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

Moulton Wins Season Opening Thriller At The Acres

#10 Mic Moulton in the heat race for the Super Six late models

Eureka, CA (May 6, 2018) – Mother Nature decided to be more cooperative this past Saturday night as Redwood Acres Raceway held the first race of the 2018 season. The year was set to begin the previous week on April 28th but rain prevented that from happening. All six divisions were in action on opening night presented by Root 101 Nursery.

Prior to the start of the races, Redwood Acres Raceway paid tribute to Kevin Williford with a moment of silence and Eugene Palmer taking a lap around the track in his honor. Williford had been an announcer at the Acres for the past several years.

The Compass Community Credit Union roadrunners started off the action with their first main event. Nick Ford set fast time with a 20.423. Bob Ratzlaff jumped to the lead on lap one. A three-wide battle ensued as Tim Ratzlaff and Nick Ford and Bob Ratzlaff. Tim Ratzlaff took over the lead. Ford was able to get by on lap two but two laps later Ray Taylor, Jr. jumped to the lead and never looked back. Tim Ratzlaff scrubbed the wall and was able to continue for a few more laps before dropping out with a flat tire. The best battle on the track was for second as Ford and Ray Taylor, Sr. fought for the spot. Nobody at anything for Taylor, Jr. as he was able to take the win by a sizeable margin. Taylor, Sr. was able to beat Nick Ford to the line for second. Patrick Sproul placed fourth with Dylan Ford finishing fifth.

For the second main, the roadrunners were turned backwards around the track. Dylan Ford jumped to the lead and looked like he was going to be a major player. Issues on lap three gave Nick Ford the lead and allowed Sproul into second. The rest of the race was a nip-and-tuck battle between Nick Ford and Sproul. In the final laps, Sproul tried his best to pressure Nick Ford into making a mistake but Ford never did. At the finish it was Nick Ford winning with Sproul taking second, Ray Taylor, Jr. third, Ray Taylor, Sr. fourth and Dylan Ford fifth.

The bandoleros made their debut at the 3/8-mile paved oval. Lane Anderson set the fastest time in qualifying with a 22.147. Maleesa Miles was the heat race winner. Kadence Mace led the field to the green flag. Aiden Kimberling took the lead on lap one but on lap two Miles took over at the front. Miles and Anderson had a fantastic duel for the race lead. On lap nine, both drivers spun in turns three and four allowing Mace to take over the lead. Anderson got a good restart and was able to quickly take the lead. Anderson led from that point on and at the drop of the checkered flag it was Anderson winning over Miles. Mace took third, Aiden Kimberling fourth and Donnie Murrell placing fifth after issues at the start prevented him from racing.

Fast time in the Fortuna Wheel & Brake/Four Star Realty bomber division was Nick Green. Ryan Walters was victorious in the heat race. Walters took the lead at the start of the race and looked to have a firm hold on the top position. Green chipped away at Walters’ lead and midway through the race, the two were racing hard for the lead. On lap 15, Green prevailed. Green was able to pull away from the field and at the finish it was Green winning. Walters took second over Jim Redd and Sam Brown.

In the NorthCoast Lighting & Electric Legends division, Brad Curtice set fast time with an 18.039. Curtice followed up his success in qualifying in the heat race with a victory. MKinzy Uselton and Katina Baker led the field to the green flag. The faster qualifiers quickly tried to maneuver their way to the front. Christ Lawrence took the lead on lap three and was able to hold it until lap 6 when Curtice took over. It appeared as though Curtice’s experience in the Legends cars was going to prevent Lawrence, a former Thunder Roadster driver from keeping up. However, Lawrence’s experience transferred smoothly from one car to another and the top two ran closely all race long. Late in the race, the two leaders caught slower traffic. It appeared as though Lawrence would be able to use both cars as a pick. Curtice was able to maneuver his car better though the traffic and held on to his lead. Curtice was able to take the checkered flag over Lawrence. Brent Mack took third while defending division champion, Tyler Peach placed fourth. Baker rounded out the top five.

In the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division, Brian Murrell, Sr. was the quickest in qualifying with an 18.286. Jordan Paiment won the first heat while the second heat was won by Eugene Palmer. The first six laps of the main event were caution plagued. Trevor Eacret’s spin in turn two brought out the yellow flag. Troy Lee and C.J. Dalton spun in turn two for another caution. After a jumped restart, Murrell and Dylan Hagmann has issues. A subsequent saw Scott Taylor take over the lead but spin bringing out the yellow and giving Palmer the lead. The last caution occurred when Murrell spun in turns three and four with Paiment hitting the wall. The rest of the race was clean as the field spread out and Palmer ran away. At the finish it was Palmer winning over Eacret, Taylor, Murrell and Gary Klinetobe.

The Super Six Challenge Series late models presented by Mid-City Motor World and NorthCoast Lighting and Electric held their first race of the season. Northern California racing legend, Jim Walker showed everyone how it’s done in qualifying with a fast time of 15.685. Scott Baker won the first heat which saw contact between Kenny Demello and Tim Crenshaw in turn four with Crenshaw hitting the wall. David Miller won heat two. Demello was unable to start the 50-lap feature which saw Miller jump out to the lead over Brandon Ash. On the fifth lap, Brandon White began to make his presence felt as he moved past Dane Nissen for third. White then began challenging for the second spot on the high side of Ash.

The first caution of the night came out at lap 10 when the two Oregon drivers of Ash and Miller appeared to come into contact. The result was White inheriting the lead over Mic Moulton and Marty Walsh. White appeared to have the car to beat early in the run but as the laps went by, Moulton was able to close the gap. Meanwhile, Walker was making his presence known as he maneuvered past Walsh for third on lap 20. The next 20 laps featured an amazing and clean three-way battle for the lead. White had his mirror full of Moulton while Walker closed in on Moulton’s bumper. Moulton tried to make a move under White several times but was unsuccessful. Moulton was able to get under and past White for the lead just as a caution flew for Scott Baker’s spun car in turns one and two.

With scoring reverted to the previous lap, White moved back to the lead. On the restart, Moulton was able to take advantage of what looked to be an ailing #19 car for White. Walker was able to move past White with five laps remaining just as White nearly hit the wall in turn three. The final handful of laps saw Walker making a hard charge on Moulton. With two laps remaining Walker had closed in on Moulton. Walker appeared to have the stronger car but unfortunately for him, time ran out. Moulton was able to hang on to the finish in what might already be the best race of the entire 2018 season. David Henderson had a solid night and placed third over Ash and Miller.

