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

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

Doss bags $2,000 Fall Spectacular Win

By Matthew J. Sullivan

For the first time since 2013, Redwood Acres Raceway played host to the Fall Spectacular this past weekend. It was the 24th annual running of the event which first started in 1990. Seven divisions partook in the two-day event which was capped off with a 100-lap late model race.

The California State and Federal Employees Credit Union roadrunners were one of the two divisions that raced a full schedule on both Saturday and Sunday. Dave Rogers from Ukiah, California paced qualifying on Saturday with a 20.385 lap. Rogers took the trophy dash win as well as a win in the fast heat while Bob Ratzlaff won the slower heat. Dominic Vogelsang led the opening five laps of the 20-lap main but Rogers had the better car as he took the lead on lap six. Rogers would go on to cruise to the win over James Nichols, Vogelsang, Jordon Paiment and Nick Ford.

Sunday’s roadrunner qualifying was again paced by Rogers with a 20.246. The trophy dash win went to Nichols while the heats were taken by Vogelsang and Rogers. The 20-lap main was similar to the previous night as led the opening portion of the event, this time for eight circuits. As with the night before, it was Rogers who had the stronger car as he maneuvered to the lead on lap nine and held on from there. At the finish it was Rogers sweeping both feature events. Vogelsang placed second while Nichols, Ford and Paiment rounded out the top five.

The Thunder Roadsters were the other division that raced both days. Ronnie O’Neil set fast time on day one with a 17.333 qualifying lap. Aaron Byers claimed the trophy dash win while O’Neil took the heat race. Byers led the opening 1/3 of the 30 lap main before giving way to O’Neil who was able to lead the rest of the way to take the feature win. Byers held off Tommy Payne for second followed by Chris Lawrence and Dax Kinsey.

O’Neil was again fast time on Sunday with a bit of a faster time, a 17.317. Chris Sarvinski took the trophy dash win while O’Neil won the heat. Sarvinski dominated the 30-lap main as he was able to get past Donnie Brown on lap three. Sarvinski pulled out to a substantial margin as Brown tried to fight off the faster competitors for second. At the finish it was Sarvinski taking the win followed by O’Neil, Byers, Lawrence and Payne.

2015 and 2016 North State Modified Series champion, Darrin Knight paced the modifieds with a 16.422. Veteran Willie Thompson won the trophy dash and heat races. Thompson led the opening nine of the 30 lap main but it was Knight who proved to be superior as he took the lead. Knight went on to win over Thompson, Sierra Furia and Orion Mosher.

Derek Copeland substituted for Brian Kamisky on Saturday and he set quick time for the Legends cars with a 17.975. Copeland went on to win the trophy dash and heat races. Kamisky hopped into his car on Sunday for the 50-lap main event. The feature was slowed at the halfway point when Tyler Peach and Anissa Curtice had a meeting in turn two with Curtice hitting the tire barrier. Fortunately she was okay. Nobody could keep pace with Kamisky who started from the back and took the lead on lap seven. At the finish it was Kamisky getting the $500 victory. Brad Curtice placed second followed by Buddy Cox, Brent Mack and Daniel Whitley.

Qualifying for the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stocks was paced by Rick Estes with an 18.956. Jarrett Mayo won the trophy dash as well as the heat which awarded him the pole for Sunday’s 40-lap main. The two strongest drivers in the feature were Mayo and Estes. The two traded the lead on lap 15 but contact on lap 16 sent both to the rear giving Brian Murrell, Sr. the lead. Mayo regained the lead from Murrell on lap 31 and was able to take the win over Murrell, Sam Brown, Estes and Nick Ford.

The Fortuna Wheel and Brake bomber division had a stellar field for the weekend with 20 cars showing up to race. Terry Pittman set the pace in qualifying with a 18.229. Kolby Jackson took the trophy dash win. Richard Knight won the first heat which awarded him the 11th starting position for Sunday’s first main event. Sacramento racer, Erick Ray took the second heat win which gave him the pole position.

The first main event was dominated by Ray. The best fight was for second place as Brian King, Ryan Walters and Pittman battled for the second position. Ray led all 50 laps taking the $1,000 win in what proved to be a rough first main event. Walters beat King for second while Pittman and Corey James rounded out the top five. Ray drew the six pill for the invert which gave Wyatt Roach the pole for the second feature.

Due to his win in the first main, Ray had the opportunity to take $4,000 home. Besides earning $1,000 for winning the first main, he could earn $1,000 for winning the second main, $1,000 for sweeping both mains and an additional $1,000 for having the highest finish between the two main events.

