Track champions crowned at Redwood Acres Raceway

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The final points race of the 2016 season at Redwood Acres Raceway took place this past Saturday night. In addition to champions being decided, the Acres played host to the second boat race of 2016. All in all, it was another exciting and fantastic night at the Acres thanks in part to Maxwell’s Custom Automobiles who sponsored this weekend’s action.

Bethany Rapp paced the California State and Federal Employees Credit Union roadrunner qualifying field with a 20.590 lap. Dominic Vogelsang continued his late season surge in the trophy dash by taking the win. Jennifer Murrell won the first heat race while Vogelsang took the second. The 20-lap feature saw the lead change hands in each of the first three laps as Bob Ratzloff, Patrick Sproul and James Nichols traded the top position.

Nichols dominated the event, even when the field was turned around at halfway to go around the track in the opposite direction. With just five laps remaining, Vogelsang began his assault on the lead. On lap 16, Vogelsang maneuvered past Nichols to take the lead. Vogelsang would go on to lead the rest of the way, taking the victory. Nichols held on to second over Rapp, Troy Taylor and Sproul.

The 2016 roadrunner champion was Tyler Peach. Peach spent much of the night staying out of traffic in hopes of avoiding major catastrophe in order to claim the title. In the end he was able to do it driving Daniel Buell’s car.

The track championship in the Fortuna Wheel and Brake bomber division was already decided before the night started. James Moore had enough of a cushion over second place that he didn’t need to start the season finale. In fact, Moore was unable to compete on the night due to a back injury. Driving his car in his stead was Acres veteran, Ryan Walters.

Walters was fastest in qualifying with a 18.139. Kolby Jackson took the trophy dash win as well as the victory in the heat race. Shane Toole led the opening lap of the 25-lap main event. Jimmy Sorrels led the next three laps before Toole regained the lead. On lap six, Walters moved his way into the lead and never looked back. At the finish it was Walters taking the victory by nearly four seconds over second place, Corey James. Sorrels placed third while Toole and Ryan Ahrens rounded out the top five finishers.

The Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division title was up in the air with Gary Klinetobe, Jarrett Mayo and Eugene Palmer vying for their first championship in the division. In qualifying, Brett Murrell was fastest with an 18.700 driving his father, Brian Murrell, Sr’s car. Murrell was the trophy dash winner while heat race victors were Nick Ford and Palmer.

The opening two laps of the 25-lap main were led by Palmer. On lap three, Mayo took the lead. Murrell was clearly the fastest car on the track and on lap six, he moved by Mayo for the top spot. Murrell ran away from the pack as the three title contenders of Mayo, Klinetobe and Palmer fought it out for second. At the finish it was Murrell taking the win over Mayo, Klinetobe, Palmer and Sam Brown. Klinetobe was declared the champion, having beat Palmer by only seven points. After the event, Klinetobe announced his retirement from racing at the Acres.

In the Thunder Roadster division, two men were fighting for the track championship in Tommy Payne and Ronnie O’Neil. In qualifying O’Neil set fast time with a 17.142. Aaron Byers took the wins in both the trophy dash and the heat races but had an unfortunate accident at the start of the 30-lap main which also collected Dax Kinsey. O’Neil moved to the race lead on lap six and dominated the feature event while Payne had his hands full racing Donnie Brown. At the finish it was O’Neil taking the win over Payne, Brown, Jett Taylor and Byers. Payne was crowned track champion in the division by only four points over O’Neil. Following the race, both drivers shook hands and congratulated each other on what was a thrilling season of racing in the Thunder Roadster division.

Brad Curtice set fast time in the Legends division with a 18.083. Robert Miller went into the night with a comfortable lead and only needed to start the feature to complete his championship run. He helped his effort with a win in the trophy dash while Curtice took the heat win. Curtice dominated the 25-lap main event as he led from the drop of the green flag to the drop of the checkered. Miller secured his title with a second place effort. M’Kinzy Uselton finished third while Anissa Curtice was fourth.

The night finished off with another captivating boat race with Maxwell’s Custom Automobiles putting up the purse for the event. For the second time in 2016, fans were thrilled as over ten boat racers took to the track in a night of nautical destruction. In the end, the winner was determined by the loudness of the crowd. Acres fans declared Chris Garth the winner with second place being awarded to Tim Roscoe.