The April 28th rainout tightened up the 2018 racing schedule as racing will return to the Acres this upcoming weekend May 12th. It will be Pepsi Night At The Races, an annual tradition at Redwood Acres Raceway for many years. All six divisions will be back in action in what should be a very interesting second race of the season. For more information including race results, points and division rules please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.redwoodacresracing.com You can also find the track on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway

Remaining 2018 Redwood Acres Raceway Schedule
Saturday May 12th – Pepsi Night At The Races (Featuring Super 6 Late Models)
Sunday May 27th – O’Reilly Auto Parts Night At The Races (Featuring North State Modifieds, Late Models off)
Saturday June 9th – Renner Petroleum Night At The Races (Featuring Super 6 Late Models)
Friday June 22nd – Fair Race (Featuring Demolition Derby and Boat Race, Late Models and Bombers off)
Saturday June 23rd – Tractor Pulls (VIP tickets available, no oval racing)
Saturday July 7th – Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100 (Featuring fireworks, Bandoleros and Legends off)
Saturday July 21st – Harper Ford Night at the Races (Featuring Super 6 Late Models, North State Modifieds, Mustang car show, roadrunners off)
Friday/Saturday August 3rd and 4th – Monster Trucks
Saturday August 18th – Anderson Logging Driver Appreciation Night (Featuring Super 6 Late Models, Murrell 500)
Friday/Saturday September 7/8 – Mid-City Motor World Fall Spectacular (Featuring North State Modifieds on Friday, Super 6 Late Models on Friday and Saturday)

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

Champions crowned as point season concludes at the Acres

Richard Knight took his first win in the late model division

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was the final point event for the 2015 season at Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday night. The 3/8-mile paved oval hosted Mid City Motor World Championship Night at the Acres. Track champions in all five divisions were crowned after what proved to be a rough and tumble night of racing.

Dylan Ford already had the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner track championship locked up for 2015 so he went into the night worry-free. Tyler Peach took the victory in the trophy dash while heat race wins went to Ken Barrett and Dylan Hagman. The 20-lap roadrunner feature proved to be a caution plagued event. Ford held the lead early and was behind the wheel of Andrew Pimentel’s car for the evening. The first incident of the race involved R.C. Brown who hit the turn four wall to bring the yellow flag out.

Another caution followed just after the restart when Shawn Molloy and J.D. Wiley wrecked in turn three. Racing resumed again as Ford battled Jett Taylor and Daniel Buell for the lead. Another incident involving Barrett and Bethany Rapp slowed the field once more for what proved to be the final restart of the race. While coming to take the white flag, Hagman and Buell got together off turn four. Buell’s car lazily rolled over on the front stretch but fortunately the driver was okay. The race was called with Ford taking the victory.

Dustin Walters led James Moore by only two points going into the night in the bomber division. As he has been throughout the entire 2015 season, Walters was dominant on the night. Walters took the trophy dash win, then went on to take the heat race victory, then capped the night with the main event victory and the bomber division track championship. James Moore finished second followed by Michael Knight.

The battle for the mini stock championship was separated by only nine points between Chris Champagne and Eugene Palmer. Brian Murrell, Jr. took the trophy dash victory while Palmer won the heat race. The championship was decided at the start of the 25-lap feature as Champagne had enough points to win. Unfortunately Champagne’s night was cut short early in the feature when he got loose in turn four, made contact with Palmer and hit the wall head one. Champagne was finished for the night but uninjured. The recent strength Palmer showed in the past several weeks was again on display as he was able to pass Murrell, Jr. for the lead and took home the win. Murrell, Jr. finished second followed by Gary Klinetobe and Cole Peterson while Champagne was credited with fifth.

Paul Peeples, Jr. had already officially claimed the Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadster track championship after the September 6th Labor Day weekend race. Robbie Nelson won the trophy dash race while Donnie Brown and Peeples won the two heat races. Craig Baker took the lead from his outside front row starting position in the 30-lap main event as the faster qualifiers tried to maneuver their way through the field. Nelson was the first to do so and on lap six he got past Baker for the lead with Peeples following into second.

Nelson held on to the lead until lap 11 when Peeples moved under and past for the race lead. Nelson rode in Peeples’ tracks for a while but eventually the superior handling of Peeples’ car prevailed. Peeples was able to pull out to a 10-car length lead by the end of the race. At the checkered flag it was Peeples winning over Nelson, Thomas Payne, Chris Sarvinski and Aaron Byers.

The Mid City Motor World late model track title was a battle between two sophomore drivers, Ryun Leazer and Jedd Ambrosini. Leazer held a narrow nine point advantage going into the night. Ambrosini made an early statement by winning the trophy dash. Richard Knight took the first heat race win while Kenny Demello took the second. The 35-lap late model main event featured two incidents that took out some of the top competition. Marty Walsh made contact with Ambrosini while racing for third on lap seven. Behind them several cars got together, most notably Mic Moulton who suffered severe damage which knocked him out of the race. Richard Knight led the restart but the green flag period would be brief when it appeared Al Acuna made contact with Mark Williams in turn two. In the melee, Walsh made contact with Williams which took both drivers out of the race. At the same time, Ambrosini pulled into the pits and didn’t return to the track.

Racing resumed and a thrilling battle for the lead ensued between Knight and Leazer. Meanwhile, Robbie Nelson was putting on an impressive display by driving his way to third in only his second start in a late model car. Several times Leazer looked to the inside of Knight coming off turn four but he could not get his nose far enough to Knight’s inside to challenge for the lead. Nelson snuck up on the leaders, got past Leazer for second and tried to challenge Knight but to no avail. At the finish it was Knight winning his first late model feature followed by Nelson and division champion, Leazer. George Young and Demello rounded out the top five.

For more information regarding the final points rundown in all five divisions please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .

Champions to be decided this weekend at the Acres

Ryun Leazer will look to clinch the track championship in the late model division

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The final point race of the 2015 season at Redwood Acres Raceway is less than a week away as it will be Mid City Motor World Championship Night at the Acres. Champions in all five divisions will be officially crowned in what should be a thrilling conclusion to what has been a thoroughly exciting season on the 3/8-mile paved oval.

The track championship in the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner division has already been decided as Dylan Ford has enough of a margin on second place, Daniel Buell that he wouldn’t need to race this Saturday to claim his crown. Ford leads Buell by 46 points. Buell is a lock for the second position as his lead over third place, R.C. Brown is 69 points. Tied for fourth in the standings are rookie driver, Shawn Molloy and roadrunner veteran, Steve Paiment. Both are 19 points behind Brown.

