Packed House For Driver Appreciation Night At The Acres

Eureka, CA (August 19, 2018) – After a near month-long summer break, racing returned to Redwood Acres Raceway. The grandstands were filled with excited fans of all ages for Anderson Logging Driver Appreciation Night at the Races. Before the action took place on the track, fans were able to meet their favorite drivers in all of the divisions at the 3/8-mile paved oval. Track officials also hosted a donation drive for victims of the Carr and Mendocino Complex fires. Nearly $1,500 was donated with those donating $10 receiving a complimentary ticket to the season ending Fall Spectacular on September 8th. The night proved to be a memorable one for many reasons as the racing on the track was extended past the 11:00 PM curfew.

For the first time this season, the Thunder Roadsters were in action for a full-slate of races. The race was a late addition to the event and was held in honor of Paul Peeples, Sr. who recently passed away. Peeples was a long-time participant at the raceway and served as crew chief for his son Paul Peeples, Jr.’s Thunder Roadster. A memorial lap in his honor was held before the trophy dash race. Alan Olson was the winner of the trophy dash and heat races. Jett Taylor was the leader of the first lap of the 25-lap main. Lap tow saw Olson gain the advantage before David Henderson was able to get under and past for the lead. Henderson’s time up front only lasted another circuit as Paul Peeples, Jr. was able to take the lead. The front trio of Peeples, Henderson and Olson ran nose-to-tail all race long with nobody seeming to have any advantage over the other. A late caution flag seemed to give Peeples the extra he needed to go on and take the victory over Henderson, Olson, Tommy Payne and Taylor.

The first main event for the Compass Community Credit Union roadrunners was initially run backwards. An early incident in turn three involving Allison McCarty brought out the red flag when she hit the water barrels. When racing resumed, Nick Ford and Tim Ratzlaff continued their season-long duel, battling for the race lead. Ford was able to prevail to take the checkered flag over Ratzlaff, Lindsey Zito, Jennifer Murrell and Steve Paiment. The second feature was a replay of the first with Ford and Ratzlaff fighting all race long for the lead. On the last lap, the two were neck-and-neck going into turns three and four while coming upon Murrell. Ratzlaff got into Murrell sending her into a spin. Although he crossed the line first, officials awarded Ford the win. Ratzlaff was scored second followed by Amanda Lohr, Steve Paiment and Murrell.

Malessa Miles was the winner of the Bandolero trophy dash while Ethan Imperatrice was the heat race winner. Lane Anderson held the lead the first two circuits. Going into turn one on lap three, Imperatrice made a move under Kimberling for position. The two appeared to get hooked together and both went into the turn two tire-barrier hard. Thankfully both drivers were unharmed. The rest of the race was a runaway for Anderson as he was able to win by well over 10 seconds. Miles finished second ahead of Trey Daniels and Kadence Mace while Kimberling was credited with fifth.

Bethany Rapp held on for the victory in the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber trophy dash. Brandon White was subbing for Jim Redd for the evening and he took the heat race win. Rapp and Sam Brown traded the lead in the first two laps of the main event before White took over. On lap nine, Roach moved into the top spot. Roach and White fought tooth-and-nail for the lead for the remainder of the race. Roach was able to hold off White’s furious challenges to take the checkered flag. Brown placed third followed by Rapp and Doug Way.

The NorthCoast Lighting and Electric Legends division trophy dash was taken by Chris Lawrence. Former bomber division champion Leonard Ward made his debut in the Legends this season and took the win in the first heat race which featured a last lap wreck that took Tyler Krupa and Katina Baker out of action for the main event. Tyler Peach took the second heat win. Ward quickly moved to the lead of the main event and looked like a division veteran, leading in dominant fashion. Brent Mack and Tyler Peach battled hard for the second position all race long. Mack held the position until lap 10 when Peach moved to second. Ward had his hands full with both drivers in his mirror in the closing laps. Coming to the white flag, Ward got loose off turn four and spun into the infield. Peach took the lead and was able to hold off Mack’s late charge to win. Aiden Daniels finished third with Colby Furia and Kylie Daniels taking fourth and fifth.

The Fifth Annual Murrell 500 trophy for the Humboldt Hydroponics was on the line for the evening. Brett Murrell won the dash with heat race winners being Gary Kleintobe and Brett Murrell again. Trevor Eacret led lap one but Brian Murrell, Jr. took over on lap two. Murrell, Jr. had his mirror full with Eugene Palmer and Brett Murrell following right in his tracks. A caution flag flew when Rick Estes’ front bumper fell off on the front straight. Racing resumed and Brett Murrell was able to get second from Palmer. The two brothers staged a fantastic duel for the lead until lap 15 when Scott Taylor got high in turns one and two and ended up in the tire barrier. The incident, coupled with the other incidents in other divisions forced track officials to declare the race official giving Murrell, Jr. the win and the crown as Murrell 500 champion for the next year. Brett Murrell was second over Palmer, Eacret with Taylor taking fifth due to scoring reverting to the previous lap.

Dane Nissen was fast time for the Mid-City Motor World Super Six Challenge Series late models with a 16.009. Luke Hall took the win in the first heat. Heat two was dominated by Mic Moulton but on the last lap his car began smoking heavily and leaking fluid on the track. His issue allowed David Henderson to slip past to take the win and earn pole position for the 60-lap feature. Henderson used pole position to his advantage as he jumped to the lead at the start of the NorthCoast Lighting and Electric main event. Thankfully only one caution slowed the race as the feature started right at the 11:00 PM curfew. The first 20 laps saw Henderson fight off Nissen for the lead while Shawn Andrews and Moulton raced for third. Moulton moved to third on lap 24 and slowly reeled in the two leaders.

As the race neared its conclusion, it appeared as though Henderson began to struggle more and more with his car, particularly off the fourth turn. With 10 laps remaining things really began to heat up. After a several lap back and fourth fight, Moulton maneuvered his way past Nissen to second. Moulton was all over Henderson in the final handful of laps with Henderson doing everything within his power to hold off Moulton’s charge. With two laps remaining, Moulton dove inside Henderson going into the first turn. The two drivers touched with Moulton racing to the lead. Henderson tried his best to catch up and return the favor in turns three and four but couldn’t pull it off. At the finish it was Moulton taking the win over Henderson, Nissen, Andrews and Kenny Demello.

Only one race remains on the 2018 schedule for Redwood Acres Raceway and that’s the Fall Spectacular Saturday September 8th. Championships will of course be decided on the night in all divisions. The Thunder Roadsters will return while the North State Modified Series will also be joining the action. The season will conclude with the annual Dennis Wendt Memorial Fall Spectacular 100 for the late models. More information on the event and everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway can be found on the track’s website www.RedwoodAcresRacing.com or by visiting RAR on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway/

Moulton Returns To Form While Price Cashes In

Eureka, CA (July 22, 2018) – The 2018 season at Redwood Acres Raceway is rapidly coming to a close with this Saturday night’s Harper Motors Night at the Races marking four races left on the schedule. While the Compass Community Credit Union roadrunners had the night off, the late models returned to action. In addition, the North State Modified Series made their second visit to the Acres this season.

Lane Anderson has been fast all season in the Bandolero division and continued that by setting the fastest time in qualifying at a 21.354. Ethan Imperatrice made his first start of the season and was able to win the trophy dash and the heat race. Trey Daniels took the lead at the start of the main event and had control of it for the first six circuits. Imperatrice moved to the lead on lap seven before Daniels retook the position. Two laps later, Daniels fell out of the race giving Imperatrice the lead but in another two laps, Imperatrice also fell out. Anderson took over the top spot and was able to lead the rest of the way and score the victory. Maleesa Miles finished second followed by Aiden Kimberling and Kadence Mace. Imperatrice was scored fifth.

Qualifying for the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bombers was led by Wyatt Roach with a 18.424. Roach took the dash win while Sam Brown was the heat race winner. Brown used the pole position to his advantage in the feature event as he was able to take over and lead until lap eight. That’s when Roach took over. He was able to hold on and take his first main event win of the season. Brown and Jim Redd finished second and third.

In the NorthCoast Lighting And Electric Legends division, Brad Curtice set fast time with an 18.121. Chris Lawrence was the trophy dash victor while Aiden Daniels and Curtice were the heat race winners. The opening lap of the feature was led by David Dunlap. Lap two saw Aiden Daniels move to the front. Curtice quickly sliced his way through the field and moved to the lead on lap eight. The field spread out and Curtice was able to gap Aiden Daniels. At the finish it was Curtice taking the victory by nearly two seconds. Aiden Daniels narrowly beat Lawrence to the line for third. Kylie Daniels finished a strong fourth with Zach Frazer rounding out the top five finishers.

The ever-competitive Humboldt Hydroponics mini stocks were paced by Brian Murrell, Sr. as he set a qualifying lap of 18.980. Eugene Palmer crossed the line first in the trophy dash and Brian Murrell, Jr. winning the heat race. Nick Ford held the lead for the first five laps but contact between he and Trevor Eacret allowed Brett Murrell to move to the position. The rest of the event came down to a battle between Brett Murrell, Palmer and Murrell, Sr. As the laps clicked off, Brett Murrell was able to stretch his lead. At the finish line it was Brett Murrell winning. Palmer held off Murrell, Sr. for second while Brian Murrell, Jr. and Scott Taylor finished out the top five drivers.

Darrin Sullivan narrowly took fast time for the North State Modified Series setting a 16.548. Herman Pulyer prevailed in the Lucas Oil Dash For Cash. The invert for the 60-lap main event was 10 which put Stuart Campbell on the pole. After falling back to the third position, Eric Johnson was able to move to the lead on lap 10. Kris Price moved his way to second after 15-laps and on lap 19 he took over the race lead. Price was able to slowly pull away from the rest of the pack.

Eric Price, Jr. was a favorite going into the event but fell out just before the halfway point. Terry Deal took second from Eric Johnson with 15-laps remaining but was well behind the leader. With three laps remaining, smoke poured from Sullivan’s car taking him out of action and necessitating a caution flag. The field bunched up for a sprint to the finish however Deal was not able to get by Eric Price. At the finish it was Price holding off Deal for the win. Johnson was second ahead of Randy Houston and Dustin DeRosier.

Less than 0.056 seconds separated the top three in qualifying for the Mid-City Motor World Super Six Late Model Challenge Series with Mic Moulton setting the fastest lap. George Young was the winner of heat race number one while Luke Hall won heat number two and pole position for the NorthCoast Lighting & Electric main event.

Hall jumped to the lead at the start of the feature with Dane Nissen following him into second. David Henderson slotted into third while Moulton held fourth. With nary the sign of a caution flag, handling and tire wear proved to be more important than usual. The halfway point saw Hall still leading Nissen but third place was switched between Moulton and Henderson. The front three closed up on each other. On lap 40, Moulton maneuvered past Nissen and chased Hall for the lead. With 15 to go, Moulton took the lead from Hall. Moulton was able to slowly pull away as the rest proved to be caution-free. Moulton crossed the finish line first over Hall, Nissen and Henderson. Kenny Demello put in a solid fifth place effort.

Racing on the 3/8-mile paved oval at Redwood Acres Raceway will take a month-long break as August 18th is the next race on the schedule. Prior to that event, RAR will host the Malicious Monster Truck Insanity Tour on August 3rd and 4th. Tuff trucks will also be in action as well as monster truck rides. Saturday night will be the second boat race at the Acres in 2018.

V.I.P. pre-sale tickets for the monster truck event are available to purchase at Redwood Acres Raceway’s website www.RedwoodAcresRacing.com as well as the Redwood Acres Fair office and Fortuna Wheel & Brake. More information on everything going on at the Acres can also be found on Redwood Acres Raceway’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/RedwoodAcresRaceway/

Murrell Survives Last-Lap Tangle To Win

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First time winners, big crashes mark memorable night at RAR

#26 Dane Nissen finished runner-up to Mic Moulton in the Super Six Challenge Series main event

Eureka, CA (May 13, 2018) – It was a wild night of racing at Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday on Pepsi Night at the Races. Several major incidences slowed the competition in multiple divisions but there still was some thrilling racing all night long.

Unfortunately, the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber division was not in action for the evening due to the car count. In the division championship, Nick Green holds the points lead by three over Ryan Walters. Jim Redd is another point behind Walters in third. Sam Brown is fourth and Kolby Jackson rounds out the top five.

Qualifying for the Compass Community Credit Union roadrunner division was lead by Dylan Ford with a 20.334 time-in. Race one was a battle between brothers Dylan Ford and Nick Ford. Patrick Sproul was a big challenger in the early going but contact with lapped traffic cut his right front tire which sent him into the wall. The Fords continued their fight for the lead all race long but Nick was unable to get by Dylan. At the finish it was Dylan Ford winning over Nick Ford, Amanda Lohr, Lindsey Zito and Sproul.

The second main proved to be more chaotic. The Fords again were the front-runners but the 21-second rule played into the race several times. The rule is in place to ensure fair competition in the division and to keep costs down. Both Fords broke out three times and had to allow third-place Lindsey Zito into the lead. With both Fords trying to regain the lead on lap 15, Nick got into the grass while trying to pass Zito and Dylan. Nick lost control and lost control sending both he and his brother hard into the turn three wall. Both drivers were able to climb out of their cars safely. Zito inherited the lead and was able to go on to win her first-ever main event win. Ronnie Crump placed second, Amanda Lohr third. Dylan Ford was credited with fourth and Nick Ford fifth.

Lane Anderson continued his hot-streak in qualifying for the Bandoleros with fast time, a 21.617. Anderson followed up his trophy dash victory with a win in the heat race. The feature event saw more of the same as Anderson jumped to the lead and pulled away from the rest of the field. Anderson went on to win followed by Aiden Kimberling and Kadence Mace.

Chris Lawrence has made a successful transition from the Thunder Roadster division to the NorthCoast Lighting And Electric Legends division. His 18.167 was good enough to set fast time for the class. Aiden Daniels was the trophy dash winner while the heat went to Lawrence. Wyatt Hobart jumped to the lead initially before being overtaken by Tyler Peach. Lawrence moved to second and the front pair looked to be superior to the rest of the field. They pulled away as the rest of the field sorted out. On lap 10, Tyler Krupa’s left front wheel came off between turns one and two sending him into the wall and ending his night.

After that yellow, another caution flew when Brent Mack’s car broke. Lawrence used the restart to his advantage as he was able to get by Peach on lap 14. It was Lawrence’s race from then on as he took his first main event win in the Legends division. Peach was second followed by Aiden Daniels, Hobart and Brad Henderson.

Brian Murrell, Sr. was fast time for the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock class with a 19.001. Murrell followed up with a victory in the dash. Scott Taylor pulled through to win heat race one while the second heat featured a little more excitement than some drivers wanted. Trevor Eacret and Murrell tangled on the front stretch sending Murrell into the wall. Eugene Palmer would take the victory in the race. Dylan Hagmann and C.J. Dalton led the field to the green with Dalton getting the initial lead. Just after the green, Hagmann, Brian Murrell, Jr. and Brian Murrell, Sr. all went into the pits. On lap four Dalton spun in turn four collecting Taylor.

The restart saw Jordan Paiment lead with Nick Ford in second place. Eugene Palmer’s truck lost power forcing him the pits for the duration of the race. The major turning point in the race occurred in turns one and two. Rick Estes was pulling his car into the pits. Behind him, R.C. Brown slowed just as the leaders were gaining at a high rate of speed. The result was Paiment slamming into Brown’s rear bumper. From that point on, Paiment’s car was not the same. On lap 10, Eacret took over as Paiment’s car was definitely off pace compared to earlier in the race. Gary Klinetobe did all he could as he got to within three to four car lengths on Eacret but it was not enough. At the finish it was Eacret winning his first feature over Klinetobe. Ford took third with Paiment placing fourth. Brown placed fifth.

Fast time for the Mid-City Motor World Super Six Challenge Series late models was Mic Moulton with a 15.780. Things got too exciting on the first lap of the heat race. Going into turn three, several cars got together resulting in major damage to Leonard Ward’s car. Fortunately, he was able to make the main event. The heat winner was Dane Nissen. The NorthCoast Lighting and Electric feature was led to the green by Dane Nissen and David Henderson. Things got too wild on the first lap going into the third turn when Tim Crenshaw and Kenny Demello got together. Both drivers hit the wall hard, seriously damaging both of their vehicles. Thankfully both drivers were able to walk away from their badly beaten cars.

Nissen took the lead off the restart. Marty Walsh looked to be Nissen’s main competition in the early going but the handling on his car appeared to fall off after the first 10 laps into the race. Henderson and Moulton were able to get under and past Walsh and the two tried to close in on Nissen. Both drivers were eventually able to close on Nissen and the three raced bumper-to-bumper for several laps. Henderson appeared to have the advantage handling-wise but Nissen was able to use his power down the straights to keep his lead. With 20-laps remaining, Moulton began to make a serious move to the lead. He was able to get by Henderson on lap 40. With 12 laps left, Moulton was able to get under and by Nissen. From that point on, Moulton was able to pull away. At the checkered flag it was Moulton winning over Nissen, Henderson, Marty Walsh and Ward.

Race three for the 2018 season at Redwood Acres Raceway is set to be a big event. It’s a rare Sunday night race on Memorial Day weekend, May 27th The Super Six Challenge Series Late Models will have the night off but the ever-popular North State Modifieds will be making their first visit to the 3/8-mile paved oval for the series’ second race of the year. 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
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)

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)