Tellstrom, Doss Come Up Big In North State And Upstate races

#5K Kyle Tellstrom won the North State Modified Series feature

Eureka, CA (May 14, 2019) – It was a tremendous afternoon for racing this past Saturday at Redwood Acres Raceway. O’Reilly Auto Parts presented all of the action which included local roadrunners, mini stocks and Legends. The late models had the week off while local bomber racers joined the brand-new Upstate Bomber Series which held its debut race on the night. In addition, the North State Modified Series visited the Acres for the first of three scheduled times this year.

The evening for the Compass Community Credit Union roadrunners belonged to Tim Ratzlaff. He was victorious in the heat race and dominated the feature. Ratzlaff’s closest competition came from Troy Lee and Dustin Peterson but neither driver was able to do anything to take away the lead. At the checkered flag it was Ratzlaff over Lee and Peterson.

There was a similar tone for Compass Community Credit Union mini stocks. Rick Estes took wins in both the trophy dash and heat races. Jarrett Mayo was able to knife his way to the race lead quickly followed by Brett Murrell who was driving his father Brian Murrell, Sr.’s car on the night. Murrell’s regular ride was severely damaged in the April 29 race thanks to a stuck throttle.

As in the previous main event in April, Mayo and Murrell waged a hard but clean duel for the lead. Estes took a bit longer to get to the front but once he entered third position, the two leaders knew they were going to have to work even harder for the win. With only a handful of laps remaining, Estes was able to get around Murrell for second. With three laps left, Estes got on the outside of Mayo and the two raced hard for the lead. Mayo did everything he could to hold off Estes but he didn’t have enough. Estes was able to secure the lead with two laps remaining. From there, Estes was able to pull away to take a long-awaited main event win, his first in quite a while. Mayo held off Brett Murrell for second while Brian Murrell, Jr. placed fourth and Gary Klinetobe finished fifth.

Chris Lawrence was the winner of the North Coast Lighting And Electric Legends trophy dash. Heat race one was won by Carlee Austin while Leonard Ward took the second. It didn’t take Lawrence long to get to the front and once he got there, he stayed there. A few minor incidents slowed the race and allowed the field to reform but Lawrence was able to pull away each time. Lawrence was able to reach the finish first. Katina Baker placed second followed by Tyler Peach, Brent Mack and Austin.

As noted, RAR’s Four-Star Realty bombers joined the Upstate Bomber Series for their first race ever. Many time late model touring series winner and champion Mike Doss was the trophy dash winner. The heat race results determined the starting positions for the 60-lap feature event. Mikey Lovell won the first heat with Brian King winning the second. A stellar field of 17 cars were led to the green flag by pole-sitter Wade Coleman and David Dillinger. Dillinger was able to take the lead on the first lap as the field spread out. Lovell looked as though he was going to be the driver to beat as he sliced through the field and was able to pass Dillinger for the lead on lap 14.

As Lovell pulled away from the pack, the action focused on the father/son duo of Mike Doss and Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series star Jeremy Doss. Jeremy made it to second on lap 18 while Mike got to third on the same lap. By that time though, Lovell looked to have a substantial and insurmountable lead. Things didn’t seem to change either when Lovell started to move through slower traffic. While second and third were able to gain some ground, neither was able to make enough up to mount a serious challenge on Lovell.

Everything changed on lap 40 when officials threw a caution flag due to fear of fluid being on the racing service after several laps of the air of rear end gear fluid filling the air. Originally officials believed that Jeremy Doss was the cause and he was sent to the pits. His car was found not to be the culprit so he was allowed to reposition in second.

The double-file restart was to the benefit of Mike Doss and the detriment of Lovell as Doss was able to take the lead. Jeremy Doss filed into second while Lovell fell to third. Jeremy Doss looked to have a car capable of competing with his father’s but as the laps ticked off, Mike Doss was able to pull away. On lap 50, Lovell moved to second but he just did not have enough to catch the leader. At the finish it was Mike Doss winning over Lovell and Jeremy Doss. King ran solidly in the top five all race and placed fourth while Donnie Hyman’s fifth place effort was the highest finish of all Redwood Acres Raceway bomber regulars.

North State Modified Series points leader Cameron Austin’s time of 16.408 broke Darrin Knight’s track record 16.482 which was set in the series’ previous visit to the Acres on September 8. Ian Elliott was the winner in the Lucas Oil Dash For Cash. The invert for the 60-lap feature was six which put Dustin DeRosier and Randy Houston on the front row of the 20 car starting field. Houston got the jump at the start but the race was slowed on lap four when veteran racer Richie Potts spun in the fourth turn. Houston returned to the lead on the restart and it looked as though his car was dialed in.

A caution resulted due to a spin by Larry Knight off turn two and it ended up playing right into Kyle Tellstrom’s favor. Knight was driving for his son Darrin for championship points. Houston retained the lead once again when the green flew while Tellstrom was able to take second from Sullivan. The front two of Houston and Tellstrom raced nose-to-tail for several laps until Houston’s car moved up slightly off the bottom groove allowing Tellstrom to take the lead.

Two more cautions flew due to Knight spins which resulted in him having to pull into the pits for the night. On lap 38, Donovon Cox spun and Austin was able to break into second. A yellow flag with three laps remaining brought a single file restart and gave Austin his best and only chance to pressure Tellstrom. Unfortunately for Austin, Tellstrom did exactly what he needed to do to maintain the lead all the way to the finish. Robbie Knittel had a great run in third with Houston placing fourth and Elliott finishing fifth.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway will go on a bit of a spring break. Action at the track returns Saturday June 8. All local divisions will be in action including the Mid-City Motor World late models. For more information on the upcoming races at RAR and other information, visit www.RacinTheAcres.com or on Facebook www.facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway2019/. You can also follow Redwood Acres Raceway on Twitter @RacingTheAcres.

Lindstroth dominant in modified victory

Lindstroth dominant in modified victory

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Redwood Acres Raceway celebrated Independence Day weekend in style this past Saturday night. Not only did the Acres serve as host to the five local divisions of roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Thunder Roadsters and late models, the North State Modified Series made their second stop of the season at Eureka, California’s 3/8-mile paved oval. In addition to the fantastic racing, the night was capped off by a spectacular fireworks show that thrilled the large crowd in attendance.

Gary Klinetobe set fast time in the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner division with a 20.328 qualifying lap. Klinetobe followed that up with a victory in the four lap trophy dash. The first heat race went to Michael Lawrence who returned to the division due to his bomber being severely damaged several races ago. Dylan Ford took the second heat in thrilling fashion on the final lap.

The 15-lap feature for the roadrunners was slowed several times early on. One incident involved Kayla Foster who was sent head on into the back stretch wall. Foster’s car was finished for the night but she was unharmed. The story for the division this season has been the battle between Klinetobe and Eugene Palmer. Klinetobe moved to the front early while Palmer had to scrap through the field and wasn’t able to get to the front until the final two laps. At the checkered flag it was Klinetobe taking the win ahead of Palmer, Steve Kimberling, Tim Abeyta and Ford.

The John’s Used Cars and Wreckers bombers saw an influx of cars for the night as drivers from the Redding and Lake County areas made the trek to the Acres. David Dillinger set fast time with an 18.512 lap. Brian Smith took the trophy dash victory then was victorious in the heat race. Don Hyman led the feature early on but the out-of-town drivers made their strength known throughout the feature. Hyman did all he could to hold off Dillinger at the halfway point of the 20-lap main event but was unable to do so. Dillinger would go on to take the victory beating Smith, Leonard Ward, Eddie Klein and Kevin Coburn.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts/Del Reka Distributing mini stock class also saw several new cars join the field for the night. Visitor, David Felch set the standard in qualifying, beating all the local drivers with a 19.164 qualifying lap. Felch’s time in qualifying proved to be a prelude to how he would race in the evening as he won the trophy dash, the heat race and the main event. Brian Murrell, Jr. finished second while Rick Estes, Chelsea Champagne and Jordan Paiment rounded out the top five.

Robbie Nelson set fast time with a 17.187 qualifying lap for the Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadster division. The trophy dash win was taken by Paul Peeples, Jr. while Chris Sarvinski held off Peeples in the heat race. The 20-lap main event was highlighted by a nose-to-tail duel for the race lead between Sarvinski and Peeples. Coming off turn four on the final lap, Peeples found the inside line under Sarvinski and the two drag-raced to the line in a photo finish. Track officials determined that Sarvinski beat Peeples by a mere eight-thousandths of a second or about a foot. Thomas Payne finished third, Robbie Nelson fourth and Belinda Ward placed fifth.

Luke Hall set fast time for the Mid City Motor World late model division with a 15.938 qualification lap. The trophy dash victory was taken by Jerry Peterson who followed that up with a win in the heat race. The 25-lap feature saw a heated battle for the race lead between Hall, Mic Moulton and Peterson. Hall and Moulton were battling side-by-side for the lead coming off turn two on lap 13 when Hall got sideways into Moulton sending him spinning into the infield. Peterson got by in the melee but Hall got into his bumper going into the third turn. All three drivers restarted at the back which gave Al Acuna the race lead.

Acuna held onto the lead until four laps to go when the handling appeared to severely fall off on his car. Hall took advantage and quickly took the lead while Moulton and Peterson had to work slightly harder to get by Acuna. Moulton made one last effort to try to challenge Hall but it wasn’t enough in the end as Hall took the victory followed by Moulton, Peterson, Acuna and Ryun Leazer.

Citrus Heights racer, Jay Lindstroth broke the existing track record for the North State Modified Series with a 16.100 qualifying time. The Scubba Bub’s Dash for Cash went to Petaluma’s Richie Potts while the Lucas Oil Dash for Cash was taken by Linstroth. Both winners were awarded a crisp 100 dollar bill for their efforts.

Kyle Tellstrom of Ukiah was the benefactor of the five-car invert for the 60-lap feature and used his pole position start to his advantage by taking the lead from the drop of the green flag. In second place was Cody Braund of Anderson who had his hands full with Lindstroth and Kelseyville’s Darrin Knight who won the North State Modified Series previous race at the Acres in May. The biggest accident of the race took place on lap 18 in the third turn.  Involved were Corey James of Cottonwood, Don Swartz of Grass Valley, Rich Cobb of Klamath Falls, Oregon and Orion Mosher of Eureka.

The restart proved to be the advantage that Linstroth needed as he powered by Tellstrom to the race lead. Knight moved into second in the closing stages and after a spin by Dustin DeRosier with 12 laps remaining, it looked to be a showdown between the front two cars. Linstroth got the advantage on the restart and was able to pull away from Knight. At the finish it was Linstroth winning over Knight, Tellstrom, Kyle Borden and Braund.

Racing at the Acres takes a break before returning Saturday July 19th. Grandstands open at 5:00 PM while racing begins at 6:30 PM. For more information involving Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s new and official website, www.racingtheacres.com . For more information concerning the North State Modified Series, visit www.northstatemodifieds.com.

Tight racing, wrecks highlight Fan Appreciation Night

Tight racing, wrecks highlight Fan Appreciation Night

By Matthew J. Sullivan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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