Only two points separate the two contenders for the bomber division championship. Dustin Walters was able to recover over the Labor Day weekend races to reclaim the championship lead over James Moore by only two points. Walters has been stellar this season as he’s taken seven main event victories. Moore has avoided the big disasters that have plagued Walters during the season but only has 3 mains to his credit.

The mini stock track championship battle is just as intense as the bomber division. Chris Champagne holds a narrow nine point lead over Eugene Palmer in second place. Both drivers have been at or near the front of every race which makes it very likely that the championship in the division won’t be decided until the final lap of the main event Saturday night. Brian Murrell, Jr. has third locked down in the standings but is out of the running to repeat as mini stock champ. Rick Estes and Gary Klinetobe hold down fourth and fifth in the rundown and will hold those positions as well in the final standings.

Engine woes in the Labor Day race on Sunday cut Paul Peeples, Jr.’s point lead in the Bear River Hotel And Casino Thunder Roadster division. Peeples leads Robbie Nelson by 20 points. It will be difficult for Nelson to close the gap as Peeples’ has dominated the division in 2015, winning eight main events to Nelson’s one. Thomas Payne is third in the standings, 33 points behind Peeples with a very slim chance of winning the title. Chris Lawrence and Belinda Ward are fourth and fifth in the standings.

The Mid City Motor World late model track championship should be another title that will be decided on the final lap of the main event. Ryun Leazer has a nine point lead over Jedd Ambrosini in second place. Marty Walsh is third in the points, 24 behind Leazer but would require major issues by the two drivers ahead of him to win the championship. Richard Knight is technically still in the running for the championship but his 41 point gap to Leazer is more or less insurmountable. Kenny Demello rounds out the top five in the division’s standings.

Gates open at 5:00PM while racing begins at 6:30PM for Mid City Motor World Championship Night at the Acres this Saturday September 19th. In addition, it will also be Fan Appreciation Night. General admission for the event is $5 and $2 for children. The 2015 season concluded on October 3rd with the First Annual Roadrunner Big T Jackpot race and Bomber Bash. Concluding the 2015 season at the Acres will be the second boat race of the year. For more information on the final two events, please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .

Championship Rundown For Redwood Acres Raceway Divisions

For clarity's sake, the most points that can be earned on one night in any of the divisions at Redwood Acres Raceway is 43 (3 points for winning the trophy dash, 10 points for winning a heat race, 30 points for winning the main event.)

Three point paying races remain for the roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks and Thunder Roadsters which means the maximum points that can be earned in the final three events is 129. Two point paying races remain for the late models which means the maximum points that can be earned in the final two events is 86.

The following is a run down of those who are still mathematically able to win the track championships in the five local divisions at Redwood Acres Raceway after the August 22nd race. Full point standings can be found on the track's official website RacingTheAcres.com which I urge you to visit.

Roadrunner Division

Dylan Ford

1. Dylan Ford - 348 points, 6 main event wins, 6 heat race wins, 1 trophy dash win, 9 top 5s, 1.7 average finish, 66 laps led (out of 172)

The roadrunner championship is virtually locked up in Dylan Ford's favor. His dominance in the division is highlighted by his streak of six main event wins in a row. Also worth noting is that Ford has been the only driver to start all nine main events in 2015. His speed has earned him a lot of points but he's also been keen to avoid accidents and his car has been reliable all year long.

Daniel Buell

2. Daniel Buell - 280 points (-68), 2 main event wins, 1 heat race win, 2 trophy dash wins, 7 top 5s, 3.0 average finish, 24 laps led

Daniel Buell has been a consistent front-runner all year long and his work has finally come to fruition in the latter part of the season as he broke Ford's win-streak and now has a two-race streak of his own. Buell wasn't able to start the June 20th main event which cost him some points.

Steve Paiment

3. Steve Paiment - 253 points (-95), 1 main event win, 4 heat race wins, 3 trophy dash wins, 5 top 5s, 5.6 average finish, 12 laps led

Steve Paiment is a veteran in the roadrunner division and his experience has shown through in 2015. Outside of Ford and Buell, Paiment is the only other driver to have a main event win this season, the victory coming in the first race of the season on April 25th. Paiment's victories in the trophy dasn and heat races have helped pull him to third in points in spite of not starting the May 9th feature.

R.C. Brown

4. R.C. Brown - 230 points (-118), 5 top 5s, 5.4 average finish, 12 laps led

R.C. Brown has been a pleasant surprise in the roadrunner division in 2015. He's been steady all throughout his rookie campaign and has shown some speed in recent events. Though he has gone winless so far this season, it would not be a surprise to see him gain multiple trophies in the final few events.

Shawn Molloy

5. Shawn Molloy - 222 points (-126), 1 heat race win, 2 top 5s, 7.4 average finish, 17 laps led

Shawn Molloy is another rookie in the roadrunners and it didn't take him long to make his presence known on the track. Molloy notched his first win of any kind at Redwood Acres Raceway on June 6th in a heat race and could very well take home more than that by the end of 2015.

Bomber Division

James Moore

1. James Moore - 310 ponts, 3 main event wins, 1 heat race win, 3 trophy dash wins, 8 top 5s, 2.0 average finish, 70 laps led (out of 210)

James Moore is a sophomore driver in the bomber division and has maintained a steady pace throughout 2015. Moore won the most recent main event on August 22nd while also regaining the points lead in the battle for the division's track championship.

Dustin Walters

2. Dustin Walters - 301 points (-9), 5 main event wins, 7 heat race wins, 2 trophy dash wins, 7 top 5s, 1.9 average finish, 88 laps led

Dustin Walters has been the man to beat every week in the bomber class but things took a big hit in his quest for a title in the division when he hit the wall in the heat race in August 22nd. He was unable to start the main event which ended up costing him the points lead to James Moore. In order to get back in the fight, Walters is going to have to return and show the same speed he's had all season long.

Mini Stock Division

Chris Champagne

1. Chris Champagne - 335 points, 4 main event wins, 3 heat race wins, 2 trophy dash wins, 7 top 5s, 3.6 average finish, 63 laps led (out of 225)

Chris Champagne is a rookie in the Redwood Acres Raceway mini stock division but is an experienced racer who has taken to the track nicely. Leonard Ward III won in the 17 car on opening night but Champagne has showed that he has the speed and savvy necessary to win the mini stock crown notching three main event wins on his own behalf.

