrunners, Thunder Roadsters and sportsman cars put on a fantastic show.

The real stock trophy dash was won by Tyler Avelar while Leonard Ward took the heat race victory. The feature event saw a three car incident in the early going between Ryan Walters, Chris Naughton and division rookie and 2012 Redwood Acres Raceway roadrunner champ, Michael Lawrence.  Unfortunately, Lawrence was the only car that was unable to continue.

William Sand held the lead briefly before smacking the wall allowing Avelar and Ward to get by.  Ward made his way to the lead for several laps but could not hold off the faster Avelar who took the lead late in the going and held on to win over Ward, Sand, Naughton and Walters.

Jarrett Mayo took the victory in the roadrunner trophy dash while the heat races were won by Ryun Leazer and Ken Barrett.  The roadrunner main event featured a scary incident involving Barb Paiment.  Paiment was starting her first ever race and moved high in turn one to allow the leaders to pass her safely.  Unfortunately, Paiment got too high off the second turn and hit the wall at the pit road entrance head-on. The race was halted and delayed while rescue crews extracted Paiment from her car. Paiment broke her left arm, her left ankle and her right foot in the incident.

The remainder of the race showcased a thrilling duel for the lead and the victory between Mayo and Tim Abeyta.  Abeyta did all he could to pressure Mayo into making a mistake and coming off turn four it looked as though he had a chance to steal the victory.  Unfortunately, he came up short in his effort as Mayo beat him to the checkered flag.  Kolby Jackson, Gary Kinetob and Barrett rounded out the top five.

David Henderson narrowly defeated Paul Peeples, Jr. in the Thunder Roadster trophy dash while Peeples held off Henderson for the win in the heat race. A rocky start that saw Jim Rich get loose in front of the field in turn three on the first lap gave Peeples the advantage he needed while Henderson lost precious track position to avoid wrecking.

Lonnie Tamboury held the lead in the early stages but could not hold off Peeples who took the lead.  Chris Sarvinski, who looked to be very strong on the night, followed Peeples into second and road right on his tail for the majority of the race.  Meanwhile, Henderson had to work hard to get by the likes of Thomas Payne, Allen Olson and Tamboury then had a tough battle for second with Sarvinski which he eventually won.  Henderson was in Peeples’ mirror the rest of the way but was unable to make the challenge necessary to take the lead.  At the line it was Peeples winning over Henderson, Sarvinski, Payne and Olson.

The sportsman dash was won by Brandon Barnwell while the heat race was taken by Angelo Marcelli.  Jerry Peterson took the lead from pole position in the main event and fought off Barnwell until Marcelli moved into second.  Marcelli took the lead from Peterson and looked to be home free the rest of the event.  Peterson was able to close in on the final laps and made a serious challenge on Marcelli coming off the fourth turn on the last lap.  Marcelli was able to withstand it and crossed the line first over Peterson, Kenny Demello, Barnwell and Al Acuna.

Racing resumes this Saturday night, April 27^th for Pepsi Night at the Acres.

Acres season on the horizon

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The 2013 season at Redwood Acres Raceway is only five weeks.  With each passing day, the anticipation builds for what should be another exciting year of racing at Eureka, California’s 3/8-mile paved oval.

The four local divisions of real stocks, roadrunners, Thunder Roadsters and sportsman will take to the track throughout the forthcoming season.  The most anticipated event of the year is likely the debut of the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series at the Acres.  Other major events include the return of Fair Night racing on Friday June 21^st as well as the Pacific Challenge Series Late Models (formerly the Airport Auto Brokers Late Models) a month later on July 27^th.  As always, the year will be capped off on the final weekend in September with the Fall Spectacular which will see the return of the PCS late models.

Any questions regarding the 2013 season at Redwood Acres Raceway should be directed to the track promoters Rich and Linda Olson by calling 707-442-3232.

