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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Murrell Survives Last-Lap Tangle To Win

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Moulton Wins Third Race In A Row

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Houston Wins A North State Modified Series Thriller

Eureka, CA (July 23, 2017) – After a long three-week break, racing returned to Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday for Nor-Cal Automotive Night at the Races. It was a picture perfect day at the 3/8-mile paved oval as the North State Modified Series made their second of three visits to the Acres this season.

Nick Ford set fast time for the California State And Federal Employee’s Credit Union roadrunner division with a 20.461. Andy Savage led the opening lap of the first 20-lap main event which was run in normal fashion. On lap two, Ford moved to the lead, a position he would never relinquish. Jake Keeling and Tim Ratzlaff traded the second position until Daniel Buell took over the position. At the finish it was Ford taking the win over Buell, Keeling, Ratzlaff and Zito.

The second feature was run backward. Bob Ratzlaff led lap one but Tim Ratzlaff took over on lap two. The race was highlighted by a thrilling duel for the lead and the race win between Tim Ratzlaff and Buell. On the last lap, Buell made a charge for the lead going down the back stretch. In the final turn, Ratzlaff suffered tire issues and hit the wall. Buell was able to move past to take the lead and the win. Tim Ratzlaff held on for second followed by Ford, Ratzlaff and Keeling.

Fast time for the Nor-Cal Automotive Legends division was paced by Brad Curtice with a 18.121. Curtice took the trophy dash. He followed that up with a win in the heat which saw an unfortunate incident in turn four when Anissa Curtice hit the wall. Fortunately she was okay but done for the night. The opening five laps of the 25-lap main were led by Daniel Whitley. On lap six, Curtice took over and never looked back. Whitley did all he could to pressure Curtice but never could force a mistake. Curtice took the win followed by Whitley, Brent Mack, Tyler Peach and Mkinzy Uselton.

In the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber division, visiting driver, Ron Duke, Jr. set fast time with a 18.651. John Lally won the trophy dash while the heat race was taken by Kolby Jackson. The 25-lap main featured several spectacular incidents. The first occurred in turn three on lap 14, Jim Redd got together with Duke in turn three bringing out the yellow flag. On the restart, Bethany Rapp got into Jackson sending Rapp’s car over the hood of Jackson. Up front, Lally was dominant leading the final 21 laps. At the finish it was Lally winning over Jackson who made a thrilling run through the field in the final handful of laps. Jimmy Sorrels was third followed by Chris Naughton and Kimberly Sorrels.

Brett Murrell was quickest in the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division with a time of 18.848. Brian Murrell, Sr. won the dash while Brett Murrell claimed the heat race. The first three laps of the 25-lap feature were led by Scott Taylor. On lap four, Brett Murrell moved to the lead. A restart on lap eight allowed Murrell, Sr. to move to the lead. The father/son duo had a great duel for the win with Murrell, Sr. coming out on top. Brett Murrell took second while Eugene Palmer, Troy Lee and Taylor rounded out the top five finishers.

Qualifying for the Lone Star Junction Thunder Roadsters was led by Paul Peeples, Jr. with a 17.399. Peeples went on to win the trophy dash while Tommy Payne was the heat race winner. Ronnie O’Neil held the lead for the first three laps but the 30-lap feature was dominated by Peeples. He took the lead from O’Neil on lap four and was able to drive away from the field. At the checkered flag it was Peeples winning followed by Payne, O’Neil, Chris Lawrence and Mac Collado.

Charlie Collins was the fastest of the 19 North State Modified Series drivers with a time of 16.267. The winner of the Lucas Oil Dash for Cash was modified veteran, Richie Potts. The invert for the 60-lap feature was four which gave Randy Houston pole position. Darrin Knight briefly moved to the lead at the start from his outside front row position but Houston’s inside line prevailed. A cat-and-mouse game for the lead ensued between Houston and Knight. As the two moved through slower traffic, Houston was able to gain an advantage.

The lone caution flag flew on lap 48 when Orion Mosher spun off turn four. The restart gave Knight and the rest of the field another chance to challenge Houston. Nobody had anything for Houston on the night as he led wire-to-wire to score the victory. Knight held on for second over Collins, Kris Price and Darrin Sullivan.

Racing at the Acres takes a week break and returns Saturday August 5th. Joining the roadrunners, Legends, bombers, mini stock and Thunder Roadsters will be the West Coast Sportsman division which is in its inaugural season. For more information, please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.RacingTheAcres.com

Lindgren, Moulton Memorial race winners

Rich Lindgren took home the win in the North State Modified Series

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The 2015 season at Redwood Acres Raceway resumed for a special Sunday night affair. Though the weather was rather dreary for Del Reka Distributing Night at the Races, a great crowd showed up for the first race of the Tri-Holday series for the late model division. Along with the other local divisions of roadrunners, bombers and mini stocks, the quickly growing North State Modified Series made their first stop of the season at the 3/8-mile paved oval. In addition to all of that, it was also Salute to the Troops night at the Acres and all members of the military were able to get into the races for free with a military ID.

The Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner trophy dash win was taken by Dylan Ford. Steve Paiment narrowly took the victory in the heat race. Nick Vellis was making his first start of the year and was quick to take the lead at the start of the 20-lap feature. Unfortunately his time up front was short as contact from Andrew Pimentel resulted in a flat tire, taking him out of action. Rookie driver, Shawn Malloy showed surprising strength leading numerous laps until the 15th circuit when he was put in a three-wide situation between R.C. Brown and Ford. Malloy spun and the caution flag was displayed.

The last six laps featured a duel for the win between rookie Brown and Ford. Ford was able to get the benefit of the inside line under Brown on the last lap and it proved to be the advantage he needed as he was able to beat Brown to the line to take the victory. Daniel Buell placed third.

Dustin Walters was the winner of the trophy dash for the bomber division. Walters has been the dominant factor in the bombers this year and things were no different on this night as he also took the heat race win. James Moore moved to the lead in the first handful of laps in the 20-lap feature but it didn’t take Walters long to get to the front. Walters moved under and past Moore on lap seven and never looked back. At the finish it was Walters winning handily over Moore, Ryan Walters, Lance Martins and Michael Knight.

The mini stock division continues to grow as the season progresses. Brian Murrell, Sr. was the victor in the trophy dash while the heat race wins were claimed by Cole Peterson and Murrell, Sr. The 25-lap feature got off to a slow start due to fuel leaking from Rick Estes truck. When the green flag came back out, the racing at the front was thrilling as the faster cars tried their best to get to the front while the slower cars did all they could to maintain their track position.

The father/son duo of Brian Murrell Sr. and Jr. were the two drivers who were able to break from the pack and set sail while the rest of the field duked it out from third on back. After a spin by Cole Peterson, the green dropped again and again the Murrells fought hard for the race lead. The caution allowed two other drivers to get into the action, Estes and Chris Champagne. Sadly, things would sour for three of those drivers. Champagne suffered engine woes which put him in the pits and Murrell, Jr. and Estes got tangled off turn four taking their chances of victory away. Mini stock rookie, Eugene Palmer was in Murrell, Sr.’s hip pocket in the closing stages but did not have the horsepower to take the lead away. At the checkered flag it was Murrell, Sr. winning over Palmer, Estes, Dylan Ford and Gary Klinetobe.

The first of the three Tri-Holiday races for the Mid City Motor World late model division took place on the night. In addition to earning points to the season long track championship, the Tri-Holiday races for Memorial Day weekend, Independence Day weekend and Labor Day weekend all count to a separate points title. Mic Moulton took the trophy dash win which saw Marty Walsh and Jim Walker get together. Fortunately both drivers were able to continue for the rest of the night. Richard Knight won the first heat race while Ryun Leazer held on to win the second heat race.

The 35-lap feature saw a field of 10 starters reduced to only four cars being able to get to the finish. The first incident of the race occurred due to apparent contact between Walker and George Young which collected Leazer. The race was slowed again after a few laps due to Tyler Avelar spinning off turn two. The yellow dropped again when Avelar spun in turn one, collecting Mark Williams. By this point, only one lap had been completed.

Things settled down long enough for Mic Moulton to take the lead away from Jedd Ambrosini while Marty Walsh followed him into second. Trouble occurred once again on lap eight when Ambrosini spun off turn four. In the smoke, Kenny Demello and Williams got together ending the race for both of their cars. The race was slowed only once from then on out. Walsh briefly challenged Moulton but didn’t have the strength to stay with him to the end. At the line it was Moulton winning over Walsh. Ambrosini placed third, Richard Knight fourth and Walker was credited with a fifth place result.

16 cars timed in for the North State Modified Series for the evening. Lucas Oil Modified Series regular, Tripp Gaylord made the 1,373-mile trip from his home in Golden, Colorado to Redwood Acres Raceway count as he set quick time with a 16.191. Charlie Collins took the trophy and the $100 cash prize in the Lucas Oil Dash for Cash. The 60-lap feature presented by Protect The Harvest got off to a quick start as Darrin Knight took the lead from pole thanks in part to Gaylord drawing a four-car invert. Knight’s experience at the Acres came to fruition in the early laps and he looked to be the class of the field on the night.

