Walsh survives, wins first race of 2015

Marty Walsh took his first win of 2015 on Saturday night

By Matthew J. Sullivan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 100+ NASCAR Southwest Tour Drivers Of All-Time (Coming Soon)

Several years ago, I put together a list on this blog of the top 25 drivers in the history of NASCAR's now long gone Southwest Tour series. Here are the rankings for 21-16, 15-6 and 5-1. I based my opinion purely on statistical information, at least what was available at the time. Since then, more information for the series has become available to the point where with the exception of two races (I believe) full stats of every single NASCAR Southwest Tour race between 1986 and 2006 are now on the Internet.

Because of that, I thought it would be a good idea to go back and sort though the more complete stats and see if the conclusion I came to before is different or similar. I also decided to expand the list this time to include more drivers. It would be a long task to go through and rank every single driver who started a race in the Southwest Tour and frankly that wouldn't be any fun for me. I limited the drivers I would rank to anyone who ran or attempted to run the series full-time for at least one season (minimum 10 races) and/or drivers who raced in at least 20 races.

The criteria I set regarding the rankings will be similar to what I used in the original rankings. Drivers will be ranked based on series championships, wins and winning percentage, top 5 and top 5 percentage, top 10 and top 10 percentage and average race finish. As with last time, there won't be any bias on my part and I will determine the rankings based on what the numbers say.

I have compiled the list of drivers who will be ranked which you can view in the Excel file below. It will take me a while to sort through the rankings and determine where everyone places in each category so this is something that will take weeks and possibly months. But I'm looking forward to going through and remembering the drivers and the races in NASCAR Southwest Tour history. I hope you will enjoy it too.

Click here to view the Excel file.

Lindgren, Moulton Memorial race winners

Rich Lindgren took home the win in the North State Modified Series

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The 2015 season at Redwood Acres Raceway resumed for a special Sunday night affair. Though the weather was rather dreary for Del Reka Distributing Night at the Races, a great crowd showed up for the first race of the Tri-Holday series for the late model division. Along with the other local divisions of roadrunners, bombers and mini stocks, the quickly growing North State Modified Series made their first stop of the season at the 3/8-mile paved oval. In addition to all of that, it was also Salute to the Troops night at the Acres and all members of the military were able to get into the races for free with a military ID.

The Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner trophy dash win was taken by Dylan Ford. Steve Paiment narrowly took the victory in the heat race. Nick Vellis was making his first start of the year and was quick to take the lead at the start of the 20-lap feature. Unfortunately his time up front was short as contact from Andrew Pimentel resulted in a flat tire, taking him out of action. Rookie driver, Shawn Malloy showed surprising strength leading numerous laps until the 15th circuit when he was put in a three-wide situation between R.C. Brown and Ford. Malloy spun and the caution flag was displayed.

The last six laps featured a duel for the win between rookie Brown and Ford. Ford was able to get the benefit of the inside line under Brown on the last lap and it proved to be the advantage he needed as he was able to beat Brown to the line to take the victory. Daniel Buell placed third.

Dustin Walters was the winner of the trophy dash for the bomber division. Walters has been the dominant factor in the bombers this year and things were no different on this night as he also took the heat race win. James Moore moved to the lead in the first handful of laps in the 20-lap feature but it didn’t take Walters long to get to the front. Walters moved under and past Moore on lap seven and never looked back. At the finish it was Walters winning handily over Moore, Ryan Walters, Lance Martins and Michael Knight.

The mini stock division continues to grow as the season progresses. Brian Murrell, Sr. was the victor in the trophy dash while the heat race wins were claimed by Cole Peterson and Murrell, Sr. The 25-lap feature got off to a slow start due to fuel leaking from Rick Estes truck. When the green flag came back out, the racing at the front was thrilling as the faster cars tried their best to get to the front while the slower cars did all they could to maintain their track position.

The father/son duo of Brian Murrell Sr. and Jr. were the two drivers who were able to break from the pack and set sail while the rest of the field duked it out from third on back. After a spin by Cole Peterson, the green dropped again and again the Murrells fought hard for the race lead. The caution allowed two other drivers to get into the action, Estes and Chris Champagne. Sadly, things would sour for three of those drivers. Champagne suffered engine woes which put him in the pits and Murrell, Jr. and Estes got tangled off turn four taking their chances of victory away. Mini stock rookie, Eugene Palmer was in Murrell, Sr.’s hip pocket in the closing stages but did not have the horsepower to take the lead away. At the checkered flag it was Murrell, Sr. winning over Palmer, Estes, Dylan Ford and Gary Klinetobe.

The first of the three Tri-Holiday races for the Mid City Motor World late model division took place on the night. In addition to earning points to the season long track championship, the Tri-Holiday races for Memorial Day weekend, Independence Day weekend and Labor Day weekend all count to a separate points title. Mic Moulton took the trophy dash win which saw Marty Walsh and Jim Walker get together. Fortunately both drivers were able to continue for the rest of the night. Richard Knight won the first heat race while Ryun Leazer held on to win the second heat race.

