Redwood Acres Fair Classic provides two nights of excitement
By Matthew J. Sullivan
After a two week break from racing at the 3/8 mile paved Redwood Acres Raceway, drivers in the limited street stock, mini stock, real stock, thunder roadster and sportsman divisions saddled up for back-to-back races Friday and Saturday night during the Redwood Acres Fair. The large crowds for both evening’s events were not disappointed by what they witnessed either as there was close competition in many of the races. An added feature for this special race weekend was a Fair Night Champion determined as to which garnered the most points in their respective division.
Friday night for the limited street stock division kicked off with the trophy dash which was won by Orion Mosher who was making his first start of the 2008 season at the Acres. Scott Lyons took second with Craig Huffman and Fergy Ferguson rounding out the finishers. The heat was taken by Mosher over Duayne Mayo, Lyons, Ferguson and Kenny Demello. Unfortunately, Huffman’s engine blew during the heat and he was not able to return to the track for the rest of the weekend. Although Mosher had not raced since the end of last season, he showed no signs of rust in the main. He charged his way to the front and won over Ferguson, Demello, Lyons and Mayo.
Saturday night was not so great for the limited street class. With Huffman sidelined for the weekend and Lyons not making the show, only four cars were left, thus eliminating the class from holding a main event. Mosher took the dash win over Ferguson, Mayo and Demello. The heat race proved to be little different as the finishing order was the same, Mosher, Ferguson, Mayo and Demello. With wins in all five of the races, Mosher took the overall weekend title for the limited street stocks at fair races.
Scott Baker won Friday night’s mini stock trophy dash over brother Craig, Brian Murrell and Marty Walsh who was piloting Jaison Chand’s Mustang. Brian McIntosh won the heat race over Denzil Barrett, Max Capps, Walsh and Scott Baker. Walsh used his vast experience in the main event to get through the field and swipe the lead away from McIntosh to take the victory. McIntosh took second over Craig Baker, Scott Baker and Capps.
Walsh won the dash on Saturday night ahead of Craig Baker, Scott Baker and Murrell. The heat race win went to Murrell with Scott Baker, Craig Baker, Barrett and Capps rounding out the top five. Scott Baker took off to a large lead early on in the main event, but by races end the gap was closed to within one car length. That proved to be enough though as Scott Baker took the win over Walsh, Capps, Murrell and McIntosh. The fair night champion in the mini stock class ended up being two drivers, Scott Baker and Marty Walsh.
Trevor Miller showed his strength Friday night winning the real stock trophy dash over Shawn Craig, Jim Redd and Ryan Robinson. Miller took the heat victory over Craig, Bill Middleton, Redd and Donnie Hyman. Unfortunately for Miller, he was involved in an incident during the main event that ended up putting him several laps down and out of contention for the race victory. Craig was able to win followed by Middleton, Robinson, Redd and Marvin Savage.
Saturday night started off much the same Friday night did with Miller victorious in the dash over Pat Conway behind the wheel of Redd’s car, Craig and Robinson. Miller won the heat ahead of Craig, Conway, Middleton and Ryan Peeples who wasn’t able to make it out to Friday night’s races. Miller quickly made his way to the front in the main, while Craig had to battle through traffic a bit more to catch up, but near the conclusion of the race, the duo raced nose to tail, maneuvering themselves through traffic. The lone incident of the main occurred on lap 23 when Middleton had an issue going into the third turn and hit the wall. Although his car was severely damaged, Middleton walked away okay. The last two laps were run clean with Miller holding off Craig to win. Conway took third with Peeples fourth and Dustin Walters fifth after a severe accident in the heat Friday night.
Paul Peeples, Jr. found himself in familiar territory over the weekend, winning the thunder roadster dash ahead of Thomas Payne, Gerhy Foster and Troy Combs. Chris Sarvinski won the first heat race over Combs, Rick Crawley, Jay Bahner and Foster. Peeples was victorious in heat two over Robert Miller, Donn Cole, Mike Ward and Payne. Combs took the lead from Bruce Ziemar in the main event just before the halfway point and tried to put distance between himself and the dominant car/driver combination of Peeples. Unfortunately for Combs, Peeples proved to be too strong as he was able to take the lead away with only a few laps left and hold off Combs for the win. Mark Arroyo took third, Ziemar fourth and Foster fifth.
Combs broke Peeples’ win streak in the Saturday night dash win the win over Foster, Peeples and Payne. Combs also won the first heat race over Foster, Sarvinski, Bahner and Belinda Ward. Peeples won the second heat ahead of Arroyo, Payne, Mike Ward and Donn Cole. Sarvinski grabbed the early lead in the main event while the faster cars moved from the back to the front. One of the scariest incidents in recent memory at the Acres occurred on lap 7 when Foster and Baher touched wheels between turns three and four and went head on into the concrete wall in the fourth turn. Thankfully both drivers were able to walk away from their destroyed race cars, though the ambulance was brought out for Bahner for precautionary reasons regarding his back.
Sarvinski held the lead until lap 17 when Peeples took it away. The two raced within two car lengths for the rest of the event with Peeples crossing the line first over Sarvinski, Cole, Combs and Miller. Not surprisingly, Peeples proved to be the fair night champion for the thunder roadster division.
Racing in the sportsman division got hot and heavy before the green flag was even thrown in the trophy dash. Tim McCracken, returning to the Acres after several years away from racing and Rick Fox got into each other coming down the back stretch to take the green. Coming off the fourth turn with the green flag waving, Fox lost control and hit the wall hard. The damage was severe enough to end Fox’s race weekend. McCracken was sent to the rear of the dash. After all of that, it was Dennis Delbiaggio the winner with McCracken second and Brandon Barnwell third.
Angelo Marcelli won the closely contested first heat race over Barnwell, Al Acuna, Lissa Uselton and Keith Dias. Delbiaggio won the second heat over Preston O’Dell who was driving Frank Billy’s car. Larry Pries took third, with Jerry Peterson fourth and Romeo Venza fifth. Lissa Uselton took the early lead and looked strong in the main event, but McCracken was able to maneuver his way to the front, getting by Uselton at the halfway mark to take the win. Uselton finished second over Pries, Barnwell and Delbiaggio.
McCracken returned Saturday night to win the heat race over Barnwell, Delbiaggio and Pries. With Fox out and Billy having an accident in practice, the sportsman cars ran only one heat this time. Barnwell nabbed the heat victory over Delbiaggio, Acuna, Pries and Peterson. McCracken took the lead from Delbiaggio coming to an early caution flag, and that proved to be the race winning pass in the main event. Delbiaggio held on for second over Barnwell, Pries and Peterson. With wins in both main events, Tim McCracken was crowned the fair night champion for the sportsman division drivers.
Racing at the Acres takes a two week break, returning Saturday July 12th. All five local classes will return once more to provide some more of the great racing excitement that fans have come to expect at Redwood Acres Raceway.
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Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Walsh, Peeples, Miller big winners at the Acres
Walsh, Peeples, Miller big winners at the Acres
By Matthew J. Sullivan
Though mother nature provided a rather cold and dreary night, racing at Redwood Acres Raceway as not dampened whatsoever. It was a night of excitement, good racing and when the checkered flag fell on the night’s last race, there wasn’t one case of a wrecker having to be used during the race events or a track official using oil dry on the racing surface. Trevor Miller ran away from the pack in the real stock division to take his second win of the season and go four for four on the night with fast time, dash win, heat win and main win. Paul Peeples, Jr. continued his dominance of victory lane in the thunder roadster class with yet another win in the same fashion as Miller. Marty Walsh won his second main event of the season in the sportsman division rather handily.
Unfortunately for the limited street stocks and the mini stocks, both fields only had five cars turnout for the night. Both divisions ran trophy dashes and 10 lap main events. Scott Lyons was the fastest of the limited streets in qualifying with a 17.474 lap time. Lyons won the dash over Kenny Demello, Duayne Mayo and Craig Huffman. The 10 lap main featured a late race pass by Huffman over Mayo for the lead. At the line Huffman won over Mayo, Lyons, Fergy Ferguson and Demello.
Craig Baker turned in the quickest lap for the mini stock cars with a 19.127 time. Brian Murrell won the trophy dash literally by inches over Craig Baker, Scott Baker and Brian McIntosh. After a lap three pass for the lead on Murrell, Craig Baker was able to cruise to the win in the main. Murrell held onto second, Scott Baker third, Denzel Barrett fourth and McIntosh fifth after having gone into the pits with issues early in the race.