The most serious incident of the race took place on lap 20 when contact from another car sent Sal Lopez spinning right in front of the leaders. Knight was able to get by while second place, Michael Mitchell could not avoid Lopez’s stopped car and made contact with his left front suspension. It was a serious blow for the NSMS point leader as he was forced into the pits and though he returned to the track, he finished the event many laps down. Under the caution, Knight’s car came to a stop on the back stretch with apparent ignition trouble, ending his race.

With the two leaders falling out, Rich Lindgren inherited the race lead and after the restart he and Gaylord pulled away from the rest of the field. The driver who was doing the most passing was Bryan Denton. Meanwhile up front, Lindgren was able to maintain a somewhat comfortable gap over second place, Gaylord. The field was tightened up with five laps remaining when Mike Gorham spun in turns three and four. Lindgren was able to withstand Gaylord challenge for the lead after the restart and he was the first to the checkered flag for his second win of the season in the NSMS. Gaylord placed second followed by Collins, Denton and Jason Philpot.

Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway June 6th with all five local classes back in action, including the Thunder Roadsters who had this weekend off. The North State Modified Series returns to the Acres later in the year on September 6th. For more information on the North State Modified Series, visit their official website www.northstatemodifieds.com . For more information on any and all of the goings on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com .Tri

Champions crowned on Memorial night at the Acres

Champions crowned on Memorial night at the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The final points race of the season for the two of the five local divisions came and went this past Saturday night at Eureka, California’s Redwood Acres Raceway. In addition to champions being crowned, the event held a special air as it was the annual memorial night at the 3/8-mile paved oval facility, coinciding with the ninth anniversary of the events that occurred on September 11, 2001.

Going into the night, the points race for the mini stock track championship was already locked up by the brother combination of Scott and Craig Baker. Craig Baker was behind the wheel of the car this night and took the win in the trophy dash over Brian McIntosh, Brian Murrell and Brian Murrell, Jr. Due to the car count, the division had to forego a heat race and ran a 10-lap main event. Baker had issues from the drop of the green flag and fell out of the event. McIntosh briefly took the lead but got loose off turn two allowing Murrell, Jr. to take the win. A brief caution flag served as a delay to Murrell, Jr’s victory celebration as he was able to take the main event victory ahead of his father, Murrell, Sr., Ken Barrett and McIntosh.

Ryan Walters won the real stock trophy dash over Steve Kimberling, Casey Mitchell and Ryan Robinson. Bill Middleton’s night was ended prematurely in the heat race when Nick Green pushed Middleton going into turn one. Middleton jumped on his brakes in attempt to slow down but was unable to as he hit the wall hard ending his night. Mitchell took the heat race victory ahead of Kimberling, Robinson, Doug Way and Matt Simon. Green took the race lead in the early stages of the main event. Mitchell proved to be the fastest car on the track but had to maneuver through the field before finally getting to the second spot with eight laps remaining in the 20-lap feature. Mitchell closed in with three laps remaining but could not mount a charge to get by Green. At the checkered flag it was Green winning over Mitchell, Robinson, Kimberling and Jim Redd.

Raleigh Willoughby won the roadrunner trophy dash over Nick Hansen, Robbie Nelson and Dax Kinsey. Nelson took the win in the heat race over Hansen, Kinsey, Kolby Jackson and Willoughby. Jackson held the lead at the start of the roadrunner main event while the faster cars tried to maneuver through traffic to get to the front. Hansen had power issues and pulled his car behind the wall on the second lap of the event. At the same time Hansen had his issues, Kinsey and Nelson got together on the back stretch resulting in Nelson getting a flat tire and the caution flying.

Kinsey was sent to the rear and the race restarted with Jackson leading brand-new father, Michael Lawrence on the restart. Willoughby looked poised to capitalize on his championship win with a main event win on the night as he got by Lawrence on lap 12. Willoughby worked on Jackson until finally finding the inside line coming off turn two on lap 16 to take the lead. The caution flew on lap 20 when Nelson spun Kinsey on the front stretch. Nobody was able to touch Willoughby after the restart and at the checkered flag it was Willoughby winning over Jackson, Lawrence, Tim Abeyta and Kinsey.

Paul Peeples, Jr. won the roadster dash over Tommy Payne, Chris Sarvinski and Bruce Ziemer. Rob Nelson held off Peeples to take the heat race win followed by Belinda Ward, Ziemer and Payne. Fergy Ferguson took the lead at the start of the main event, but after a brief caution flag and a restart, he could not hold off the faster car of Peeples as Peeples moved into the lead on lap two. Payne did his best to try to put pressure on Peeples, but it wasn’t enough for Peeples to make a mistake as he took the win over Payne, Ferguson, Ziemer and Ward.

The championship in the sportsman division was still wide-open between Mic Moulton and Angelo Marcelli. Moulton struck first with the trophy dash win followed by Joe McDonald, Larry Pries and Marcelli. McDonald took the heat race victory over Marcelli, Moulton, Jerry Peterson and Pries. Kenny Demello seized the lead in the main event from his pole position starting spot but by lap two, McDonald was there to take the spot away. On lap three, Demello spun between turns three and four. Marcelli spun to avoid Demello but unfortunately Jimmy Yarberry spun into Marcelli’s car damaging his front end. Fortunately Marcelli was able to return to action, unfortunately the track position he lost diminished his hopes for the sportsman track championship.

After the restart, McDonald pulled away as second place Ken Hallis did his best to hold off Pries for the second spot. On lap 11, the two came together with Hallis spinning into the infield bringing out the yellow. Pries was sent to the rear moving Moulton into second. This set the stage for a showdown that fans had been waiting for all season as McDonald and Moulton led the rest of the field to the restart. Moulton rode in McDonald’s mirror for the duration of the race. With six laps remaining in the race, the two ran into slower traffic. McDonald was better able to maneuver through the cars while Moulton lost a bit of ground. Moulton was able to close the gap but unable to make the necessary maneuver to take the lead away from McDonald. At the checkered flag it was McDonald victorious over Moulton, Peterson, Pries and Hallis. Nevertheless, Moulton’s strong finish was enough for him to take the sportsman division crown.

The annual Fall Spectacular is still to be run. Joining the real stocks, roadrunners and thunder roadster cars will be the Northern California Pro-4 Modifieds. The featured attraction for the weekend will be the 100-lap late model event. For the first time in several years, the Fall Spectacular will return to being a two-day event, Saturday September 25th and Sunday September 26th. Any questions concerning the Fall Spectacular should be made to Redwood Acres Raceway’s track office at 707-443-2118.

Tight racing, wrecks highlight Fan Appreciation Night

Tight racing, wrecks highlight Fan Appreciation Night

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Hundreds of fans showed up this past Saturday night for Fan Appreciation Night at Redwood Acres Raceway, the 11th race of the 2010 season. Race fans were able to witness the night’s action for free thanks to Bear River Casino sponsoring the event. The racers in the five local divisions as well as the visiting Northern California Pro-4 Modified cars did not disappoint as there was everything one would expect watching a race wrapped up into one night; tight racing, close finishes and a couple wild incidents.

Things got off on a bad note in the mini stock trophy dash for Ricky Davis as he got loose off turn two and hit the backstretch wall nose-first, ending his night prematurely. Craig Baker took the dash win over Brian Murrell and Brian McIntosh. Baker then went on to win the heat race ahead of McIntosh and Murrell. McIntosh took the lead early in the main event but Baker was quick to get to the front. On lap two, Baker moved outside and past McIntosh for the lead. Brian Murrell, Jr. and Murrell were able to move into second and third by McIntosh a lap later. Baker appeared to be on his way to an easy victory before getting caught up with Steve Stone while trying to pass him. The caution flew with Murrell, Jr. in the lead but his engine blew under the caution period in spectacular fashion. Murrell, Jr. exited his car okay while the flames died down from under his hood. Murrell restarted in the lead but could not hold off Baker as he took the lead the next lap. At the flag it was Baker sweeping the night over Murrell, McIntosh, Ken Barrett and Stone.

Ryan Robinson took the flag first in the real stock trophy dash over Casey Mitchell and Nick Green. Jim Redd held off Ronnie O’Neill in the heat race for the win followed by Green, Doug Way and Mitchell. Way took the lead from the start of the main event ahead of Green and Mitchell. Way did his best to hold off the two cars but on lap four Mitchell moved under and by Way coming off turn two. Green was able to follow Mitchell to move into second. O’Neill began making his way to the front as he took third away from Way on lap six but unfortunately O’Neill got sideways off turn four collecting Robinson and bringing out the caution flag. O’Neill was sent to the rear and after the restart Mitchell and Green pulled away from Way as he fought off the faster cars of Redd and O’Neill. O’Neill looked poised to take the third position away from Way on lap 12 but his engine came apart coming down the front straight ending his night. Mitchell was able to fend off Green in the final laps to take the win followed by Way, Robinson and Bill Middleton.