The 35-lap feature saw a field of 10 starters reduced to only four cars being able to get to the finish. The first incident of the race occurred due to apparent contact between Walker and George Young which collected Leazer. The race was slowed again after a few laps due to Tyler Avelar spinning off turn two. The yellow dropped again when Avelar spun in turn one, collecting Mark Williams. By this point, only one lap had been completed.

Things settled down long enough for Mic Moulton to take the lead away from Jedd Ambrosini while Marty Walsh followed him into second. Trouble occurred once again on lap eight when Ambrosini spun off turn four. In the smoke, Kenny Demello and Williams got together ending the race for both of their cars. The race was slowed only once from then on out. Walsh briefly challenged Moulton but didn’t have the strength to stay with him to the end. At the line it was Moulton winning over Walsh. Ambrosini placed third, Richard Knight fourth and Walker was credited with a fifth place result.

16 cars timed in for the North State Modified Series for the evening. Lucas Oil Modified Series regular, Tripp Gaylord made the 1,373-mile trip from his home in Golden, Colorado to Redwood Acres Raceway count as he set quick time with a 16.191. Charlie Collins took the trophy and the $100 cash prize in the Lucas Oil Dash for Cash. The 60-lap feature presented by Protect The Harvest got off to a quick start as Darrin Knight took the lead from pole thanks in part to Gaylord drawing a four-car invert. Knight’s experience at the Acres came to fruition in the early laps and he looked to be the class of the field on the night.

The most serious incident of the race took place on lap 20 when contact from another car sent Sal Lopez spinning right in front of the leaders. Knight was able to get by while second place, Michael Mitchell could not avoid Lopez’s stopped car and made contact with his left front suspension. It was a serious blow for the NSMS point leader as he was forced into the pits and though he returned to the track, he finished the event many laps down. Under the caution, Knight’s car came to a stop on the back stretch with apparent ignition trouble, ending his race.

With the two leaders falling out, Rich Lindgren inherited the race lead and after the restart he and Gaylord pulled away from the rest of the field. The driver who was doing the most passing was Bryan Denton. Meanwhile up front, Lindgren was able to maintain a somewhat comfortable gap over second place, Gaylord. The field was tightened up with five laps remaining when Mike Gorham spun in turns three and four. Lindgren was able to withstand Gaylord challenge for the lead after the restart and he was the first to the checkered flag for his second win of the season in the NSMS. Gaylord placed second followed by Collins, Denton and Jason Philpot.

Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway June 6th with all five local classes back in action, including the Thunder Roadsters who had this weekend off. The North State Modified Series returns to the Acres later in the year on September 6th. For more information on the North State Modified Series, visit their official website www.northstatemodifieds.com . For more information on any and all of the goings on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com .Tri

Big weekend of racing set for the Acres

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

By Matthew J. Sullivan

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

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

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

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

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

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

Henderson, Nelson big winners on Pepsi night

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

By Matthew J. Sullivan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 .

Racing set to return to the Acres in 2015

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The 2015 season at Redwood Acres Raceway is only a few months away and it promises to be another thrilling year of racing on the 3/8-mile paved oval. The 2014 season was in doubt at this time last year but in the end the year proved to be a rousing success thanks to the father/daughter promoting team of Blair and Jennifer Aiken. With more time to set this year’s schedule and get everything aligned for the season, it is highly likely that 2015 will manage to be even better.

A tentative schedule for 2015 has been released and features potentially 13 events for the upcoming season. Of course the five local divisions of bombers, roadrunners, mini stocks, Thunder Roadsters and late models will be featured nearly every week with a few exceptions during the year. In addition to the local classes, Redwood Acres Raceway will play host to several special events, some of which will be new attractions for the track.

Perhaps the biggest event of the year will be the return of the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series super late models on August 1st. The SRL Series previously visited the Acres in 2013 and the race attracted perhaps the largest crowd the track has had in recent memory. Redwood Acres Raceway will also have a special three-race Tri-Holiday Series late model championship on Memorial Day May 24th, Independence Day July 4th and Labor Day weekend September 6th.

The North State Challenge Series modifieds will return to Redwood Acres Raceway to join the late model events on May 24th and July 4th. 2015 marks the second season for the NSCS modifieds and the series is quickly growing in popularity in Northern California. Another series returning to RAR is the Northern California Pro-4 Modifieds. The NCPro-4s lasted visited the Acres in 2012 and always put on exciting and competitive races.