Eugene Palmer

2. Eugene Palmer - 318 points (-17), 1 main event win, 1 trophy dash win, 7 top 5s, 3.6 average finish, 28 laps led

Eugene Palmer moved up from the roadrunner division to the mini stocks and has made a seamless transition to the faster, more agile cars (or truck in his case.) Palmer has proven to be just as fast as Champagne every week but unfortunately hasn't managed to get the wins in the heat races and trophy dashes. He's still within striking distance however and it's certain that the mini stock track championship will come down to the last lap of the last race.

Rick Estes

3. Rick Estes - 306 points (-29), 1 main event win, 3 trophy dash wins, 6 top 5s, 3.4 average finish, 16 laps led

Rick Estes was right in the thick of the points battle until a big wreck on the June 20th. In spite of that incident, Estes is still within reach of the championship but will require both Champagne and Palmer to face woes in the final three races.

Brian Murrell, Jr.

4. Brian Murrell, Jr. - 292 points (-43), 1 main event win, 3 heat race wins, 2 trophy dash wins, 5 top 5s, 5.4 average finish

Brian Murrell, Jr. is the defending track champion in the mini stock class and a veteran in the division. 2015 got off to a horrible start for him and though he's been able to regain the speed he showed in 2014, his hopes of repeating as champion are virtually over. Even so, don't expect him to go out quietly.

Thunder Roadster Division

Paul Peeples, Jr.

1. Paul Peeples, Jr. - 338 points, 7 main event wins, 7 heat race wins, 6 trophy dash wins, 8 top 5s, 1.5 average finish, 174 laps led (out of 245)

Paul Peeples, Jr. has dominated the Thunder Roadster division in 2015 to say the least. To put it in context, Peeples has won all but three races the division has had this year (1 main event, 1 heat race, 2 trophy dashes.)

Robbie Nelson

2. Robbie Nelson - 295 points (-43), 1 main event win, 1 heat race win, 7 top 5s, 2.8 average finish, 24 laps led

Robbie Nelson is the only other driver to win a main event victory this season and the only driver within reasonable striking distance to Peeples. Unfortunately, the "reasonable" margin is 43 markers which would require catastrophic issues for Peeples in the final three events.

Thomas Payne

3. Thomas Payne - 272 points (-66), 2 trophy dash wins, 7 top 5s, 3.9 average finish, 11 laps led

Thomas Payne is a former champion in the Thunder Roadster class but unfortunately for him, his chance at a title in 2015 is more or less extinguished. As he as done throughout his days as a driver, Payne has maintained a consistent pace while also being smart behind the wheel.

Chris Lawrence

4. Chris Lawrence - 251 points (-87), 4 top 5s, 5.3 average finish, 15 laps led

Chris Lawrence has been a competitor in the Thunder Roadster class since the division first started at Redwood Acres Raceway. However, 2015 is the first time that Lawrence has attempted to go for the track championship. Though he won't be able to accomplish that goal, Lawrence has been a pleasant surprise all year long.

Belinda Ward

5. Belinda Ward - 234 points (-104), 4 top 5s, 5.9 average finish, 2 laps led

Belinda Ward is a veteran in the Thunder Roadster division and a fan favorite at Redwood Acres Raceway. Her steadiness behind the wheel and aptitude to keep herself out of danger has allowed her to have a successful 2015 and a chance at her highest point finish in the division.

Late Model Division

Ryun Leazer

1. Ryun Leazer - 244 points, 1 main event win, 4 heat race wins, 2 trophy dash wins, 4 top 5s, 6.0 average finish, 31 laps led (out of 315)

Ryun Leazer made a huge statement in the most recent race on August 22nd by taking his first main event win in his second season in the late model division. Unfortunately for Leazer, his point lead is slim and he will have to avoid on September 5th what happened on the July 4th event when he finished 16th.

Jedd Ambrosini

2. Jedd Ambrosini - 240 points (-4), 1 trophy dash win, 6 top 5s, 5.3 average finish, 7 laps led

Jedd Ambrosini is also a sophomore driver in the late model division. Even though he's had better success statistically than the point leader, Ryun Leazer, Ambrosini hasn't had the trophy dash and heat race victories which have vaulted Leazer to the top of the standings. Thankfully, the four point margin isn't difficult to overcome and Ambrosini can do it if he continues to run as he has all year long.

Marty Walsh

3. Marty Walsh - 204 points (-40), 2 main event wins, 1 heat race win, 5 top 5s, 3.2 average finish, 33 laps led

Marty Walsh is a former sportsman division track champion at Redwood Acres Raceway. Walsh missed the first two races of the season but made up a lot of ground over the year points-wise until the August 22nd event when he finished 8th. It will be nearly impossible to make up 40 points to both Leazer and Ambrosini.

Richard Knight

4. Richard Knight - 201 points (-43), 1 heat race win, 3 top 5s, 9.0 average finish, 1 lap led

Richard Knight started off his rookie season strong with back-to-back second place finishes in the first two races. Unfortunately, his season began to tail off at the half-way mark. In spite of that, Knight looks to be a lock for the top five in the division point standings.

Kenny Demello

5. Kenny Demello - 187 points (-57), 1 heat race win, 2 top 5s, 7.3 average finish, 11 laps led

Kenny Demello has had an up and down 2015. His best finish of the year is third twice, including the last race on August 22nd. His chance at a championship is virtually zero but Demello still has an outside shot of getting as high as third in the standings.

David Henderson

6. David Henderson - 169 points (-75), 1 main event win, 1 heat race win, 3 top 5s, 4.8 average finish, 71 laps led

David Henderson looked to be the favorite for the late model track championship at the start of 2015. In spite of misfortune in the season opening race, Henderson showed amazing speed and ended up taking the win on May 9th. Unfortunately, Henderson proved to be a victim of dumb luck and incidents out of his control took him out of the running for this year's championship.

Tyler Avelar

Tied-7. Tyler Avelar - 162 points (-82), 1 top 5, 7.0 average finish, 6 laps led

Tyler Avelar took the step up from the bomber division to the late model division in 2015. Avelar started off 2015 well with a fourth place effort on April 25th but became a victim of bad luck as the season progressed.

George Young

Tied-7. George Young - 162 points (-82), 2 top 5s, 7.7 average finish, 0 laps led

George Young returned to the track after being away for several seasons.Young's rookie campaign in the late models started off with a fine third place run but it's been a season of struggles for the former real stock and limited street stock driver so Young will be looking forward to closing out the final two events with good finishes.