April 6 - Practice

April 20 – Best Appearing Car Contest Presented by KKHB Cool 105.5 Radio

April 27 – Pepsi Night at the Races Sponsored by Pepsi Bottling Group of Eureka

May 11 – Mother’s Day Race Sponsored by O’Reilly Auto Parts and presented by KINS Radio 106.3

May 18 – Weekly Show Presented by KFMI 96.3

June 1 – Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series 125 Sponsored by Renner Petroleum & Leon’s Car Care Center and presented by Flowmaster and KRED 92.3 Big Red Country

June 8 – Father’s Day Race Sponsored by Mercer Fraser Company

June 21 – Friday Night Fair Race Sponsored by Redwood Capital Bank and presented by Fox 28

June 29 – Fan Appreciation Night Sponsored by Mid-City Motor World (All Tickets $5.00)

July 13 – Weekly Show Presented by ABC 23 TV

July 27 – Pacific Challenge Series Late Models Sponsored by Mid-City Motor World and presented by ESPN 1340

August 3 – California Truckers’ Association Appreciation Night

August 24 – Back-To-School-Night Sponsored by Les Schwab Tire Center of Eureka

September 14 – Memorial Race Presented by KEKA 101 Country Radio

September 29 and 30 – Fall Spectacular Open Show Sponsored by Mid-City Motor World

Redwood Acres Raceway’s 2012 season nearing its conclusion

Redwood Acres Raceway’s 2012 season nearing its conclusion

By Matthew J. Sullivan

This weekend marks the end of the 2012 season for racing at Eureka, California’s Redwood Acres Raceway the 25th straight year of pavement race on the 3/8-mile oval.  In what has become a Northern California tradition, the year will conclude this Friday, Saturday and Sunday (September 21st-23rd) with the Fall Spectacular.  Along with the local classes of cars and drivers from the real stocks, roadrunner and thunder roadster divisions will be the Airport Auto Brokers Late Model touring series along with the return of the IMCA modified open race.

The battle for Redwood Acres Raceway’s sportsman division concluded on the September 15th Larry Pries Memorial event as Brandon Barnwell sealed his 2012 track championship with a main event victory.  Barnwell’s 2012 crown marks his third championship in the sportsman division, his previous titles coming back-to-back in 2007 and 2008.  The title in the thunder roadster division has been sealed as well by Paul Peeples, Jr.  Peeples championship mirrors Barnwell’s run as he too previously won titles in the roadster class in 2007 and 2008.  Donnie Hyman appears to have the real stock track title well within reach as he has a nearly insurmountable margin of 93 points over second place, Dax Kinsey.  Things are closer in the roadrunner class as Michael “Cheeseburger” Lawrence has a 34 point gap over second place driver, Ken Barrett.

As previously mentioned, the 2012 Fall Spectacular marks the return of the very popular IMCA modified open race after a five-year absence.  Thomas Wright won the most recent running of the event in 2007 over Jay Linstroth, Richie Potts and Charlie Kramm.  The 2006 running saw Oregon veteran, Willie Thompson come across the line first ahead of Jerry Dubach, Scott Winters, Eddie Laws and Gary Lowblad.  The 2005 race was won by Jay Linstroth beating out Ken Scales, Willie Thompson, Richie Potts and David Sullivan.  The modifieds visited the Acres earlier this year in June with Guy Young taking the victory.

The AABLM series will be staging its ninth race of 2012 this weekend, the series’ third visit to the Acres on the year.  Randy Houston won the season opening race in May while Forrest Kuecker won his first ever AABLM event in the race in late July.  Howard Ford won both ends of a double-header in the 2011 running of the Fall Spectacular.  Jeremy Doss has been the dominant force in the series, scoring five wins this year but the young driver has yet to taste success thus far at Redwood Acres Raceway.  He’ll face top competition including Houston, David Miller, Jim Walker and another youngster in his teammate, Brandon White who won the AABLM’s last race at Shasta Speedway on September 15th.

Redwood Acres Raceway will have open practice on Friday for all cars and drivers beginning at 2:00PM followed by a barbeque.  Racing will begin Saturday at 6:00PM while Sunday’s events will begin at 1:00PM.  Any questions regarding this weekend’s races should be directed to the raceway by calling 707-442-3232.