Other highlights in 2015 include opening night April 25th which coincides with the annual Rhododendron Parade in Eureka, boat races on July 18th, Driver Appreciation Night on August 22nd. The final points race will be on September 19th which will also be Fan Appreciation Night. The season will be capped off with the First Annual Roadrunner Jackpot Race and Bomber Bash however the date has not been finalized. Other events are likely to be added to the schedule and will be posted on RacingTheAcres.com when the schedule is official.

Moulton, Peeples Acres track champions

Moulton, Peeples Acres track champions

By Matthew J. Sullivan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2014 titles on the line this weekend at the Acres

2014 titles on the line this weekend at the Acres

By Matthew J. Sullivan

The 10th race of the 2014 season at Redwood Acres Raceway is only a few days away as the points season will conclude this Saturday night for Mid City Motor World Championship Night. Track championships will be decided in all five local classes and it should be a thrilling night of racing as drivers will be doing all they can to earn the best position they can in the final standings.

Gary Klinetobe has been the man to beat in the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunner division in 2014. Klinetobe has earned five main event victories on the season and leads the standings by 29 markers over second place, Eugene Palmer who has won two main events this year. Palmer is the only driver who has a chance to overtake Palmer for the track championship but his odds are long given that Klinetobe will have to have incredibly bad luck to lose the title.

Tim Abeyta is third in points for the roadrunners while Robbie Robinson is fourth and Kayla Foster is fifth. None of those drivers has been able to find victory lane in a main event this season. Two drivers not high in the points standings have been the only other main event victors in the division in 2014. Jett Taylor pulled off a shocking win on July 19th while Dylan Ford won the most recent race on August 16th.

The track championship looks to be locked up for Leonard Ward in the John’s Used Cars and Wreckers bomber class. Ward holds a virtually insurmountable 61 point margin over Tyler Avelar. Rookie driver, James Moore is third in the standings only six points behind Avelar. The top three drivers have won all but one race this season with Ward taking five wins, Avelar two wins and Moore a win on May 25th.

Matt Simon is fourth in points while Donnie Hyman still holds on to fifth in spite of suffering a season ending injury in the July 19th feature event. Out of town visitor, David Dillinger is the only other driver who has won a main in the bomber class, coming home victorious on July 5th.

The point margin between first and second in the mini stock class is 38 points with Brian Murrell, Jr. holding the advantage over Rick Estes. Even though Murrell’s lead looks to be secure enough for him to take the track championship, Estes cannot be counted out. Both Murrell and Estes have won twice this season but Estes’ wins have occurred the past two races on August 2nd and August 16th.

Brett Murrell holds down third in points and is seven points in arrears to Estes in spite of having bad luck all year long. Chelsea Champagne is fourth in points, 15 behind Murrell while Jordon Paiment is fifth in the standings. Other main event winners in the mini stock class have been Nick Green who won on June 21st and July 19th and visiting driver, David Felch who won the July 5th event.

Unless Paul Peeples, Jr. happens upon some bad luck this Saturday night, it looks as though he will take the track championship in the Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadster division. Peeples has won five times this year and has a 34 point lead over David Henderson and Chris Sarvinski who are tied for second position. Henderson has three main event wins in 2014 including the most recent race on August 16th while Sarvinski’s lone win came on July 5th. Robbie Nelson holds down fourth in points followed by Thomas Payne in fifth who was involved in a serious incident on August 16th which severely damaged his car.

The closest points race at the Acres in 2014 is in the Mid City Motor World late model division. The intense racing that has happened on the track is mirrored in the standings as Mic Moulton leads Luke Hall by only 12 points. Both drivers have won four times this year with Hall having won the August 16th race. These two drivers have finished first and second to each other seven times this season and it will not be surprising to see the championship literally decided on the final lap.

Kenny Demello has not won a main event but has been consistent and is third in points but well out of the championship fight. Division rookie, Ryun Leazer has been steady all year long and sits fourth in points while Acres veteran, Al Acuna holds down fifth. Jerry Peterson is the only other driver to win in the late model division this year having done so on opening night, May 17th. Peterson sits sixth in the standings with a chance of getting into fifth.

Do not miss out on what promises to be a memorable night of racing this Saturday night at the Acres. Grandstands open at 5:00PM while racing begins at 6:30PM. Don’t forget that even though the points races are ending this weekend, there is still the season ending Fall Spectacular event Friday through Sunday September 26th, 27th and 28th. The local divisions of roadrunners, bombers, mini stocks and Thunder Roadsters will be joined by the IMCA modifieds and the 100-lap super late model race.

More information on this weekend’s event as well as the Fall Spectacular race can be found on Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com .

Last lap contact gives Hall the win

Last lap contact gives Hall the win

By Matthew J. Sullivan

Racing action returned to Redwood Acres Raceway this past Saturday for what proved to be an intense night of thrills and spills. In addition to the exciting racing at Eureka, California’s 3/8-mile paved oval, it was Driver Appreciation Night. After all the heat races in the five local divisions, fans met drivers on the front stretch for a meet-and greet session. Every driver in every division greeted fans young and old, signed autographs and handed out goodies of all sort.