2015 winding down at the Acres

Ryun Leazer leads the standings for Redwood Acres Raceway's late model division

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Only five point races are left on the 2015 season for Redwood Acres Raceway and with the championship battles coming to a close, the battle for positions in each of the five local divisions should be interesting in all of the remaining races.

Dylan Ford is a virtual lock for the track championship in the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner division. Ford leads second place Daniel Buell by an insurmountable 72 points. Buell was the most recent winner on August 1st which broke Ford’s string of main event wins at six. Steve Paiment is the only other main event winner in the division and is third in the standings, 12 points behind Buell. Rookie drivers Shawn Molloy and R.C. Brown round out the top five.

With five main event victories in the bomber division, Dustin Walters holds a 19 point cushion over James Moore who has two wins. The bomber track title will be decided between those two drivers as third place Michael Knight is 96 points behind Walters. Lance Martins and Joseph Phares are fourth in the running while Ryan Walters is fifth.

Chris Champagne has opened up the gap in the mini stock championship standings thanks to two straight main event wins. Champagne leads mini stock rookie Eugene Palmer by 18 points. Palmer was the winner of the June 20th event. Brian Murrell, Jr. is the defending champ in the division but has gone winless thus far in 2015 and had to overcome early season misfortune. His championship hopes are virtually gone as he is 49 points behind Champagne but he does sit third in the standings. Rick Estes is fourth in the standings with the May 9th main event to his credit while Tim Abeyta is fifth in his rookie season in the class.

Things are still up in the air in regards to the Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadster division title but it’s going to be hard for Robbie Nelson to overtake Paul Peeples, Jr. in the remaining races. Peeples has won every race in the division this season with the exception of the May 9th heat race and main event and the June 20th trophy dash and is the leader in the standings by 38 points over Nelson. Nelson was the winner of the May 9th feature event. Thomas Payne, Chris Lawrence and Belinda Ward are the other drivers who fill out the top five in division standings.

After more than a month off, the Mid City Motor World late model drivers will likely be eager to take to the track this weekend. The late models feature the tightest point battle at the Acres as the top two drivers in the division are deadlocked and only four point races are remaining in the division. Those drivers are both sophomore late model racers as Ryun Leazer and Jedd Ambrosini hold the top position. Marty Walsh is third with two main event wins to his credit and even though he is 29 points behind, that deficit could easily be erased in the final handful of events. Richard Knight is fourth in the standings while David Henderson is fifth with the May 9th main event victory to his credit.

Racing returns to the Acres this Saturday night August 22nd for Driver Appreciation Night. Front gates open at 5:00PM and racing starts at 6:30PM. Also, please note that the Labor Day weekend event has been expanded to run on Saturday September 5th and Sunday September 6th. The Saturday event will feature the third and final Tri-Holiday Classic event for the late models. On Sunday, the North State Modified Series returns to the Acres for the second time in 2015. The local classes of roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks and Thunder Roadsters will race both nights while the late models will not partake in Sunday’s events. An open practice is scheduled on Friday September 4th from 2 to 7PM.

Saturday September 19th’s race will be Fan Appreciation Night as well as the final point event for all five local classes. The final event of the season on October 3rd will be the First Annual Big T Jackpot race for the roadrunners and the Bomber Bash. The second boat race of 2015 will follow the races and conclude the racing season at the Acres. For more information regarding the rest of the 2015 schedule, please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website www.racingtheacres.com .

Championship standings jumble after Independence Day event

Late model rookie, Richard Knight co-leads the championship standings

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The 2015 season at Redwood Acres Raceway has reached its halfway point and the battle for the track championship in each of the five local divisions still hangs in the air. The most recent event on July 4th might prove to be the turning point of the season for many due to several out-of-town drivers participating in the night’s racing action.

Dylan Ford appears to have a clear path to the track championship in the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner division. Ford has won the past five main events in a row and is an astounding 75 points ahead of the two drivers tied for second place, Steve Paiment and Daniel Buell. R.C. Brown is fourth in the standings, 77 markers behind Ford while rookie, Shawn Malloy is fifth 101 points behind Ford.

The bomber division point lead returned to Dustin Walters after he won the main event on Independence Day. Walters leads James Moore by 10 points. Moore had held a nearly 30-point gap on Walters going into the previous race but was unable to race. Michael Knight is third in points, Lance Martins & Joseph Phares fourth and Ryan Walters fifth.

It’s a very close battle at the front of the mini stock division. Chris Champagne holds a three point lead over Eugene Palmer. Rick Estes lies third in points, 22 behind Champagne with an outside shot at the title. Brian Murrell, Jr. has a much harder road to go than Estes as he’s 42 points behind Champagne while 58 points behind in fifth is Dylan Ford.

Paul Peeples, Jr. extended his point lead in the Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadsters by sweeping the trophy dash, heat race and main event on July 4th. Peeples leads Robbie Nelson by 26 points. Thomas Payne is 43 points behind Peeples in the third position, Chris Lawrence is fourth and Belinda Ward is fifth.

Coming off the second Tri-Holiday Classic race of 2015, the championship for the Mid City Motor World late models tightened up even more than it was before. Richard Knight and Jedd Ambrosini are tied atop the standings. Ryun Leazer is third in points, a single marker behind the leaders. Fourth is David Henderson who is only four points behind first while Tyler Avelar is fifth and 11 points behind.

The next race at the Acres on July 18th will feature boat races to go along with the roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Thunder Roadsters and late models. Grandstands open at 5:00PM while racing begins at 6:30PM. On August 1st, the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series will return to RAR for the first time since 2013. More information on the upcoming events at Redwood Acres Raceway can be found on the track’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .

Redwood Acres Raceway set for spectacular Firecracker 100

Dylan Ford has been a dominant force in the roadrunner division

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Five races are down in Redwood Acres Raceway’s 2015 schedule and as the season has progressed, the action on the track has heated up. While the battle for the track championships are mixed in terms of competitiveness in each of the five divisions, every driver still has a lot to race for and the next few races are sure to be among the highlights of the entire year.

The Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner track championship is basically in the hands of Dylan Ford. The gap between him and second place, Steve Paiment is an astounding 66 markers. Ford has won the past four races in a row while finishing second in the season opener while Paiment is the only other driver who has won a main event this season. Daniel Buell, R.C. Brown and Shawn Malloy round out the top five in the standings.

With Dustin Walters unable to race in the most recent event on June 20th, James Moore took advantage winning all three races on the night and taking the point lead. Moore’s advantage over Walters is 33 points. Barring any unforeseen issues for Moore or Walters, it looks as if one or the other will be this year’s track champion. The team of Lance Martins and Joseph Phares is third in points, 57 behind Moore while Michael Knight and Ryan Walters complete the top five.