Roach led the opening lap of the second feature before Pittman was able to take the lead. Pittman held on until lap 14 when Ray was able to get to the lead. The first half of the main was much cleaner than the first race was until a rather scary incident involving Kimberly Sorrels, Matt Simon and David Jones in turn four brought out the red flag. Thankfully all three drivers were okay. Ray looked to have the race in hand until a broken axle on lap 24 dashed his hopes. Pittman took the lead back and never lost it again. At the finish it was Pittman taking the $1,000 win over Walters, Brian King, Kolby Jackson and Wyatt Roach. Walters was awarded $1,000 for having the best overall finish in the two races.

Qualifying for the Fall Spectacular 100 late model race was paced by hometown favorite, Brandon White with a 15.900 with 21 drivers in all timing in. Three drivers who did not qualify were Jeremy Doss, Randy Houston and Scott Baker. Doss missed qualifying but was able to race in the slower heat while Houston and Baker had issues in practice which knocked them out of the weekend’s action. Marty Walsh took the win in the first heat which awarded him the 11th starting spot for Sunday’s 100-lap affair while Brandon Ash took the second heat win and pole position for Sunday.

Ash led the first four circuits which were slowed twice by caution flags. On the lap five restart, David Miller took the lead. Junior Roddy got past Ash for second on lap 18 and began a serious bid for the top position. By lap 24, Doss had maneuvered to third after starting 14th. On lap 26, fan favorite Jim Walker fell out. Another caution bunched the field and on the restart Miller and Roddy fought hard for the lead. The two got together and slowed off turn two on lap 29 which allowed Doss to make a thrilling three-wide pass for the lead.

Doss appeared to have the race well in hand by the halfway point while second place Miller appeared to have his hands full with his car. Roddy was able to take second on lap 52 and Miller began to fall out of the top five as White, Eric Gannon, Derek Copeland, Ash and David Henderson were all able to get past. Ash fell out of the race on lap 65.

The race was slowed several times in the final 30 laps which allowed Roddy and the rest of the field to close on Doss. Each restart however, Doss was able to retain his lead. The yellow flags helped Miller regain the handling in his car as he was able to get back to fourth on lap 76. At one point in the final stages, Roddy was able to get right to Doss’ rear bumper but Doss was able to withstand Roddy’s challenge. At the finish it was Doss taking the $2,000 victory, his second Fall Spectacular win. Roddy took second followed by White, Miller and Henderson. Doss’ margin of victory over Roddy was 0.771 seconds.

For full race results and main event videos from the Fall Spectacular weekend at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.RacingTheAcres.com

Spears SRL Southwest Tour returns to the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

For the third time in the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series’ history, the super late model touring division will visit Eureka’s Redwood Acres Raceway. The SRL tour cars first visited the Acres in 2013 and returned to the 3/8-mile paved oval in 2014.

Many of the top super late model drivers on the west coast are set to participate in the 125-lap main event presented by Renner Petroleum and Bear River Hotel and Casino. Perhaps the biggest name is SRL series point leader, Derek Thorn. Though he currently resides in Bakersfield, Thorn was born in Lakeport, California. Thorn has three wins in 2016 including in the most recent SRL race at Madera Speedway on July 16th. He was the 2013 NASCAR K&N West Series champion and has 27 career wins in the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series.

Thorn is no stranger to the Acres. The 30-year old driver raced IMCA modifieds at RAR in the early 00s before moving to the now defunct North State Challenge late model series. Thorn won three NSCS races at Redwood Acres Raceway between 2005 and 2006. More recently, Thorn has made a name for himself on the national stage, in particular the prestigious Snowball Derby in Pensacola, Florida where he has three top 10 finishes in four races including a third in 2014.

Another top driver who will be making only his second start in the SRL series this season is Upper Lake’s Jeremy Doss. At only 19-years old, Doss is making a big name for himself in super late model racing circles. Just a few weeks ago, Doss won the coveted Montana 200 at Montana Raceway Park in Kalispell, Montana. Doss is a member of the Kulwicki Driver Development program named after the 1992 NASCAR Spring Cup Series champion, Alan Kulwicki. Like Thorn, Doss also has experience taming Redwood Acres Raceway. Doss won a 2012 Pacific Challenge Series race at the Acres and currently holds the series’ fast time mark with a 15.413.

Eureka’s Brandon White will be looking for his second career win in the SRL series at his home track on Saturday night. White’s only win came in 2014 at Madera Speedway. The 2016 SRL season has not treated White so kind as it’s been a struggle for the 19-year old. White’s only top 10 so far in the season came at the season opening race at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. White hopes his victory at the Acres in the Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100 in July will provide the momentum he needs to take a win in front of his home town fans.

Alderpoint’s Luke Hall will be making his first Spears SRL Southwest Tour start Saturday night. Hall is a regular in RAR’s late model division. Roseburg, Oregon’s Brandon Ash will also be racing as well as Stayton, Oregon’s Alan Cress. Ash finished third in the Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100 earlier this season while Cress has numerous late model starts at Redwood Acres Raceway.