The roadrunner trophy dash win went to Nick Hansen over Kolby Jackson, Raleigh Willoughby and Robbie Nelson. Hansen then took the heat race win ahead of Nelson, Dax Kinsey, Willoughby and Michael Lawrence. It was a land rush from the drop of the green flag of the main event as Ken Barrett took the lead ahead of Brett Murrell and the rest of the field. On lap two, Jackson and Nelson both moved by Murrell into the second and third positions. On lap four, Nelson found a line under Jackson going into turn three to take second. Kinsey took third from Jackson a lap later just as Nelson moved under Barrett for the race lead. Going into turn one, Kinsey got into the back of Nelson got then got into Barrett sending the two into the infield and bringing out the caution flag. Hansen was able to take the lead amongst the confusion and led Kinsey and the rest of the field to the restart. Kinsey briefly regained the race lead before Hansen took it back. Hansen held a comfortable lead until the last two laps when he ran into slower traffic. Kinsey was able to close in on the final lap and made a move under Hansen coming off the fourth turn. The two raced to the checkered flag and crossed the line in a dead heat. Hansen was determined to be the winner over Kinsey followed by Willoughby, Nelson and Jackson.

The Northern California Pro-4 Modifieds made their first appearance at the Acres this season. Greg Van Cleave won the trophy dash over Kyle Tellstrom, Jake Tillman and Neo Nuno. The heat race win went to Nuno over Tillman and Tellstrom. The main event proved to be one of the best races of the season so far at the Acres. Nuno, Tellstrom and Tillman proved to be the class of the field by separating themselves from the pack and having their own race. Nuno held the lead until lap 12 when Tellstrom found the high line to his liking. The two raced into turn three wheel-to-wheel with the slower car of Robbie Robinson just in front. Coming off four, it was three wide between Nuno, Robinson and Tellstrom with Tellstrom taking the lead and Tillman following behind into second while Nuno fell to third. Tillman shadowed Tellstrom for the duration of the race, even as the two had to maneuver through heavy lapped traffic. In the end, Tellstrom fought Tillman off to take the win while Nuno held on for third.

David Henderson took home the thunder roadster trophy dash win over Paul Peeples, Jr., Tommy Payne and Chris Sarvinski. Peeples won the heat race over Henderson, Payne, Ray Elliott and Fergy Ferguson. Elliott took the lead from his pole starting spot in the main over Al Olson in the early going. On lap two, Payne moved under Olson to take the second position bringing Henderson and Peeples with him. Henderson was able to get under Payne the next lap and the two fought for the second position. On the fifth lap it was settled as Henderson slotted into second with Peeples following into third and Payne in fourth. On lap six, Olson got severely sideways coming off turn four. Amazingly, he saved his race car but lost fifth and sixth spots to Ferguson and Bruce Ziemer in the process. The top four ran nose-to-tail for the duration of the event with Elliott doing everything he could to fight off Henderson and the others. With just a handful of laps left, Henderson moved outside and by Elliott coming off the second turn. Henderson remained unchallenged from that point on crossing the line first over Elliott, Peeples, Payne and Ferguson. Unfortunately, Henderson’s car did not pass post-race technical inspection and the event win went to Elliott.

The sportsman division saw its strongest turnout of cars for the season with 12 showing up for the evening. Joe McDonald claimed the victory in the trophy dash ahead of Mic Moulton, Larry Pries and Dennis DelBiaggio. Donnie Brown won the first heat race over Scott Baker, Angelo Marcelli, Al Acuna and Kenny Demello. Jerry Peterson took the second heat followed by Moulton, McDonald, Ken Hallis and Pries. The feature event for the sportsman cars proved to be the roughest race of the night. Brown spun on the initial start bringing out the caution flag and a complete restart. On the second lap the caution flew when Pries spun between turns three and four after contact with Hallis. After the restart, Marcelli held the lead over Peterson and McDonald. McDonald moved under Peterson for second on lap six. Coming off turn two, Peterson spun bringing out another yellow.

McDonald did not waste any time taking the lead after the restart as he moved under and by Marcelli on lap seven. DelBiaggio tried to use the high line to get by Marcelli but could not get the traction necessary and lost the third spot to Moulton on lap nine. McDonald was in his own area code while Marcelli fought off Moulton, DelBiaggio and Pries for second. The caution flew on lap 19 when Acuna spun into the turn four infield. On the restart, DelBiaggio moved under Moulton going into turn one. The two tangled with DelBiaggio’s car climbing on the side of Moulton’s. Behind them Peterson and Brown had nowhere to go and were collected in the melee. DelBiaggio and Brown were finished for the night while Peterson was able to continue and Moulton was able to later rejoin the race. It looked as though McDonald’s biggest challenge would come from Pries after the restart but unfortunately Pries suffered a flat tire and had to pit. McDonald was on cruise control the rest of the evening and handily took the win ahead of Marcelli, Peterson and Baker.

The next race at the Acres is the Memorial Race on Saturday September 11th. It will be the final night of points racing for the mini stock and sportsman divisions. A schedule change has been made for the Fall Spectacular. It is now a two day show scheduled for September 25th and 26th. Divisions scheduled for the end of the year race include the local real stocks, roadrunners and thunder roadsters. Joining will be the late models for the 100-lap event.

Crashes highlight racing at the Acres

Crashes highlight racing at the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was a surprisingly cool summer evening this past Saturday night at Redwood Acres Raceway. The five local division returned to the 3/8-mile paved oval after a two-week layoff. Unfortunately, numerous accidents highlighted the events throughout the evening and by the end of the night, several drivers were hot under the collar.

Nick Green held off Casey Mitchell, Ronnie O’Neill and Bill Middleton to win the real stock trophy dash. Mitchell went on to win the heat race over Green, Ryan Robinson, Doug Way and O’Neill. The real stock main event proved to be the highlight of the evening and likely the best race thus far at Redwood Acres in the 2010 season. Mitchell and O’Neill raced a clean, nose-to-tail race for most all of the 20-lap feature. O’Neill was unable to use the high line to his liking as he tried it several times on Mitchell. At the checkered flag it was Mitchell beating O’Neill, Way, Middleton and Robinson. Surprisingly, the main event win marked Mitchell’s first of this season.

In mini stock action, Scott Baker won the trophy dash over Brian Murrell, Ricky Davis who was making his first-ever start and Brian McIntosh. Baker followed up with the heat race victory over Brian Murrell, Jr., Murrell, Ryan Ahrens and McIntosh. Baker was able to make it a clean sweep on the night as he ran away with the main event beating Murrell, McIntosh, Murrell, Jr. and Ken Barrett.

Nick Hansen took the roadrunner trophy dash victory ahead of Raleigh Willoughby, Dylan Cook and Michael Lawrence. Kolby Jackson held off Hansen to take the heat race victory followed by Lawrence, Cook and Willoughby. The feature was a rough and tumble affair. In the initial start, Brett Murrell and Cook made contact going into the third turn bringing out a restart. On the next start, Willoughby and Jackson came together as they were completing the first lap with Jackson getting into the wall. The next restart saw contact between Ken Barrett and Dax Kinsey going into the first turn. As both cars headed for the wall, Cook was caught up and he spun and hit the wall with his rear-end. Barrett and Kinsey were finished for the evening while Cook was able to continue. The race was cut to 10 laps with Hansen taking the win over Jackson, Willoughby, Cook and Murrell.

The thunder roadster trophy dash went to Randy Olson over Tommy Payne, Brandon Barnwell and Chris Sarvinski. The heat race for the roadsters looked more like a demolition derby than a race. When trying to pass Rob Nelson on the outside of turn four, Sarvinski got too high, got loose and hit the wall coming off the corner finishing his evening prematurely. After a restart, Nelson and Fergy Ferguson got hung together in turns one and two sending both drivers into the water barrels entering pit road. Both drivers were okay but were also finished for the evening. After all the chaos, Olson took the heat race win ahead of Mike Ward, Barnwell, Payne and Ziemer. Barnwell took the lead from the start of the feature event but by the end of the first lap, Olson was on his bumper in second. Going into the third turn on lap five, Olson took the lead and never looked back. Olson took the win handily over Barnwell, Payne, Ward and Ziemer.

Jerry Peterson took the sportsman trophy dash honors ahead of Angelo Marcelli, Larry Pries and Mic Moulton. Aaron Byers was able to beat Peterson by inches in the heat race followed by Moulton, Dennis DelBiaggio and Pries. Byers was able to take the lead early in the main event over Marcelli until lap two when DelBiaggio got loose going into turn three, spun and hit the wall ending his race. After the restart, Marcelli began to work hard on Byers for the lead. On lap 9, Marcelli found the line under Byers for the top spot. On lap 16, Peterson moved by Byers for second with Moulton following the next lap. On lap 20, Pries tried to make a move under Byers for fourth going into turn three. The two touched and went into the wall. Both drivers were fine but out of action. After the restart, Marcelli showed surprising strength holding off Peterson and Moulton. Neither was able to put a serious challenge to Marcelli’s lead and at the checkered flag it was Marcelli winning over Peterson, Moulton and Kenny Demello.

The racing action at Redwood Acres Raceway goes on a three-week hiatus before returning on Saturday July 31st. Joining the five local divisions will be the return of the Airport Auto Brokers Late Model series. It will be the second of the two scheduled points paying events for the series.

