Miller Holds Off Henderson In Epic Late Model Duel

Bomber division main event winner, #96x Mike Sullivan leads #88 Sam Brown in the heat race

Eureka, CA (May 1, 2019) – The 2019 season for Redwood Acres Raceway kicked off this past Saturday, April 27. Mid-City Motor World helped present the evening’s events which provided some great moments that will be remembered at the end of the season.

Unfortunately, the Anderson Logging Bandoleros were not in action for the night however the Compass Community Credit Union mini stocks were. Brett Murrell took the trophy dash victory with Nick Ford and Rick Estes took the wins in the heat races. The first ten laps of the feature saw a fantastic duel between Brett Murrell and Jarett Mayo. The two raced clean until Mayo was able to make a move under Murrell for the lead.

The next lap, the throttle stuck on Murrell’s car going into the third turn resulting in a very hard hit in the wall. Thankfully Murrell was able to walk out of his car unharmed. Mayo had his hands full with Estes the rest of the event but was able to hold the challenge off. At the finish it was Mayo winning over Estes, Gary Klinetobe, Tim Abeyta and Ford.

The Four-Star Realty bomber trophy dash went to Mike Sullivan. Sullivan followed up with a victory in the heat race. The bomber feature was now different as Sullivan maneuvered to the race lead early and never lost the position. Sullivan was able to take the win followed by Tyler Avaler, Sam Brown, Doug Way and Raquel Krupa.

Derek Copeland was victorious in the North Coast Lighting & Electric Legends division. In the heat race, it was Copeland again taking the win. Copeland was able to slice his way to the front quickly at the start of the main event as he led a majority of the laps. Chris Lawrence didn’t make Copeland’s race easy as he was on the leader’s bumper all race long. It appeared that Lawrence had the chance to maneuver under Copeland but it didn’t work out. Copeland fought off Lawrence to win. Leonard Ward placed third.

The first heat for the Mid-City Motor World late models was won by Keith Nelson. Marty Walsh won the second heat which gave him pole position in the main event. Lap one in the feature proved to be a disaster for several drivers. Coming off the second turn, several drivers slid in fluid that came from Shawn Andrews’ car. Luke Hall and Dennis DelBiaggio hit the wall and both suffered severe damage which ended their race prematurely. Mic Moulton also had major damage on the left side of his car but he was able to continue.

Several cautions slowed the first 2/3 of the main event. Walsh looked to have the car to beat but he was forced to the pits under the caution flag which essentially ended his race. The last 1/3 of the race was clean to the finish. David Henderson led David Miller as the race restarted. Miller took to the high side of Henderson and the two ran side-by-side for several laps. Miller was able to get the upper hand but wasn’t able to pull away from Henderson.

With the laps ticking off and the tires warmed, it was clear that Miller’s handling was going away while Henderson’s car was dialed in. As the finish loomed, Miller did all he could to hold off Henderson while Henderson did all he could to find a way under Miller. Henderson was driving his car in the high line going into the third turn while coming off turn four at the bottom. At several points it looked as if Henderson was going to get the run he needed to pass Miller. Unfortunately for Henderson, time ran out. At the checkered flag it was Miller taking the victory over Henderson. Dustin Walters, Chris Sarvinski and Nelson rounded out the top five.

The next race on the docket is Saturday May 11. The late models will not be in action but the highly competitive North State Modified Series will be visiting for the first time of three this season. The Upstate Bomber Series will also be in action for its debut. The event will be a non-points race for the local bombers. All other local divisions will be in action as well. For more information visit www.RacinTheAcres.com. You can also find Redwood Acres Raceway on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway2019/ or Twitter @RacingTheAcres.

Philpot wins in the North State Modified Series first visit to the Acres

#57 Eric Johnson finished second to Jason Philpot in the North State Modified Series' feature race

Eureka, CA (May 28, 2018) – It was O’Reilly Night at the Races this past weekend at Redwood Acres Raceway. It was a special Sunday show for Memorial Day weekend which featured five of RAR’s local divisions as well as the North State Modified Series who were making their first of three visits to the track.

Kadence Mace was fast time for the Bandoleros with a 22.375. Aiden Kimberling was the trophy dash winner while Trey Daniels took the heat race. The 15-lap main event was dominated by Daniels. He jumped to the lead on lap one and never looked back. Daniels took the victory ahead of Kimberling and Mace.

The Compass Community Credit Union roadrunners were paced by Nick Ford in qualifying as his time was 20.449. Tim Ratzlaff got the lead right from the drop of the green flag of the first main event. Ratzlaff dominated, so much so that he broke the 21-second barrier on lap 12. This moved Patrick Sproul to the point and it looked as though the race fell into his hands. Ratzlaff had other plans as he charged hard to regain the lead. With two laps remaining, Ratzlaff retook the lead and was able to pull away. At the finish it was Ratzlaff, Sproul, Ford, Landon Newell and Ronny Crump.