Gates open at 4:00 PM on Saturday with the qualifying for the Spears SRL Southwest Tour cars taking place at 6:00 PM. The local late model and Thunder Roadster divisions will have the night off. In between the heat races and main events, fans will have the opportunity to meet the stars of the SRL on the front straightaway. Presale tickets for this weekend’s Renner Petroleum/Bear River Hotel and Casino 125 are available at Fortuna Wheel & Brake. For more information on this weekend’s SRL race and everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway please visit the track’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com

White Dominates, Wins Second Straight Firecracker 100

By Matthew J. Sullivan

One of the most highly anticipated events of 2016 took place at Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday nights the 3/8-mile paved oval played host to the Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100 presented by Bi-Coastal Media. The race was named in honor of former Acres racer, Don Graham who passed away several weeks ago. In addition to the racing on track, a spectacular fireworks show capped off a fantastic evening for a packed grandstand of fans.

Due to the schedule for the night, heat races were scrapped in favor of ‘A’ and ‘B’ trophy dashes for each division. Bethany Rapp set fast time in the California State & Federal Employees Credit Union roadrunner division with a 20.939. Dominic Vogelsang and Steve Paiment were the winners of the two trophy dashes. In a unique twist, the first 10 laps of the 20 lap feature were run in the normal counter-clockwise manner while the final 10 laps were ran clockwise. Vogelsang led the opening six laps before Rapp took over the lead. The caution came out at halfway to turn the field around and running backward proved to be advantageous for Rapp who went virtually unchallenged in remaining laps. At the finish it was Rapp winning her first ever feature over rookie James Nickles. Paiment took third while Tyler Peach and Jake Keeling rounded out the top five.

It proved to be a fantastic night for James Moore in the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber class. Moore set quick time with a 18.325 and took the trophy dash victory. Moore had stiffer competition in the 25-lap feature event. John Lally led the opening eight laps until Matt Simon took the lead. Moore finally maneuvered his way to second on lap 12 and after brief battle, was able to snatch the lead away from Simon on lap 15. Simon did all he could to hang on to Moore but wasn’t able to. At the finish it was Moore winning by three seconds over Simon followed by Ryan Ahrens, Lally and Kimberly Sorrels.

Dylan Hagmann was surprisingly quick in his first-ever start in the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division as he set fast time with a 18.928. Brian Murrell, Jr. and Jarrett Mayo were the two victorious drivers in the trophy dash races. Murrell, Jr. held the lead in the first two of the 25-lap main before giving way to Rick Estes. Unfortunately, Estes’ time in the lead was short as he lost power which handed the lead to Mayo. The best battle on the track was for second as Eugene Palmer and Gary Klinetobe fought which allowed Mayo to pull away to a comfortable lead. At the finish it was Mayo winning by three seconds. Palmer held off Klinetobe for second while Hagmann and Brett Murrell completed the top five finishers.

17.322 was quick time for the Thunder Roadsters set by Chris Sarvinski. In the trophy dash, Sarvinski had trouble as he and Ronnie O’Neil made contact in turn three which resulted in irreparable damage to Sarvinski’s car. Donnie Brown was the trophy dash victor. The 25-lap main featured one of the best races of the season as O’Neil and Tommy Payne had a spectacular duel for the race lead. Brown led the opening stages of the race before losing the lead to Aaron Byers. On lap 10, O’Neil took the lead and it was at that point that he and Payne staged their epic duel. Payne got by O’Neil on lap 17 but O’Neil was able to retake the lead on lap 21. O’Neil was able to hang on from there as he narrowly took the win over Payne, Byers, LeRoy Marsh, Jr. and Brown.

Cody Winchel was fastest in qualifying for the Legends division with a 18.061. Larry Cantrall and Robert Miller were victorious in the two trophy dashes. Brent Mack led lap one of the 25-lap main but couldn’t hold off Miller who took the lead on lap two. Miller has been dominant in the division in 2016 but had a serious challenge in Winchel. On lap 11, Winchel used the inside line to take the race lead. Winchel was able to pull away at the end thanks to Miller having his hands full with Brad Curtice. At the finish it was Winchel taking the win over Miller, Curtice, Colby Furia and Mack.

The Mid City Motor World late model field featured several scratches before racing took place. Both David Henderson and Luke Hall had issues in Friday’s open practice and were unable to race. On Saturday, engine troubles sidelined Marty Walsh for the night during qualifying. Roseburg, Oregon driver Brandon Ash set fast time for the Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100 with a 15.848. Richard Knight won the slower dash while Ash won the quicker. During trophy presentations, Ash pulled the number eight pill for the invert for the 100-lap feature which fittingly put Eric Graham, Don’s son on the pole.