Past Late Model Fall Spectacular Winners
1990 – Randy Olson
1991 – Bob Strauss
1992 – Randy Olson
1993 – Jeff Rogers
1994 – Roger Gannon
1995 – Darrell Midgley
1996 – Randy Olson
1997 – Randy Olson
1998 – Darrell Midgley
1999 – Mike Sackett
2000 – Mike Sackett
2001 – Mike Sackett
2003 – Mike Sackett
2004 – David Miller
2005 – Josh Bews
2006 – Ryan Foster
2007 – Howard Ford
2009 – Noel McCormack, Jr.
2010 – David Miller
2011 – Howard Ford/Howard Ford

Henderson honors friend, sweeps Back-To-School races

Henderson honors friend, sweeps Back-To-School races

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was Back-To-School Night at Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday night. To celebrate the occasion, track promoters, Rich and Linda Olson along with several raceway fans and sponsors donated backpacks and school supplies to children who signed up at the souvenir booth. Several drivers went into this past Saturday evening’s event with heavy hearts with the passing of former thunder roadster competitor, Chris Banfill. Banfill had been reported missing in late July and was found dead near the town of Rio Dell last week. His death was ruled a suicide due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Before the racing took place, drivers took to the track in their cars with a memorial lap and ceremony where a Corvette with Banfill’s number 25 passed through the middle of the field to take the checkered flag at the start/finish line.

The real stock trophy dash was won by rookie driver, Harvey Holm while Dax Kinsey took the trophy in the heat race. The feature proved to be a tough night for several drivers thanks to a handful of wrecks. Contact between Donnie Hyman and Holm entering the third turn on lap two collected Tyler Avelar and William Sand with Sand being the victim of a busted radiator. Kinsey looked to have the strongest car but had a battle on his hands trying to get by leader, Dustin Walters. While trying to make a run on the outside, Kinsey got loose and hit the turn two wall hard forcing him out of the race. Walters was able to hold on to win over Holm, Jim Redd and Hyman.

In roadrunner action, Brett Murrell took the trophy dash victory. The heat races were won by Michael Lawrence and Ken Barrett. The feature was slowed only once when Kayla Foster was turned by Barrett entering the first turn on the first lap. Thomas Halvorsen was the main victim as he received unrepairable damage that knocked him out of the race. Murrell tore through the field on the restart and absolutely dominated the race, winning handily over Lawrence, Jarrett Mayo and Tim Abeyta.

The Northern California Pro-4 Modified cars returned to the Acres for the second time in 2012. Kevin Barba won the trophy dash with the heat race victories going to Marty Lewis and Greg Van Cleave. The 25-lap feature was cut to 20 laps due to several wrecks and lengthy cleanup time. The scariest incident of the race came in the final handful of laps when Chris Straka made an error going into the third turn racing with Van Cleave for the lead, taking both cars out. Straka’s car hit the wall head on but was able to walk away from the incident unharmed. The incident handed the lead to Curt Lewis and he held off Van Cleave to take the victory while Neo Nuno and Fredy Champagne finishing third and fourth.

David Henderson was the man to beat in the thunder roadster division as he took the wins in the trophy dash and the heat race. Fergy Ferguson led the early few laps in the feature before getting passed by Alan Olson. Olson did all he could to hold off Henderson but was only able to do it for so long before Henderson found the inside line to take the lead. Olson fell back to third when Paul Peeples, Jr. took second from him. Henderson took the flag first in what had to be an emotional night for him as he and Banfill had been good friends. Peeples finished second over Olson and Bruce Ziemer.

Brandon Barnwell was victorious in the sportsman trophy dash while Dennis DelBiaggio took the checkers first in the heat race. Al Acuna led early in the main event before Barnwell was able to take the lead. DelBiaggio looked to have the best car in the field but saw misfortune when he and Acuna made contact sending Acuna spinning and DelBiaggio to the rear of the field. Kenny Demello did all he could to pressure Barnwell but the former track champion never faltered as he took the victory with Demello, DelBiaggio and Angelo Marcelli finishing in his wake.

Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway Saturday September 8th for Five Dollar Fan Appreciation Night. Fans who have ticket stubs from five previous races this season get in free while those that don’t will be able to attend for only five dollars.

2012 winding down at the Acres

2012 winding down at the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

With summer at its midpoint and the month of August in its early days, the 2012 season at Redwood Acres Raceway is quickly drawing to a close. There are only five weekends of racing left on the 3/8-mile paved oval in Eureka, California, six including the season ending Fall Spectacular. The points races in two of the local divisions are close while in two others, it appears as though it will take a drastic issue to overthrow the current points leader.

Donnie Hyman has a substantial 78 point lead in the real stock points race over rookie driver, William Sand. Unfortunately for Hyman, he suffered engine woes in the most recent race on July 21st. Nick Green sits in third only three points behind sand while Casey Mitchell is fourth two behind Green despite not attending all the events this season. The team of Jim Redd and Matt Simon are in fifth, 13 points behind Mitchell.