Qualifying in the real stock division was tight as Trevor Miller’s 18.813 qualifying lap was a mere three hundredth’s quicker than Shawn Craig’s 18.816. Miller won the dash over Ryan Peeples, Pat Conway and Craig. Unfortunately, both Conway and Craig had problems in the dash and were not able to make it back out for the heats or the main. Miller drove through the field in the heat race for the win over Casey Mitchell, Peeples, Donnie Hyman and Jim Redd.
Mitchell and Redd lead the nine car field to the green flag of the 25 lap main event. Redd got the jump off the start while Miller quickly made his way to the front. On lap three, Miller passed Peeples for fourth then moved into third just as quickly with Peeples following. On lap six, Miller moved outside of Mitchell for second. Three laps later the yellow flag dropped for debris on the race track.
Miller wasted no time on the restart immediately attacking Redd for the top position. On lap 13, Miller found the inside line and moved under Redd for the lead. On lap 15, Peeples who had been running third pulled into the pits. A few laps later, Nick Green spun off the second turn collecting Hyman and Ryan Robinson and bringing out the yellow flag. Fortunately everyone continued on in the race. The restart and the final few laps proved to be a formality for Miller as he was able to pull away from Redd to a comfortable lead and the checkered flag by the end of lap 25. Redd finished second with Dustin Walters third, Mitchell fourth and Green fifth.
Paul Peeples, Jr.’s 16.999 lap time was the only one under the 17 second bracket thus making it the quickest. Jay Bahner won the trophy dash over Peeples, Mark Arroyo and Troy Combs. Leroy Marsh, Jr. claimed the win in the first heat over Rick Crawley, Dave McMurray, Bruce Ziemer and Rob Nelson. Peeples won the second heat over Combs, Mike Ward, Arroyo and Robert Miller.
Nelson and Crawley comprised the front row for the 30 lap main event. Nelson took the early lead before Marsh took the lead away. Five laps into the race, Combs made his way into the second spot and tried to run down Marsh for the lead. Just as Combs moved inside and by Marsh for the lead, the yellow flag flew when Nelson spun off turn four and was facing the fourth turn nose first. All of the drivers had to take evasive action to avoid running into Nelson and though it was tight, everybody avoided what could have been a serious incident.
With the field reverting to their position on the previous lap, Marsh was able to retake the lead over Combs, McMurray, Peeples and Crawley. Peeples quickly moved by McMurray on the restart. On lap 11, Combs moved inside of Marsh for the lead bringing Peeples with him. On lap 15, Peeples looked to have the inside line on Combs but didn’t have the momentum to get by. Gerhy Foster’s spin on lap 19 brought out the yellow flag allowing Combs and Peeples to cool their tires and get set for another close battle.
When the green dropped, Combs and Peeples pulled away while Marsh settled into third comfortably. Meanwhile, McMurray and Bahner were dueling for fourth racing side-by-side for several laps. Up front Peeples was working hard to pass Combs. On lap 22, Peeples got another run and the two raced wheel-to-wheel. Both cars were like this until lap 24 when Combs pulled out the advantage once again.
On lap 26, Combs got loose between turns three and four. Peeples moved inside to try to get by, but Combs collected him while trying to save his car. While the two got their cars straight, Marsh moved by both to go from third to first in a matter of moments. Unfortunately for Marsh, he just didn’t have the handling on this night to hold off Peeples as he was able to move by on lap 28 for the lead. On the last lap, Combs moved inside of Marsh to take second, but it was too late for him to try something on Peeples as he crossed the line first. Marsh finished third with McMurray fourth and Bahner fifth.
Brandon Barnwell’s 16.547 qualifying time proved to be the fastest in the sportsman division. The trophy dash was won by Dennis Delbiaggio over Larry Pries, Barnwell and Marty Walsh. Delbiaggio won the second heat ahead of Jerry Peterson, Ken Hallis, Romeo Venza and Keith Dias. Pries won the second heat with Walsh, Al Acuna, Angelo Marcelli and Lissa Uselton completing the top five.
11 cars started the 30 lap feature event. Uselton got the jump on Venza to take the early lead. On lap seven, Marcelli was able to move under Uselton for the top spot after several laps of battling her for the lead. Marcelli’s move for the lead allowed Acuna to follow into the second position. On lap 9, Barnwell and Hallis made contact in the fourth turn sending both drivers into the infield. Both drivers got going again and the yellow flag was not thrown.
By lap 10, the top five was Marcelli, Acuna, Fox, Uselton and Pries with the top three cars nose to tail. On lap 14, Walsh made a move on Acuna. After a lap, Walsh was able to move by for second while Pries and Delbiaggio got by Uselton at the same time for fourth and fifth. It only took Walsh two more laps before he moved under and by Marcelli for the lead going into the third turn bringing Acuna into second. As the laps wound down, Walsh pulled away while Acuna held onto the second spot.
On lap 24, Pries moved into third getting by Marcelli. With two laps to go, Barnwell moved into fifth position getting by Delbiaggio. At the finish line it was Walsh, Acuna, Pries, Marcelli and Barnwell the top five. Delbiaggio, Uselton, Peterson, Hallis, Venza and Dias rounded out the finishing order.
Racing at the Acres takes a two week break before returning the Saturday of Father’s Day Weekend on June 14th.
By Matthew J. Sullivan
Though mother nature provided a rather cold and dreary night, racing at Redwood Acres Raceway as not dampened whatsoever. It was a night of excitement, good racing and when the checkered flag fell on the night’s last race, there wasn’t one case of a wrecker having to be used during the race events or a track official using oil dry on the racing surface. Trevor Miller ran away from the pack in the real stock division to take his second win of the season and go four for four on the night with fast time, dash win, heat win and main win. Paul Peeples, Jr. continued his dominance of victory lane in the thunder roadster class with yet another win in the same fashion as Miller. Marty Walsh won his second main event of the season in the sportsman division rather handily.
Unfortunately for the limited street stocks and the mini stocks, both fields only had five cars turnout for the night. Both divisions ran trophy dashes and 10 lap main events. Scott Lyons was the fastest of the limited streets in qualifying with a 17.474 lap time. Lyons won the dash over Kenny Demello, Duayne Mayo and Craig Huffman. The 10 lap main featured a late race pass by Huffman over Mayo for the lead. At the line Huffman won over Mayo, Lyons, Fergy Ferguson and Demello.
Craig Baker turned in the quickest lap for the mini stock cars with a 19.127 time. Brian Murrell won the trophy dash literally by inches over Craig Baker, Scott Baker and Brian McIntosh. After a lap three pass for the lead on Murrell, Craig Baker was able to cruise to the win in the main. Murrell held onto second, Scott Baker third, Denzel Barrett fourth and McIntosh fifth after having gone into the pits with issues early in the race.
Qualifying in the real stock division was tight as Trevor Miller’s 18.813 qualifying lap was a mere three hundredth’s quicker than Shawn Craig’s 18.816. Miller won the dash over Ryan Peeples, Pat Conway and Craig. Unfortunately, both Conway and Craig had problems in the dash and were not able to make it back out for the heats or the main. Miller drove through the field in the heat race for the win over Casey Mitchell, Peeples, Donnie Hyman and Jim Redd.
Mitchell and Redd lead the nine car field to the green flag of the 25 lap main event. Redd got the jump off the start while Miller quickly made his way to the front. On lap three, Miller passed Peeples for fourth then moved into third just as quickly with Peeples following. On lap six, Miller moved outside of Mitchell for second. Three laps later the yellow flag dropped for debris on the race track.
Miller wasted no time on the restart immediately attacking Redd for the top position. On lap 13, Miller found the inside line and moved under Redd for the lead. On lap 15, Peeples who had been running third pulled into the pits. A few laps later, Nick Green spun off the second turn collecting Hyman and Ryan Robinson and bringing out the yellow flag. Fortunately everyone continued on in the race. The restart and the final few laps proved to be a formality for Miller as he was able to pull away from Redd to a comfortable lead and the checkered flag by the end of lap 25. Redd finished second with Dustin Walters third, Mitchell fourth and Green fifth.
Paul Peeples, Jr.’s 16.999 lap time was the only one under the 17 second bracket thus making it the quickest. Jay Bahner won the trophy dash over Peeples, Mark Arroyo and Troy Combs. Leroy Marsh, Jr. claimed the win in the first heat over Rick Crawley, Dave McMurray, Bruce Ziemer and Rob Nelson. Peeples won the second heat over Combs, Mike Ward, Arroyo and Robert Miller.
Nelson and Crawley comprised the front row for the 30 lap main event. Nelson took the early lead before Marsh took the lead away. Five laps into the race, Combs made his way into the second spot and tried to run down Marsh for the lead. Just as Combs moved inside and by Marsh for the lead, the yellow flag flew when Nelson spun off turn four and was facing the fourth turn nose first. All of the drivers had to take evasive action to avoid running into Nelson and though it was tight, everybody avoided what could have been a serious incident.