McDonald edges Peterson for sportsman victory

McDonald edges Peterson for sportsman victory

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Finally after almost a full month, racing returned to the pavement of the 3/8-mile Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday night. The long break was made longer by the fact that heavy mist had cancelled the scheduled race earlier in the month on June 5th. This race marked the return of the mini stock division as the class went on a brief hiatus the past several events.

Prior to the night’s events going into action, several drivers pulled their cars out onto the track to run memorial laps in honor of two folks who had sadly recently passed away. Diana Robertson was a long-time race fan at the Acres and was the daughter of former track flagman, Larry Robertson who passed away several years ago. The other loss suffered was that of former driver, Duane Mayo. Mayo began racing at Redwood Acres in the 80s when the track was still dirt. Mayo moved to the sportsman division in the early 90s then returned to racing the limited street stock division in recent years. Both will be greatly missed by the Redwood Acres Raceway community.

Scott Baker took the trophy dash win in the mini stock division ahead of Brian Murrell, Brian McIntosh and Brian Murrell, Jr. Baker then won the heat race over Murrell, Ken Barrett, Ryan Ahrens and Murrell, Jr. Murrell took the lead early in the mini stock main event but was unable to hold back Baker on this night as Baker went three-for-three sweeping the trophy dash, heat race and main event for the night. Murrell beat his son for second while Barrett and Ahrens finished the top five.

The real stock trophy dash was won by Casey Mitchell over Ryan Robinson, Ryan Walters and Nick Green. The heat race victory was taken by Green ahead of Dustin Walters, Mitchell, Ryan Walters and Robinson. Doug Way took the lead at the start of the feature event for the real stocks but couldn’t hold off Dustin Walters by the third turn of the first lap as Walters moved under to take the lead. Walters’ ability to take the lead so early in the event proved to be invaluable as he was able to pull out a good lead while the rest of the field battled amongst themselves. Way did a fantastic job of holding off the field cleanly for second but Robinson eventually got by to take the spot. Robinson wasn’t able to close in on Walters until the final lap. Going into the third turn, Robinson made a last-ditch effort but didn’t have enough to muscle by. At the checkered flag it was Dustin Walters winning in his first start of the season over Robinson, Mitchell, Ryan Walters and Green.

Raleigh Willoughby returned to form, winning the roadrunner trophy dash after an incident in the May 22nd main event took him to the hospital. Dax Kinsey, Jimmy Murray and Robbie Nelson rounded out the finishers. Dustin DelBiaggio took heat race honors ahead of Charlie Anderson, Nelson, Kinsey and Willoughby. The main event got off to a bad start for Nelson as contact sent him into the wall off the second turn and out of action. Tim Apeyta took the lead on the restart but after the first lap Anderson held the lead. Things got close on the second lap when DelBiaggio got loose in turn four while racing Apeyta for second and spun. Fortunately everyone was able to get by without contact. Willoughby moved by Abeyta into second just moments after DelBiaggio’s spin.

On lap eight, Willoughby moved to the outside of Anderson for the lead. Willoughby took the lead coming to the caution flag as Kinsey’s car lost power and stopped in turn one. After the restart, Willoughby and Anderson walked away from the pack while several drivers including Ken Barrett, Murray, DelBiaggio and Nick Hansen fought hard for position. At the checkered flag it was Willoughby winning his fourth main event of five this season ahead of Anderson. Meanwhile on the backstretch, DelBiaggio spun forcing Murray to slow to avoid hitting him. Behind them, Hansen spun to avoid getting involved. All the action gave Barrett third place and Abeyta fourth. Murray was able to get back to the line ahead of DelBiaggio for the fifth spot.

In the thunder roadster division, Paul Peeples, Jr. took the trophy dash win over Randy Olson, Brandon Barnwell and Tommy Payne. Rob Nelson won the heat race ahead of Fergy Ferguson, Olson, Peeples and Barnwell. Nelson took the lead from the start and held it early on over Mike Ward. It didn’t take long for Peeples to make his presence known as he was in third position passing Payne on lap four. A lap later, Nelson spun out of the lead off turn two handing it over to Ward. Olson moved his way into third on lap six bringing Barnwell with him past Payne. The next lap, Peeples moved under Ward to take the lead. On lap 10, Barnwell passed Olson for third. On lap 16, Payne got by Olson for fourth. The next lap, Barnwell moved by Ward for second. Nobody had anything for Peeples though as he was able to handily take the victory over Barnwell, Ward, Payne and Olson.

Mic Moulton took the trophy dash win in the sportsman division ahead of Joe McDonald, Jerry Peterson and Dennis DelBiaggio. McDonald won the head over Peterson, Angelo Marcelli, DelBiaggio and Moulton. Larry Pries utilized his outside front row starting position well by taking the lead at the start of the main event over Peterson and Moulton. Moulton looked to have the car to beat on the night. On lap five he passed Peterson for second. On lap 10, Moulton moved under Pries to take the lead bringing Peterson and McDonald with him into second and third. However, it appeared as though Moulton’s car wasn’t running right. Where before he was running away from Peterson, now Peterson was right on his tail. On lap 14 going into turn three, Moulton’s engine hand-grenaded. The drivers behind him did a masterful job of avoiding further catastrophe but it was another unfortunate night for Moulton in what has been a season of misfortune for him at the Acres.

Peterson inherited the lead after the restart and had his hands full with second place McDonald. McDonald stayed right in Peterson’s mirror waiting for a chance to pass. Peterson’s car began developing a push off the corners. Coming off turn four on lap 23, Peterson’s car nearly pushed into the wall. The moment Peterson took to back off the gas was all McDonald needed to get under and by for the lead. Peterson fought valiantly to get back on McDonald’s bumper but he didn’t have the horsepower or handling he needed to make a serious charge at the lead. At the checkered flag it was McDonald winning over Peterson, Pries, DelBiaggio and Marcelli.

The drivers and teams have a quick turnaround to do as racing returns to the Acres for fair night action this weekend on Friday and Saturday nights June 25th and 26th. Several more cars are expected to join in all the classes making these events must-see for race fans.

Henderson scores win number two on the season

Henderson scores win number two on the season

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway returned for the third time this season this past Saturday night. A large crowd turned out to watch all six local classes return to action once again at the 3/8-mile paved oval. As usual, there was much close racing but unfortunately there were a number of incidents that cut short the night of several racers.

The limited street stock class timed in only three cars and only ran the trophy dash. Fergy Ferguson took the dash win over Kenny Demello and George Young. The roadrunner division saw an influx of several cars on the night. Keri Cook won the dash in her first ever start beating Nick Bundy, Oscar Koskinen and Dustin Delbiaggio. Costinin won the heat race ahead of Bundy, Delbiaggio, Cook and Jimmy Murray. The first lap of the main event was led by Murray before Bundy took the top position on the second lap. Bundy would not look back from that point on. On the last lap of the race, Murray and Delbiaggio made contact and spun on the front stretch. Bundy crossed the line the winner while Delbiaggio and Koskinen finished second and third.

The real stock trophy dash winner was Casey Mitchell followed by Ryan Walters, Jim Redd and Roger Linn. Walters followed that win with another in the heat race over Pat Conway, Mitchell, Redd and Dustin Walters. The battle for the lead on lap one of the main event was between Ryan and Dustin Walters with Mitchell right in the mix. By lap two, Ryan took the lead away from Dustin and set sail while Mitchell was able to follow through into the second position. Redd was able to pass Walters for third on lap three. The best battle on the track was for second between Mitchell and Redd. Redd was able to successfully take the position on lap 10 after dueling side-by-side with Mitchell for several laps. On lap 19, Redd spun on his own in the second turn bringing out the yellow flag. The restart was merely a delay to victory lane for Walters as he was able to hold off Mitchell at the line to win his second main event on the year. Conway finished third with Dustin Walters fourth and Linn fifth.

The mini stock division has a few more cars show up to race for the evening. Scott Baker won the dash over Brian Murrell, Brian McIntosh and Denzil Barrett. Baker followed that up with the heat race win over McIntosh, Murrell, Barrett and Craig Baker. The main event proved to be a wild one. On lap three, Scott Baker, Barrett and Brian Murrell, Jr. came together along the front straightaway sending Barrett’s vehicle over the rear wheel of Murrell’s car. Murrell was finished for the night. On the restart it was his father leading Nick Karanopoulos, McIntosh and the Baker brothers, Scott and Craig. On lap five, Steve Smith spun in the fourth corner. While coming back to the flag, McIntosh and Scott Baker spun. Barrett had nowhere to go and slammed head on into Baker’s car. McIntosh was able to continue while Baker, Barrett and Smith were forced out for the rest of the event. After the restart, McIntosh broke and brought out another yellow. The race was shortened to 10 laps and Murrell was able to hold off Craig Baker and Karanopoulos for the victory. Afterwards, Murrell was disqualified for not going through post-race teardown so the win was awarded to Baker.