The points race in the roadrunner division will likely come down to the final lap of the final main event. Without question the roadrunners are Redwood Acres Raceway’s most competitive division. Michael Lawrence is the current points leader but by only a single point. Second place is a tie between two cars that have a team of drivers. The #98 team of Ray Rapp, Jerry Toledo and Ron Macklin are locked in battle with the #52 team of Ryan Ahrens and Thomas Halvorsen. Brett Murrell is fourth in the points, seven behind points leader Lawrence while Tim Abeyta is in fifth but out of the running for the division crown.

Paul Peeples, Jr. has been a dominant force in the thunder roadster class and the points in the division reflect that. Peeples leads two-time defending division champion, Thomas Payne by 51 markers. Bruce Ziemer is third but only by eight points over fourth place, Lonnie Tamboury. David Henderson is fifth in points despite missing an event this season.
The title race in the sportsman division is a two-man race between Brandon Barnwell and Dennis DelBiaggio. Barnwell holds a six-point advantage over DelBiaggio in the standings. Veteran driver, Angelo Marcelli is firmly in third position while Kenny Demello is fourth and Jeremy Yarberry is in fifth.

Racing resumes this Saturday evening, August 4th. In addition to the racing, Redwood Acres Raceway will be celebrating California Truckers Association Appreciation Night.

Redwood Acres Raceway Points Standings (Total Points In Parenthesis)
Real Stocks: Donnie Hyman (495), William Sand (417), Nick Green (414), Casey Mitchell (412), Jim Redd/Matt Simon (399), Dax Kinsey (385), Tyler Avelar (379), Harvey Holms 218), Chris Naughton (213), Steve Kimberling/Brian Murrell, Jr. (180), Ryan Walters (142), Dustin Walters (88), Lynard Ward (62), Wyatt Roach (58), Bob Lima (56), Ronnie O'Neil (55), Doug Way (53)

Roadrunners: Michael Lawrence (476), Jerry Toledo/Ron Macklin/Ray Rapp (475), Ryan Ahrens/Thomas Halvorsen (475), Brett Murrell (469), Tim Abeyta (433), Ken Barrett (405), Jordan Paiment (398), Steve Paiment/Erik Hoffmeister (334), Johnnie Daniels (313), Brian Murrell, Sr./Brian Murrell, Jr. (310), Kayla Foster (236), Gray Etheridge (230), Josh Hanson (219), Jarrett Mayo (214), Kolby Jackson/Wyatt Roach (206), Greg Mattox (194), Ken Lawrence (130), Gary Klinetob (121), Lynard Ward (90), Erik Hoffmeister (83), Jennifer Barrett (76), Timmy Tanno (60), Tony Miles (51), Ronnie O'Neil (46), Chris Ghidinelli (44), Ryun Leazer (38), Andrew McKaughan (10)

Thunder Roadsters: Paul Peeples, Jr. (571), Thomas Payne (520), Bruce Ziemer (459), Lonnie Tamboury (451), Dave Henderson (433), Chris Sarvinski (402), Fergy Ferguson (385), Belinda Ward (376), Mike Ward (374), Jim Rich (353), Allen Olson (319), Lance Martin (211), Rob Nelson (160), Robbie Nelson (105), Bernard Burns (99), Leroy Marsh, Jr. (45), Chris Lawrence (43), Willy Timbrook (42)

Sportsman: Brandon Barnwell (524), Dennis DelBiaggio (518), Angelo Marcelli (487), Kenny Demello (452), Jeremy Yarberry (273), Kevin Estep (220), Jerry Peterson (187), Roger Sanderson (176), Ken Hallis (167), Al Acuna (128), Craig Baker (102)

Remaining 2012 Schedule For Redwood Acres Raceway:
August 4th - California Truckers' Association Appreciation Night
August 25th – Back-To-School Night Featuring The Northern California Pro-4 Modifieds
September 8th - $5 Fan Appreciation Night
September 15th - Larry Pries Memorial Night
September 29th & 30th – Fall Spectacular Featuring The AABLM Tour Cars And The Northern California Pro-4 Modifieds.