2016 at the Acres concludes October 7th, 8th, and 9th with the return of the Fall Spectacular. Late models and modifieds highlight the event while roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Legends and Thunder Roadsters will also be in action. Saturday gates open at 4:00 PM while racing begins at 6:00 PM. On Sunday, gates open at 11:00 AM and racing begins at noon. For more information about the Fall Spectacular including entry forms and purse payout please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com

Redwood Acres Raceway Fall Spectacular Winners

Late Models:
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
2012: Jeremy Doss
2013: Eric Schmidt
2016: Jeremy Doss
2017: Brandon White

Modifieds:
1991: Robert Carrel
1992: Rick Rose
1993: Darrell Midgley
1994: Richie Potts
1995: Blair Aiken
1996: Bob Strauss
1997: Bob Strauss
1998: Bob Strauss
1999: Denny Cashada
2000: Kelly Peacock
2001: Clarence Reddick
2002: Bill Binns
2003: Derek Thorn
2004: Gary Lowblad
2005: Jay Linstroth
2006: Willie Thompson
2007: Thomas Wright
2012: Darrin Knight
2013: Darrin Knight
2014: Darrin Knight

Champions to be determined this weekend at the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The 2016 track championships at Redwood Acres Raceway in five of the six divisions are set to be decided this Saturday September 24th. While the late model championship was determined on September 10th, champions in the roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Legends, Thunder Roadsters will be decided on what is Maxwell’s Custom Automobiles Night at the Races.

The most points that can be earned in all five divisions on the night is 43. Any driver within a 43 point margin of the leader is mathematically still alive in the title hunt though of course the odds of making that much ground up are very low and would require the leader to miss an entire night’s worth of action on Saturday.

Tyler Peach currently leads the standings in the California State and Federal Employees Credit Union roadrunner division. Steve Paiment is second and was the early season leader in the standings but late season misfortune has cost him dearly as he is 25 points behind Peach. Dominic Vogelsang and Bethany Rapp are 40 and 42 points behind. Rookie, Patrick Sproul is fifth in standings and 45 markers behind Peach.

The title in the Fortuna Wheel and Brake bomber class was decided in the most recent event on September 10th. James Moore left that race with a 112 point lead, more than enough to clinch the 2016 championship in the class. The battle for second is a tight one as a single point separates Ryan Ahrens and John Lally. Kimberly Sorrels is secured in fourth while Tyler Avelar is fifth in the standings.

The Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division is a three-man race with only six points separating the top three drivers. Gary Klinetobe currently holds a five point edge over Jarrett Mayo while Eugene Palmer is a point behind Mayo. Rick Estes is fourth in the standings and has been on a tear as of late in spite of missing a couple early season races. Daniel Buell is fifth and has had a strong rookie campaign in 2016.

In the Legends division, Robert Miller has a strong 29 point lead over Brad Curtice in second place. As long as Miller starts the main event, the inaugural RAR Legends championship will be his. Anissa Curtice is third in points with Brent Mack and M’Kinzy Uselton rounding out the top five in the division standings.

Tommy Payne’s lead in the Thunder Roadster division is seven points over Ronnie O’Neil. The two have raced hard all season long and often have finished near each other which will make O’Neil’s path to the title very difficult. Aaron Byers and Donnie Brown are tied for third but are 38 points in arrears to Payne. LeRoy Marsh, Jr. is fifth but well out of championship contention.

Mic Moulton wrapped up the 2016 Mid City Motor World late model track championship on September 10th thanks in part to David Henderson who subbed for Moulton in the final point race. Moulton was forced to miss the event due to an injury. Henderson was able to finish second in the main event to secure Moulton’s second late model championship at the Acres. The final point margin in the late models was 15 markers.

Second place in the standings was Marty Walsh who had a strong 2016 season. Perhaps the biggest factor as to what cost Walsh this year’s championship was a blown engine on the July 2nd Firecracker 100 event. Walsh was unable to start the feature event which resulted in no points on the night. Had Walsh been able to just start and park that race, he would have earned 16 points, 1 point more than Moulton in the final standings. Richard Knight placed third in the late model points just beating out Kenny Demello for the position. Rookie driver, Eddie Klein had several impressive runs in his rookie campaign and was fifth in the standings.