Ratzlaff took the lead at the start of the second feature event. Sproul took over on lap two and had a race-long battle with Nick Ford for the win. As the finish came closer, Sproul led with three laps remaining. The next lap, Ratzlaff who had stayed closely behind the two leaders made a move for the lead. The maneuver paid off as he was able to take the lead. Ratzlaff crossed the line first sweeping both feature events. Ford, Sproul, Newell and Crump rounded out the top five.

Derek Copeland was quick time in the NorthCoast Lighting and Electric Legends division with a 17.873. Copeland followed up with wins in the trophy dash. Heat race wins went to Kylie Daniels and Copeland. The lap one leader was Tyler Peach and he held on to the lead for five laps before Copeland took over. The most serious challenger to Copeland’s lead was Chris Lawrence. Just as Lawrence made an inside move for the lead, the yellow flag dropped. Copeland led the field to the restart and was able to go on unchallenged. At the finish it was Copeland winning over Lawrence, Peach, Katina Baker and Daniels.

In the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bombers, Wyatt Roach was fast time with an 18.331. Roach was the winner of the trophy dash and Jim Redd won the heat race. Redd moved to the lead on lap one. Roach proved to be Redd’s closest competition but fell out early. Redd was able to pull away from the field and lead the race flag-to-flag to win. Chris Naughton placed second, Doug Way third, Kolby Jackson fourth while Roach was scored fifth.

Brett Murrell set the fastest time in qualifying for the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stocks with a 18.769. Eugene Palmer was the dash winner while the heats went to Trevor Eacret and Murrell. Jordan Paiment led the first five laps of the feature event before Murrell took over the lead. Palmer moved to second the same lap and tried his best to stick to Murrell’s bumper. Murrell was able to gap Palmer enough that it appeared as though he was going to cruise to the victory. With one lap remaining, Murrell’s car failed moving Palmer to the lead. The last lap proved to be the only lap Palmer needed to lead as he won his first main event of 2018. Scott Taylor took second over Eacret, Gary Klientobe and Brian Murrell, Sr.

Randy Houston’s 16.514 in qualifying was the standard set in qualifying for the North State Modifieds. Ian Elliott took the victory in the six-lap Lucas Oil Dash For Cash. Eric Johnson led from the drop of the green flag of the 60-lap event. Jason Philpot followed into second and the first two ran-nose-to tail for several laps. Just past the halfway point, Philpot was able to maneuver past Johnson for the lead. The best battle on the track proved to be for second as Johnson did all he could to hold off Kris Price and Houston. Even after a couple of caution flags, Philpot was able to pull away while Johnson had his hands full with Houston and Price filling his mirror. Philpot was able to cruise to the checkered flag by over two seconds. Johnson held on for second over Price, Houston and Dustin DeRosier.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway returns Saturday June 9th. The Super Six Challenge Series late models will be returning to action along with the five other local divisions. Visit www.RedwoodAcresRacing.com for more information on the upcoming event as well as race and points result. You can also find RAR on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway

Henderson Serves Notice, Wins Second Super 6 Race Of The Season

Eureka, CA (August 28, 2017) – A packed house was in attendance this past weekend at Redwood Acres Raceway. It was Anderson Logging Driver Appreciation Night and the thrill of the racing was likely matched with the thrill of the opportunity for fans to meet their favorite drivers during the on-track meet and greet. With the packed schedule for the evening, track officials opted not to run heat races for all divisions with the exception of the Legends and late models.

Tim Buzzard, Jr. made his first visit to the Acres on the weekend as was fast time in the California State And Federal Employee’s Credit Union with a 20.750. The 20-lap main event was ran half forward and half backward around the 3/8-mile track. The first five laps saw the lead change hands between three drivers, Andy Savage, Tim Ratzlaff and Nick Ford. Buzzard, Jr. moved to the lead on lap six and held it until the mid-race caution flag where the field was turned around to race in the opposite direction. Daniel Buell gained the advantage on lap 11 before giving way to Buzzard, Jr. on lap 12. Buzzard, Jr. led until the final lap when he and Ford got together in turn four. Buell was able to sneak by the incident to claim the win. Buzzard, Jr. and Ford crossed the line in second and third. Rookie, Lindsey Zito continues to impress as she finished fourth and another Acres visitor, Michelle O’Dell placed fifth.