Defending sportsman division champion, Brandon Barnwell returned to the Acres for the first time this season winning the trophy dash followed by Larry Pries, Dennis Delbiaggio and Angelo Marcelli. The heat race featured an unfortunate incident in turn one. Pries spun and collected Frank Billy ending Billy’s evening. Barnwell took the dash win ahead of Jerry Peterson, Marcelli and Delbiaggio. The first few laps of the main were led by Delbiaggio. Coming off of turn four on the fifth lap, Delbiaggio got severely loose, nearly wrecking. This allowed Barnwell to take the lead away. Delbiaggio got loose and spun on lap 10 bringing out the caution flag. Barnwell was able to race comfortably after the restart and took the victory over Pries, Delbiaggio, Marcelli and Peterson.

David Henderson won the thunder roadster heat race over Paul Peeples, Jr., Mike Ward and Tommy Payne. Mark Arroyo won the first heat ahead of Bruce Ziemar, Rob Nelson, Jay Bahner and Belinda Ward. Peeples held off Henderson for the victory in the second heat race while Robert Miller, Payne and Mike Ward rounded out the top five. Chris Sarvinski took the lead early on in the main event and it looked as though it might be his night. However as both Henderson and Peeples knifed their way through traffic, it was obvious that once again the battle for the race win would be between them. After holding both Henderson and Peeples off for the first 15 laps, Sarvinski had to make way for the two, falling back to the third position. Henderson was clearly the fastest car on the track on the night as he was able to pull out and maintain a comfortable lead over Peeples. At the checkered flag it was Henderson over Peeples, Sarvinski, Arroyo and Payne.

Racing resumes this coming Saturday night at Redwood Acres Raceway. Along with the six local classes will be the Pro-4 Modifieds making a visit on what will be Pepsi Night at The Acres.

Henderson turns the tables on Peeples

Henderson turns the tables on Peeples

By Matthew J. Sullivan

For the second straight week and the second time in 2009, fans crowded the grandstands at Redwood Acres Raceway hoping to see what they have all come to expect; intense, close and exciting racing that the 3/8-mile paved oval has often provided over the years. They were not disappointed as there were several close finishes throughout the evening that brought the fans to their feet clapping their hands in approval.

Both the limited street stocks and the new roadrunner division had three cars racing on the evening. A fourth roadrunner driver, Dustin Delbiaggio was unable to start due to engine problems. Kenny Demello won the trophy dash over Stan Young and Rick Armstrong who was driving the car normally piloted by Fergy Ferguson. Demello went on to win the main event ahead of Armstrong and Young. Nick Bundy appears to be the main to beat thus far in the roadrunners as he swept both the dash and main event with Jimmy Murray and Jim McIntosh finishing second and third in both races. McIntosh was behind the wheel of the Redwood Acres Raceway owned car for the evening.

Jim Redd won the real stock trophy dash over Ryan Walters, Pat Conway and Roger Linn. Casey Mitchell held of Walters in the heat race for the win with Redd, Conway and Linn finishing out the top 5. Conway got a quick jump on Mitchell going into the first turn in the main event to take the race lead. By lap three, the two fast cars of Redd and Walters had maneuvered their way to third and fourth while Conway held a slight advantage over Mitchell. On lap nine, Redd went to high into turn one allowing Walters to move inside and past him. Going into turn three, Linn moved inside of Redd but the two tangled dropping debris on the track, specifically Redd’s bumper. Unfortunately for Redd, he was forced out for the rest of the race.

The restart allowed both Mitchell and Walters to figure out how to wrestle the race lead away from Conway. Mitchell tried the first few laps on the high line but was unable to find the handling he needed to stay with Conway and hold Walters off for the second spot. On lap 17, Walters made contact with Conway’s rear sending Conway sideways. Walters backed off allowing Conway to save his car and everyone continued on safely. Walters waited until the last two laps to make his move, going high. On the last lap it appeared as though Walters had the advantage on Conway but coming off the fourth turn both drivers got loose and turned sideways. Conway managed to get his car straight while Walters fought for control. At the line it was Conway the winner with Walters spinning sideways across for second. Mitchell took evasive action in the dirt to finish third while Dustin Walters ran a smooth race in fourth and Ryan Robinson in fifth.

The trophy dash winner for the mini stock division was Scott Baker over Brian Murrell, Brian McIntosh and Craig Baker. Baker would win once again in the heat race ahead of Murrell, Craig Baker, McIntosh and Brian Murrell, Jr. Leonard Bowman spun on the initial start of the main event and was unable to return to the field for the restart. Early on Murrell, Jr. set the pace for the field, but by lap three father passed son for the lead as Murrell took the top position away off turn four. A lap later, Scott Baker did the same thing to take second away. On lap seven, Baker moved by Murrell for the lead and what would be the race win. Late in the going, McIntosh’s engine began to sour and he fell off the pace at the end. The checkered flag dropped first on Scott Baker while Murrell finished second, Craig Baker third, Murrell, Jr. fourth and Steve Smith fifth.

Frank Billy won the sportsman trophy dash over Dennis Delbiaggio, Larry Pries and Kavin Conn. Angelo Marcelli won the heat race just ahead of Delbiaggio, Billy, Pries and Jerry Peterson. Only 6 cars started the main event on the night and it proved to be a fairly wild race. Marcelli led Peterson, Pries, Billy and Delbiaggio from the start. On lap 14, Conn spun in turn two bringing out the yellow flag. Things got crazy coming back to the green flag as Pries spun sideways in front of Billy, Delbiaggio and Conn. Billy, Delbiaggio and Conn all suffered front-end damage. Under caution while catching up to the end of the field, Conn cut down a tire and hit the turn three wall ending his evening.

The final five laps featured an exciting duel for the race lead as Peterson tried to use the high line to get by Marcelli. On the final lap, Peterson and Marcelli were door handle to door handle for the lead going down the back chute. Coming off the fourth turn, Peterson got loose allowing Marcelli to pull out the race win. It was a photo finish for second with Pries appearing to cross the line inches ahead of Peterson. Delbiaggio placed fourth with Billy fifth.

David Henderson made a last lap, last turn pass on Paul Peeples, Jr. to win the dash while Chris Banfill and Tommy Payne rounded out the starters. Chris Sarvinski won the first heat race ahead of Robert Miller, Shane Toole, Rob Nelson and Dan Brown. Peeples fended off Henderson for victory in the second heat while Mike Ward, Payne and Banfill finished the top five. Nelson took the lead on the start of the main event but Miller moved by on the second lap. Unfortunately on lap three Nelson spun off turn four collecting Banfill’s car. Banfill had irreparable damage ending his night prematurely while Nelson was fortunate enough to continue.

The restart proved to be Miller’s undoing. Where before he had a fair lead over the field he now had to deal with Sarvinski, Payne, Henderson and Peeples right on his bumper. On lap four, Sarvinski moved under Miller for the lead. The top five cars were under a blanket. While Miller and Sarvinski dueled for the lead, Peeples moved into third and Payne and Henderson dueled side-by-side for fourth. On lap seven, Peeples went three wide for the lead taking the spot with Henderson following in his path. Peeples and Henderson ran away, while the rest of the field jockeyed for positions on back. The majority of the race featured a familiar and exciting duel for the race lead between Peeples and Henderson. It appeared as though Henderson had the advantage on this night and it proved true on lap 27 as he was able to find a hole underneath Peeples to take the lead. Peeples was unable to mount a serious challenge on Henderson for the rest of the race and at the checkered flag it was Henderson victorious over Peeples, Sarvinski, Payne and Miller.

Racing at the Acres has a weekend off before returning Mother’s Day weekend.

McCracken, Peeples, Baker and Miller big winners on Fan Appreciation night

McCracken, Peeples, Baker and Miller big winners on Fan Appreciation night

By Matthew J. Sullivan

A near capacity crowd filled the grandstands and bleacher section at Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday night for Fan Appreciation night. All race fans were able to get into the races for free provided they picked up tickets at any of the number of local businesses in the area. Bear River Casino sponsored the events for the night, while promoters Rich and Linda Olson were the ones who thoughtfully put the event together for the evening.

Prior to the races, fans were allowed to visit the drivers on the front straightaway to shake hands, get autographs and receive goodies of all kinds. The limited street stock division had three cars turnout for the night, and they ran a six lap trophy dash. Orion Mosher took the victory over Fergy Ferguson and Kenny Demello.

The faster drivers in the mini stock class made a very kind gesture by moving aside and allowing the new rookie drivers in the division to race in the trophy dash. This enabled Brian Murrell, Jr. to win his first race ever at the Acres over Norm Carmichael and Ryan Ahrens while Craig Baker rode around behind the drivers drove unscored in the event. Scott Baker won the first heat race ahead of Brian McIntosh, Denzil Barrett, Murrell, Jr. and Carmichael, while Craig Baker won the second heat over Brian Murrell, Nick Karanopoulos, Max Capps and Ahrens.

Karanopoulos took the lead early in the main event. On the first lap, Scott Baker spun in between turns three and four, but got his car going again. On lap two, all three rookies Carmichael, Murrell, Jr. and Ahrens got together in the second turn necessitating the caution flag. Murrell, Jr. was able to continue while Carmichael and Ahrens were towed to the pits. Just after the restart, going down the back straightaway it was three-wide for the lead between Karanopoulos, Barrett and McIntosh with McIntosh able to take the lead over Barrett. The three-wide move cost Karanopoulos his momentum allowing Craig Baker to move into third. Baker moved by Barrett the next lap, and he set his sights on leader McIntosh.