With the field reverting to their position on the previous lap, Marsh was able to retake the lead over Combs, McMurray, Peeples and Crawley. Peeples quickly moved by McMurray on the restart. On lap 11, Combs moved inside of Marsh for the lead bringing Peeples with him. On lap 15, Peeples looked to have the inside line on Combs but didn’t have the momentum to get by. Gerhy Foster’s spin on lap 19 brought out the yellow flag allowing Combs and Peeples to cool their tires and get set for another close battle.
When the green dropped, Combs and Peeples pulled away while Marsh settled into third comfortably. Meanwhile, McMurray and Bahner were dueling for fourth racing side-by-side for several laps. Up front Peeples was working hard to pass Combs. On lap 22, Peeples got another run and the two raced wheel-to-wheel. Both cars were like this until lap 24 when Combs pulled out the advantage once again.
On lap 26, Combs got loose between turns three and four. Peeples moved inside to try to get by, but Combs collected him while trying to save his car. While the two got their cars straight, Marsh moved by both to go from third to first in a matter of moments. Unfortunately for Marsh, he just didn’t have the handling on this night to hold off Peeples as he was able to move by on lap 28 for the lead. On the last lap, Combs moved inside of Marsh to take second, but it was too late for him to try something on Peeples as he crossed the line first. Marsh finished third with McMurray fourth and Bahner fifth.
Brandon Barnwell’s 16.547 qualifying time proved to be the fastest in the sportsman division. The trophy dash was won by Dennis Delbiaggio over Larry Pries, Barnwell and Marty Walsh. Delbiaggio won the second heat ahead of Jerry Peterson, Ken Hallis, Romeo Venza and Keith Dias. Pries won the second heat with Walsh, Al Acuna, Angelo Marcelli and Lissa Uselton completing the top five.
11 cars started the 30 lap feature event. Uselton got the jump on Venza to take the early lead. On lap seven, Marcelli was able to move under Uselton for the top spot after several laps of battling her for the lead. Marcelli’s move for the lead allowed Acuna to follow into the second position. On lap 9, Barnwell and Hallis made contact in the fourth turn sending both drivers into the infield. Both drivers got going again and the yellow flag was not thrown.
By lap 10, the top five was Marcelli, Acuna, Fox, Uselton and Pries with the top three cars nose to tail. On lap 14, Walsh made a move on Acuna. After a lap, Walsh was able to move by for second while Pries and Delbiaggio got by Uselton at the same time for fourth and fifth. It only took Walsh two more laps before he moved under and by Marcelli for the lead going into the third turn bringing Acuna into second. As the laps wound down, Walsh pulled away while Acuna held onto the second spot.
On lap 24, Pries moved into third getting by Marcelli. With two laps to go, Barnwell moved into fifth position getting by Delbiaggio. At the finish line it was Walsh, Acuna, Pries, Marcelli and Barnwell the top five. Delbiaggio, Uselton, Peterson, Hallis, Venza and Dias rounded out the finishing order.
Racing at the Acres takes a two week break before returning the Saturday of Father’s Day Weekend on June 14th.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Heavy fog cancels another night of racing
Heavy fog cancels another night of racing
By Matthew J. Sullivan
For the second time out of three scheduled evenings, Redwood Acres Raceway officials were forced to cancel Saturday night’s racing action, this time due to heavy fog. The limited street stock cars were in the midst of their heat race before an incident between Kenny Demello and Duayne Mayo brought a yellow flag out. It was under the caution period that the drivers and track officials deemed the speedway unsafe.
The limited street cars pulled into the pit area for a short period hoping for the fog to lift. The fog lifted for a brief period and the limited streets came out again along with the mini stocks to try to get the track back in racing condition. But once again, the fog dropped and officials decided it best to cancel the rest of the night’s races.
The track was able to get qualifying, trophy dashes and the real stock heats in before the fog came. The dash winners were Ryan Peeples in the real stocks, Fergy Ferguson in the limited street stocks, Brian Murrell in the mini stocks, Paul Peeples, Jr. in the thunder roadsters and Larry Pries in the sportsman division. Bob Lima and Trevor Miller won the two real stock heat races. Qualifying for the real stocks was paced by Trevor Miller with a 18.937 time. Scott Lyons was fastest in the limited streets with a 17.941. Max Capps set the pace for the mini stocks with a 19.381. Paul Peeples, Jr.’s 17.009 was fastest in the thunder roadsters, while Dennis Delbiaggio set the standard in the sportsman division with a 16.456 qualifying lap.
The Best Appearing Car contest that was scheduled to be held on the first night of racing but was rained out was held on this night. Drivers from all divisions pulled their cars on the front straightaway, and the winner was determined by the amount of noise generated by the fans in the grandstands. The winners were Brian Murrell in the mini stocks, Robert Miller in the thunder roadsters, Ryan Peeples in the real stocks, Fergy Ferguson in the limited street stocks and Larry Pries in the sportsman.
Thankfully, racing returns this coming Saturday night May 17 with all five local classes returning to action once more.
By Matthew J. Sullivan
For the second time out of three scheduled evenings, Redwood Acres Raceway officials were forced to cancel Saturday night’s racing action, this time due to heavy fog. The limited street stock cars were in the midst of their heat race before an incident between Kenny Demello and Duayne Mayo brought a yellow flag out. It was under the caution period that the drivers and track officials deemed the speedway unsafe.
The limited street cars pulled into the pit area for a short period hoping for the fog to lift. The fog lifted for a brief period and the limited streets came out again along with the mini stocks to try to get the track back in racing condition. But once again, the fog dropped and officials decided it best to cancel the rest of the night’s races.
The track was able to get qualifying, trophy dashes and the real stock heats in before the fog came. The dash winners were Ryan Peeples in the real stocks, Fergy Ferguson in the limited street stocks, Brian Murrell in the mini stocks, Paul Peeples, Jr. in the thunder roadsters and Larry Pries in the sportsman division. Bob Lima and Trevor Miller won the two real stock heat races. Qualifying for the real stocks was paced by Trevor Miller with a 18.937 time. Scott Lyons was fastest in the limited streets with a 17.941. Max Capps set the pace for the mini stocks with a 19.381. Paul Peeples, Jr.’s 17.009 was fastest in the thunder roadsters, while Dennis Delbiaggio set the standard in the sportsman division with a 16.456 qualifying lap.
The Best Appearing Car contest that was scheduled to be held on the first night of racing but was rained out was held on this night. Drivers from all divisions pulled their cars on the front straightaway, and the winner was determined by the amount of noise generated by the fans in the grandstands. The winners were Brian Murrell in the mini stocks, Robert Miller in the thunder roadsters, Ryan Peeples in the real stocks, Fergy Ferguson in the limited street stocks and Larry Pries in the sportsman.
Thankfully, racing returns this coming Saturday night May 17 with all five local classes returning to action once more.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Peeples, Walsh opening night winners at the Acres
Peeples, Walsh opening night winners at the Acres
By Matthew J. Sullivan
After the initial season opening race was cancelled the previous Saturday thanks to Mother Nature, racing returned to Redwood Acres Raceway this weekend. As fans have come to expect at the Acres, there was some great racing action provided by the drivers in the limited street stock, mini stock, real stock, thunder roadster and sportsman divisions.
Before the night’s events, former Acres regular and North State Challenge Series competitor Hank Hilton was honored. Fans and crew members applauded as “Hammerin’” Hank’s number 98 car made one final ceremonial lap around the 3/8 mile oval with Acres racer Frank Billy behind the wheel. The flag was flown at half staff in honor of Hilton as well as Humboldt County Second District Supervisor Roger Rodoni who was tragically killed in a car accident Thursday evening.
Scott Lyons paced qualifying for the limited street stock cars with a 17.663 lap. Dwayne Mayo won the trophy dash over Romeo Venza, Kenny Demello and Lyons. With only five cars showing up for the evening, the heat race turned out to be the final race of the night for the class. Venza took the win, his first of any kind at the Acres over Rick Armstrong after attrition knocked out Demello, Mayo and Lyons.
Qualifying for quick time in the mini stock division was very, very close. Max Capps claimed the honor with a 19.205 time, just five-thousandths quicker than Craig Baker. In the dash, Baker took the win ahead of Denzel Barrett, Scott Baker and Capps. The heat race was won by Brian McIntosh with Baker, Barrett, Capps and Brian Murrell rounding out the top five. Although only six cars started the 15 lap main, the racing was close. McIntosh took the early lead over the Baker brothers. On lap five, Scott and Craig made contact while racing for second sending Scott spinning. On lap 11, Craig Baker dropped off the pace and went into the pits. Barrett tried his best to find a way around McIntosh in the remaining laps, but couldn’t muster enough strength as McIntosh won. Capps finished third, Murrell fourth and Craig Baker took fifth.