The battle for the mini stock title is a tight one between Chris Champagne and Eugene Palmer. Champagne leads Palmer by three points while Rick Estes is third, 14 behind Champagne. Estes was unable to start the June 20th main event due to a wreck in the heat race which destroyed his mini truck. It will be interesting to see if he will be able to return for this weekend’s event. Brian Murrell, Jr. is fourth in line, 30 behind Champagne while Dylan Ford is fifth another 17 points behind Murrell, Jr.

Paul Peeples, Jr. has taken control of the Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadster division. Peeples has won three of the four races this year and leads second place Robbie Nelson by 18 points. Nelson is the only other main event winner in the division. Thomas Payne sits third and 36 points behind Peeples while fourth is a tie between Mike Ward and Chris Lawrence.

This weekend’s Firecracker 100 is the second leg of the First Annual Tri-Holiday Classic for the Mid City Motor World late models. The standings for the track championship changed dramatically after the caution-filled June 20th race. Thanks to a second place finish in the most recent race, Ryun Leazer holds the lead in the standings. Richard Knight is second but only four points behind Leazer. Jedd Ambrosini is third and only two more points behind Knight. David Henderson is fourth, 11 behind Leazer and Tyler Avelar is fifth, two points behind Henderson.

This weekend’s event promises to be a fantastic night at the Acres. In addition to the 100-lap late model race, roadrunners, bombers and mini stocks will be in action as well as the Thunder Roadsters which have been added to the show. Following the 100-lap race will be a fantastic fireworks show in the track’s infield. Last year’s display was a big hit with fans and this year’s promises to be bigger and better.

The upcoming races at the Acres should be just as exciting. The July 18th race will feature the boat races which was a very popular event with fans. The following race on August 1st will mark the return of the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series to Redwood Acres Raceway for the second time ever, the first since 2013. The Spears SRL Southwest Tour is the premiere super late model touring series in the west and features some of the top talent from the region. More information about this weekend’s Independence Day event as well as future events can be found at Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .

Walsh survives, wins first race of 2015

Marty Walsh took his first win of 2015 on Saturday night

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was a night of hard times for many this past Saturday night at Redwood Acres Raceway. On what coincidentally was O’Reilly Night at the Acres, numerous drivers throughout each of the Acres’ five local divisions fell victim to issues either due to accidents or mechanical failures.

With Kid's Month at Redwood Acres Raceway continuing through the month of June at the Acres, children had the opportunity to be junior trophy presenters to the winners of the trophy dash and main events. In addition, prior to the start of the main events children were given rides around the track by drivers in the roadrunner and bomber divisions.

Ken Barrett returned to the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner division with a new car and the victory in the trophy dash. Barrett was able to put together his new ride in less than two weeks. Steve Paiment took the win in the first heat race which saw rookie Troy Lee crash in turn four on the final lap. Dylan Ford was victorious in the second heat which also had an incident that took Shawn Malloy and Daniel Buell out of commission.

As he has done for virtually the entire 2015 season in the roadrunners, Ford dominated the 20-lap feature event. Rookies Chris Appleton and Dylan Hagman exchanged the lead the first two laps before Ford took over. Hagman did a fantastic job of hanging with Ford through most of the event but Ford’s experience proved through when it came to maneuvering through slower traffic. Ford was able to pull his lead out in the final few laps and took his fourth straight main event victory. Hagman took second followed by R.C. Brown, Chris Appleton and Paiment.

It was a rough night for the bomber division. James Moore won the trophy dash which saw Chris Naughton hit the wall and knock his car out of action. The heat race saw Moore win but featured another unfortunate incident in turn three when Michael Knight hit the wall hard. Fortunately he was okay but out for the night. The main event featured a rough incident between Lance Martins and Ryan Walters that resulted in a cut tire on Walters’ car, forcing him to the pits and out of the race. Martins ended up falling out in the final few laps which left Moore the only car on the track and the race winner.

Brian Murrell, Jr. was the winner of the mini stock trophy dash. Tim Abeyta won the first heat race while the second heat race featured a violent hit in turns three and four for Rick Estes. It appeared as though the throttle hung on Estes’ mini truck going into the third turn. Thankfully Estes was unharmed though his truck was severely damaged. Murrell, Jr. ended up with the second heat victory.

Gary Klinetobe took the lead at the start of the 25-lap mini stock feature but by lap three, Murrell, Jr. moved under and past into the lead. Chris Champagne and Eugene Palmer moved into second and third just before a spin by Abeyta brought the caution flag out. Champagne and Palmer battled for the second spot for several laps after the restart with Palmer prevailing. This set up a race for the lead between Murrell, Jr. and Palmer which saw some “friendly” contact between the two. On lap 13, Palmer was able to get around Murrell, Jr. for the lead.

The race was halted briefly for a spin by Brett Murrell off turn four. The restart gave Champagne the advantage he needed to get by Murrell, Jr. for second. Nobody had anything for Palmer on the night as his mini trick was dialed in. At the finish it was Palmer winning his first career mini stock win. Champagne came home second, Murrell, Jr. third, Klinetobe fourth and Abeyta fifth.

The Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadster trophy dash victory was claimed by Thomas Payne while Paul Peeples, Jr. was the winner of the heat race. The 30-lap feature was a clean race from start to finish. Belinda Ward led the first lap before succumbing to the faster car of Chris Sarvinski on lap two. Sarvinski tried to put a gap on the rest of the pack while the always fast car of Peeples worked his way through the field. Peeples got to second on lap eight and by lap sixteen he had passed Sarvinski for the lead. Peeples was able to pull out to a comfortable margin over Sarvinski and claim the victory. Robbie Nelson was third over Payne and Ward.

It didn’t take Marty Walsh long to get acclimated to his new car as he took the trophy dash win for the Mid City Motor World late models. Ryun Leazer claimed the win in the first heat race while J.D. Frey took the second. Frey was driving Mic Moulton’s car for the night and is the car chief for Michael Waltrip Racing driver, Clint Bowyer.

The 35-lap main event proved to be a caution-filled event. Ryun Leazer took the lead from pole position but spun out of turn two bringing out the first caution. Tyler Avelar and Richard Knight duked it out for the lead on the restart with Avelar gaining the advantage. David Henderson looked to be the strongest car in the field and by lap seven he took over the top spot from Avelar. The race was halted on lap 12 when Jedd Ambrosini spun in turn three. Henderson pulled out to a large gap over the field after the restart. Meanwhile Knight, Walsh and Frey were able to get around Avelar and tried to regain ground on the leader.