On lap seven, Baker took the lead away from McIntosh. It appeared as though McIntosh’s car began to lose power as he quickly faded to the end of the top five. Within a two lap period, Murrell, Scott Baker and Barrett all easily passed McIntosh for position. Meanwhile, it was smooth sailing for Craig Baker up front as he handily took the main event victory over Murrell, Scott Baker, Barrett and McIntosh.

The trophy dash for the real stock division was won by Jim Redd over Trevor Miller, Shawn Craig and Bob Lima. Miller won the first heat in rather dramatic fashion over Casey Mitchell, Lima, Ryan Robinson and Doug Way. Craig won the second heat race over Redd, Donnie Hyman, Nick Green and Dana DeVane. Green took the lead in the early stages of the main event over Miller and Robinson. Miller wanted the race lead early and he got it on the fourth lap going into the first turn, getting by Green. Miller began to pull away while the rest of the field battled for position.

On lap nine, Robinson moved inside of Green for second allowing Redd to follow into third. Craig was trying to make his way to the front, but was battling Mitchell for position. Craig took the position on lap 12 and tried to get by Green for fourth until the two made contact. The end result was Craig with a flat tire. He pulled into the infield to avoid bringing out a yellow flag. Meanwhile, Miller held more than a full straightaway lead over second place Robinson. With two laps left, Green and Lima spun in turn four. At the same time, Redd maneuvered by Robinson for second. At the checkered flag, it was Miller half a track ahead of Redd. Robinson took third, Mitchell fourth and Lima fifth.

After not attending the previous race earlier this month at the Acres, Paul Peeples, Jr. returned to the Acres and reminded everyone that he is the driver to beat by breaking the track record in the thunder roadster division. Peeples won the dash over David Henderson who was filling in for Dave McMurray, Chris Banfill and Mike Ward. The heat race was hotly contested but Ward was able to take the victory over Thomas Payne, Peeples, Chris Sarvinski and Banfill. Payne took the lead at the beginning of the main event. Bruce Ziemer spun in the second turn on lap two but got his car going.

Peeples wasted little time maneuvering his way to the front, getting by Ward for second on lap five. On lap seven Banfill and Miller briefly locked rear and front bumpers, but were able to get untangled and continued in the battle. Peeples was able to grab the lead from Payne on lap eight. The only other major change for position occurred on lap 16 when Sarvinski and Ward made contact down the front straightaway, however both drivers continued. At the checkered flag it was Peeples over Payne, Sarvinski, Ward and Banfill.

Tim McCracken made his third start of the season in the sportsman division, winning the trophy dash over Marty Walsh, Larry Pries and Brandon Barnwell. Walsh was victorious in the first heat race winning over Dennis Delbiaggio, Jerry Peterson, Romeo Venza and Lissa Uselton. Barnwell won heat race two over McCracken, Angelo Marcelli and Kavin Conn. Uselton took the lead at the start of the main event over Pries. On lap two, Pries moved under and around Uselton for the lead, while Walsh moved by Uselton the next lap. McCracken moved to fourth on lap four by passing Marcelli for the position. The next lap McCracken and Uselton touched in the second turn with Uselton spinning and McCracken sent to the back of the field.

On the restart Pries led Walsh, Barnwell, Peterson and Delbiaggio. Things were settled up front while McCracken was making a furious charge from the rear of the field. On lap 11, McCracken moved into fifth, taking the spot away from Delbiaggio. On lap 12, Barnwell and Walsh made heavy contact while battling for second. The incident peeled away Barnwell’s fender while Walsh’s car appeared to handle differently from that point on. Both drivers lost a few positions but the incident did not result in a caution flag. The red flag came out on the fourteenth lap when Uselton’s car spun and was facing the wrong direction on the back straightaway.

The green flag came out again with Pries still leading Peterson, McCracken, Delbiaggio and Barnwell. McCracken quickly passed Peterson for second, then on lap 15 he took the lead away from Pries. Barnwell moved into fourth on lap 23, passing Delbiaggio. With only a few laps left, Barnwell and Peterson made contact in the first turn sending both drivers spinning. Meanwhile, Pries who was ahead of the incident spun on his own in turn two. The yellow flag was brought out and the field was shuffled with lap cars in between lead lap cars. This was a good thing for McCracken as he was able to get a good launch on the restart and went to the checkered flag unchallenged, taking the main event win. Delbiaggio brought his car home second, a major victory for he and his team after hitting the wall earlier in the day. Marcelli took third with Ken Hallis fourth and Conn fifth.

Racing at the Acres take a break for a weekend but returns Saturday September 6th for The Judy Fox Memorial race and Back-To-School night. This race will see the crowning of the limited street stock and mini stock division champions, while the three other divisions will have another race to decide their 2008 champions.

Walsh, Peeples, Miller big winners at the Acres

Walsh, Peeples, Miller big winners at the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Though mother nature provided a rather cold and dreary night, racing at Redwood Acres Raceway as not dampened whatsoever. It was a night of excitement, good racing and when the checkered flag fell on the night’s last race, there wasn’t one case of a wrecker having to be used during the race events or a track official using oil dry on the racing surface. Trevor Miller ran away from the pack in the real stock division to take his second win of the season and go four for four on the night with fast time, dash win, heat win and main win. Paul Peeples, Jr. continued his dominance of victory lane in the thunder roadster class with yet another win in the same fashion as Miller. Marty Walsh won his second main event of the season in the sportsman division rather handily.

Unfortunately for the limited street stocks and the mini stocks, both fields only had five cars turnout for the night. Both divisions ran trophy dashes and 10 lap main events. Scott Lyons was the fastest of the limited streets in qualifying with a 17.474 lap time. Lyons won the dash over Kenny Demello, Duayne Mayo and Craig Huffman. The 10 lap main featured a late race pass by Huffman over Mayo for the lead. At the line Huffman won over Mayo, Lyons, Fergy Ferguson and Demello.

Craig Baker turned in the quickest lap for the mini stock cars with a 19.127 time. Brian Murrell won the trophy dash literally by inches over Craig Baker, Scott Baker and Brian McIntosh. After a lap three pass for the lead on Murrell, Craig Baker was able to cruise to the win in the main. Murrell held onto second, Scott Baker third, Denzel Barrett fourth and McIntosh fifth after having gone into the pits with issues early in the race.

Qualifying in the real stock division was tight as Trevor Miller’s 18.813 qualifying lap was a mere three hundredth’s quicker than Shawn Craig’s 18.816. Miller won the dash over Ryan Peeples, Pat Conway and Craig. Unfortunately, both Conway and Craig had problems in the dash and were not able to make it back out for the heats or the main. Miller drove through the field in the heat race for the win over Casey Mitchell, Peeples, Donnie Hyman and Jim Redd.

Mitchell and Redd lead the nine car field to the green flag of the 25 lap main event. Redd got the jump off the start while Miller quickly made his way to the front. On lap three, Miller passed Peeples for fourth then moved into third just as quickly with Peeples following. On lap six, Miller moved outside of Mitchell for second. Three laps later the yellow flag dropped for debris on the race track.

Miller wasted no time on the restart immediately attacking Redd for the top position. On lap 13, Miller found the inside line and moved under Redd for the lead. On lap 15, Peeples who had been running third pulled into the pits. A few laps later, Nick Green spun off the second turn collecting Hyman and Ryan Robinson and bringing out the yellow flag. Fortunately everyone continued on in the race. The restart and the final few laps proved to be a formality for Miller as he was able to pull away from Redd to a comfortable lead and the checkered flag by the end of lap 25. Redd finished second with Dustin Walters third, Mitchell fourth and Green fifth.

Paul Peeples, Jr.’s 16.999 lap time was the only one under the 17 second bracket thus making it the quickest. Jay Bahner won the trophy dash over Peeples, Mark Arroyo and Troy Combs. Leroy Marsh, Jr. claimed the win in the first heat over Rick Crawley, Dave McMurray, Bruce Ziemer and Rob Nelson. Peeples won the second heat over Combs, Mike Ward, Arroyo and Robert Miller.

Nelson and Crawley comprised the front row for the 30 lap main event. Nelson took the early lead before Marsh took the lead away. Five laps into the race, Combs made his way into the second spot and tried to run down Marsh for the lead. Just as Combs moved inside and by Marsh for the lead, the yellow flag flew when Nelson spun off turn four and was facing the fourth turn nose first. All of the drivers had to take evasive action to avoid running into Nelson and though it was tight, everybody avoided what could have been a serious incident.

With the field reverting to their position on the previous lap, Marsh was able to retake the lead over Combs, McMurray, Peeples and Crawley. Peeples quickly moved by McMurray on the restart. On lap 11, Combs moved inside of Marsh for the lead bringing Peeples with him. On lap 15, Peeples looked to have the inside line on Combs but didn’t have the momentum to get by. Gerhy Foster’s spin on lap 19 brought out the yellow flag allowing Combs and Peeples to cool their tires and get set for another close battle.