Shawn Craig set the qualifying mark for the real stocks with a 19.067 time in. Craig won the dash over Jim Redd, Ryan Peeples and Bob Lima. Pat Conway won the first heat ahead of Nick Green, Dustin Walters, Casey Mitchell and Dana DeVane. Lima won heat two over Donnie Hyman, Redd, Ryan Robinson and Craig.
14 cars made the start of the 25 lap main event. Walters and Ray Middleton paced the field to the green flag. Walters took the initial lead, but by the end of the completion of the first lap it was Green in the lead. Robinson spun off the second turn on lap two but was able to keep going. On lap five, Redd moved by Hyman for third. The next lap Redd moved by Lima for second, but a lap later Lima regained the position. On lap seven, Hyman, Walters and Craig tangled up in the fourth turn bringing out a yellow flag. During the caution period, Green pulled into the pits from third place and did not return. The green returned for five more laps before an incident in the first and second turns involving Walters and Conway.
On the restart, the front trio of Lima, Redd and Peeples pulled away from the rest of the field. On lap 15, Redd moved by Lima for the lead. Two laps later, Lima spun off the second turn moving Peeples into second and Craig into third. On lap 18, an incident between Robinson and Walters brought out the final caution flag. Redd got a good start when the green flew again, but Peeples and Craig kept in close touch. With two laps remaining, Craig moved by Peeples for second, but by that point it was too late for him to mount a serious charge for the lead. At the checkered flag it was Redd winning with Craig, Peeples, Hyman and Lima rounding out the top five.
Qualifying in the sportsman division was close. Dennis DelBiaggio set the quick mark with a 16.342 barely beating Brandon Barnwell’s 16.347. Marty Walsh driving Rick Fox’s car won the dash over DelBiaggio, Barnwell and Larry Pries. Al Acuna returned to the division after being absent for a year and won the heat over Walsh, Jerry Peterson, DelBiaggio and Barnwell.
Walsh and Pries led the field to the green flag in the main event. It was short lived however as an incident involving Acuna, Lissa Uselton and Romeo Venza brought the yellow out. Acuna was finished for the night but Uselton and Venza were able to continue in the race. On the restart, Walsh led while Barnwell moved inside Pries for second. That opened the bottom line for Peterson to move into third and Angelo Marcelli for fourth. Uselton spun in turn three on lap five bringing out the yellow flag.
When racing resumed, Walsh put a gap over Barnwell and Peterson who were dueling for the second position. After a lap 14 caution for debris, the green flew again and once again Walsh pulled away. On lap 22, the yellow dropped when Pries got loose in turn four and was helped around by DelBiaggio who had nowhere to go. Walsh hit his gears and his marks on the final restart and crossed the line first at the checkered flag ahead of Barnwell, Peterson, Marcelli and DelBiaggio.
Paul Peeples, Jr. was the fastest of the thunder roadster drivers with a 16.892, the only driver under 17 seconds. Peeples took the dash win over Chris Banfill, Leroy Marsh, Jr. and Chris Sarvinski. Mike Ward won the first heat race over Donn Cole, Jay Bahner, class rookie Robert Miller and Dave McMurray. Peeples won heat two over Thomas Payne, Marsh, Sarvinski and Gerhy Foster.
McMurray and Bahner comprised the front row for the 15 car, 25 lap main event. McMurray took the early lead, but by lap three Foster moved into the top spot bringing Payne and Bahner with him. On lap six, Peeples began to maneuver his way to the front getting by Bahner. Three laps later, Peeples took second from Payne. By lap 11, Peeples took the lead from Foster and began to pull away. On lap 14, Payne moved inside Foster for second. The two dueled side by side for a lap before Payne took firm hold of the position. The caution flag dropped on lap 17 when McMurray hit the turn three wall.
After the restart, Sarvinski spun coming off turn four after running in the top five. He was able to get going again without a yellow flag. Payne was able to stay close on Peeples bumper and tried his best to find a way by the veteran driver, however he was unable to find a line by as Peeples took the win. Foster held on for third over Banfill and Marsh.
Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway May 10th with all five classes of cars looking to put on another fantastic show.
By Matthew J. Sullivan
After the initial season opening race was cancelled the previous Saturday thanks to Mother Nature, racing returned to Redwood Acres Raceway this weekend. As fans have come to expect at the Acres, there was some great racing action provided by the drivers in the limited street stock, mini stock, real stock, thunder roadster and sportsman divisions.
Before the night’s events, former Acres regular and North State Challenge Series competitor Hank Hilton was honored. Fans and crew members applauded as “Hammerin’” Hank’s number 98 car made one final ceremonial lap around the 3/8 mile oval with Acres racer Frank Billy behind the wheel. The flag was flown at half staff in honor of Hilton as well as Humboldt County Second District Supervisor Roger Rodoni who was tragically killed in a car accident Thursday evening.
Scott Lyons paced qualifying for the limited street stock cars with a 17.663 lap. Dwayne Mayo won the trophy dash over Romeo Venza, Kenny Demello and Lyons. With only five cars showing up for the evening, the heat race turned out to be the final race of the night for the class. Venza took the win, his first of any kind at the Acres over Rick Armstrong after attrition knocked out Demello, Mayo and Lyons.
Qualifying for quick time in the mini stock division was very, very close. Max Capps claimed the honor with a 19.205 time, just five-thousandths quicker than Craig Baker. In the dash, Baker took the win ahead of Denzel Barrett, Scott Baker and Capps. The heat race was won by Brian McIntosh with Baker, Barrett, Capps and Brian Murrell rounding out the top five. Although only six cars started the 15 lap main, the racing was close. McIntosh took the early lead over the Baker brothers. On lap five, Scott and Craig made contact while racing for second sending Scott spinning. On lap 11, Craig Baker dropped off the pace and went into the pits. Barrett tried his best to find a way around McIntosh in the remaining laps, but couldn’t muster enough strength as McIntosh won. Capps finished third, Murrell fourth and Craig Baker took fifth.
Shawn Craig set the qualifying mark for the real stocks with a 19.067 time in. Craig won the dash over Jim Redd, Ryan Peeples and Bob Lima. Pat Conway won the first heat ahead of Nick Green, Dustin Walters, Casey Mitchell and Dana DeVane. Lima won heat two over Donnie Hyman, Redd, Ryan Robinson and Craig.
14 cars made the start of the 25 lap main event. Walters and Ray Middleton paced the field to the green flag. Walters took the initial lead, but by the end of the completion of the first lap it was Green in the lead. Robinson spun off the second turn on lap two but was able to keep going. On lap five, Redd moved by Hyman for third. The next lap Redd moved by Lima for second, but a lap later Lima regained the position. On lap seven, Hyman, Walters and Craig tangled up in the fourth turn bringing out a yellow flag. During the caution period, Green pulled into the pits from third place and did not return. The green returned for five more laps before an incident in the first and second turns involving Walters and Conway.
On the restart, the front trio of Lima, Redd and Peeples pulled away from the rest of the field. On lap 15, Redd moved by Lima for the lead. Two laps later, Lima spun off the second turn moving Peeples into second and Craig into third. On lap 18, an incident between Robinson and Walters brought out the final caution flag. Redd got a good start when the green flew again, but Peeples and Craig kept in close touch. With two laps remaining, Craig moved by Peeples for second, but by that point it was too late for him to mount a serious charge for the lead. At the checkered flag it was Redd winning with Craig, Peeples, Hyman and Lima rounding out the top five.
Qualifying in the sportsman division was close. Dennis DelBiaggio set the quick mark with a 16.342 barely beating Brandon Barnwell’s 16.347. Marty Walsh driving Rick Fox’s car won the dash over DelBiaggio, Barnwell and Larry Pries. Al Acuna returned to the division after being absent for a year and won the heat over Walsh, Jerry Peterson, DelBiaggio and Barnwell.
Walsh and Pries led the field to the green flag in the main event. It was short lived however as an incident involving Acuna, Lissa Uselton and Romeo Venza brought the yellow out. Acuna was finished for the night but Uselton and Venza were able to continue in the race. On the restart, Walsh led while Barnwell moved inside Pries for second. That opened the bottom line for Peterson to move into third and Angelo Marcelli for fourth. Uselton spun in turn three on lap five bringing out the yellow flag.
When racing resumed, Walsh put a gap over Barnwell and Peterson who were dueling for the second position. After a lap 14 caution for debris, the green flew again and once again Walsh pulled away. On lap 22, the yellow dropped when Pries got loose in turn four and was helped around by DelBiaggio who had nowhere to go. Walsh hit his gears and his marks on the final restart and crossed the line first at the checkered flag ahead of Barnwell, Peterson, Marcelli and DelBiaggio.