Graham led the opening five laps of the main but it was Brandon White who appeared to have the best car in the field. White took the lead from Graham who got stuck on the outside line and lost several positions. The story of the race was attrition as several cars fell out during the event including Ryun Leazer, Mic Moulton and Mike Sackett. At the front it was White holding around five car lengths over Ash in second.

Things got interesting on a restart with 15 laps to go as Ash made contact with White in turn one to take the lead. White fell to fourth but quickly regained his composure and moved by Knight for third. A subsequent caution allowed White to make a great restart and move by Ash for the lead. Ash fell back to fifth as White pulled away over Graham who methodically made his way back to second. At the finish it was White winning his second straight Firecracker 100 over Graham. Ash recovered to take third while rookie Eddie Klein had his best run of the season in fourth. Another rookie, Tim Crenshaw had a solid run and rounded out the top five in fifth.

Racing on the 3/8-mile at Redwood Acres Raceway is off for several weeks before returning on July 23rd. The North State Modifieds will be the featured attraction at the Acres for the second and final time in 2016. One of the most anticipated events of the year follows on August 2nd when the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series returns to the 3/8-mile paved oval for the third time.

Outlaw kart racing at the Acres returns Saturday July 16th. After that event, there will only be two more chances to see the karts in action. Saturday July 30th is the second to last event for the karts while Saturday August 27th is the final event of the year. For more information on everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com

A look back at the 2015 season at the Acres

Brandon White's frightening wreck in the Spears SRL Southwest Tour
race was one of the memorable events at Redwood Acres Raceway in 2015

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was a thrilling season of racing at Redwood Acres Raceway in 2015. Eureka, California’s 3/8-mile paved oval provided many exciting and memorable nights of action between the five local divisions of roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Thunder Roadsters and late mdoels. The season was highlighted by visits from the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series, the North State Modified Series and the running of the inaugural Tri-Holiday Classic featuring the late models.

Redwood Acres Raceway’s roadrunner division was presented by Humboldt Hydroponics throughout 2015. Dylan Ford took the track championship in the division thanks to winning seven of the 12 main events during the season. It was a dominant effort by Ford who placed outside of the top five only once in the entire year.

Dustin Walters was a force in the bomber division taking eight main event wins. The race for the track championship was very tight however with Walters taking it by a scant six point margin over James Moore who placed second.

The mini stock track championship was also a neck-and-neck race between Chris Champagne and Eugene Palmer. Just like the bombers, the gap between first and second was only six points with Champagne having the edge. Both drivers won four main events in what was also their first season of racing in the division.

Paul Peeples, Jr. was nearly unstoppable in the Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadster class. Peeples won nine of the 11 main events in the division and finished fifth and third in the two races he didn’t win.

The Mid City Motor World late model division’s track title came down to a battle between two second year drivers in Ryun Leazer and Jedd Ambrosini. Leazer pulled through to take the crown by sixteen markers. The 2015 season for the late models featured the Tri-Holiday Classic; three special events on the weekends of Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. Mic Moulton won the Memorial Day race while Brandon White took the Firecracker 100 and Marty Walsh won the Labor Day 100.

2015 also featured the likes of two touring series to the Acres. The North State Modified Series visited during the Memorial and Labor Day races. Rich Lindgren won the 60-lap race in the series’ first visit while Darrin Knight had a memorable drive to win the second race for the series at RAR.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the year was the return of the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series. Jim Pettit, II dominated the event and took his second SRL victory at the Acres. The 125-lap race will probably be best remembered for a scary incident that involved SRL star and local driver, Brandon White. Thankfully, White was uninjured in what was a frightening crash.

The 2015 season officially concludes November 1st with the awards banquet. Information regarding the event can be found on Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .

Pettit holds off late charge to win

Jim Pettit, II and his team celebrate after winning the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series 125
Presented By Bear River Hotel And Casino at Redwood Acres Raceway

By Matthew J. Sullivan

One of the most anticipated events on the 2015 schedule at Redwood Acres Raceway took place this past Saturday night. The Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series raced on the 3/8-mile paved oval for a 125-lap event presented by Bear River Hotel And Casino. The SRL tour cars joined the local classes of roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks and Thunder Roadsters in what proved to be an exciting and memorable night of action.

In a bit of a surprise, the night in the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner division belonged to Daniel Buell. Buell took the win in the trophy dash and heat races. The 20-lap feature proved to be another highly competitive race as it seemed the lead changed every lap. The race was slowed once when Bethany Rapp was turned off turn four and hit the wall, damaging her radiator. The race came down to a duel between Buell and Dylan Ford. Ford got shuffled in the final two laps which gave Buell the advantage he needed to win his first ever feature event. Buell’s win also broke Ford’s six-race stranglehold on main event wins in the division.

Tony Ramizzotti made his first trip to the Acres count in the bomber division with a trophy dash win. The heat race and main event proved to be another showcase for Dustin Walters as he was able to take the win in the heat and got the lead right off the jump of the 25-lap main. Walters dominated the event, pulling out to an insurmountable lead and taking the race win. Ramizzotti placed second followed by Rick Jelton and James Moore.