When the green dropped, Combs and Peeples pulled away while Marsh settled into third comfortably. Meanwhile, McMurray and Bahner were dueling for fourth racing side-by-side for several laps. Up front Peeples was working hard to pass Combs. On lap 22, Peeples got another run and the two raced wheel-to-wheel. Both cars were like this until lap 24 when Combs pulled out the advantage once again.

On lap 26, Combs got loose between turns three and four. Peeples moved inside to try to get by, but Combs collected him while trying to save his car. While the two got their cars straight, Marsh moved by both to go from third to first in a matter of moments. Unfortunately for Marsh, he just didn’t have the handling on this night to hold off Peeples as he was able to move by on lap 28 for the lead. On the last lap, Combs moved inside of Marsh to take second, but it was too late for him to try something on Peeples as he crossed the line first. Marsh finished third with McMurray fourth and Bahner fifth.

Brandon Barnwell’s 16.547 qualifying time proved to be the fastest in the sportsman division. The trophy dash was won by Dennis Delbiaggio over Larry Pries, Barnwell and Marty Walsh. Delbiaggio won the second heat ahead of Jerry Peterson, Ken Hallis, Romeo Venza and Keith Dias. Pries won the second heat with Walsh, Al Acuna, Angelo Marcelli and Lissa Uselton completing the top five.

11 cars started the 30 lap feature event. Uselton got the jump on Venza to take the early lead. On lap seven, Marcelli was able to move under Uselton for the top spot after several laps of battling her for the lead. Marcelli’s move for the lead allowed Acuna to follow into the second position. On lap 9, Barnwell and Hallis made contact in the fourth turn sending both drivers into the infield. Both drivers got going again and the yellow flag was not thrown.

By lap 10, the top five was Marcelli, Acuna, Fox, Uselton and Pries with the top three cars nose to tail. On lap 14, Walsh made a move on Acuna. After a lap, Walsh was able to move by for second while Pries and Delbiaggio got by Uselton at the same time for fourth and fifth. It only took Walsh two more laps before he moved under and by Marcelli for the lead going into the third turn bringing Acuna into second. As the laps wound down, Walsh pulled away while Acuna held onto the second spot.

On lap 24, Pries moved into third getting by Marcelli. With two laps to go, Barnwell moved into fifth position getting by Delbiaggio. At the finish line it was Walsh, Acuna, Pries, Marcelli and Barnwell the top five. Delbiaggio, Uselton, Peterson, Hallis, Venza and Dias rounded out the finishing order.

Racing at the Acres takes a two week break before returning the Saturday of Father’s Day Weekend on June 14th.

Heavy fog cancels another night of racing

Heavy fog cancels another night of racing

By Matthew J. Sullivan

For the second time out of three scheduled evenings, Redwood Acres Raceway officials were forced to cancel Saturday night’s racing action, this time due to heavy fog. The limited street stock cars were in the midst of their heat race before an incident between Kenny Demello and Duayne Mayo brought a yellow flag out. It was under the caution period that the drivers and track officials deemed the speedway unsafe.

The limited street cars pulled into the pit area for a short period hoping for the fog to lift. The fog lifted for a brief period and the limited streets came out again along with the mini stocks to try to get the track back in racing condition. But once again, the fog dropped and officials decided it best to cancel the rest of the night’s races.

The track was able to get qualifying, trophy dashes and the real stock heats in before the fog came. The dash winners were Ryan Peeples in the real stocks, Fergy Ferguson in the limited street stocks, Brian Murrell in the mini stocks, Paul Peeples, Jr. in the thunder roadsters and Larry Pries in the sportsman division. Bob Lima and Trevor Miller won the two real stock heat races. Qualifying for the real stocks was paced by Trevor Miller with a 18.937 time. Scott Lyons was fastest in the limited streets with a 17.941. Max Capps set the pace for the mini stocks with a 19.381. Paul Peeples, Jr.’s 17.009 was fastest in the thunder roadsters, while Dennis Delbiaggio set the standard in the sportsman division with a 16.456 qualifying lap.

The Best Appearing Car contest that was scheduled to be held on the first night of racing but was rained out was held on this night. Drivers from all divisions pulled their cars on the front straightaway, and the winner was determined by the amount of noise generated by the fans in the grandstands. The winners were Brian Murrell in the mini stocks, Robert Miller in the thunder roadsters, Ryan Peeples in the real stocks, Fergy Ferguson in the limited street stocks and Larry Pries in the sportsman.

Thankfully, racing returns this coming Saturday night May 17 with all five local classes returning to action once more.

Henderson and Walsh double up on fair nights

Henderson and Walsh double up on fair nights

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The annual fair night races at Redwood Acres Raceway were held this past Friday and Saturday night and as per usual, thousands of fans flocked to the track with anticipation and excitement. The special two night event brought out several drivers who had not made it out to the Acres in the 2007 season. Friday night’s features were won by Kenny Demello in limited street stock class, Craig Baker in the mini stocks, Steve Kimberling in the real stocks, Marty Walsh in the sportsman division and David Henderson in the thunder roadsters. Saturday night’s main events were won by Orion Mosher, Brian Murrell, Troy Wood, Walsh and Henderson.

Kenny Demello got Friday night started off with a win in the limited street trophy dash over Orion Mosher, Duane Mayo and Scott Lyons. Mosher took the dash victory ahead of Demello, Mayo, Lyons and Robert Miller. After having dominating the main events for the 2007 season, Orion Mosher had engine problems which sidelined him and opened the door for Demello to take his first win of the season ahead of Mayo, Stan Young, Lyons and Miller.

The mini stock trophy dash was won by Brian Murrell followed closely by Max Capps, Glenn Bernald and Jason Shaha. Craig Baker took the heat win in the car normally driven by his brother Scott. Chad Grammer took second in his return to the class followed by Brian McIntosh, Bernald and Max Capps. Baker took the momentum from his heat race victory and used it to his advantage in the main event claiming the win over Capps, Byron McIntosh, Bernald and Grammar.

Running in just his second race of the season, Ryan Walters took trophy dash honors in the real stock class over Ryan Peeples, Bill Middleton and Chuck Essex. Troy Wood won the first heat over Essex, Walters, Steve Kimberling and Mike Cataldi while Peeples won the second over Doug Way, Jim Bailey, Middleton and Jim Redd. The night would belong to Kimberling however as he was able to cross the finish line first in the main event over Marvin Savage, Wood, Nick Green and Peeples.

Al Acuna returned to the Acres to win the sportsman trophy dash ahead of defending champion Marty Walsh who was also making his first start of the season. Rick Fox and Lissa Uselton rounded out the finish. Joe Bonomini won the first heat ahead of Jerry Peterson, Fox, Uselton and Barry Barnwell who was making his first ever start in a sportsman car. Walsh took the win in the second heat followed by Angelo Marcelli, Al Acuna, Larry Pries and Frank Billy, another driver making his 2007 debut. Marty Walsh looked as if he had been behind the wheel of a sportsman car all season as he was able to score the win in the main over Marcelli, Brandon Barnwell, Fox and Bonomini.

The thunder roadster dash was won by David Henderson over Paul Peeples, Jr., Leroy Marsh, Jr., and Chris Banfill. Bill Bradbury won the first dash over Mike Ward, Thomas Payne, Gehry Foster and Bruce Ziemer. Troy Combs returned to the Acres for the first time in 2007 and won the second head followed by Marsh, Mark Arroyo, Peeples and Ray Elliott. The main event was highlighted by several wrecks, including one which knocked out Peeples who had won all the roadster main events this season. That would open the door for a first time winner in 2007 and it would be Henderson winning followed by Arroyo, Elliott, Marsh and Ron Borges.

Racing in the limited street stock division Saturday night was kicked off with a win in the dash by Scott Lyons over Orion Mosher, Kenny Demello and Duane Mayo. Demello took the heat win ahead of Mayo, Lyons, Stan Young and Robert Miller. After motor issues Friday night and in the heat race, Mosher returned to his familiar form claiming he main event victory followed by Lyons, Demello, Mayo and Miller.

Jason Shaha took the mini stock trophy dash win followed by Brian Murrell, Max Capps and Glenn Bernald. Shaha followed that up with the heat race win over Murrell, Craig Baker, Max Capps and Byron McIntosh. Murrell made it look easy in the main event, taking the victory with Byron McIntosh, Shaha, Baker and Capps rounding out the top five.

The real stock dash was won by Chuck Essex over Ryan Peeples, Bill Middleton and Ryan Walters. Steve Kimberling won the first head over Troy Wood, Walters, Essex and Mark Mullan. Nick Green won the second ahead of Middleton, Marvin Savage, Peeples and Ray DeMello. The main event victory was awarded to Wood after Doug Way’s car failed post-race inspection. Essex took second with Kimberling third, Savage fourth and Mullan fifth.

Rick Fox won the sportsman dash ahead of Marty Walsh, Al Acuna and Lissa Uselton. Fox won the first dash over Uselton, Jerry Peterson, Joe Bonomini and Mike Bourbon. Larry Pries won the second over Marty Walsh, Angelo Marcelli, Aaron Byers and Brandon Barnwell. Early on in the heat race, it appeared as if the night would belong to Uselton as she pulled out to a substantial lead in the main event. However with only a few laps remaining, Walsh made his way by into the lead and into victory lane. Uselton finished second over Fox, Frank Billy and Marcelli.