Qualifying for the Nor-Cal Automotive Legends division was paced by Cottonwood, California driver, Derek Copeland with an 18.064. Copeland followed up his fast time with wins in both the trophy dash and heat race. Daniel Whitley led the first four laps of the 25-lap main event. On lap five, Copeland powered to the lead, a position he would never relinquish. Whitley had a fight for second with Tyler Peach nipping at his heels. Whitley spun on lap 16 bringing out the caution. The yellow flag only delayed the inevitable for Copeland and he took the victory. Robert Miller was second followed by Joe Brattoli, Peach and Whitley.

Fast time for the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bombers was John Lally with an 18.461. Jim Redd came out on top in the four-lap dash. Kolby Jackson led the opening three laps of the 25-lap main event. On lap four, bomber rookie Sam Brown took over. Brown was impressive as he held the lead for the majority of the race. Sadly for him, the chance for victory was taken away. On lap 16, Jeff French maneuvered his car to the race lead. From there on it was French’s race. At the finish it was French taking his second main event win of the year. Brown took second as Jackson, Chris Naughton and Bethany Rapp rounded out the top five finishers.

As the season as progressed, Brett Murrell has served notice to the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock class that he is the top driver in the division. He set fast time with an 18.830. Scott Taylor held on to claim the trophy dash. Troy Lee used his pole position staring spot to lead the first five laps of the 25-lap main event. On lap six, Brett Murrell took over. Brett’s older brother Brian made his first start of 2017 and showed no signs of rust as he ran in second for most of the race. On the seventeenth circuit, Eugene Palmer got by for second. Palmer did all he could to try to close in on the leader but just didn’t have enough. Brett Murrell crossed the finish line first ahead of Palmer. Taylor was third with Murrell, Jr. fourth and Lee fifth.

Ronnie O’Neil set quick time for the Lone Star Junction Thunder Roadsters. O’Neil’s time was 17.374. Tommy Payne was able to hold of O’Neil in the trophy dash to take the victory. O’Neil dominated the majority of the race but a late yellow flag bunched the field. The restart saw some of the best racing at the Acres all year as O’Neil and Payne went door-to-door for the final six laps. The lead changed between the two drivers three times before O’Neil was able to gain the advantage on the low line. Payne never gave up and on the final lap he made a last ditch effort to get by O’Neil. Payne didn’t have quite enough as O’Neil took the victory by only 43-thousandths of a second. Chris Lawrence was third, Tyler Peach fourth and Paul Baker fifth.

22 drivers showed up for the Super 6 Late Model Challenge Series race sponsored by Anderson Logging, Danielson Construction, Mid-City Motor World and North Coast Lighting And Electric. Brandon White narrowly was the fast qualifier with a 15.761. As always, the heat races determined the starting positions for the 75-lap main event. Eddie Klein won the first heat and Marty Walsh in second. Dennis Delbiaggio opened some eyes as he won the third heat which gave him pole position for the feature event.

The field narrowed down to 20 as both Jim Walker and Mike Bourbon had issues that prevented them from starting the event. Dane Nissen grabbed the lead briefly before giving way to Mic Moulton on lap four. Moulton led until lap 30 until it appeared a right front tire went down on his car. Moulton pitted under yellow handing the lead to David Henderson. When the race got going, it was clear that Henderson had one of, if not the best car in the field as he was able to pull away from second place, Brandon White.

The caution flew on lap 50 when George Young hit the wall hard coming off turn two. Thankfully Young was okay but his car showed severe damage from the incident. Several late race yellows put Henderson on the hot seat as he needed to make perfect restarts. Only once did White seriously challenge Henderson. Back in the pack, Moulton was making a fantastic recovery as he drove from the back of the pack in thrilling fashion. Nobody had anything for Henderson though and he was able to take his second win of the year by nearly two seconds. White held on for second while Moulton got by his lead title rival, Eric Gannon for third on the last lap. Dane Nissen returned from being away from on-track action as he rounded out the top five.

Racing takes a break at Redwood Acres for Labor Day weekend and will return September 9th. Joining the roadrunners, Legends, bombers, mini stocks and Thunder Roadsters will be the North State Modified Series which will be making their third and final stop at RAR this season. The Super 6 Late Model Challenge Series will return for the Fall Spectacular on September 30th and October 1st. The track champion for the late models as well as all five other divisions will be decided that weekend.
For full race results, points information and anything else, please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website www.RacingTheAcres.com

Darrin Sullivan Survives To Win NSMS Feature

#21 Darrin Sullivan took the NSMS win

Eureka, CA (May 29, 2017) – For the first time in the 2017 season, the North State Modified Series visited Redwood Acres Raceway. It was O’Reilly Auto Parts Night at the Races as the popular touring series joined the Acres’ local divisions of roadrunners, Legends, bombers, mini stocks and Thunder Roadsters.

Track officials decided to make an adjustment to the California State and Federal Employees Credit Union roadrunner division. The class ran two 20-lap feature events, one clockwise and the other counter-clockwise. Nick Ford set fast time for the class with a 20.442. Natya Dawn dominated the first half of the first feature as she led the opening 12 laps. On lap 13, Tim Ratzlaff entered the lead but not for long. Two laps later, Daniel Buell took the lead. Buell held on the rest of the way to take the victory over Ratzlaff, Dawn, Ford and Jake Keeling.

Ford quickly raced to the lead of the second feature event. Buell showed strength and looked like a contender for another win but fell out on lap 15. Ford was able to lead flag-to-flag to take the victory. Keeling placed second over Ratzlaff, Jordon Paiment and Jennifer Murrell.

Cody Winchel set fast time for the Nor-Cal Automotive Legends division with a 17.801. Brian Kamisky was the winner of the first heat race while Derek Copeland won the second. MKinzy Uselton led lap one in the 25-lap main but Brent Mack was able to take over on lap two. Rookie driver, Daniel Whitley showed strength and passed Mack for the race lead on lap six. Copeland moved to the lead on lap 15 and had a fantastic duel for the lead with Winchel. On lap 17, Winchel gained the advantage and the race lead. Things remained tight between the top two until the last lap. In turns three and four, Copeland bumped Winchel. The two raced back to the finish line side-by-side with Copeland taking first by 0.031 over Winchel. Whitley placed third followed by Brad Curtice and Robert Miller.

Fast time for the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber division was set by R.J. Randall with an 18.190. Randall took the trophy dash victory while Mike Sullivan was the heat race winner. Kolby Jackson used his pole position to his advantage as he shot out to the lead in the 25-lap main event. Jackson led the first 11 laps until Sullivan briefly took the lead. Jackson regained the lead on lap 16 but spun in turns one and two. Sullivan regained the lead and withstood Randall’s late charge. At the finish it was Sullivan taking the victory over Randall, Dave Jones, John Lally and Jim Redd.

In the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division, Brian Murrell was the fastest in qualifying with a 18.963. Brett Murrell took the victory in the trophy dash while the heat race was won by Troy Lee. Rick Estes briefly held the lead at the start of the 30-lap main event but gave way to Eugene Palmer. Back in his familiar ride, Palmer was dominant as he pulled away from the field and prevailed unchallenged. At the finish it was Palmer winning by two seconds over Brett Murrell. Gary Klinetobe placed third followed by Trevor Eacret and Troy Lee.

Qualifying for the Lone Star Junction Thunder Roadsters was paced by Paul Peeples, Jr. with a 17.290. Tommy Payne took the trophy dash win while the heat race went to Peeples. Chris Lawrence grabbed the race lead at the start of the 30-lap main event. Payne got to the lead on lap 10 but on lap 11, Peeples maneuvered by to take the race lead. Peeples pulled out to a lead as Payne had his hands full racing with Ronnie O’Neil. At the finish it was Peeples taking his first main event win in 2017. Payne held off O’Neil for second while Chris Sarvinski and Lawrence rounded out the top five finishers.

Darrin Knight set fast time in the North State Modified Series with a 16.130. Dustin DeRosier was the winner of the six-lap Lucas Oil Dash for Cash. Bryan Denton took the lead from pole position in the 60-lap feature event. On lap 10, Herman Pulyear got high in turns one and two and hit the water barrels at the pit road entrance. Pulyear was alright but the race was halted due to the water on the track. Denton led another four laps before Charlie Collins took over followed by Knight. The top two raced nose-to-tail. On lap 29, the leaders entered slower traffic. A lap later, Knight moved to the inside to try to take the lead. Things got tight in turn three as the two tried to pass Simi Tour. Contact was made between Collins and Knight with Knight's right-rear spring being knocked out of his car. Collins regained the lead but had to pit under caution because Knight’s spring had lodged itself in Collins’ chassis.

Denton regained the lead and had his hands full as Cody Braund challenged for the lead. On lap 46, Braund suffered damage to his right front suspension knocking him out of the race. Sullivan used the restart to his advantage as he moved to the lead. Denton ended up falling back to fifth as Richie Potts, Sierra Furia and Collins moved past. Furia briefly got to second in the final 10 laps but Collins powered by to take the second spot. Sullivan was able to hold off a furious late charge by Collins to take the victory. Furia took third while Potts and Denton rounded out the top five.

Racing at the Acres takes a break for a week before returning Saturday June 10th for Harper Motors Night at the Races. Late models will join the other local divisions for the third race of the Super 6 Late Model Challenge series. On Friday June 9th, the outlaw karts will be in action. For more information on everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway, visit the track’s official website www.RacingTheAcres.com