Paul Peeples, Jr. was the fastest of the thunder roadster drivers with a 16.892, the only driver under 17 seconds. Peeples took the dash win over Chris Banfill, Leroy Marsh, Jr. and Chris Sarvinski. Mike Ward won the first heat race over Donn Cole, Jay Bahner, class rookie Robert Miller and Dave McMurray. Peeples won heat two over Thomas Payne, Marsh, Sarvinski and Gerhy Foster.
McMurray and Bahner comprised the front row for the 15 car, 25 lap main event. McMurray took the early lead, but by lap three Foster moved into the top spot bringing Payne and Bahner with him. On lap six, Peeples began to maneuver his way to the front getting by Bahner. Three laps later, Peeples took second from Payne. By lap 11, Peeples took the lead from Foster and began to pull away. On lap 14, Payne moved inside Foster for second. The two dueled side by side for a lap before Payne took firm hold of the position. The caution flag dropped on lap 17 when McMurray hit the turn three wall.
After the restart, Sarvinski spun coming off turn four after running in the top five. He was able to get going again without a yellow flag. Payne was able to stay close on Peeples bumper and tried his best to find a way by the veteran driver, however he was unable to find a line by as Peeples took the win. Foster held on for third over Banfill and Marsh.
Racing returns to Redwood Acres Raceway May 10th with all five classes of cars looking to put on another fantastic show.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Rain delays RAR season opener
Rain delays RAR season opener
By Matthew J. Sullivan
For the second straight year, rain forced the cancellation of the season opening race at Redwood Acres Raceway. Thankfully, the delay will only be one week as racing will return to the Acres (weather permitting of course) this coming Saturday night. Along with the five local classes of mini stocks, limited street stocks, real stocks, thunder roadsters and sportsman cars will be the first of three North State Challenge Series late model races held at the raceway for the 2008 season. Crescent City, California driver and Redwood Acres Raceway alumnus Howard Ford won the first race of the North State Challenge Series season two weeks ago at Shasta Raceway Park in Anderson, California, and he will definitely be among the favorites to win this Saturday night.
Added to all of the racing excitement will be a special memorial for former Acres racer and North State series driver Hank Hilton. Hank passed away earlier this year due to cancer. He was known as Hammerin’ Hank to Northern California race fans, however Hank was recognized as one of the cleanest racers and a true gentleman by his competitors. Hank’s racing experience dated back to 1949 when he raced his first stock car race at age 16, and his blue number 98 car was a familiar sight in the North State series as well as the open competition events that were held at Redwood Acres Raceway and Shasta Speedway in the 80s and 90s.
By Matthew J. Sullivan
For the second straight year, rain forced the cancellation of the season opening race at Redwood Acres Raceway. Thankfully, the delay will only be one week as racing will return to the Acres (weather permitting of course) this coming Saturday night. Along with the five local classes of mini stocks, limited street stocks, real stocks, thunder roadsters and sportsman cars will be the first of three North State Challenge Series late model races held at the raceway for the 2008 season. Crescent City, California driver and Redwood Acres Raceway alumnus Howard Ford won the first race of the North State Challenge Series season two weeks ago at Shasta Raceway Park in Anderson, California, and he will definitely be among the favorites to win this Saturday night.
Added to all of the racing excitement will be a special memorial for former Acres racer and North State series driver Hank Hilton. Hank passed away earlier this year due to cancer. He was known as Hammerin’ Hank to Northern California race fans, however Hank was recognized as one of the cleanest racers and a true gentleman by his competitors. Hank’s racing experience dated back to 1949 when he raced his first stock car race at age 16, and his blue number 98 car was a familiar sight in the North State series as well as the open competition events that were held at Redwood Acres Raceway and Shasta Speedway in the 80s and 90s.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Redwood Acres Raceway’s 2008 schedule updated
Redwood Acres Raceway’s 2008 schedule updated
By Matthew J. Sullivan
Redwood Acres Raceway has revised its 2008 schedule of racing. With the exception of the Fall Spectacular, Redwood Acres Raceway will feature five local classes of cars; sportsman, thunder roadsters, real stocks, limited street stocks and mini stocks every race weekend. Events and dates are as follows:
April 5 - Open Practice
April 19 - Best Appearing Car Fan Voting
April 26 - North State Challenge Series Late Models
May 10 - Mother’s Day Race Weekend
May 17 - Local Classes
May 31 - Local Classes
June 14 - Father’s Day Race Weekend
June 27 & 28 - Redwood Acres Fair Classic, BCRA & WMRA Midgets
July 12 - Local Classes
July 26 - Local Classes
August 9 - North State Challenge Series Late Models
August 23 - Fan Appreciation Night
September 6 - Judy Fox Memorial Race, Last points races for sportsman, thunder roadsters, limited street stocks and mini stocks
September 27 - Fall Spectacular featuring the North State Challenge Series Late Models and the IMCA modifieds
By Matthew J. Sullivan
Redwood Acres Raceway has revised its 2008 schedule of racing. With the exception of the Fall Spectacular, Redwood Acres Raceway will feature five local classes of cars; sportsman, thunder roadsters, real stocks, limited street stocks and mini stocks every race weekend. Events and dates are as follows:
April 5 - Open Practice
April 19 - Best Appearing Car Fan Voting
April 26 - North State Challenge Series Late Models
May 10 - Mother’s Day Race Weekend
May 17 - Local Classes
May 31 - Local Classes
June 14 - Father’s Day Race Weekend
June 27 & 28 - Redwood Acres Fair Classic, BCRA & WMRA Midgets
July 12 - Local Classes
July 26 - Local Classes
August 9 - North State Challenge Series Late Models
August 23 - Fan Appreciation Night
September 6 - Judy Fox Memorial Race, Last points races for sportsman, thunder roadsters, limited street stocks and mini stocks
September 27 - Fall Spectacular featuring the North State Challenge Series Late Models and the IMCA modifieds
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Redwood Acres Raceway announces its 2008 schedule
Redwood Acres Raceway announces its 2008 schedule
By Matthew J. Sullivan
2008 promises to hold another exciting season of racing action at Eureka, California’s Redwood Acres Raceway. 15 races outline the schedule between the months of April and September. Fans will once again be treated to exciting action from the five local classes of cars; the real stocks, the mini stocks, the limited street stocks, the Thunder Roadsters and the sportsman division. The track will also feature touring series action from the North State Challenge Series late models as well as the BCRA midgets.
The 2008 season opens up on April 19th for the Best Appearing Car contest. This process is done through fan participation. All of the drivers and their cars line the front straightaway of the 3/8 mile paved oval and whichever driver in each division receives the loudest response to his or her machine determines who the winner is. April 26th features the first appearance of the North State Challenge Series cars.
The month of May features three Saturday night events on the 10th, 17th and 31st. The first race in June is held on the 14th before the Redwood Acres Fair Classic on the 27th and 28th. This year’s Fair Classic will feature the BCRA midgets. The BCRA midgets annual stop has traditionally been in the month of May, but with the switch to the June Fair Classic, this season will be the first time the series has held two events at the Acres.
Racing resumes in July on the 12th and then the 29th. August 9th is Fan Appreciation Night at the Acres with August 23rd being Back-To-School Night. September 6th is another race on the calender while September 13th’s race marks the end of the points run for the sportsman, Thunder Roadster, limited street and mini stock classes. The season concludes September 27th with the Fall Spectacular featuring the final appearance of the North State Challenge Series as well as an open competition event for the IMCA modifieds along with the local cars the Thunder Roadsters and the real stocks.
The season will be kicked off unofficially on April 5th with practice open to all competitors. If you haven’t visited Redwood Acres Raceway, 2008 would be a great year to make the trek to the beautiful 3/8 mile tree-lined speedway.
Redwood Acres Raceway 2008 Schedule
April 5th - Open Practice
April 19th - Best Appearing Car Contest
April 26th - North State Challenge Series Late Models
May 10th - Local Racing
May 17th - Local Racing
May 31st - Local Racing
June 14th - Local Racing
June 27th & 28th - BCRA Midgets
July 12th - Local Racing
July 26th - Local Racing
August 9th - Fan Appreciation Night
August 23rd - Back-To-School Night
September 6th - Local Racing
September 13th - Final Points Night For Sportsman, Thunder Roadsters, Limited Streets and Mini Stocks
September 27th - Fall Spectacular Open Featuring the North State Challenge Series, IMCA modifieds
By Matthew J. Sullivan
2008 promises to hold another exciting season of racing action at Eureka, California’s Redwood Acres Raceway. 15 races outline the schedule between the months of April and September. Fans will once again be treated to exciting action from the five local classes of cars; the real stocks, the mini stocks, the limited street stocks, the Thunder Roadsters and the sportsman division. The track will also feature touring series action from the North State Challenge Series late models as well as the BCRA midgets.
The 2008 season opens up on April 19th for the Best Appearing Car contest. This process is done through fan participation. All of the drivers and their cars line the front straightaway of the 3/8 mile paved oval and whichever driver in each division receives the loudest response to his or her machine determines who the winner is. April 26th features the first appearance of the North State Challenge Series cars.
The month of May features three Saturday night events on the 10th, 17th and 31st. The first race in June is held on the 14th before the Redwood Acres Fair Classic on the 27th and 28th. This year’s Fair Classic will feature the BCRA midgets. The BCRA midgets annual stop has traditionally been in the month of May, but with the switch to the June Fair Classic, this season will be the first time the series has held two events at the Acres.
Racing resumes in July on the 12th and then the 29th. August 9th is Fan Appreciation Night at the Acres with August 23rd being Back-To-School Night. September 6th is another race on the calender while September 13th’s race marks the end of the points run for the sportsman, Thunder Roadster, limited street and mini stock classes. The season concludes September 27th with the Fall Spectacular featuring the final appearance of the North State Challenge Series as well as an open competition event for the IMCA modifieds along with the local cars the Thunder Roadsters and the real stocks.
The season will be kicked off unofficially on April 5th with practice open to all competitors. If you haven’t visited Redwood Acres Raceway, 2008 would be a great year to make the trek to the beautiful 3/8 mile tree-lined speedway.
Redwood Acres Raceway 2008 Schedule
April 5th - Open Practice
April 19th - Best Appearing Car Contest
April 26th - North State Challenge Series Late Models
May 10th - Local Racing
May 17th - Local Racing
May 31st - Local Racing
June 14th - Local Racing
June 27th & 28th - BCRA Midgets
July 12th - Local Racing
July 26th - Local Racing
August 9th - Fan Appreciation Night
August 23rd - Back-To-School Night
September 6th - Local Racing
September 13th - Final Points Night For Sportsman, Thunder Roadsters, Limited Streets and Mini Stocks
September 27th - Fall Spectacular Open Featuring the North State Challenge Series, IMCA modifieds
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Wright masters the modifieds at the Acres, Middleton clinches real stock title
Wright masters the modifieds at the Acres, Middleton clinches real stock title
By Matthew J. Sullivan
The 2007 racing season came to a close this past Saturday night at the Redwood Acres Raceway with the annual Fall Spectacular. The I.M.C.A./Grand American modifieds joined the local runners in the thunder roadsters and the real stocks to make for an exciting finish to what has been a thrilling year of racing. Lakeport Speedway racer Thomas Wright led from start to finish in the 40-lap modified main event to earn the victory. David Henderson held off the challenges of 2007 RAR thunder roadster champion Paul Peeples, Jr. to win the 35 lap feature. The real stock division concluded it’s 2007 season in dramatic fashion with Shawn Craig winning the main event and Bill Middleton taking the season long title by a mere point.
Qualifying for the real stock division was paced by Shawn Craig with a 19.359. Ryan Peeples won the trophy dash over Bill Middleton, Craig and Ryan Robinson. Troy Wood won the first heat ahead of Nick Green, Bob Lima, Robinson and Mark Mullan. Charles Essex won the second heat followed by Middleton, Kimberling, Craig and Nick Mitchell. 16 cars started the 25 lap main event. The field was brought to the initial green by Mitchell and Wood, but Mitchell spun in turn two along with Robinson and the race was completely restarted.
With Mitchell being relegated to the tail end of the field, Jim Redd inherited the pole position and took full advantage of it off the start by taking the lead. Almost immediately after the drop of the green flag, Essex pulled his car into the pits ending his night. The field spread out with Redd leading Wood, Kimberling and Middleton. The front four ran this way all race. Craig was the driver on a mission. On lap seven he moved by Lima for fifth. The next lap he moved by Middleton for fourth, then outside of Kimberling for third, completing the past two laps later.
On lap 11, Craig made the pass for second getting by Wood. Lima spun in the fourth turn on lap 14, but got his car going again. Craig finally caught up to Redd on lap 17 and quickly made his way by to take the lead. In the final few laps, Craig was slowed by traffic at the tail end of the lead lap which allowed Redd to close back in. At the checkered flag though it wasn’t enough to prevent Craig from winning over Redd, Wood, Kimberling and Middleton. Thanks in part to his run in the trophy dash on this evening, Middleton was able to claim the 2007 real stock championship over Wood by one point. The title was particularly emotional for Middleton and his family as earlier this year, his nephew, Raymond, Jr. died in a car accident. Raymond was planning to race in the real stock division this year.
David Henderson set fast time for the thunder roadster cars with a 17.096. Randy Olson won the trophy dash over Henderson, Paul Peeples, Jr. and Donn Cole. While warming up for the first heat, Dave McMurray spun in the second turn collecting Jay Bahner. Fortunately both drivers were able to make it out for the main. Chris Sarvinski won the heat over Chris Banfill, Leroy Marsh, Jr. Mark Arroyo and Bill Bradbury. Mike Ward won the second heat over Thomas Payne, Gehry Foster, Olson and Peeples.
Chris Lawrence and Ward led the 18 car field to the green flag in the 35 lap feature. Payne spun in the fourth turn on the first lap. Cole stopped to avoid hitting Payne, but unfortunately Marsh couldn’t avoid hitting Cole with his right front tire, knocking it out of kilter and sending him behind the wall for the night. On the restart Ward got the jump to take the lead while the Bill O’Neill, Henderson, Payne and Olson shuffled by Lawrence. Henderson moved by O’Neill quickly to take second on lap two. On lap four, Henderson took the lead from Ward while Olson moved by O’Neill into third.
Meanwhile, Peeples was charging his way to the front. On lap six, he moved by Foster for fifth, then on lap nine he got by O’Neill for fourth. While Henderson slowly pulled away, Ward and Olson battled for the second position. On lap 14, Olson finally found the fast line and moved under and by Ward. Peeples used the same tactic on lap 16 to take third. On lap 19, Peeples moved inside of Olson for second. The two dueled side-by-side while Henderson continued to pull out his lead. Finally on lap 22 after great wheel-to-wheel action, Peeples moved by for second. On lap 24, Banfill moved by Foster for the fifth position. Payne spun on lap 27 bringing out the yellow and tightening the field.
After the restart, the yellow flew once again for a spin by Foster in the fourth turn. On the last restart, Henderson, Peeples and Olson pulled away from the dueling cars of Ward and Banfill. Peeples tried to find the faster route, but couldn’t manage to get by Henderson. The closest he would get would be a friendly tap in the rear coming off the fourth turn on the last lap. At the checkered flag it was Henderson, Peeples, Olson, Ward and Banfill the top five finishers.
All-American Speedway driver Jay Linstroth took quick time honors for the modifieds for the second year in a row. Linstroth’s lap was a 16.293. Eddie Laws won the dash over Linstroth, Charlie Kramm and Kelly Peacock. The first heat saw misfortune for Cody Barba who blew an engine. Defending race champion Willie Thompson took the heat win over Thomas Wright, Scott Field, Terry McIntire and Brent Barney. Ken Scales won the second heat over Richie Potts, Peacock, Linstroth and Jason Philpot.
Wright and Field led the 15 car modified field in the 40 lap feature event. The initial start was called off due to a sloppy lineup. In the confusion to slow the cars down, Scales cut a tire and had to pit. On the restart, Wright took the lead over Field. On lap four, Potts used the outside to get by Laws and Dan Knight to move into third. On lap six, Potts moved by Fields into second. Laws maneuvered his way by Knight for the fourth spot on lap seven. Philpot got by Knight for fifth on the eighth lap. The yellow flew on lap 11 when Field had problems in the first turn.
The front three of Wright, Potts and Laws pulled away on the restart. On lap 18, Linstroth began to make himself known as he moved inside Philpot for fourth, bring Kramm with him. With the field spread out, racing for positions became very difficult. On lap 27, Linstroth took third away from Laws. Two laps later, Kramm moved by Laws for fourth bringing Guy Young with him. On lap 32, Linstroth moved into second and it looked like he would be able to give Wright a serious charge for the lead. However, when Linstroth moved into second, it appeared that Wright began to pick up the pace as he put a six car gap on Linstroth and maintained it all the way to the checkered flag. At the line it was Wright, Linstroth and Potts while Redding racers Kramm and Young finished fourth and fifth.