Frey was able to get into third and was working on Knight for second when the two came into contact in turn three. Knight hit the wall rear-end first while Frey pulled into the pits and didn’t return. The race became a start/stop affair from that point on as several incidents halted the racing. Henderson appeared to have trouble on a lap 31 restart which allowed Marty Walsh to get to the lead. Another caution slowed the field with two laps remaining giving Henderson the chance to potentially regain the lead from Walsh.

On the restart, Henderson’s troubles came to fruition in the form of a flat tire. Henderson tried to maneuver out of the way of the rest of the pack but unfortunately Avelar and Kenny Demello got together while trying to get by. All three cars wrecked down the front stretch bringing out the red flag but everyone was okay. With the 11:00 curfew closing in and the race nearly being complete, officials felt ending the race before the scheduled distance was the prudent option. Marty Walsh took his first main event win of the season over Ryun Leazer, Jedd Ambrosini and George Young while Henderson was credited with fifth in spite of the race-ending accident.

The next event at Redwood Acres Raceway on July 4th is one of the can’t miss events of the 2015 schedule. It’s the second leg of the Tri-Holiday series featuring the Firecracker 100 for the late models. In addition, roadrunners, bombers and mini stocks will be racing. Following the races, there will be a fireworks show in the infield. Last year’s fireworks event proved popular with fans and this year’s promises to be bigger and better. To accommodate the full Independence Day schedule, the grandstands will open at 4:30 PM while racing will begin at 6:00 PM. For more information on the upcoming races at the Acres, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com .

Henderson, Nelson big winners on Pepsi night

David Henderson claimed his first late model main event win of 2015

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Race two of the 2015 season at Redwood Acres Raceway took place this past Saturday night. It was Pepsi Night at the 3/8-mile paved facility and as usual the local classes of roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Thunder Roadsters and late models thrilled a great crowd.

Dylan Ford set fast time for the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunners with a 20.424 lap. The trophy dash was won by Daniel Buell while Ford took heat race honors. The 20-lap feature got off to a rough start when the cars of Buell, Shawn Malloy and Jett Taylor got together off of turn two. In the chaos, Malloy and Taylor got together sending Malloy’s car in the back stretch wall and out of action.

The racing after the restart was fantastic. On lap five, Andrew Pimentel spun in turn one but was able to keep going. The first half of the race saw the lead be traded back and forth between Chad Grammer and Ford. The field tightened up in the second half and it became a six car race for the win between Ford, Grammer, Buell, Taylor, R.C. Brown and Pimentel. Ford was able to take full control of the lead after taking the white flag while contact with another car cut the left front tire of Taylor’s car, taking him out of contention. At the finish it was Ford winning over Grammer, Brown, Buell and Pimentel.

Fast time for the Pacific Towing bomber division was set by Dustin Walters at 18.115. Jim Redd was behind the wheel of Tyler Avelar’s car for the night and was able to win the trophy dash. Dustin Walters took the heat race victory. Redd took the lead from the drop of the green of the 25-lap bomber main event. The field got spread out on lap two when James Moore got sideways in turns three and four, collecting Michael Knight. The race stayed green with Moore continuing in the race while Knight had to pit due to a cut right front tire.

By halfway, Redd pulled out to a full straightaway lead over second place Lance Martins. Moore was able to take second from Martins on lap 15 but the fastest car on the track was Walters. Walters moved to second on lap 19 and closed quickly on Redd. The two got side by side and stayed that way until the final lap. Going down the back stretch, Redd and Walters split the lapped car of Knight but stayed door handle-to-door handle. Both drivers got sideways coming off turn four and in the drag race to the line it was Walters narrowly beating Redd for the win. Moore, Martins and Knight rounded out the finishers.

Chris Champagne made his first ever start at Redwood Acres Raceway in the Pepsi mini stock division, setting the fastest lap in qualifying with a 19.913 The trophy dash win went to division rookie, Eugene Palmer. Brian Murrell, Sr. was the winner of the first heat race while Champagne took the second heat race victory. Though his qualifying effort was not quick, Murrell, Sr. showed surprising speed as he took the lead off the start of the 25-lap feature and was the dominant car of the race. Brian Murrell, Jr. briefly took the lead from Murrell, Sr. on lap 10 but Murrell, Sr. regained the lead on the next lap.

By halfway the faster qualifiers of Rick Estes and Palmer and moved to third and fourth positions and were closing on the father/son Murrell duo. On lap 13, Estes moved to second as Champagne closed in on the front four. Palmer moved to third on lap 14 bringing Champagne with him while dropping Murrell,
Jr. to fifth. The caution flew on lap 15 when Champagne and Murrell, Jr. spun off turn four.

After the restart, Estes and Palmer put heavy pressure on Murrell, Sr. for the lead but neither driver could find a way by him. The yellow flew again when Champagne’s engine failed and he stopped in turn two. The race restarted with four laps left and again Estes tried to find his way by Murrell, Sr.
Coming to three to go, Murrell, Sr. got loose and spun out of the lead off the fourth turn. Estes was able to withstand Palmer’s challenge for the lead and at the line it was Estes winning followed by Palmer, Cole Peterson, Jarrett Mayo and Murrell, Sr.

Paul Peeples, Jr. set fast time at a 17.113 and took home another trophy in the dash for the Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadsters. Robbie Nelson held off Peeples to win the heat race. Chris Lawrence took the lead from the drop of the green flag in the 30-lap feature which was slowed only once when Peeples got loose and spun between turns one and two while racing Nelson for second.

The lap seven restart proved to be what Nelson needed as he wrestled the lead from Lawrence while Peeples had to fight his way back through the field. It didn’t take Peeples long to get back to second as he got by Lawrence for the spot on lap nine. The front two of Nelson and Peeples set sail from the rest of the field and it became a two car race for the win. Peeples pressured Nelson all race long but didn’t appear to have the handling necessary to find a way inside or outside of Nelson. On the last lap, Peeples bumped Nelson going into the third turn, got loose and spun. Nelson went on to take the win followed by Chris Sarvinski, Mike Ward and Belinda Ward.

The fastest qualifier for the Mid City Motor World late model division was David Henderson at 16.100. The trophy dash was won by Ryun Leazer. The heat race saw an unfortunate incident for George Young as he hit the water barrels at the entrance of pit road off turn two. While Young’s car was finished for the night, the driver himself was unharmed from the incident. Due to the cleanup time and track conditions, the heat race was shortened giving Leazer the win.