First time winner caps off fantastic night of racing

First time winner caps off fantastic night of racing

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was hardly Summer time weather this past Saturday night at Redwood Acres Raceway but the cooler conditions did not prevent the drivers from providing great racing action at Eureka, California’s 3/8-mile paved oval. It is not an overstatement to say that the racing at Redwood Acres Raceway is truly some of the best racing in all of west coast racing with close and clean competition in all four local divisions. Joining the regular action was the Airport Auto Brokers Late Model tour division who were making their second visit to the Acres for their fifth race of the 2012 season.

The real stock car count has improved dramatically over the past two races as a total of 13 cars and drivers showed up to race. Nick Green won the trophy dash over Casey Mitchell, Ryan Walters and Harvey Holms. The first heat was won by Doug Way who was making his first start of the season ahead of Donnie Hyman and Jim Redd while the second heat went to Dustin Walters over his brother, Ryan and William Sand. The feature event was a thrilling race that was highlighted with a duel for the lead between Green and Casey Mitchell. Mitchell eventually prevailed at the top but unfortunately for Green, his night would end prematurely as he spun in fluid from Sand and hit the turn three wall. Mitchell held off Dustin Walters for the victory while Dax Kinsey, Tyler Avelar and Holms rounded out the top five.

The roadrunner division had another strong car count with 18 cars taking to the track. The trophy dash victory was taken by Tim Abeyta ahead of Jerry Toledo, Brett Murrell and Michael Lawrence. The first heat was slowed for a time when Jennifer Barrett hit the water barrels at the turn two pit entrance but fortunately she was okay. Jordan Paiment won the first heat race over Brian Murrell and Ronnie O’Neil who made the move from the real stock division to the roadrunner class. Johnnie Daniels brought out a new car and was the winner of the second heat race over Gary Klinetob and Jarrett Mayo.

With the high number of cars, a B feature was held with the top two drivers transferring to the A feature. Paiment and Erik Hoffmeister nearly saw their opportunity to advance when they collided in the closing stages of the event but they were able to take the top two spots. The A main featured a thrilling duel for the lead between Brett Murrell and Toledo. On the white flag lap, Toledo moved past Murrell for the lead and the eventual race victory. Murrell held on to second followed by Abeyta, Lawrence and Klinetob.

Thomas Payne took the thunder roadster trophy dash victory ahead of Bernard Burns, David Henderson and Paul Peeples, Jr. Chris Sarvinski won the first heat but later scratched from the feature before it started. Mike Ward and Lance Martin followed Sarvinski to the line. The second heat victory was taken by David Henderson over Bruce Ziemer and Peeples. Ward led the early stages of the feature but as has been the case all year long, the dominant trio of Peeples, Henderson and Payne. Henderson did all he could to challenge Peeples for the victory but had his hands full fighting off Payne for the second position. At the checkered flag it was Peeples winning over Henderson, Payne, Lonnie Tamboury and Ziemer.

The sportsman division only had six cars for the night down from 10 the previous race the week prior. Kenny Demello won the trophy dash over Dennis DelBiaggio, Brandon Barnwell and Angelo Marcelli. DelBiaggio won the heat over Barnwell and Marcelli. Marcelli held off the faster Barnwell to take the feature victory with DelBiaggio, Demello, Roger Sanderson and Jeremy Yarberry.

The AABLM trophy dash victory was taken by West Coast racing legend, Jim Walker over Junior Roddy, Keith Nelson, Brandon White, Randy Houston and David Miller. The front row starters, Jeremy Donahoo and Forrest Kuecker brought the field to the green in the 75-lap feature. Kuecker led the first lap, while Donahoo the second. Kuecker took the lead firmly on lap three and was never seriously challenged, even after two brief cautions. At the finish it was Kuecker taking his first AABLM victory handily over second place, Jeremy Doss. White placed third over Miller and Nelson.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway takes a break for a week before returning Saturday August 4th for California Truckers Association Appreciation Night.

June 21st Race Results
Real Stocks
Trophy Dash: Nick Green, Casey Mitchell, Ryan Walters, Harvey Holms
Heat Race 1: Doug Way, Donnie Hyman, Jim Redd, Tyler Avelar, Brian Murrell, Jr., Chris Naughton
Heat Race 2: Dustin Walters, R. Walters, William Sand, Green, Holms, Casey Mitchell, Dax Kinsey
Main Event: Mitchell, D. Walters, Kinsey, Avelar, Holms, Naughton, Redd, Way, Green, Murrell, Jr. , Sand, R. Walters, Hyman