The mini stock division was down on cars for the night but still provided excellent racing. The trophy dash and heat races featured a father/son battle between Brian Murrell, Sr. and Junior. Murrell, Jr. was the victor in the trophy dash while Murrell, Sr. took heat race honors. The 25-lap main saw the two battle yet again in a thrilling four-car race that also included Eugene Palmer and Chris Champagne. The tight racing up front led to eventual contact between Champagne and Murrell, Sr. that sent Murrell spinning into Palmer and knocking his front nose off. Champagne restarted at the rear while Palmer continued and Murrell was forced to the pits for the rest of the night.

After the restart, Murrell, Jr. and Palmer raced hard for the top spot. On lap 17, Palmer and Murrell, Jr. made contact going into the first turn. Murrell was able to make the save but the incident broke both he and Palmer’s momentum which allowed Champagne to maneuver to the lead. Champagne was able to withstand a late race restart to take the win followed by Murrell, Jr., Eugene Palmer, Ted Henry and Kevin Palmer who was making his first ever start driving Rick Estes’ mini truck.

The Bear River Hotel And Casino Thunder Roadster division saw an influx of cars on the night with 10 partaking in the action. In spite of the increase in competition, Paul Peeples, Jr. proved once again to be the dominant factor. Peeples won both the trophy dash and heat races. Chris Lawrence took the lead at the start of the 35-lap main before giving way to Thomas Payne. By lap five, Peeples was in second and got by Payne for the lead. The race was slowed near the halfway point when Donnie Brown had trouble and drove into the wall in turn one. Fortunately he was okay. After the restart, the best race on the track was for second between Payne, Robbie Nelson and Chris Sarvinski. At the front, it was all Peeples as he was able to win another main event. Nelson was able to get by Payne and hold him off for the second spot. Sarvinski placed fourth.

15 cars took time for the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series 125 Presented By Bear River Hotel And Casino. One driver who did not partake in Saturday night’s action was Jim Walker who appeared at the Friday afternoon practice session but did not show on race day. Local favorite, Brandon White set quick time with a 15.574. The invert for the race was six which gave pole position to veteran driver, Craig Raudman.

Raudman used his starting position to his advantage as he took the lead over Jim Pettit, III at the start. The only incident of the race occurred on lap nine when White and Tracy Bolin got together coming off turn two. Bolin got sideways and tried to save his car down the back stretch to no avail. Bolin’s car clipped White’s as he was trying to get by on the high side sending White in the wall. Behind them the top two in points, Greg Voigt and Ryan Cansdale were collected. White’s car stopped in turn four and caught fire. White climbed out of his car and rolled on the track as safety officials were on the scene immediately to tend to him. Thankfully none of the drivers were injured and though White was taken to the local hospital due to inhaling smoke and fumes from his in-car fire extinguisher.

Pettit used the restart to his advantage as he was able to take the lead from Raudman. Pettit slowly pulled away from Raudman while two NTS Motorsports drivers, Blaine Rocha and Parker Stephens were making moves to the front. Raudman appeared to be struggling with his car’s handling and was forced to give way to Bobby Hodges, Rocha and Stephens. It looked as though Hodges might have a chance of closing in on Pettit as the leader hit slower traffic but his gain proved to be minimal.

Just after the halfway point, Stephens was able to get by Rocha for third and began showing some strength. On lap 105, Stephens moved by Hodges for second after the two dueled for several laps. Stephens closed quickly on Pettit in the final 10 laps of the event and with five to go, the winner of the event was heavily in doubt. Stephens was right on Pettit until two laps remaining when he got loose between turns one and two. That was all Pettit needed to take the victory, his second at the Acres having been the 2013 winner. Stephens took second with Rocha third and Hodges fourth the last car on the lead lap. Raudman rounded out the top five.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway takes three week break before returning August 22nd for Driver Appreciation Night. Roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Thunder Roadsters will be in action as well as the late models who had this past weekend’s event off. Grandstands open at 5:00PM while races begin at 6:30PM. For more information on the rest of the 2015 schedule please visit the track’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .

SRL stars return to the Acres

NTS Motorsports teammates, Parker Stephens (28) and Blaine Rocha (21)
test at Redwood Acres Raceway for the Spears SRL Southwest Tour event

By Matthew J. Sullivan

One of the most anticipated events of the 2015 season at Redwood Acres Raceway is on the horizon as the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series will race this Saturday August 1st. The top super late model drivers on the west coast will go head-to-head on the 3/8-mile paved oval for the second time in series history, the first since 2013. The SRL series will be joining the Acres’ local divisions of roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks and Thunder Roadsters while the local late models will have the evening off.