Ken Barrett was victorious in the trophy dash for the Humboldt Hydroponics roadrunners. Andrew Pementel won the first heat race while Gary Klinetobe won the second heat. Barrett led the first few laps of the 25-lap feature before giving way to Grey Ethridge. After a lap three restart, Dylan Ford and Chad Grammer moved into the first and second positions. Those two would be the dominant forces in the feature as they were able to pull away from the rest of the field. Grammer did all he could to stick with Ford but Ford proved to have the upper hand as he was able to take the victory. Grammer finished second followed by Ryan Ahrens who was driving Steve Kimberling’s car. Eugene Palmer took fourth while Klinetobe crossed the line fifth.

The John’s Used Cars and Auto Wreckers bomber trophy dash win was taken by James Moore. The heat race was won by Leonard Ward. The 25 lap feature began with Ward leading but Tyler Avelar looked to have the car to beat as he was able to take the lead from Ward and moved to a somewhat comfortable lead. Unfortunately, Avelar’s car began to suffer issues in the final few laps which allowed Ward to move back to the lead and take the win. Matt Simon placed second ahead of Rick Jelton, Moore and Avelar.

Rick Estes won the trophy dash in the mini stock division while Brian Murrell, Jr. won the heat race over Estes in a thrilling last lap duel. Murrell, Jr. was the dominant car in the feature event which was slowed several times. On what proved to be the final restart, Estes was able to get by Murrell from the outside starting position to take the lead and the eventual race victory. Murrell finished a hard fought second followed by Chelsea Champagne, Gary Klinetobe who was making his first start in the mini stock division and Cole Peterson.

The Bear River Hotel and Casino Thunder Roadster trophy dash victory went to Paul Peeples, Jr. The heat race proved to be the biggest incident of the night. Going into the third turn on lap one, Scott Baker looked to have trouble as he locked up his front brakes. Several cars were collected in the melee including Mike Ward, Thomas Payne, Peeples, Jr. and Reno, Nevada visitor, Jack Randall. Both Payne and Baker’s cars looked to be complete write offs while Randall suffered major damage to his car. Ward and Peeples were able to start the main. None of the drivers were injured in the scary incident.

The 30-lap main featured another unfortunate incident between Chris Sarvinski and Peeples. The two drivers made contact in turn three with Peeples hitting the wall in turn four and ending his night prematurely. David Henderson led from start to finish taking the main event victory. Sarvinski finished second followed by Robbie Nelson, Belinda Ward and Chris Lawrence.

Luke Hall won the trophy dash for the Mid City Motor World late model cars. Kenny Demello took the victory in the first heat race. The second heat saw an incident between Kevin Estep and Dennis DelBiaggio. The two made contact while racing into turn three and both cars went in the wall. Neither driver was able to make it out for the feature. Late model touring series veteran, Junior Roddy made a surprise visit to the Acres for the weekend and won the second heat.

As has been the case for the entire 2014 season at Redwood Acres Raceway, the 35-lap late model main event featured some of the most intense action on the night. Hall drove to the lead early and pulled out a sizeable gap over the field. A spin by Ken Hallis on lap six bunched the field and forced a restart. Hall again pulled out to a substantial lead while Mic Moulton and Roddy slid into the first and second positions. Moulton slowly but surely began to reel in the gap on Hall as the race progressed.

On lap 19, Moulton got sideways off turn four and went through the infield to save his car. Roddy moved into second while Moulton was able to safely get back on track into third. Hall looked to have a clear path to victory until Donnie Brown and Demello spun in turns one and two forcing a restart on lap 27. The top three of Hall, Roddy and Moulton raced closely nose-to-tail until the final two laps.

Roddy got under Hall coming off turn four with two laps remaining. The two raced door-handle to door-handle down the back stretch until Roddy was able to get the advantage going into turn three. Hall got inside of Roddy coming to the white flag and going into turn one the two came together sending Roddy spinning out of the lead. Hall was able to hold off Moulton’s fight to the line to take what proved to be a controversial victory. Todd Lands from Cloverdale took third ahead of Demello and Brown.

The next action on the oval will be Mid City Motor World championship night, Saturday September 13^th. Before that, Redwood Acres Raceway will host monster truck action Friday August 29^th, Saturday August 30^th and Sunday August 31^st. Also don’t forget that the annual Fall Spectacular has been moved to its traditional weekend on Friday September 26^th, Saturday September 27^th and Sunday September 28^th. Along with super late models, modifieds, Thunder Roadsters, bombers, mini stocks and roadrunners, there will be another boat race after the races on Sunday afternoon. Information for all upcoming events can be found at Redwood Acres Raceway’s official website, www.racingtheacres.com.