As mentioned, racing at Redwood Acres Raceway returns this Saturday September 24th for the final points race of the season presented by Maxwell’s Custom Automobiles. In addition to the championships being decided in the local divisions, the second boat race of the season will take place at the end of the night. Grandstands open at 5:00 PM while racing begins at 6:30 PM.

2016 at the Acres concludes October 7th, 8th, and 9th with the return of the Fall Spectacular. Late models and modifieds highlight the event while roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Legends and Thunder Roadsters will also be in action. For more information about the Fall Spectacular including entry forms and purse payout please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com

Henderson clinches title for Moulton in substitute role

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was a fine evening for racing this past Saturday night at Redwood Acres Raceway. It was Mid City Motor World Night at the Races and all six local divisions were in action including the late model division which was running its final point paying event of 2016.

Prior to the racing action starting, Redwood Acres Raceway and its fans paid tribute to the late Nyle Henderson. Henderson was a former racer at Redwood Acres Raceway and was a fixture at the Acres for more than 30 years. Nyle Henderson is the father of the late, Steve Henderson who was also a driver at Redwood Acres Raceway in the 80s on the dirt and the 90s on the pavement. Henderson is also the grandfather of current RAR driver, David Henderson.

James Nichols was fast time in the California State and Federal Employee Credit Union roadrunner division with a 20.763. Dominic Vogelsang won the trophy dash while heat race victors were Ken Barrett and Nichols. The 20-lap feature started off with the cars running in the opposite direction. The race was slowed early when Gage Ethridge hit the wall in turn three. Ken Barrett led the opening two laps before Vogelsang took over. Even after the cars were turned around to run the proper direction around the track, Vogelsang was dominant. At the finish it was Vogelsang taking his first main event win. Nick Ford placed second followed by Nichols, Barrett and Tyler Peach.

Qualifying for the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stocks was paced by Brian Murrell, Sr. with a 19.045. Gary Klinetobe took trophy dash honors while heat races were won by Brian Murrell, Jr. and Rick Estes. The 25-lap feature was led early on by Brian Murrell, Jr. On lap six, Rick Estes took over and never looked back. The best battle for the rest of the race was for third between Jarrett Mayo, Klinetobe, Palmer and Murrell, Jr. At the front, Estes was able to hold on and withstand a late charge by Murrell, Sr. to take the win. Mayo took third, Klinetobe fourth and Palmer rounded out the top five.

Brad Curtice set quick time for the Legends class with a 18.001 qualifying time. Robert Miller took the trophy dash win while Curtice took the heat race victory. Curtice and Miller resumed their season-long battle in the 25-lap main event. In spite of Curtice leading from start-to-finish, it was a tight race between the two. At the finish it was Curtice taking the win over Miller, Anissa Curtice and M’Kinzy Uselton.

Kolby Jackson was fast time for the Fortuna Wheel and Brake bomber division with a 18.276. The trophy dash saw an unfortunate accident between John Lally, Ray Taylor, Sr. and Jordon Paiment which sent Paiment hard into the wall. While Paiment was okay, he was finished for the night. Jackson won the dash. The heat race was taken by Taylor, Sr. Steven Taylor led the opening lap of the 25-lap main before Jackson took over the lead. Jackson would never fall out of the top position. The event was cut short of its scheduled distance when Lally spun in turn three. James Moore had nowhere to go and slammed into Lally’s rear-end. Thankfully both drivers were okay. Officials declared the race official with Jackson being the winner. Ray Taylor, Sr. was second while Moore was credited with third. Shane Toole finished fourth while Steven Taylor placed fifth.

The fastest driver in Thunder Roadster qualifying was Ronnie O’Neil with a 17.339. Aaron Byers won the trophy dash while Tommy Payne took the heat race. Jett Taylor led the first lap of the 30 lap main but on lap two it was Byers in the lead. The highlight of the race was for third between Donnie Brown, O’Neil and Payne. On lap 19, Payne finally prevailed to move into third. Nobody had anything for Byers on the night as he took the win in dominating fashion. Taylor placed second followed by Payne, O’Neil and Brown.

13 Mid City Motor World late models took time with David Henderson setting fast time with a 15.828. Henderson was racing as a substitute for Mic Moulton who was injured in the most recent race on August 20th. Henderson’s role as Moulton’s sub took an even bigger role on the night as the points champion in the division was on the line and Moulton was the points leader over Marty Walsh.