Kenny Demello got the jump at the start of the 35-lap feature but the green flag racing didn’t last long as Richard Knight and Ken Hallis got together and spun in turn one on lap two. Demello got the lead again after the restart but the race was slowed again on lap five due to Hallis’ car in the turn four grass after a spin. Another caution flew when Demello spun off turn four collecting Leazer.

After suffering issues in the first race of the season on April 26th, David Henderson was able to move to the lead and showed that he might be the favorite for the 2015 track championship for the late models. Henderson dominated the final portion of the race and took the victory, his first in a late model. Demello placed second followed by Ambrosini, Hallis and Knight.

Racing returns Sunday May 24th for a special Memorial Day weekend event. Joining the roadrunners, bombers and mini stocks will be the Northern California Pro-4 modifieds and the North State Challenge Modified Series. In addition, there will be the first of three Tri-Holiday races for the late model cars. Grandstands open at 4:30 PM and racing begins at 6:00 PM. There is also an open practice on Saturday May 23rd. For more information regarding Redwood Acres Raceway make sure to visit the track’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .

Moulton, Peeples Acres track champions

Moulton, Peeples Acres track champions

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The final points paying event for the 2014 season occurred this past Saturday night at Redwood Acres Raceway. Track championships in all five local divisions of roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Thunder Roadsters and late models were decided on the night which was sponsored by Mid City Motor World. Although a heavy fog set in and hindered the view of fans and drivers, the racing on the track was as exciting as it has been all year long.

Gary Klinetobe would have had to suffer catastrophic failure going into the night to prevent him from winning the championship in the Humboldt Hydroponic roadrunner division. Thankfully, that did not happen. Nick Vellis took trophy dash honors for his first victory of the season. The first heat race featured an incident on the last lap that saw Andrew McKaughan go head-on into the water barrels at the pit entrance. Thankfully McKaughan was okay. Dylan Ford took the victory in the first heat while Chad Grammer won the second heat.

The racing at the front was intense in the 20-lap main event. It was nose-to-tail, door handle-to-door handle action between Dylan Ford, Eugene Palmer, Steve Kimberling, Jett Taylor and Daniel Buell. The race was slowed on a few occasions, most notably on lap nine when Klinetobe and Andrew Pementel got together and spun between turns one and two.

Klinetobe made a mad dash to the front in the final few laps and was able to overtake Ford for the lead on the final lap. At the checkered flag it was Klinetobe capping off his championship win with a main event victory, his sixth of the season. Klinetobe’s championship rival, Palmer took second while the top five was rounded out by Ford, Buell and Taylor. The final top five in the standings were Klinetobe, Palmer, Tim Abeyta, Robbie Robinson and Ford.

Like Klinetobe, Leonard Ward more or less had the track championship locked down for the John’s Used Cars and Wreckers bomber division. It was a good thing the margin was so large for Ward because the night belonged to his closest competitor in the standings, Tyler Avelar. Avelar went three-for-three on the night taking wins in the trophy dash, heat race and the main event. Ward finished second followed by James Moore, Chris Naughton and Matt Simon. The top five in points were Ward, Avelar, Moore, Simon and Donnie Hyman.

Brian Murrell, Jr. wanted to do all he could to ensure his chance at winning the track championship in the mini stock division. His efforts paid off in the trophy dash and the heat race as he was able to win both events. It looked as though Murrell was going to cap off his season in a big way in the main event as he led the majority of the race. Unfortunately, engine issues popped up and forced him out of action. Thankfully the track championship was still his.

Rick Estes took the lead and was able to go on and win over Ryan Walters who was driving Ryan Ahrens’ Karmann Ghia. Eugene Palmer took third in Gary Klinetobe’s car while Cole Peterson took fourth and Brian Murrell, Sr. placed fifth. The top five in the point standings in the division were Murrell, Jr., Estes, Chelsea Champagne, Brett Murrell and Peterson.

Paul Peeples, Jr. entered the night more than 30 points ahead of David Henderson and Chris Sarvinski in the Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadster standings. Shockingly, Peeples suffered engine issues in qualifying which prevented him from racing and opened the championship door for Henderson and Sarvinski. The trophy dash was won by Sarvinski. The first heat race featured an incident that took out Roger Kirkpatrick who was making his first ever start in the division. Mike Ward won the first heat while Henderson took the second heat.

Peeples was able to secure the championship in the main by running the first lap of the 30-lap main. In spite of the door closing on his chances of winning the track title, Henderson was still in win-mode and dominated the feature while Robbie Nelson rode in his mirror doggedly all race long. Things went south for Henderson with seven laps to go when his engine came apart coming off the fourth turn. Nelson was able to withstand Sarvinski’s challenge on the restart to take his first ever main event victory. Belinda Ward took third followed by Chris Lawrence and Mike Ward. The final points standings results were Peeples with the title over Sarvinski, Henderson, Nelson and Belinda Ward.

The closest championship battle at the Acres was in the Mid City Motor World late model division between Mic Moulton and Luke Hall. It appeared as though Hall’s chance at the title went up in smoke when he suffered engine issues prior to the races. Fortunately, Jerry Peterson graciously allowed Hall to race his car which kept Hall in the points fight.

West coast short track legend, Jim Walker made his first start of the season and took the trophy dash win while Moulton took the win in the heat race. The 35-lap feature was highlighted by a thrilling three-car fight for the lead between Moulton, Walker and Hall. Moulton and Walker race side-by-side for the lead lap after lap while Hall did all he could in an unfamiliar car. On lap 15, Walker took the lead from Moulton.

The famous blue 48 pulled out to a 10 to 15 car length gap which Moulton was able to close in on in the final stages. By the time the white flag flew, Moulton was within three car lengths of Walker but that was as close as he would get. At the finish it was Walker taking the popular victory over Moulton, Hall, Kenny Demello and Ken Hallis. In the points standings Moulton took the championship over Hall, Demello, Ryun Leazer and Al Acuna.

The 2014 season at Redwood Acres Raceway concludes with the Fall Spectacular September 27th and 28th. Along with roadrunners, mini stocks, bombers and Thunder Roadsters will be the addition of modifieds and the 100-lap super late model race as well as the boat race on Sunday. Grandstands open at 4PM on Saturday with racing at 6PM and 11AM on Sunday with opening ceremonies at Noon. Ticket prices each day: $15 General Admission, $12 Children 12 and under/Seniors/Military, and ages 5 and under free. Full and final points standings and more information for the Fall Spectacular weekend can be found at Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .