2016 season at Redwood Acres Raceway nearing its conclusion

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Less than a handful of races are left on the 2016 schedule for Redwood Acres Raceway. In fact, only three point paying events remain on the schedule, two for the late model division. As the season winds down, the battle for the track championship in all six local divisions promises to heat up.

The California State and Federal Employees Credit Union roadrunner division has a tie atop the division’s standings. Steve Paiment and Tyler Peach are the two drivers racing neck-and-neck for the division crown. Third place, Bethany Rapp will need both drivers to suffer serious issues to find her way back into the fight as she’s 38 points in arrears to the two leaders. Patrick Sproul is only a point behind Rapp in fourth while Dominic Vogelsang is fifth, two points behind Sproul.

James Moore has a huge advantage in the Fortuna Wheel and Brake bomber division. Moore has a 74 point lead over John Lally and appears to be a lock for the division track championship barring major unforeseen circumstances. Tyler Avelar is third in points, 93 behind Moore while Ryan Ahrens is a point behind Avelar in fourth. Rookie driver, Kimberly Sorrels is fifth in the standings, 109 behind Moore.

It’s a three man race for the title in the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock class. Gary Klinetobe leads Eugene Palmer by only five points. Jarrett Mayo led the standings for the majority of the season but has suffered two straight races of bad luck which have dropped him to third and 12 points behind Klinetobe. Daniel Buell has been impressive in his rookie season in the division and is fourth in points, 54 behind Klinetobe. Division veteran, Rick Estes is fifth in points, 60 behind the leader.

Only four points separate first and second in the Thunder Roadster division. Veteran Tommy Payne leads rookie Ronnie O’Neil. It’s likely that the championship in the division will go down to the wire between the two drivers as they have finished near each other in nearly every race this season. Donnie Brown and Aaron Byers are 25 and 28 points behind Payne and though they are still in the point fight, it will take issues by both leaders for them to regain ground. LeRoy Marsh, Jr. rounds out the top five, 75 points behind Payne.

Robert Miller has a firm hold on the Legends division points lead. His gap over second place Anissa Curtice is 30 markers. Anissa’s father, Brad Curtice is third in points, 12 behind his daughter. Brent Mack is fourth, 60 behind Miller and rookie racer, M’Kinzy Usselton lies fifth in the point standings.

With only two races left in the Mid City Motor World late model division, the fight for position in each race is going to matter even more. Mic Moulton has a 16 point lead over Jedd Ambrosini. Marty Walsh and Richard Knight are tied for third, 21 markers behind Moulton. Kenny Demello is fifth, 35 out of the point lead.

Racing at the Acres returns this weekend August 20th for Driver Appreciation/Fastenal Night at the Races Presented by Lenox and Irwin Tools. Fans can get complimentary tickets from their favorite driver. In addition to the six local classes, the second annual Murrell 500 race will be held. Track officials also announced the return of the Fall Spectacular on October 8th and 9th. More details will be provided on the season-ending event soon. Also, the final outlaw kart race of 2016 will take place August 27th. It’s certain to be an exciting event as youngsters will take to the .110-dirt oval for the final time this season. For more information on everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com

North State Modifieds return to the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

After a long three-week break, racing returns to the 3/8-mile paved oval known as Redwood Acres Raceway this Saturday July 23rd. In addition to the six local divisions, the North State Modified Series will also be in action for Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Eureka Night at the Races.

The championship battle in the California State and Federal Employee’s Credit Union roadrunner class is a two-driver race at this point in the season. Steve Paiment holds the lead by 15 points over Tyler Peach. Patrick Sproul is the highest rookie in the standings in third but is 41 points behind Paiment. Bethany Rapp is fourth in the standings followed by Dominic Vogelsang in fifth.

In the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bombers, it’s a one man show for the division’s track championship. James Moore holds a huge 57 point advantage over second place, Ryan Ahrens. Rookie, John Lally holds down third in points while division dominator, Tyler Avelar is fourth. Another rookie, Kimberly Sorrels rounds out the top five in the division standings.

The Humboldt Hydroponic mini stock division features a tight, three-man race for the track championship. Only 11 points separate the top three drivers of Jarrett Mayo, Gary Klinetobe and Eugene Palmer. Daniel Buell is a mini stock rookie but has done well so far in 2016 and is fourth in the points. Brothers hold down fifth as Brett Murrell and Brian Murrell, Jr. are tied for the position.

The point battle in the Thunder Roadster class is even tighter as division rookie, Ronnie O’Neil leads veteran Tommy Payne by one point. Donnie Brown is third in the standings with Aaron Byers in fourth. Both drivers are still in the fight as they are 19 and 22 points behind the leader but they will need misfortune to strike O’Neil and Payne. Fifth is LeRoy Marsh, Jr. who has returned to the Acres after several years away from the track.

Brent Mack’s once substantial lead in the Legends division is slowly being chipped away by Robert Miller who is only 15 points behind. The daughter and father combination of Anissa Curtice and Brad Curtice are third and fourth in the standings. Young M’Kinzy Uselton holds down fifth in the points.

Despite suffering issues in the most recent event, the Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100, Mic Moulton still holds the lead in the Mid City Motor World late model standings. Moulton leads Jedd Ambrosini by 14 points. Richard Knight is third in the points and is only four behind Ambrosini. Marty Walsh was unable to even start the last race but is still in the fight and fourth in the standings. Kenny Demello has been steady all season long and is fifth in the points.

The North State Modified Series will return to Redwood Acres Raceway for the second time in 2016. Darrin Knight dominated the first event and is the series points leader by 65 points. Knight has been a dominant force in the NSMS as he has won 3 of the last six series races at the Acres. Even though Knight is running away with the series championship, only six points separate second through fifth in the standings. Bryan Denton and Codi Barba are tied for the second position with 262 points. Darrin Sullivan is fourth while Mike Collins is fifth.

Grandstands open at 5:00 PM this Saturday while racing begins at 6:30 PM. One of the most anticipated events of the year follows on August 6th when the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series returns to the 3/8-mile paved oval for the third time ever. The Bear River Casino & Hotel and Renner Petroleum 125 promises to be intense and action-packed with the top super late model racers on the west coast taking to the Acres pavement. This upcoming weekend’s race will be the last that fans can purchase pre-sale tickets at a discount.

There are only two more chances to see the outlaw karts in action. Saturday July 30th is the second to last event for the karts while Saturday August 27th is the final event of the year. For more information on everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com

Championships still up in the air at the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The battle for the track championships in Redwood Acres Raceway’s six divisions is still up in the air. With the season nearly a quarter of the way done there are a lot of things that can change between this weekend’s upcoming race on June 11th and the final point races in September.

Redwood Acres Raceway’s newest division, the Legends are picking up cars as the season progresses. Current point leader, Brent Mack has managed to be the only driver to be able to start each of the four feature events this season and holds a commanding 28 point lead. Former Thunder Roadster racer, Robert Miller has used his experience to move into second. Brad Curtice is a point behind Miller in third while his daughter, Anissa Curtice is fourth only three markers behind. Denny Hadler, Jr. finished second in the most recent main event on May 29th and rounds out the top five in the standings.

Experience is paying off for Steve Paiment who leads the standings for the California State & Federal Employees Credit Union roadrunner division. Tyler Peach holds down second in the point standings and is 14 points behind Paiment. Bethany Rapp lies third and is an additional 13 points behind second place, Peach. Fourth position features a tie between Jennifer Murrell and Patrick Sproul.

Only two points separate first and second in the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber division. Tyler Avelar has been a force in the division in 2016 and leads the standings but James Moore is right on his heels in second. Ryan Ahrens is third but 39 points behind Avelar. John Lally is fourth in the standings, seven points behind Ahrens while Kim Sorrels is fifth.

With two main event victories in 2016, Jarrett Mayo leads the chase for the championship in the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock class. Mayo’s advantage is 10 points over second place, Gary Klinetobe. Eugene Palmer is third and 11 points behind Mayo while Daniel Buell is farther back in fourth, 22 points behind Mayo. Brian Murrell, Sr. is fifth in points and 35 markers behind the leaders.

Another Acres veteran who has put his experience to good use in 2016 is Tommy Payne. The former Thunder Roadster champion is looking to add another to his resume and leads second place Ronnie O’Neil by nine points. Aaron Byers is third in the standings and still within sight of Payne as he’s 12 points behind. Fourth is Donnie Brown who is a single point behind third. LeRoy Marsh, Jr. rounds out the top five, 28 points behind Payne.

The Mid City Motor World late models have been off for nearly a month and it should be interesting this Saturday to see how the break has affected the drivers and teams in the division. Only fifteen points separate first to fifth in the standings with Mic Moulton leading second place, Marty Walsh by two points. Racing legend, Jim Walker is third and four points behind Moulton. Jedd Ambrosini is fourth while Kenny Demello rounds out the top five.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway returns this Saturday June 11th for Humboldt Motorsports Night at the Races. As noted, the Mid-City Motor World late models will return to the track to join the other five local classes of cars. Grandstands will open at 5:00 PM while racing begins at 6:30 PM. For more information on everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com

Knight returns to Acres winner’s circle

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was O’Reilly Auto Parts Night at the Races this past Sunday afternoon at Redwood Acres Raceway. Sunshine graced the 3/8-mile paved oval for what proved to be another intense night of action. While the local late model division had the night off, the five other regular classes of cars were joined by the North State Modified Series cars.

The Legends were joined by a few out-of-town drivers this week. Brian Kamisky set fast time with a 18.098 qualifying lap. Kamisky followed his quick time with a win in the trophy dash while Robert Miller took the heat race victory. Brent Mack led the opening three laps before Miller took the lead. Kamisky moved by Hadler to second on lap 20 and looked as though he was ready to give Miller a serious challenge for the race lead. Unfortunately, Kamisky got loose and spun in turns three and four. Miller was able to hold off Hadler’s final charge to claim his first Legend feature win. Kamisky took third over Mack and Brad Curtice.

Quick time in the California State & Federal Employee Credit Union roadrunner class was a 20.839 by Steve Paiment. Tyler Peach took the victory in the trophy dash. The heat race winners were Shawn Molloy and Paiment. The 20-lap feature proved to be a rough race from the drop of the green flag. Several cars got together right at the flag with Molloy getting the worst of it. He was out of action for the rest of the race. Because of the numerous caution flags, the event was cut down to 16 laps. The finish came down to a battle between Richard Stancliff, Bob Ratzlaff, Dominic Vogelsang and Paiment. Vogelsang led the white flag lap but Paiment was able to get by and win the race to the checkered flag. Ratzlaff beat Vogelsang for second followed by Standcliff and Bethany Rapp.

James Moore was the quick qualifier for the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bombers with a lap of 18.333. Visiting driver, Erick Ray took the wins in both the trophy dash and heat races. The 25-lap main event featured a fantastic duel between Ray and Tyler Avelar. The two traded the lead back and forth through the first 14 laps before Avelar was able to take the lead for good. Nobody had anything for Avelar on the night and at the finish it was Avelar taking the win followed by Ray, Moore and John Lally.

Qualifying for the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stocks was led by Gary Klinetobe who set the fast lap of 18.843. Rick Estes won the four-lap trophy dash. Heat race one was taken by Brian Murrell, Jr. while Estes took the win in heat two. Brett Murrell led the opening four laps of the 25-lap main before giving way to Jarrett Mayo who. Estes looked to be the man to beat as he got to the lead on lap seven. Estes and Palmer staged a thrilling duel for the race. On the final lap, both drivers tangled with Estes spinning into the infield dirt. Although Palmer crossed the line first, he was penalized for his involvement in the incident. This gave Mayo the win, his second of the year. Rookie, Daniel Buell took second over Brian Murrell, Sr. in third. Estes was scored fourth while Palmer placed fifth.

Robbie Nelson set the place in qualifying for the Thunder Roadsters with a 17.221 lap. Aaron Byers took the trophy dash victory while Ronnie O’Neil won the heat race. After winning the main event in the previous race, Byers suffered issues in the first lap as he hit the turn one wall hard. Fortunately he was okay. Donnie Brown led lap one by it proved to be O’Neil’s night as he took the lead on lap two and never looked back. Tommy Payne was O’Neil’s closest challenger but the veteran driver lost ground as he battled Nelson the majority of the race. At the finish it was O’Neil winning his first ever Thunder Roadster main event. Payne took second over LeRoy Marsh, Jr., Nelson and Brown.

The North State Modified Series visited Redwood Acres Raceway for the first of two times in 2016. 15 modifieds showed up but 13 qualified as Charlie Collins and Michael Mitchell both suffered issues that ended their day prematurely. Darrin Knight set fast time with a 16.184 lap. The $100 Lucas Oil Dash For Cash prize was won by Jay Lindstroth while Richie Potts took the $50 that came for second place.

Guy Young took the lead from the start of the Swartz Diesel Nor-Cal 60. Young pulled out to a tremendous lead while the faster qualifiers of Knight and Lindstroth maneuvered their way to the front. By lap 24, Knight was in the lead. On lap 28, Lindstroth moved to second. There were only two caution flags in the race, one of which involved David Lyndall in turn three on lap 43. Lindstroth was able to hang on to Knight’s bumper on the restarts but Knight’s car prevailed as the laps went on. At the finish, it was Knight winning by a little over a second over Lindstroth. Bryan Denton started dead last and was able to finish third while Young and Mike Collins rounded out the top five finishers.

Racing at Redwood Acres Raceway returns on Saturday June 25th for a special fair night event. It’s will be a Night of Destruction at the Acres featuring the first ever pole race for the roadrunners. Also featured will be the popular boat races. The Mid-City Motor World late models will have the night off but the other four local divisions will be in action. As always, the grandstands will open at 5:00 PM while racing begins at 6:30 PM. For more information on everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com

Moulton, Payne early season point leaders

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Two races have been completed in Redwood Acres Raceway’s 2016 season and already fans have seen some memorable moments in all six of the raceway’s local divisions. The excitement promises to ramp up this Sunday May 29th for O’Reilly Auto Parts Night at the Races. While the late model division will have the night off, the rest of the five local divisions will play host to the exciting North State Modified Series.

The points in Redwood Acres Raceway’s newest division, the Legends is currently being led by Brent Mack. He currently holds a substantial 37 point lead over the two drivers tied for second place, Brad Curtice and Anissa Curtice who also happen to be father and daughter. Mack’s large lead is due to avoiding catastrophe in the season opening race on April 30th. Keith Van Dyne is fourth and Robert Miller rounds out the top five. The class is expected to grow as 2016 progresses.

Steve Paiment has a three point advantage over Tyler Peach in the California State & Federal Employee Credit Union roadrunner division. Two female drivers sit third in fourth in the standings with Jennifer Murrell 14 points in arrears to Paiment and Bethany Rapp 17 points behind the leader. Rookie driver, Patrick Sproul is fifth in points and 20 behind Paiment.

The battle for the track championship in the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber division is very tight as a single point separates James Moore in first and Tyler Avelar in second. Ryan Ahrens holds on to third in the standings and is eight points behind Moore. Rookie driver, Kim Sorrels is fourth and 17 points behind Moore while another rookie, John Lally holds down the fifth position.

The Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division has arguably produced some of the best racing at the Acres thus far in 2016. Only eight points separate first through third in the standings. Jarrett Mayo currently leads Gary Klinetobe by three markers while Eugene Palmer is right on both of their heels in third. Daniel Buell is a rookie in the mini stock class and has used smart driving and consistent finishes to get to fourth in the standings, 19 points behind Mayo. Fifth place is a tie between mini stock veteran, Brian Murrell, Sr. and mini stock rookie, Michael Lawrence. Both drivers are 28 points behind Mayo.

The Thunder Roadster division has put on some exciting races as well in 2016. Tommy Payne is a former champion in the division and is the owner of an eight point lead over Thunder Roadster rookie, Aaron Byers. Donnie Brown is third and only four points behind Byers. Four points behind Brown is another rookie, Ronnie O’Neil. Fifth in the standings is a tie between LeRoy Marsh, Jr. who’s returned to the Acres after several seasons away and rookie, Jett Taylor.

The Mid City Motor World late models will not be partaking in the upcoming Memorial Day weekend events which likely is a blessing for several drivers in the division. Mic Moulton leads the standings in spite of suffering issues in the previous race on May 14th. Second place, Marty Walsh has been able to avoid any severe incidents and is only two points behind Moulton for the lead. Jim Walker is third in the standings, only four points behind Moulton. The West Coast racing legend’s car suffered heavy damage in the most recent race and it will be interesting to see how soon Walker will return to action. Jedd Ambrosini holds down fourth in the standings, only eight points behind Moulton while Kenny Demello is fifth, 15 points behind the leader.

The North State Modified Series visits Redwood Acres Raceway this weekend for their second race of the 2016 season, the Swartz Diesel Nor-Cal 60. Sacramento’s Jason Philpot won the season opening Gene Welch Classic at All American Speedway on April 23rd. The scheduled May 7th race at Shasta Speedway was rained out. Last season’s two NSMS races at the Acres were won by Rich Lindgren and Darren Knight.

Redwood Acres Raceway will hold an open practice Saturday May 28th from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM followed by a barbecue. Sunday grandstands open at 5:00 PM, while racing will begin at 6:00 PM. General admission is $15, seniors $13 and children 12 & under are $2.00. Kids under five years old are free while military members who present their military IDs will also enter free. For more information on this weekend’s upcoming races, please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com

Point races muddled after season opening event

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Opening night at Redwood Acres Raceway on April 30th proved to be a very interesting evening of racing on the 3/8-mile paved oval. The battle for the track championship in all six divisions still has a long way to go. Those at the top are looking to add to their early advantage while others hope to recover from woes suffered in the first race of 2016.

Steve Paiment currently leads the California State & Federal Employee Credit Union roadrunner standings. The division veteran holds a five point advantage over second place, Tyler Peach. Bethany Rapp and Jennifer Murrell are tied for third while Richard Standcliff is fifth. Standcliff is division rookie and won opening night’s main event in the roadrunners.

The Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber division standings are currently being led by Tyler Avelar. His advantage is four points over James Moore thanks to his main event victory. Ryan Ahrens is seven points behind Avelar in third while Matt Simon and Kim Sorrels round out the top five, ten and twelve points in arrears to Avelar.

Jarrett Mayo was dominant in the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division on April 30th. His advantage over Gary Klinetobe is four points. Eugene Palmer sits third in the standings and is only eight points behind Mayo. Division rookie, Daniel Buell is fourth 11 points behind Mayo while Brett Murrell is fifth and 12 points off Mayo’s lead.

After winning the first Thunder Roadster feature, division point leader, Tommy Payne will look to add another victory while padding his lead for the track championship. Payne has a six point lead over Donnie Brown in the standings. Aaron Byers and Ronnie O’Neill are tied for third and are seven points behind Payne. Chris Sarvinski had a tough first night but is still in the fight as he is fifth in the standings and only 10 points behind Payne.

Due to the rest of the field having issues on opening night, Brent Mack has a substantial lead in the new Legend division standings. Mack leads Anissa Curtice by 33 markers. Brad Curtice is 41 points behind while M’Kinzy Uselton is 43 points off Mack’s lead.

The Mid City Motor World late model point standings are currently being led by veteran driver, Mic Moulton. Second place is locked between opening night feature winner, Jedd Ambrosini and west coast racing legend, Jim Walker both of whom are three points behind Moulton. Another tie rounds out the top five drivers in the division standings as Marty Walsh and Kenny Demello are eight points behind Moulton.

Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway in this Saturday May 14th for Pepsi Night at the Acres. All six local divisions will be in action for what should be another thrilling night of action on the pavement. Grandstands open at 5:00PM with racing beginning at 6:30PM. For more information, 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.

Championship standings jumble after Independence Day event

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

By Matthew J. Sullivan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Redwood Acres Raceway set for spectacular Firecracker 100

Dylan Ford has been a dominant force in the roadrunner division

By Matthew J. Sullivan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Miller victorious after Henderson breaks

Oregon veteran, David Miller took the late model main event
victory on opening night at Redwood Acres Raceway

By Matthew J. Sullivan

It was opening night of the 2015 season at Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday evening as it was Renner Petroleum Night at the 3/8-mile paved oval. A large crowd of excited race fans turned out to see the five local classes of Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks, Thunder Roadsters and Mid City Motor World late models.

Prior to the racing action, fans were able to greet drivers while also voting which driver had the best appearing car in each division. The winners for each division were Jett Taylor in the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunners, Mike Knight in the bombers, Eugene Palmer in the mini stocks, Belinda Ward in the Thunder Roadsters and Kenny Demello in the Mid City Motor World late models.

Dylan Ford set fast time for the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner division with a 20.157 qualifying lap. The trophy dash victory was taken by Jett Taylor while the heat race victory was recorded by Ford. The 20-lap feature was a thrilling affair between several drivers, among them rookie, Shawn Malloy who made the transition from a passenger in the bomber division to driver in the roadrunner division. Unfortunately, Malloy’s inexperience did him in resulting in a spin that took him off the lead lap and out of contention.

The racing was close between the faster qualifiers of Ford and Taylor and the slower qualified drivers Steve Paiment and Daniel Buell. Paiment was able to maneuver into the lead with two laps remaining in the main event. Ford did all he could on the last lap to out-gun Paiment for the lead but it was not to be as Paiment took his first ever main event victory narrowly over Ford, Taylor, Buell and Andrew Pimentel. The final margin of victory was a scant .065 seconds.

Dustin Walters set quick time in the bomber division at 17.939. James Moore got his sophomore campaign in the division off to the right start with the trophy dash win while Walters prevailed in the heat race. The 25-lap main event for the bombers was shortened to 15 after a first lap incident that took out the cars of Walters and Michael Knight who was visiting from Lakeport. Coming off the fourth turn, Lance Martins got sideways in front of Knight. In an effort to avoid hitting Martins, Knight turned left but unfortunately tagged Walters’ car sending him into the wall. Thankfully both drivers were unharmed.

Tyler Avelar blasted to the lead when the race restarted, pulling out to what ended up being an insurmountable lead for Moore. The gap between the two closed noticeably as the laps wound down but at the checkered flag Avelar still held a comfortable margin as he crossed the line first over Moore and Martins.

The field for the mini stock division in 2015 looks to be growing as 12 cars showed up to race. Unfortunately, Dax Kinsey would not be able to race on the night as his car was unable to return after the first qualifying round. Rick Estes was the only driver to get under the 19 second bracket as he clocked in with fast time with a 18.995 time. 2013 roadrunner champion, Jarrett Mayo returned to racing at the Acres after a year away and showed no signs of rust as he won the first heat race. 2014 bomber champ, Leonard Ward took the victory in the second heat.

The field for the 25-lap mini stock main event was shortened due to 2014 roadrunner champion, Gary Klinetobe having issues. The race got off to a crazy start when Jordon Paiment slowed suddenly in front of the field causing several cars to spin. Fortunately nobody suffered any damage although Paiment was forced to retire for the night. Mayo took the lead on the restart but was overtaken by Brian Murrell, Jr. on lap two. On lap six, Ward moved by Murrell into the lead. Estes was beginning to show his strength in the middle stages of the race but hit the wall off turn four which damaged his exhaust system. After several laps of sparks coming from his car, Estes’ exhaust fell off entering turn three taking him out of the racing and necessitating a caution flag.

The yellow looked to be just what Murrell needed as he was able to get by Ward on the restart. However on the next lap, Murrell had trouble as his throttle stuck going into turn one. While he was able to avoid further disaster, the pedal on Murrell’s car broke forcing him to pull his car into the infield and out of action. Murrell’s misfortune made the rest of Ward’s race easier as he was able to hold off Dylan Ford to take the win. Mayo took third over two more division rookies, Eugene Palmer and Ken Barrett who was behind the wheel of Ryan Ahrens Karmann Ghia.

Fast time in the Thunder Roadster class was set by defending division champion, Paul Peeples, Jr. at 17.171. Peeples was able to follow up his fast time in qualifying with victories in both the trophy dash and the heat race. Chris Lawrence held the lead for the first two circuits of the 30-lap main for the Thunder Roadsters but could not hold off the faster challengers of Peeples and Robbie Nelson. Lawrence settled into third and the best action of the race was the battle between him and Mike Ward. Meanwhile, Peeples was able to hold off Nelson for the lead the entire race. At the finish it was Peeples winning over Nelson, Lawrence, Ward and Tommy Payne.

The Mid City Motor World late model division saw several new faces joining the field. Former Thunder Roadster champion, David Henderson used his experience to set fast time on the night with a 16.169 lap. Late model sophomore, Ryun Leazer brought home his first win in the division taking the honors in the trophy dash while Henderson took the heat race victory.

The 35-lap main event got off to a quick start thanks to Henderson who took the lead from the start and pulled to an enormous lead over the rest of the field. The Fortuna driver looked to be the class of the field and it appeared that the rest of the competition would be fighting to see who would place second. The driver who looked to be in that position was making a surprise visit to RAR’s local late model division, Oregon veteran, David Miller. Though the race was slowed by caution a few times, Henderson was able to race back to the lead and outpace Miller and the rest of the competition.
Just past the halfway mark of the event, Henderson’s engine began to sound sour. At lap 24, Henderson slowed and entered the pits giving Miller the race lead. Miller’s experience as well as a superior handling car proved to be the key to victory as he was able to lead the rest of the way to the win. Lakeport driver, Richard Knight took second over division rookies George Young and Tyler Avelar. Jedd Ambrosini placed fifth.

Racing takes a break for a week before returning Saturday May 9th with all five local classes back in action. Grandstands open at 5:00PM and racing begins at 6:30PM for more information on all of what’s going on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com .