McIntosh, Barnwell and Peeples two for two to start the season

McIntosh, Barnwell and Peeples two for two to start the season

By Matthew J. Sullivan
Eureka, CA

Fans attending the second race of the season at Redwood Acres Raceway might have thought they were watching the first race. With three of the four winners from opening night going back-to-back with main event victories it would not have been surprising if the fans actually did believe so. Byron McIntosh, Brandon Barnwell and Paul Peeples Jr. were the three drivers who are batting one thousand thus far in the 2007 season in the mini stock, sportsman and thunder roadster divisions while Orion Mosher took his first main event win of the season in the limited street stock class after finishing second in the season opener.

Mosher set quick time for the limited streets with a 17.426 qualifying time. Kenny Demello won the four lap trophy dash, but the rest of the night would belong to Mosher. Driving his yellow and blue numbered 77 truck, Mosher was able to win the heat race and take the limited street stock main event victory over Duane Mayo and George Young. With season opening winner Adrien Betournay not running the full season, Mosher’s win was enough to propel him into the points lead, 18 ahead of second place Young.

Jason Shaha was the quickest of the mini stock cars in qualifying, timing in at 18.940. However, it was Brian Murrell who looked to be the man to beat on this night as he took the win in both the trophy dash and the heat race. It would not be his night in the main event though. The victor would once again be Byron McIntosh taking his second main event of the season and his career. Max Capps drove to a personal best second place finish. McIntosh’s main event win was just enough to keep him in the points lead, however only two ahead of Murrell.

The real stock division had a surprising fast qualifier as Marvin Savage was fastest with a 19.364 lap. Cecil Arispe won the dash while Nick Green and Troy Wood claimed victory in their respective heat races. Wood was able to transfer the momentum of his heat race win to the main event as he held off quick qualifier Savage to take the main event win. Wood holds the points lead in the division over Bill Middleton and Steve Kimberling by seven points.

Qualifying for the sportsman division was headed by Donnie Brown with a 16.880 lap. Long time Acres runner Ken Hallis won the trophy dash while Brandon Barnwell won the heat. The main event came down to the final few feet as Barnwell was able to take the win over Rick Fox coming off turn four. Barnwell holds the points lead over Fox by six points.

The experience of Paul Peeples, Jr. continues to pay off for him in the thunder roadster division. Peeples was fastest in qualifying with a lap of 17.013 however, David Henderson was able to take the dash win over Peeples. Bruce Ziemer won the first heat, while Peeples turned the tables on Henderson in the second heat to win. Peeples and Henderson dueled once again in the main event with Peeples coming out with the win when all was said and done. Peeples’ victory padded his points lead to 26 points over Henderson and Chris Banfill who are tied for the second position.

It’s a quick turnaround this Saturday night as racing will resume once again at the Redwood Acres Raceway. Joining the five local classes will be the BCRA midget division who are making their annual May stop. The midgets will have a little extra prestige this weekend as it will be a double points race for them. It will definitely be another thrilling night on the asphalt at the Acres.

Race Results
Limited Street Stocks
Dash: Kenny Demello, Orion Mosher, Romeo Venza
Heat: Mosher, Robert Miller, Demello, Duane Mayo, Scott Lyons, George Young
Main: Mosher, Mayo, Young, Miller, Lyons, Demello

Mini Stocks
Dash: Brian Murrell, Byron McIntosh, Jason Shaha, Scott Baker
Heat: Murrell, Baker, By. McIntosh, Brian McIntosh, Max Capps, Nick Karanapoulos, Mark Williams
Main: By. McIntosh, Capps, Br. McIntosh, Murrell, Williams, Karanapoulos, Baker

Real Stocks
Dash: Cecil Arispe, Marvin Savage, Troy Wood, Ryan Walters
Heat 1: Nick Green, Arispe, Walters, Savage, Chad Grammer, Mark Mullan, Chuck Essex, Donnie Hyman
Heat 2: Wood, Steve Kimberling, Rick Crawley, Bill Middleton, Ray Robinson, Doug Way, Rick Peeples, Jim Bailey, Pat Conway
Main: Wood, Savage, Middleton, Kimberling, Green, Walters, Peeples, Crawley, Way, Mullan, Arispe, Essex

Sportsman
Dash: Ken Hallis, Larry Pries, Donnie Brown, Aaron Byers
Heat: Brandon Barnwell, Angelo Marcelli, Rick Fox, Pries, Hallis, Lissa Uselton, Brown, Byers, Mike Bourbon, Joe Bonomini
Main: Barnwell, Fox, Hallis, Pries, Bonomini, Byers, Brown, Marcelli, Bourbon, Uselton

Thunder Roadsters
Dash: David Henderson, Paul Peeples, Jr., Ray Elliott, Leroy Marsh, Jr.
Heat 1: Bruce Ziemer, Bill Bradbury, Ron Borges, Mike Ward, Gary Payne, Rob Nelson, Belinda Ward, Donn Cole, Dave McMurray
Heat 2: Peeples, Jr., Henderson, Mark Arroyo, Chris Banfill, Marsh, Jr., Jay Bahner, Elliott, Chris Lawrence, Gehry Foster
Main: Peeples, Jr., Henderson, Marsh, Jr., Banfill, Arroyo, Elliott, McMurray, M. Ward, Cole, Ziemer, Lawrence, Bradbury, Nelson, Borges, Foster, Bahner, B. Ward, Payne

Points
Limited Street Stocks
1. Mosher 136, 2. Young 118, 3. Miller 116, 4. Lyons 110 5. Mayo 108, 6. Demello 72, 7. Adrien Betournay 71, 8. Venza 21

Mini Stocks
1. By. McIntosh 135, 2. Murrell 133, 3. Capps 120, 4. Glenn Bernald/Williams 117, 5. Br. McIntosh 112 t6. Karanopoulos 106, t6. Baker 106, 8. Shaha 77, 9. Stacy Minnick 59, 10. Denzil Barrett 11

Real Stocks
1. Wood 136, t2. Middleton 129, t2. Kimberling 129, 4. Savage 120, 5. Green 109, 6. Barrett Barnwell/Walters 108, 7. Arispe 104, 8. Peeples 92, 9. Essex 85, 10. Way 84

Sportsman
1. Barnwell 144, 2. Fox 138, 3. Pries 130, 4. Marcelli 118, t5. Byers 113, t5. Brown 113, 7. Uselton 107, 8. Bonomini 106, 9. Hallis 67, 10. Bourbon 58

Thunder Roadsters
1. Peeples Jr. 152, t2. Henderson 126, t2. Banfill 126, 4. Arroyo 123, 5. Cole 111, 6. M. Ward 102, t7. Elliott 98, t7. Borges 98, t9. McMurray 92, t9. Lawrence 92.