Dylan Ford is coming off his sixth main event win in a row in the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner division and will look to take his seventh feature this weekend. Ford has a stranglehold on the championship standings as he leads Daniel Buell by 78 points. R.C. Brown has been impressive in his rookie season in the division and sits third, only four points behind Buell. Steve Paiment is fourth, a point behind Brown. Paiment was the winner of the main event on April 25th. Another rookie, Shawn Malloy holds down fifth in the standings.

Dustin Walters has been the favorite throughout the season in the bomber division and the point standings reflect it. Walters has four main event wins, two of them in a row and leads James Moore by 14 points. Moore has won two main events this season. The rest of the top five consists of Michael Knight, the team of Lance Martins and Joseph Phares and Ryan Walters however those drivers are more than 80 points in arrears to the point leader.

The Maxwell’s Custom Automobiles mini stocks have put on some of the best racing at the Acres this year. Chris Champagne leads the standings with three main event wins, one of those coming in the first race when his car was driven by Leonard Ward. Second in points is division rookie, Eugene Palmer who won the June 20th race. Palmer is only 12 points behind Champagne. Rick Estes has a main event win and is third, 24 points behind Champagne. Defending mini stock track champion, Brian Murrell, Jr. has had rough luck in 2015 but still sits fourth, 38 behind the leader. Another division rookie, Tim Abeyta is fifth, 68 in arrears to Champagne.

It has been another season of dominance for Paul Peeples, Jr. in the Bear River Casino Hotel Thunder Roadster division. Peeples has won the past four main events in a row and five in total in 2015 and leads Robbie Nelson by 31 points. Nelson is the only other driver to win a main event in the division this year which came in the May 9th race. Thomas Payne is third, 50 points behind Peeples. Chris Lawrence sits fourth and is 61 markers behind Peeples while Belinda Ward is fifth and nine points behind Lawrence.

The fight for the Mid City Motor World late model track championship could very well come down to the last lap of the season. Ryun Leazer and Jedd Ambrosini sit atop the standings tied with 205 points apiece. Marty Walsh missed the first two races of the season but has won two features including the most recent race on July 18th. Walsh is only 29 points behind Leazer and Ambrosini, well within striking distance. Richard Knight is fourth, 32 behind the leaders and David Henderson is fifth, four points behind Knight. Henderson won the May 9th main event. Other main event winners in the division this season are David Miller who won on opening night, April 25th, Mic Moulton who won on May 24th and June 6th and Brandon White who won the Firecracker 100 race on July 4th.

As mentioned earlier, the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series will be returning to Redwood Acres Raceway this weekend for the first time since 2013. Jacob Gomes holds the SRL track record at the Acres with a 15.478. Veteran super late model racer, Jim Pettit, II won the inaugural SRL event which was held on June 1st of 2013. In the 2015 point standings, Greg Voig
t leads Ryan Cansdale by 30 points. Eureka native, Brandon White is third, 49 points behind Voight. Tracy Bolin is fourth, only three points behind White while Jeff Bishofberger is fifth a single point behind Bolin. White will certainly be one of the favorites for local fans. Another fan favorite, Jim Walker will also be in action.

The Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series will have a practice date on Friday July 30th from 4:30PM to 7:30PM. On Saturday, gates open at 4:30PM while racing will begin at 6:00PM. More information on this weekend’s big event can be found on Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .

Stephens, Rocha prepare for Bear River Casino Hotel 125

Blaine Rocha tests at Redwood Acres Raceway in preparation for next weekend's
Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series Bear River Casino Hotel 125

By Matthew J. Sullivan

NTS Motorsports drivers Blaine Rocha and Parker Stephens took to the track Wednesday Redwood Acres Raceway. The two drivers were testing in preparation for the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series Bear River Casino Hotel 125 on August 1st.

Stephens hails from Olympia, Washington and is the son of former NASCAR Northwest Tour Series champion, Dirk Stephens. Parker turned 18 in June and won the most recent Tri-Track Super Late Model Series race at Evergreen Speedway on July 11th. Stephens also finished fifth in the Coors Light Summer Showdown at Evergreen which attracted some of the top late model drivers in the country. He is a rookie in the SRL series this year and currently sits 10th in the point standings.

Blaine Rocha is only 17 years old and is an Oakdale, California resident. Rocha put in an impressive performance in the Winter Showdown event at Kern County Raceway with a fourth place effort. Rocha also raced in the Coors Light Summer Showdown but was the victim of a multi-car pileup that ruined his race after only two laps. Rocha is in his second season in the SRL Series and is 11th in the standings.

Greg Voight is teammate to both drivers and currently sits atop the Spears SRL Southwest Tour point standings by 30 markers over rookie, Ryan Cansdale. Eureka driver, Brandon White is third and was the winner of the big Firecracker 100 event at the Acres on July 4th. Tracy Bolin and Jeff Bishofberger round out the top five in SRL standings.

The Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series joins the roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks and Thunder Roadsters for the event on August 1st. Joining Rocha and Stephens will be some of the top super late model drivers on the west coast will in what will be the SRL’s second visit to the track, the first since 2013. A limited amount of pre-sale tickets for the Bear River Casino Hotel 125 can be purchased at Humboldt Motorsports. More information for the race can be found on the track’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .

White survives to win Firecracker 100

Brandon White avoided the carnage to win the Firecracker 100

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was a wild and exciting night at Redwood Acres Raceway for Patriotic Night at the Races this past Saturday evening. There were numerous incidents in all five of the Acres’ divisions including the late models which were holding the second Tri-Holiday Classic race on the night, the Firecracker 100 sponsored by Danielson Construction and North Coast Lighting And Electric. At the end of the night, the fireworks on track gave way to fireworks in the night sky as fans were treated to a spectacular display.

The Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner trophy dash was won by Jordan Paiment. The first heat race was won by Chris Appleton while Dylan Ford took the second heat win. The feature which was scheduled for 20 laps got off to a slow start. Several drivers swapped the lead including Shawn Malloy, Ford, Jett Taylor and Daniel Buell. Ford entered the lead just past the halfway mark before the race was marred by cautions. Due to the race going over the 20-minute time limit, Ford was awarded the win, his fifth in a row.

Former Acres racer, Dan Maxwell was kind enough to put $500 on the line for the winner of the Maxwell’s Custom Automobiles bomber division main event and as a result, several out-of-town drivers were in attendance on the evening. Brian King was the winner of the four lap trophy dash while Dustin Walters took the heat race win. The bomber feature got off to a slow start due to a couple incidents, one of which included Lance Martins and Ryan Walters that resulted in Martins getting the black flag. When racing got going, it was clear Dustin Walters had the superior car. Walters was able to muscle by David Dillinger for the lead and he was able to cruise to the checkered flag and the $500 victory. Dillinger took second followed by Erick Ray, King and Rick Jelton.

Chris Champagne was victorious in the Danielson Construction mini stock division trophy dash. The first heat race was won by Paul Baker while the Champagne claimed the second heat. Brett Murrell took the lead at the start of the 25-lap main but got loose in turn four on lap two collecting his older brother Brian. Eugene Palmer took the lead after the restart but it was Billy Shaul who looked to have the superior handling vehicle. With only a few laps remaining, Shaul took the lead from Palmer and was able to hold on the rest of the way for the win followed by Palmer, Champagne, Rick Estes and Cole Peterson.

Mike Ward’s night in the Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadster division was cut short in the trophy dash when he got loose and hit the turn two wall nose first. Fortunately Ward was okay. Paul Peeples took the dash win then went on to claim the heat race victory. The main event proved to be no different. Although Chris Sarvinski took the lead early on, he was forced to give way to Peeples. It was another dominant performance as Peeples was able to take his fourth straight win over Sarvinski, Thomas Payne, Robbie Nelson and Belinda Ward.

Brandon White set fast time for the field of 16 Mid City Motor World Firecracker 100 late models with a 15.924. The winner of the trophy dash was veteran driver, Mike Sackett which awarded him pole position in the 100-lap feature. White used his outside front row starting position to his advantage as he took the lead at the drop of the green. Jim Walker looked to have the only car capable of contending with White as he moved into second on lap 12. The race was slowed twice early due to spins by George Young, Ryun Leazer and Kenny Demello. On lap 28, Leazer appeared to cut a right front tire going into the third turn. Leazer collected Mic Moulton and the two drivers slammed into the turn three wall. The race went green for a long 30-lap stretch with White pulling out to a large lead that Walker was able to chip away at thanks to slower traffic. On lap 56, the caution dropped for oil on the track from Alan Cress’ car. After a long cleanup, racing resumed and White went back to dominating over Walker and Sackett.

The race resumed green for another semi-long run before a caution from an incident between David Henderson and Tyler Avelar. Under the caution, Henderson stopped to speak to officials on the backstretch. Behind him, Richard Knight and Avelar ran into Henderson’s stopped car. Knight’s car climbed over the side of Henderson’s and flipped onto its top. Nobody was injured but the incident was enough for officials to call the race official before its scheduled end. This gave White the win over Walker, Sackett, Marty Walsh and Leonard Ward.

The next race on the docket will feature the return of the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series to the Acres. The SRL Series is the top late model touring series in the west and features the top talent in the region. Firecracker 100 winner, Brandon White will certainly be one of the favorites to take the win. In addition, the roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks and Thunder Roadsters will be in action. For more on the upcoming SRL event, please visit the Acres’ official website www.racingtheacres.com .