Roadrunners
Trophy Dash: Tim Abeyta, Jerry Toledo, Brett Murrell, Michael Lawrence
Heat Race 1: Jordan Paiment, Brian Murrell, Sr., Ronnie O'Neil, Ken Barrett, Kayla Foster, Erik Hoffmeister, Gray Etheridge, Ken Lawrence
Heat Race 2: Johnnie Daniels, Gary Klinetob, Jarrett Mayo, Toledo, Abeyta, Murrell, Ryan Ahrens, Lawrence
Main Event: Toledo, Murrell, Abeyta, Lawrence, Klinetob, Daniels, Ahrens, Barrett, Paiment, Hoffmeister, Jarrett Mayo, Ronnie O'Neil

Thunder Roadsters
Trophy Dash: Thomas Payne, Bernard Burns, David Henderson, Paul Peeples, Jr.
Heat Race 1: Chris Sarvinski, Mike Ward, Lance Martin, Chris Lawrence, Jim Rich, Robbie Nelson, Rob Nelson
Heat Race 2: Henderson, Ziemer, Peeples, Jr., Payne, Burns, Lonnie Tamboury, Belinda Ward, Fergy Ferguson
Main Event: Peeples, Jr., Henderson, Payne, Tamboury, Ziemer, M. Ward, Burns, Martin, Robbie Nelson, Fergy Ferguson, B. Ward, Lawrence, Rich, Rob Nelson

Sportsman
Trophy Dash: Kenny Demello, Dennis DelBiaggio, Brandon Barnwell, Angelo Marcelli
Heat Race: DelBiaggio, Barnwell, Marcelli, Demello, Roger Sanderson, Jeremy Yarberry
Main Event: Marcelli, Barnwell, DelBiaggio, Demello, Sanderson, Yarberry

Airport Auto Brokers Late Models
Qualifying: Junior Roddy 15.819, Randy Houston 15.833, Jeremy Doss 15.839, David Miller 15.861, Jim Walker 15.973, Brandon White 15.995, Keith Nelson 16.013, Trevor Cristiani 16.087, Forrest Kuecker 16.123, Jeremy Donahoo 16.174, Allen Gibney 16.733, Roger Sanderson 16.752
Trophy Dash: Walker, Roddy, Nelson, White, Houston, Miller
Main Event: Kuecker, Doss, White, Miller, Nelson, Roddy, Houston, Walker, Sanderson, Donahoo, Gibney, Cristiani.

Racing resumes at Redwood Acres Raceway

Racing resumes at Redwood Acres Raceway

By Matthew J. Sullivan

After nearly a month off, thanks in part to Mother Nature, racing returned to Redwood Acres Raceway Saturday night. The previous event at the 3/8-mile paved oval was June 16th while the race scheduled for June 30th was cancelled thanks to rain. The long break seemed to bring out more cars and drivers as there were strong car counts in all four local divisions. In all there were 10 sportsman, 14 thunder roadsters, 18 roadrunners and 10 real stock cars. Unfortunately the night was highlighted by several wrecked that decimated the car count in all four of the divisions.

Nick Green won the four-lap trophy dash in the real stock division over Jim Redd and Casey Mitchell. The first heat race was taken by Dax Kinsey while the second went to Ryan Walters. Tyler Avelar led the early going of the main event before losing the lead to Donnie Hyman. Hyman held the lead for several laps before being overtaken by Mitchell. There were to major incidents in the feature event. The first came when William Sand lost control going into turn three and hit the wall. The second was contact between Green and Bob Lima that caused Green’s bumper to come off and his left rear tire to fail. Mitchell proved to be the class of the field in the event but might have had a stronger challenge for the victory from Walters who had a lengthy but clean battle with Hyman for the second position. At the checkered flag, it was Mitchell first, half a straightaway ahead of Walters in second followed by Hyman in third.

Tim Abeyta took the roadrunner trophy dash over Thomas Halvorsen. The first heat race was won by Jerry Toledo while the second heat was won by Halvorsen. Due to the number of cars, a rare B-main event was held for the division. The normally quick Toledo had issues in qualifying which forced him to start the B-main but he was able to take the first transfer position. The second spot was held down by Johnny Daniels before he was forced to the pits. With Daniels out, a tight race between Jennifer Barrett, Kayla Foster and Ryun Leazer ensued. Barrett was able to hold off the two challengers to take the second transfer position.