By Matthew J. Sullivan
The 2007 racing season came to a close this past Saturday night at the Redwood Acres Raceway with the annual Fall Spectacular. The I.M.C.A./Grand American modifieds joined the local runners in the thunder roadsters and the real stocks to make for an exciting finish to what has been a thrilling year of racing. Lakeport Speedway racer Thomas Wright led from start to finish in the 40-lap modified main event to earn the victory. David Henderson held off the challenges of 2007 RAR thunder roadster champion Paul Peeples, Jr. to win the 35 lap feature. The real stock division concluded it’s 2007 season in dramatic fashion with Shawn Craig winning the main event and Bill Middleton taking the season long title by a mere point.
Qualifying for the real stock division was paced by Shawn Craig with a 19.359. Ryan Peeples won the trophy dash over Bill Middleton, Craig and Ryan Robinson. Troy Wood won the first heat ahead of Nick Green, Bob Lima, Robinson and Mark Mullan. Charles Essex won the second heat followed by Middleton, Kimberling, Craig and Nick Mitchell. 16 cars started the 25 lap main event. The field was brought to the initial green by Mitchell and Wood, but Mitchell spun in turn two along with Robinson and the race was completely restarted.
With Mitchell being relegated to the tail end of the field, Jim Redd inherited the pole position and took full advantage of it off the start by taking the lead. Almost immediately after the drop of the green flag, Essex pulled his car into the pits ending his night. The field spread out with Redd leading Wood, Kimberling and Middleton. The front four ran this way all race. Craig was the driver on a mission. On lap seven he moved by Lima for fifth. The next lap he moved by Middleton for fourth, then outside of Kimberling for third, completing the past two laps later.
On lap 11, Craig made the pass for second getting by Wood. Lima spun in the fourth turn on lap 14, but got his car going again. Craig finally caught up to Redd on lap 17 and quickly made his way by to take the lead. In the final few laps, Craig was slowed by traffic at the tail end of the lead lap which allowed Redd to close back in. At the checkered flag though it wasn’t enough to prevent Craig from winning over Redd, Wood, Kimberling and Middleton. Thanks in part to his run in the trophy dash on this evening, Middleton was able to claim the 2007 real stock championship over Wood by one point. The title was particularly emotional for Middleton and his family as earlier this year, his nephew, Raymond, Jr. died in a car accident. Raymond was planning to race in the real stock division this year.
David Henderson set fast time for the thunder roadster cars with a 17.096. Randy Olson won the trophy dash over Henderson, Paul Peeples, Jr. and Donn Cole. While warming up for the first heat, Dave McMurray spun in the second turn collecting Jay Bahner. Fortunately both drivers were able to make it out for the main. Chris Sarvinski won the heat over Chris Banfill, Leroy Marsh, Jr. Mark Arroyo and Bill Bradbury. Mike Ward won the second heat over Thomas Payne, Gehry Foster, Olson and Peeples.
Chris Lawrence and Ward led the 18 car field to the green flag in the 35 lap feature. Payne spun in the fourth turn on the first lap. Cole stopped to avoid hitting Payne, but unfortunately Marsh couldn’t avoid hitting Cole with his right front tire, knocking it out of kilter and sending him behind the wall for the night. On the restart Ward got the jump to take the lead while the Bill O’Neill, Henderson, Payne and Olson shuffled by Lawrence. Henderson moved by O’Neill quickly to take second on lap two. On lap four, Henderson took the lead from Ward while Olson moved by O’Neill into third.
Meanwhile, Peeples was charging his way to the front. On lap six, he moved by Foster for fifth, then on lap nine he got by O’Neill for fourth. While Henderson slowly pulled away, Ward and Olson battled for the second position. On lap 14, Olson finally found the fast line and moved under and by Ward. Peeples used the same tactic on lap 16 to take third. On lap 19, Peeples moved inside of Olson for second. The two dueled side-by-side while Henderson continued to pull out his lead. Finally on lap 22 after great wheel-to-wheel action, Peeples moved by for second. On lap 24, Banfill moved by Foster for the fifth position. Payne spun on lap 27 bringing out the yellow and tightening the field.
After the restart, the yellow flew once again for a spin by Foster in the fourth turn. On the last restart, Henderson, Peeples and Olson pulled away from the dueling cars of Ward and Banfill. Peeples tried to find the faster route, but couldn’t manage to get by Henderson. The closest he would get would be a friendly tap in the rear coming off the fourth turn on the last lap. At the checkered flag it was Henderson, Peeples, Olson, Ward and Banfill the top five finishers.
All-American Speedway driver Jay Linstroth took quick time honors for the modifieds for the second year in a row. Linstroth’s lap was a 16.293. Eddie Laws won the dash over Linstroth, Charlie Kramm and Kelly Peacock. The first heat saw misfortune for Cody Barba who blew an engine. Defending race champion Willie Thompson took the heat win over Thomas Wright, Scott Field, Terry McIntire and Brent Barney. Ken Scales won the second heat over Richie Potts, Peacock, Linstroth and Jason Philpot.
Wright and Field led the 15 car modified field in the 40 lap feature event. The initial start was called off due to a sloppy lineup. In the confusion to slow the cars down, Scales cut a tire and had to pit. On the restart, Wright took the lead over Field. On lap four, Potts used the outside to get by Laws and Dan Knight to move into third. On lap six, Potts moved by Fields into second. Laws maneuvered his way by Knight for the fourth spot on lap seven. Philpot got by Knight for fifth on the eighth lap. The yellow flew on lap 11 when Field had problems in the first turn.
The front three of Wright, Potts and Laws pulled away on the restart. On lap 18, Linstroth began to make himself known as he moved inside Philpot for fourth, bring Kramm with him. With the field spread out, racing for positions became very difficult. On lap 27, Linstroth took third away from Laws. Two laps later, Kramm moved by Laws for fourth bringing Guy Young with him. On lap 32, Linstroth moved into second and it looked like he would be able to give Wright a serious charge for the lead. However, when Linstroth moved into second, it appeared that Wright began to pick up the pace as he put a six car gap on Linstroth and maintained it all the way to the checkered flag. At the line it was Wright, Linstroth and Potts while Redding racers Kramm and Young finished fourth and fifth.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
2007 season concludes with the Fall Spectacular
2007 season concludes with the Fall Spectacular
By Matthew J. Sullivan
The 21st season of pavement racing on the 3/8 mile oval at Eureka, California’s Redwood Acres Raceway comes to a close this Saturday night, September 29th with the Fall Spectacular. The night’s events will feature the crowning of the 2007 Redwood Acres Raceway real stock champion, the largest field of thunder roadsters in the United States, a strong field of I.M.C.A./Grand American modified racers from all over the west coast, and the next to last race for the North State Challenge Series late models.
Going into the final night of racing, real stock driver Bill Middleton holds a slim four point advantage over second place Troy Wood. The third place driver, Steve Kimberling is 35 points behind the leader and has an outside shot of winning the title. The real stock division has provided some of the most exciting and most clean racing at the Acres this past season, and Saturday night’s race should be a thrill to watch.
The thunder roadster champion at Redwood Acres Raceway, Paul Peeples, Jr., earned his title at the track’s previous race. With no points on the line, the racing should be even more intense. Redwood Acres Raceway holds the distinction of featuring the largest field of roadsters in the United States, and there will likely be at least 20 cars ready to race. Among the favorites will be Peeples, David Henderson, Troy Combs, Leroy Marsh, Jr., Chris Banfill and defending race champion Randy Olson.
The 2006 I.M.C.A./Grand American modified race was won by Willie Thompson. The Oregon racer led the race from the drop of the green flag to the drop of the checkered. Thompson had to hold off the likes of Jerry Dubach, Scott Winters, Ed Laws and Gary Lowblad to score the victory. The 2005 race winner, Jay Lindstroth set the fast time last year with a quick 16.206 qualifying lap. With many tracks not running this Saturday or not running their modified division, there promises to be another strong field of modified drivers and cars.
2007 NASCAR Grand National West rookie, Ryan Foster came from the tail end of the field to win the Northwood Chevrolet 100 last season. 2007 ASA Late Model Challenge Series rookie Derek Thorn led most of the race and finished second while Mike Doss took third, Howard Ford fourth and multi-time Northwood 100 winner, Mike Sackett fifth. Foster set quick time last year with an amazing 15.184 lap time, almost a full half second over second place qualifier, Ford. The field for this year’s race looks to be very good with more than 20 drivers either entered or expected to show up.
The race weekend begins Friday the 28th with open practice for all cars. The pit gates open at 11:00AM with practice being held from 2:00-6:00PM. Directly after practice, the annual barbeque will be held in the pits for all drivers, teams and officials. Saturday the pit gates open at 10:00 in the morning with practice beginning at 12:00 noon. The front gates open at 4:00PM the same time qualifications will start and all of the night’s racing will begin at 6:00PM.