Paul Peeples, Jr. returned to his winning ways in the thunder roadster trophy dash, winning over Chris Banfill, LeRoy Marsh, Jr. and David Henderson. Chris Sarvinski won the first heat ahead of Gehry Foster, Mike Ward, Bill Bradbury and Chris Lawrence. Henderson took the second over Peeples, Banfill, Troy Combs and Jay Bahner. After winning the race Friday night with Peeples sidelined, Henderson wanted to prove that his victory wasn’t a fluke. Prove it he did as he was able to hold off Peeples in a straight up fight to win. Combs finished third with Banfill fourth and Ray Elliott fifth.

With the season halfway over, the points races are close in all but one of the divisions, that being the limited street stock class. Orion Mosher holds a 49 point lead over tied second place drivers Scott Lyons and Duane Mayo. Brian Murrell holds a seven point edge over Byron McIntosh in the mini stocks. Steve Kimberling has a nine point lead over Troy Wood in the real stock class. In the sportsman division, Brandon Barnwell holds a nine point lead over Rick Fox while despite his dominance in the thunder roadsters, Paul Peeples, Jr. has a lead of just 17 points over David Henderson. Things will only get to be more interesting when the second half of racing at the Acres in 2007 starts July 7th.

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

Mini Stocks
Dash: Brian Murrell, Max Capps, Glenn Bernald, Jason Shaha
Heat: Craig Baker, Chad Grammer, Brian McIntosh, Bernald, Capps, Byron McIntosh, Murrell, Nick Karanopoulos, Shaha
Main: Baker, Capps, By. McIntosh, Bernald, Grammer, Br. McIntosh, Karanopoulos, Murrell
Shaha

Real Stocks
Dash: Ryan Walters, Ryan Peeples, Bill Middleton, Chuck Essex
Heat 1: Troy Wood, Essex, Walters, Steve Kimberling, Mike Cataldi, Mark Mullan, Ray Robinson
Heat 2: Peeples, Doug Way, Jim Bailey, Middleton, Jim Redd, Ray DeMello, Nick Green, Marvin Savage
Main: Kimberling, Savage, Wood, Green, Peeples, DeMello, Essex, Cataldi, Robinson, Redd, Bailey, Mullan, Middleton, Walters, Way

Sportsman
Dash: Al Acuna, Marty Walsh, Rick Fox, Lissa Uselton
Heat 1: Joe Bonomini, Jerry Peterson, Rick Fox, Lissa Uselton, Barry Barnwell, Jason Belt, Mike Bourbon
Heat 2: Walsh, Angelo Marcelli, Acuna, Larry Pries, Frank Billy, Aaron Byers, Brandon Barnwell
Main: Walsh, Marcelli, Br. Barnwell, Fox, Bonomini, Peterson, Byers, Uselton, Ba. Barnwell, Pries, Billy, Belt, Acuna, Bourbon

Thunder Roadsters
Dash: David Henderson, Paul Peeples, Jr., LeRoy Marsh, Jr., Chris Banfill
Heat 1: Bill Bradbury, Mike Ward, Thomas Payne, Gehry Foster, Bruce Ziemer, Chris Lawrence, Chris Sarvinski, Rob Nelson, Belinda Ward, Bob Markin
Heat 2: Troy Combs, Marsh, Mark Arroyo, Peeples, Ray Elliott, Banfill, Henderson, Ron Borges, Jay Bahner, Donn Cole
Main: Henderson, Arroyo, Elliott, Marsh, Borges, Banfill, Combs, Bradbury, M. Ward, Bahner, B. Ward, Cole, Sarvinski, Peeples, Foster, Lawrence.

Saturday Night
Limited Street Stocks
Dash: Lyons, Mosher, Demello, Mayo
Heat: Demello, Mayo, Lyons, Young, Miller, Venza, Mosher
Main: Mosher, Lyons, Demello, Mayo, Miller, Young, Venza

Mini Stocks
Dash: Shaha, Murrell, Capps, Bernald
Heat: Shaha, Murrell, Baker, Capps, By. McIntosh, Br. McIntosh, Bernald, Grammer, Karanopoulos
Main: Murrell, By. McIntosh, Shaha, Baker, Capps, Br. McIntosh, Bernald, Karanopoulos, Grammar

Real Stocks
Dash: Essex, Peeples, Middleton, Walters
Heat 1: Kimberling, Wood, Walters, Essex, Mullan, Robinson, Cataldi
Heat 2: Green, Middleton, Savage, Peeples, Demello, Bailey, Redd, Rick Stone
Main: Wood, Essex, Kimberling, Savage, Mullan, Robinson, DeMello, Green, Walters, Middleton, Peeples, Bailey

Sportsman
Dash: Fox, Walsh, Acuna, Uselton
Heat 1: Fox, Uselton, Peterson, Bonomini, Bourbon, Belt
Heat 2: Pries, Walsh, Marcelli, Byers, Brandon Barnwell, Acuna, Billy
Main: Walsh, Uselton, Fox, Billy, Marcelli, Barnwell, Bonomini, Belt, Byers, Bourbon, Acuna, Pries, Peterson

Thunder Roadsters
Dash: Peeples, Banfill, Marsh, Henderson
Heat 1: Sarvinski, Foster, Ward, Bradbury, Lawrence, Ziemer, B. Ward
Heat 2: Henderson, Peeples, Banfill, Combs, Bahner, Arroyo, Marsh, Elliott
Main: Henderson, Peeples, Combs, Banfill, Elliott, Lawrence, Foster, Sarvinski, Arroyo, Ziemer, Bradbury, Marsh, Bahner, B. Ward, M. Ward.

Points Standings
Thunder Roadsters
Track Record: Randy Olson 16.885
1 71 Paul Peeples, Jr. 428
2 2 David Henderson 411
3 13 Mike Ward 326
4 8 Leroy Marsh, Jr. 319
5 25 Chris Banfill 311
6 54 Mark Arroyo 291
7 3 Jay Bahner 282
8 5 Bruce Ziemer 281
9 31 Ray Elliott 275
10 02 Gerhy Foster 275
11 9 Donn Cole 250
12 4 Chris Lawrence 229
13 03 Bill Bradbury 221
14 95 Belinda Ward 214
15 7 Ron Borges 213
16 21 Chris Sarvinski 210
17 18 Rob Nelson 154
18 12 Dave McMurray 145
19 66 Thomas Payne 142
20 33 Troy Combs 131
21 1 Bill O'Neill 121
22 16 Randy Olson 70
23 25 Mic Moulton 60
24 7 Fred Hanks 46
25 66 Gary Payne 28
26 00 Bob Markin 28

Real Stocks
Track Record: Dan Browne 19.070
1 48 Steve Kimberling 395
2 62 Troy Wood 386
3 11 Bill Middleton 363
4 8 Barrett Barnwell/Ryan Walters 340
5 4 Marvin Savage 326
6 75 Ryan Peeples 311
7 64 Charles Essex 286
8 1 Nick Green 280
9 47 Ryan/Ray Robinson 267
10 32 Mark Mullan 256
11 37 Ray Demello/Nick Mitchell 231
12 44 Jim Redd/Pat Conway 226
13 40 Rick Crawley/Mike Cataldi 182
14 3 Jim Bailey 126
15 74 Doug Way 124
16 51 Cecil Arispe 114
17 5 Rick Stone 68
18 55 Bob Lima/Dan Browne 65
19 58 Donnie Hyman 22

Mini Stocks
Track Record: Jaison Chand 18.622
1 13 Brian Murrell 410
2 66 Byron McIntosh 403
3 07 Max Capps 380
4 45 Glenn Bernald/Mark Williams 365
5 51 Jason Shaha 362
6 68 Brian McIntosh 357
7 74 Scott Baker/Craig Baker 307
8 77 Nick Karanopoulos 286
9 54 Stacy Minnick 106
10 89 Denzil Barrett 11

Limited Street Stocks
Track Record: J.D. Frey 17.087
1 77 Orion Mosher 415
2 33 Scott Lyons 366
3 14 Duane Mayo 366
4 63 Stan Young 361
5 82 Robert/Trevor Miller 307
6 8 Kenny Demello 292
7 46 Romeo Venza 235
8 00 Otis Sabler/Todd Freeman 56

Sportsman
Track Record: Shawn Andrews 15.794
1 56 Brandon Barnwell 409
2 17 Rick Fox 398
3 25 Angelo Marcelli 384
4 01 Larry Pries 362
5 38 Aaron Byers 343
6 29 Lissa Uselton 342
7 21 Joe Bonomini 283
8 55 Donnie Brown 219
9 47 Mike Bourbon 188
10 07 Jerry Peterson 162
11 46 Marty Walsh 145
12 6 Jason Belt 136
12 50 Frank Billy 100
13 40 Al Acuna 91
14 84 Ken Hallis 80
15 36 Luke Hall 67
16 5 Barrett Barnwell 48
17 11M Mackena Bell 10