One of the drivers who was not able to start the feature was points leader, Brett Murrell. Murrell qualified his regular car but it suffered problems in the pit afterward. Murrell was forced to use a backup car which knocked him out of the trophy dash and forced him to have to run the B-main event. Murrell’s closest competitor in the points, Michael Lawrence benefitted from Murrell’s woes. Lawrence qualified the car normally driven by his father and when Murrell’s car had problems after qualified, it opened up a spot for Lawrence to fill in the feature.

Lawrence started the feature on the pole but was quickly overtaken by Ken Barrett and Steve Paiment. The lone caution of the event came early when Jordan Paiment spun Jarrett Mayo. On the restart, the two fast cars of Abeyta and Halvorsen quickly maneuvered their way through traffic. Halvorsen was the first to get to and by Barrett while Abeyta had to work a little harder and longer to take second. The best racing proved to be at the very front between Halvorsen and Abeyta as the two ran nose-to-tail for the lead. With two laps remaining, Abeyta found the low line under Halvorsen to take the lead. On the white flag, Halvorsen drove his car deep into the first turn, putting Abeyta behind the slower car of Jennifer Barrett for the lead and the eventual race win. Abeyta held on for second while Toledo placed third.

Tommy Payne held off Paul Peeples, Jr. to take the thunder roadster trophy dash. Belinda Ward won the slower heat race while the faster heat race was won by Peeples. Chris Sarvinski briefly held the lead in the feature but was overhauled by the fast trio of Peeples, David Henderson and Payne. It was tight racing amongst the three with Henderson all over Peeples bumper. Henderson dogged Peeples until he was finally able to get under for the lead. It was brief though as Peeples was able to get back under Henderson to regain the spot. Peeples stretched his lead while Henderson and Payne fought for second for a few laps. Henderson regained the position firmly and looked to be closing back in on Peeples until he got loose of turn two and hit the wall, ending his night. Peeples was able to withstand a brief challenge by Payne to take the feature win with Bruce Ziemer coming in a strong third place.

Out of town racer, Kevin Estep returned to Redwood Acres to take the sportsman trophy dash victory. Unfortunately for Estep, his night would be a short one. In the heat race, Jerry Peterson and Estep got together in the third turn with both drivers hitting the wall. Peterson was able to continue racing while Estep was finished for the evening. Roger Sanderson made his second start of the year after a long hiatus away from racing and took the heat race win over Brandon Barnwell. The duo of Sanderson and Barnwell would be the stars of the feature event that was slowed first from a spin by Craig Baker, then by contact and a spin by Dennis DelBiaggio and Kenny Demello and finally another spin by Baker that caught Ken Hallis in the right rear and send him head on into the back stretch wall. Barnwell was on Sanderson’s bumper all night and did everything he could to force Sanderson into making a mistake but it never happened. Sanderson took the feature win over Barnwell with DelBiaggio placing third.

Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway this Saturday June 21st. Joining the four local divisions will be the Airport Auto Brokers Late Model touring series which will be making its second visit to the track. Drivers expected to race include series points leader, Jeremy Doss, West Coast racing legend, Jim Walker, Randy Houston who won the season opening event at the Acres earlier this year and other top west coast competition.

Houston, we have a winner

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Racing returned to Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday night after a two week layoff. Joining the four local divisions of real stocks, roadrunners, thunder roadsters and sportsman cars was the Airport Auto Brokers Late Model series for their second and final points visit to the 3/8-mile paved oval. After rear end issues in practice prevented him from qualifying, Randy Houston came from the rear of the field to handily win the 75-lap AABLM feature. Other main event victors on the night included Larry Pries in the sportsman division, Paul Peeples, Jr. in the thunder roadsters, Ryan Ahrens in the roadrunners and Donnie Hyman in the real stocks.

The real stock trophy dash went to Hyman over Ryan Robinson. Hyman then took the victory in the heat race beating out Wyatt Roach, Robinson, Bob Lima and Doug Way. Roach took the lead in the early going of the main event before falling victim to Hyman and Dustin Walters who was making his first start of the season driving the car normally piloted by his brother, Ryan. Walters looked as if he would be a serious contender to Hyman but misfortune struck. Coming off the fourth turn, it appeared as though something broke as Walters’ car went into the wall hard. Roach was collected in the process taking both drivers out of action. Hyman was able to take the win without serious threat over Robinson, Lima, Chris Naughton and Dax Kinsey.

The roadrunner division had its biggest turnout of cars ever with 16 total. Brett Murrell took his first ever victory in the trophy dash over Ryan Ahrens who was making his first start of the season after racing in the mini stock class last year. Dylan Cook won the faster heat race while Ken Barrett won the slower heat. The main event proved to be an example of 25 laps of controlled chaos. Rick Crawley held the lead early before giving way to Kolby Jackson. Jackson’s time didn’t last long as Dylan Cook took the top position. After a lap 13 caution, racing resumed with Cook still in the lead however going into the first turn he and the other three cars behind him got loose all at the same time. Several cars spun resulting in a yellow flag. Ahrens inherited the lead and was able to take the victory followed by Brian Murrell, Jr., Greg Mattox, Barrett and Cook.

Bruce Ziemer held off Paul Peeples, Jr. to win the thunder roadster trophy dash. Peeples beat Rob Nelson to the line by inches in the main event followed by Thomas Payne, Allen Olson and Chris Sarvinski. Nelson led the early laps of the feature from pole position before Ray Elliott took over the top spot. It didn’t take long for the fast cars of Peeples, Ziemer and Olson to move up to second, third and fourth behind Elliott. The only major incident of the race occurred when Sarvinski spun off the fourth turn collecting Payne. Fortunately both drivers were able to continue without damage. After the restart, Elliott did all he could to hold off Peeples, but eventually Peeples was able to get by for the lead. Elliott’s good night went bad when his engine soured, forcing him out of the race. Peeples cruised to the victory over Payne, Ziemer, Olson and Nelson.

The trophy dash in the sportsman division went to Brandon Barnwell followed by Larry Pries. Barnwell then took the heat race win followed by Kenny Demello, Angelo Marcelli, Dennis DelBiaggio and Pries. Demello led from pole early but was overtaken by Pries and DelBiaggio for position. After a spin on lap 12 by Joe Bonomini, the field tightened up and racing resumed. DelBiaggio did all he could to find a way by Pries for the lead but Pries was able to withstand DelBiaggio’s challenges to win. Marcelli took third with Demello fourth and Barnwell fifth.

Junior Roddy won the six-lap trophy dash for the AABLM series beating Northern California racing legend, Jim Walker who was racing for the first time in a year. The first 20 or so laps of the 75-lap main event proved to be late model short track racing at its best. With a full field invert, Allen Gibney started from pole and used it to his advantage as he led from the start. However, outside pole sitter, Mike Neilson kept fighting and was able to take the lead. Neilson built his lead to nearly a straightaway as Gibney did all he could to hold off the rest of the pack in second.

The eyes of the partisan crowd were firmly fixed on the blue 48 of Walker and he proved to still have some of the same magic that’s made him a fan favorite all along the west coast. After starting from seventh, Walker methodically picked his way through the field. Walker used the high line and was able to pick off Donahoo for third and then Gibney for second. Following in Walker’s tracks was Howard Ford who had set fast time earlier in the day.

The lone caution flag of the race on lap 15 took away Neilson’s large lead and gave Walker a chance to really get the local crowd on their feet. Neilson and Walker fought a hard but clean battle side-by-side until Neilson was able to take control. Walker’s car slowed dramatically and he fell back through the pack and eventually pulled into the pits for the rest of the night. At the same time, Randy Houston began to make his move for the lead. He quickly passed Ford on the high side, then did the same to Neilson off turn two. From that point on, Houston was absolutely dominant as he built up a substantial lead and was able to more or less cruise to the victory. Ford took second while AABLM points leader, Trevor Cristiani took third, the last car on the lead lap. Mike Doss and Neilson rounded out the top five finishers.

Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway this week with Fan Appreciation night. Fans who’ve saved ticket stubs from any five races this season can enter the event free. Those who haven’t will only have to pay $5 to get in. Prior to the races, drivers in all divisions will pull their cars onto the front stretch and fans will be allowed on the track for a meet and greet.

AABLM Race Results
Fast Time: Howard Ford 15.724, 87.811 MPH
Trophy Dash: Junior Roddy, Jim Walker, Mike Doss, Corey James, Trevor Cristiani, Howard Ford
Main Event: Randy Houston, Ford, Cristiani, Doss, Mike Neilson, Jeremy Donahoo, Allen Gibney, Roddy, Jim Stillman, Jr., Walker, James.