Walsh took the trophy dash win while heat race victories went to Kenny Demello and Henderson. Demello led the opening lap of the 50-lap feature before giving way to Corey James. James’ time up front was short as Henderson moved to the lead on lap six. Meanwhile, Walsh was having to play catch up having been involved in an opening lap tangle which put him at the rear of the field.

Racing came to a halt on lap 30 and several cautions slowed the race. The most notable incident involved Dustin Walters and Walsh with both going to the rear. Henderson looked to have the dominant car but began suffering issues. On lap 38, James maneuvered back to the lead. Two laps later a major incident in turn four brought out the yellow. Officials deemed the race official with James taking the win and Henderson helping Moulton claim the championship. Walsh recovered to finish third while Robbie Nelson and Ken Hallis rounded out the top 10.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway returns Saturday September 24th for the final points race of the season presented by Maxwell’s Custom Automobiles. The late models will be off but the other five local classes will be in action to determine who will win the track championships in each division. Concluding the event will be the second boat race of 2016.

2016 at the Acres concludes October 7th, 8th, and 9th with the return of the Fall Spectacular. Late models and modifieds highlight the event while roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Legends and Thunder Roadsters will also be in action. For more information about the Fall Spectacular including entry forms and purse payout please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com

Late model title to be decided this Saturday night

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The final points event for Redwood Acres Raceway’s late model division is set to take place this Saturday September 10th for Mid City Motor World Night at the Races. It will be the next to last event for the Acres’ five other local divisions.

The battle for the California State and Federal Employees Credit Union roadrunner division is a two-man race at this point. Tyler Peach currently holds a 12 point lead over Steve Paiment. The battle for third in the standings is even closer as third through fifth are separated by only three points. Bethany Rapp currently holds down the third position while Dominic Vogelsang and Patrick Sproul round out the top five in the standings.

It appears as though James Moore has a lock on the Fortuna Wheel and Brake bomber division track championship. If Moore finishes the evening with a 43 point margin, he will be the 2016 division champ. Moore leads second place John Lally by 77 markers. Ryan Ahrens sits third in points followed by rookie driver, Kimberly Sorrels and Tyler Avelar in fifth.

Only five points separate the top three drivers in the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division. Gary Klinetobe leads Eugene Palmer by four points while Jarrett Mayo in third is a point behind Palmer. Rick Estes is fourth in the standings and has been a regular front runner all season long. Daniel Buell has been impressive in his rookie campaign in the division and is fifth in the championship standings.

The fight for the Thunder Roadster division crown is a tight, two man race. Tommy Payne and Ronnie O’Neil have traded the points lead several times in 2016 and the current gap between the two is a mere four points. Donnie Brown is third in the standings, while his brother Aaron Byers is fourth and only two points behind him. LeRoy Marsh, Jr. is fifth in the standings having returned to racing at the Acres for the first time in several years.

Robert Miller has a comfortable lead in the Legend point standings. Like James Moore in the bombers, if Miller leaves the night with a 43-point margin over whoever is in second place in the standings, he will lock up the 2016 track championship in the Legend division. Miller’s lead over second place Anissa Curtice is 30 points. Annissa’s father, Brad is third in the standings, 3 points behind his daughter. Brent Mack is fourth in points while M’Kinzy Usselton rounds out the top five in the standings.

As mentioned, the 2016 champion in the Mid City Motor World late model division will be decided this weekend. Mic Moulton has the lead by 12 points. The margin is anything but comfortable given that second place in the standings is Marty Walsh who has been as strong as Moulton all season long. Third in fourth in the standings are Jedd Ambrosini and Richard Knight. While both have an outside chance of claiming the division title, it will take major odds to swing in their favor as they are 18 and 21 points behind Moulton. Kenny Demello is fifth and though he’s mathematically alive, it will take a miracle for him to win this year’s title.

The final point race for the rest of the five local divisions will take place Saturday September 24th presented by Maxwell’s Custom Automobiles. In addition will be the special Big T Jackpot race for the roadrunners along with the second \boat race of the 2016 season. The Fall Spectacular will return on October 8th and 9th featuring all six local divisions in what promises to be a memorable ending to the 2016 season. For more information on everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway including video of all the main events from this past Saturday night, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com