Ambrosini survives, wins first feature event

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The 2016 season at Redwood Acres Raceway began with a bang this past Saturday night. A fantastic crowd graced the 3/8-mile paved oval for the first race of the year and the on-track action did not disappoint. It was a thrilling night of racing that ended with a first-time winner and some raw feelings.

Prior to the racing, the track hosted its annual Best Appearing Car contest. Fans cast their vote on a ballot for cars in all six divisions. Winners of the contest were Bethany Rapp in the roadrunners, Ryan Ahrens in the bombers, Brian Murrell, Jr. in the mini stocks, Ronnie O’Neill in the Thunder Roadsters, M’Kinzy Uselton in the Legends and Ryun Leazer in the late models.

The California State & Federal Employee Credit Union roadrunner trophy dash was won by Bethany Rapp. Steve Paiment took heat race honors. Jennifer Murrell jumped to the lead at the start of the 20-lap feature but was overtaken by rookie driver, Richard Standcliff. Murrell regained the lead a lap later until Paiment was able to maneuver to the front.

A caution briefly slowed the field and allowed Standcliff and Rapp to close in on Paiment. The three fought tooth-and-nail for the lead with Tyler Peach eventually joining in during the final handful of laps but brought out the caution flag for hitting the passing cone in turn three. Rapp got shook out of the race for the win and the battle was between Standcliff and Paiment. The two traded paint coming off turn four to the finish line with Standcliff holding off Paiment for his first win in his first night of racing. Rapp took third followed by Peach and Murrell.

James Moore was victorious in the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber division while Tyler Avelar took top honors in the heat race. The 25-lap feature was dominated by Moore. At one point, Moore had nearly a full straightaway lead over second place, Avelar. Like a light switch, Moore’s car suddenly seemed to fall off and Avelar quickly closed the gap and took the lead. Moore did all he could to get back into the fight but just did not have the strength to recover the lead. At the finish it was Avelar taking the win over Moore, Ryan Ahrens, Matt Simon and Kim Sorrels.

The Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division trophy dash went to Gary Klinetobe. Brian Murrell, Sr. took the first heat race victory while Jarrett Mayo took the second heat. Murrell, Sr. led the early stages of the 25-lap main while the field behind him sorted things out. The man to beat on the night was Mayo and it didn’t take long for him to maneuver from the rear of the field to the race lead. Mayo would never relinquish the top spot.

The race was slowed several times including once when Jordon Paiment’s car leaked fluid on the track which resulted in a red flag. Each time Mayo was able to pull away from the field on the restart. The best action was for second place as Brett Murrell, Klinetobe and Eugene Palmer fought hard for the position. At the finish it was Mayo taking the win in dominant fashion. Klinetobe took second while Murrell edged Palmer for third in a dead heat. Division rookie, Daniel Buell rounded out the top five.

The Thunder Roadster trophy dash was won by Donnie Brown. Tommy Payne took the win in the heat race. The 30-lap feature was a caution-free affair that saw Aaron Byers utilize a three-wide pass for the lead on lap one. Payne moved into second and the front two staged a nip-and-tuck battle for the race lead throughout the event.

The front three of Byers, Payne and Chris Sarvinski separated themselves from the rest of the pack and it was clear one of the three would likely be victorious until Sarvinski spun out of turn four with two laps remaining. Just moments after, coming off the second turn, Payne found the run he needed to get inside and past Byers for the lead. Byers tried to fight back on the last lap but couldn’t muster the strength necessary. At the finish it was Payne winning over Byers, Brown Ronnie O’Neill and Sarvinski.

The Legends cars made their debut at the Acres on the night. While only four cars showed, the division promises to grow as the season progresses. Brent Mack took the win in both the trophy dash and the heat race.

The Mid City Motor World late models had an excellent turnout of 16 cars but unfortunately issues prevented Robbie Nelson and Ken Hallis from racing on the night. Mic Moulton won the trophy dash while the two heat races were claimed by Marty Walsh and Moulton. The 50-lap feature saw two additional cars have issues with Ron Duke, Jr. unable to make the start and rookie driver, Dustin Walters pulling his car into the pits before the green flag.

Richard Knight took the lead after a brief battle with Luke Hall. Knight’s car appeared to have issues and it allowed Hall to get back into the lead over Ryun Leazer, Walsh and Jimmy Walker. Two laps later, Leazer moved past Hall into the lead but lost it quickly to Walsh who found the low line under both drivers. Moments later, Hall and Leazer got together in turn one with Leazer spinning and collecting Knight. Hall was sent to the rear and the race resumed for a brief period until it was slowed again, this time due to a wreck in turn four between Hall and Leazer forcing both drivers out of the race.

The race resumed with Walsh and Walker battling for the lead. Two more cautions slowed the field including an incident between Jedd Ambrosini and Mic Moulton which both drivers were able to continue from. Walker was in Walsh’s hip pocket all race long and applied more and more pressure as the race came to a close. With a handful of laps left, Walker got into the rear of Walsh in turns three and four sending Walsh spinning.

Walker was forced to the rear for his involvement which gave Ambrosini the race lead. Moulton did all he could to force Ambrosini to make a mistake but it wasn’t to be as Ambrosini held on to take his first-ever late model feature win. Moulton held on for second over Walsh, Walker and Al Acuna.

Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway in two weeks for Pepsi Night on Saturday May 14th. All six local divisions will be in action once again and it promises to be another exciting night of action that fans won’t want to miss out on. Grandstands open at 5:00PM with racing beginning at 6:30PM. For more information, 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 .

Big weekend of racing set for the Acres

David Henderson leads the late model point standings at Redwood Acres Raceway

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Race three of the 2015 season at Redwood Acres Raceway is set for a special Memorial Day Salute to the Troops weekend event. Besides the local divisions racing on May 24th, a Sunday afternoon, the Acres will play host to the popular North State Modified Series. In addition, Sunday’s races will feature race number one of the Tri-Holiday series of races for the late models.

With only two races completed, the point races are still tight in all five local divisions. In the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunners, Dylan Ford holds the championship lead thanks to his main event win in the most recent race on May 9th. Jett Taylor and Daniel Buell are tied for second, 16 points in arrears to Ford. Andrew Pimentel is fourth while rookie driver Shawn Malloy is fifth. Dustin Walters was also a main event winner on May 9th and he is the current leader in the bomber division. James Moore is seven points behind in second while Lance Martins, Michael Knight and Tyler Avelar round out the top five in standings.

The mini stock class has had an influx of cars the first two races of the season. Only six points separate the top three in standings. The duo of Leonard Ward and Chris Champagne lead by three points over Rick Estes while Eugene Palmer is third. Former roadrunner champion, Jarrett Mayo is fourth in points while Dylan Ford is fifth. The Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadsters will have a week off this Sunday which allows Robbie Nelson the opportunity to enjoy his lead in the division a while longer. Nelson leads Paul Peeples, Jr. by only one point while Mike Ward, Chris Lawrence and Thomas Payne are third through fifth.

David Henderson has appeared to be the class of the field thus far in the Mid City Motor World late model division and sits in the lead by eight markers over Jedd Ambrosini. Ryun Leazer is third in the standings followed by Richard Knight and Tyler Avelar. The standings could shake up after Sunday night’s race with the addition of cars and drivers for the first Tri-Holday race.

The North State Modified Series is two races into their 2015 campaign. This weekend’s race will be the first of two scheduled for the series at the Acres. Michael Mitchell leads Cody Braund by four points in the year-long battle for the championship. Darrin Knight is third followed by Tripp Gaylord and veteran racer Guy Young. The NSMS has yielded strong car counts so far with 23 cars racing at All-American Speedway and 21 showing up at the intimidating bullring that is Lakeport Speedway. There should be another strong field on Sunday with Oregon drivers joining the California modified racers.

The weekend kicks off on Saturday the 23rd with a test and tune for all cars. On Sunday the 24th grandstands open at 4:30PM and racing begins at 6:00PM. As a special thank you to those who have served in the military, admission into this Sunday’s races is free with a military ID. More information regarding this weekend’s big event can be found at Redwood Acres Raceway’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 .