Pettit dominates SRL debut at the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The grandstands were packed this past Saturday night at Redwood Acres Raceway as the 3/8-mile paved oval welcomed the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series for their first ever visit to the Eureka, California track. The fans did not go home disappointed as the SRL drivers joined the local classes of real stocks, Thunder Roadsters and sportsman cars in providing a superb night of racing.

Matt Simon took the trophy dash victory for the real stocks ahead of Nick Green while the heat race victory was taken by Nick Green over Ryan Walters. The real stock feature was dominated by Walters who ended up taking home the win followed by Green, Harvey Holm, Doug Way and Michael Lawrence.

The trophy dash in the Thunder Roadster division was won by David Henderson.  Paul Peeples, Jr. won the heat race and was dominant in the feature event. Unfortunately his chief rival, Henderson suffered a cut tire in the main and fell out of action.  Peeples cruised to the feature win beating Thomas Payne, Mike Ward, Chris Sarvinski and Robbie Nelson.
Brandon Barnwell was victorious in the trophy dash while the heat race trophy went to Dennis DelBiaggio. Driving the car formerly owned by local racing icon, Larry Pries, Marty Walsh made his return to the Acres after several years away from the track.  Walsh moved to the front quickly and looked as though he was going to win without worry.

The biggest incident of the night occurred in the latter stages of the sportsman main when Barnwell appeared to cut a tire and hit the wall at the pit entrance.  Barnwell was okay but his car was heavily damaged.  The caution allowed DelBiaggio to get on Walsh’s bumper and the two waged a serious duel for the lead in the final handful of laps.  DelBiaggio appeared to have the better car but Walsh held him off for the win. Angelo Marcelli, Kenny Demello and Al Acuna completed the top five finishers.

20 cars qualified and started the 125-lap SRL feature.  Unfortunately, Zane Lovelace was a scratch after he suffered issues in practice.  Jacob Gomes set the fast time mark with a 15.478 lap. With the field invert at six, Donny St. Ours started on the pole while Ross Strmiska started to his outside.  St. Ours took the lead off the start but it was apparent early that Jim Pettit II was the man to beat.  It only took 17 laps for Pettit to work his way from sixth to the lead, a position he would never relinquish.

The star of the night was hometown favorite, Jim Walker. The west coast racing legend started from the 10th position fell back a few spots early in the going but began to maneuver his way through the field passing one car after another.  By the time the first caution flag flew on lap 87 Walker had maneuvered himself into the sixth spot.  Walker briefly moved into the top five and go to fourth until a cut tire forced him to the pits and ruined his chance at a good finish.

Strmiska did all he could on the restarts to get by Pettit but just didn’t have enough.  Pettit took the victory followed by Strmiska, Gomes and series rookie, Bobby Hodges.  Another Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series rookie, Brandon White delighted the hometown crowd with a solid top five run all night and a fifth place effort.

Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway this Saturday night with the roadrunners back on the track.

SRL stars coming to the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The west coast’s premiere late model touring series will be making its first ever appearance at Redwood Acres Raceway this Saturday night when the SRL comes to town for the Redwood Acres 125 Presented by Renner Petroleum and Leon’s Car Care Center.  The SRL series will be joined by local classes of real stocks, Thunder Roadsters and sportsman cars. The roadrunner division has the weekend off but will return at the next race.

23 drivers and teams have tentatively entered for this weekend’s race.   The top two in SRL points, Derek Thorn and Jim Pettit II will resume their rivalry while Jason Gilbert, Ross Strmiska and Zane Lovelace will be hoping to win the series’ inaugural event at the Acres. Two locals are scheduled to race, youngster, Brandon White and west coast racing legend, Jim Walker.

White and Walker will also be joined by Jeremy Doss and Forrest Kuecker of Lakeport.  Both Doss and Kuecker were winners at Redwood Acres in 2012 and all four drivers could have an advantage over the rest of the field as they have more laps at the 3/8-mile oval than the majority of the SRL field combined. Of the other SRL regulars, Thorn is the only one who has competed at Redwood Acres in the past.

With this weekend’s visit by the SRL series, it will be the first time in almost 20 years that Redwood Acres Raceway will be hosting the west coast’s top late model teams.  The last time an event of this magnitude was held was in 1995 when NASCAR’s Southwest Tour series visited the Acres for the seventh and final time.  That race was won by M.K. Kanke who has 10 career SRL victories but is not scheduled to race this weekend.

In local action, the point leaders in each division are Michael Lawrence in the real stocks, Jarrett Mayo in the roadrunners, David Henderson in the Thunder Roadsters and Angelo Marcelli in the sportsman division.

The weekend gets off to an early start with practice for the SRL cars on Friday between 3-6PM. Saturday the grandstands open at 4:00 while racing begins 7:00. Questions regarding this weekend’s action can be directed to track promoters, Rich and Linda Olson by calling 707-442-3232.

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.