By Matthew J. Sullivan
The 21st season of pavement racing on the 3/8 mile oval at Eureka, California’s Redwood Acres Raceway comes to a close this Saturday night, September 29th with the Fall Spectacular. The night’s events will feature the crowning of the 2007 Redwood Acres Raceway real stock champion, the largest field of thunder roadsters in the United States, a strong field of I.M.C.A./Grand American modified racers from all over the west coast, and the next to last race for the North State Challenge Series late models.
Going into the final night of racing, real stock driver Bill Middleton holds a slim four point advantage over second place Troy Wood. The third place driver, Steve Kimberling is 35 points behind the leader and has an outside shot of winning the title. The real stock division has provided some of the most exciting and most clean racing at the Acres this past season, and Saturday night’s race should be a thrill to watch.
The thunder roadster champion at Redwood Acres Raceway, Paul Peeples, Jr., earned his title at the track’s previous race. With no points on the line, the racing should be even more intense. Redwood Acres Raceway holds the distinction of featuring the largest field of roadsters in the United States, and there will likely be at least 20 cars ready to race. Among the favorites will be Peeples, David Henderson, Troy Combs, Leroy Marsh, Jr., Chris Banfill and defending race champion Randy Olson.
The 2006 I.M.C.A./Grand American modified race was won by Willie Thompson. The Oregon racer led the race from the drop of the green flag to the drop of the checkered. Thompson had to hold off the likes of Jerry Dubach, Scott Winters, Ed Laws and Gary Lowblad to score the victory. The 2005 race winner, Jay Lindstroth set the fast time last year with a quick 16.206 qualifying lap. With many tracks not running this Saturday or not running their modified division, there promises to be another strong field of modified drivers and cars.
2007 NASCAR Grand National West rookie, Ryan Foster came from the tail end of the field to win the Northwood Chevrolet 100 last season. 2007 ASA Late Model Challenge Series rookie Derek Thorn led most of the race and finished second while Mike Doss took third, Howard Ford fourth and multi-time Northwood 100 winner, Mike Sackett fifth. Foster set quick time last year with an amazing 15.184 lap time, almost a full half second over second place qualifier, Ford. The field for this year’s race looks to be very good with more than 20 drivers either entered or expected to show up.
The race weekend begins Friday the 28th with open practice for all cars. The pit gates open at 11:00AM with practice being held from 2:00-6:00PM. Directly after practice, the annual barbeque will be held in the pits for all drivers, teams and officials. Saturday the pit gates open at 10:00 in the morning with practice beginning at 12:00 noon. The front gates open at 4:00PM the same time qualifications will start and all of the night’s racing will begin at 6:00PM.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Season ends with champions crowned, race cars destroyed
Season ends with champions crowned, race cars destroyed
By Matthew J. Sullivan
The 2007 points season came to a close for four of the five divisions at Redwood Acres Raceway this past weekend, thankfully for many drivers and teams. As has been displayed over the duration of the 2007 schedule, there was some great, tight racing as well as some spectacular crashes which severely damaged several cars. Orion Mosher capped off a spectacular season, winning another limited street stock main event, however rookie Scott Lyons claimed the division championship. Second year driver, Byron McIntosh took another main event victory in the mini stock division, which only added to his joy of being the division’s champion. While the real stock class didn’t finish their points season, the racing was just as close as Barry Barnwell took the trophy in the main. Paul Peeples, Jr. finished off a dominating season in the thunder roadster division with the main event win and the championship. Finally, in the sportsman division, Rick Fox took his first main event win of 2007 but Brandon Barnwell took the championship, unfortunately with a demolished race car at night’s end.
Scott Lyons took fast time honors for the limited street stock cars with a 17.505 lap. The dash victory went to Orion Mosher ahead of Stan Young, Robert Miller and Lyons. The heat was claimed by Mosher ahead of Duane Mayo, Miller, Lyons and Fergy Ferguson who made his lone appearance of the 2007 season. Mayo and Young led the field to the green flag in the 20 lap main event. Young led from the start while Mayo held of Miller and Mosher. On lap four, Miller moved inside of Mayo and took the position the next lap while Mosher followed into third. Mosher moved inside of Miller on lap six and the two raced side-by-side until lap nine when Mosher cleared Miller for the position. On lap 10, Mosher swept past Young for the lead.
While Mosher pulled away from the rest of the field, Young, Miller and Mayo fought for the second spot. On lap 14, the yellow came out for debris on the race track. Just after the restart, Miller pulled his car into the pits. As Mosher continued to pull away, Young and Mayo continued to duel for second. On the last lap the two tangled. Mosher won while Lyons moved into second. Mayo took third, Young fourth and Romeo Venza finished fifth. Lyons second place helped him finish off a spectacular season with the 2007 championship in the division.
Fast time for the mini stock division was set by Max Capps with a 19.095 time. Craig Baker won the dash over Capps, Denzil Barrett and Nick Karanopoulos. The heat was won by Bill Wood. Brian McIntosh took second, Glenn Bernald third, Barrett fourth and Capps fifth. Nine cars started the 20 lap main with Wood and Stacy Minnick taking the field to the green flag. Off the start, By. McIntosh took the front row three wide to take the lead. The next lap Karanopoulos tried the same maneuver but unfortunately contact was made with Wood causing a huge melee.
After the mess was cleaned up, Baker and Barrett were the two who weren’t able to make the restart. McIntosh led Wood, Minnick, Br. McIntosh and Capps. Byron pulled away from the field while Brian maneuvered his way through the field. He moved by Minnick for third off the restart and then by Wood on lap six. For the rest of the race, the excitement was whether or not Brian could catch brother Byron. By the time the race ended, Brian had closed on Byron’s bumper but that was it. It was Byron winning the race and clinching the title over Brian McIntosh, Wood, Capps and Karanopoulos.
Ryan Peeples laid down a blistering 19.238 lap time in the real stock division to claim fast time. Peeples won the dash ahead of Dan Brown, Troy Wood and Ray Robinson. Wood won the first heat over Chuck Essex, Barry Barnwell, Marvin Savage and Brown. Doug Way won the second followed by Peeples, Bill Middleton, Robinson and Steve Kimberling. Pat Conway and Way brought the field to the green in the 25 lap main event. Conway took the lead early before a lap two yellow flag. After the restart, Middleton moved inside of Nick Green for the fourth position on lap four bringing Barnwell with him. Peeples moved outside of Barnwell on lap six for fifth, while ahead of them Middleton moved outside of Savage for third. The four raced in a tight formation for several laps before Barnwell moved under and past Middleton on lap 10.
On lap 11, Barnwell moved outside of Savage but couldn’t pull off the pass. At the same time, Peeples moved by Middleton for fourth. The two leaders Conway and Way pulled away while Savage and Barnwell continued their duel. On lap 14, Barnwell moved into second. Peeples really began to show his strength, as he moved by Savage at the same time and moved by Barnwell for second a lap later, just as Way pulled his car into the pits and out of the race. Peeples rapidly began to close in on Conway. On lap 19, Brown moved by Barnwell but pushed up the track allowing Barnwell to move back inside.
On lap 20, Peeples and Conway made contact in the first turn sending Conway into a spin and bringing out the yellow flag. Officials determined Peeples to be at fault for the incident and he was sent to the rear of the field. Brown would have inherited the lead but pulled his car into the pits under the caution period handing the top spot over to Barnwell over Savage and Middleton. Barnwell got a good restart and stretched out a comfortable lead over Savage. Barnwell maintained a comfortable margin and took the win over Savage and Middleton. Kimberling was running in fourth on the last lap but got severely loose off the final corner allowing Wood and Peeples to take fourth and fifth at the end.
Paul Peeples, Jr. once again set the fastest time in qualifying for the thunder roadster cars with a very fast 16.898 time in. Peeples won the dash over David Henderson, Mike Ward. Unfortunately fourth place finisher Leroy Marsh, Jr. wrecked in the dash. Mark Baldwin won heat one over Ron Rosenthal, Chris Banfill, Mark Arroyo and Bruce Ziemer. Bill O’Neill won the second heat ahead of Troy Combs, Henderson, Thomas Payne and Peeples.
A strong 19 car field was brought to the green flag of the 30 lap main event by Arroyo and Payne. Arroyo grabbed the lead early. By lap three, Peeples had quickly maneuvered his way into the top five, getting by O’Neill. Donn Cole moved by Payne for second on lap five. Gehry Foster took the fifth position, moving by O’Neill on lap six. On the same lap, Cole spun in turn four causing cars to scatter left and right of his car. Fortunately everyone missed Cole’s car. Unfortunately for Combs, he was caught up in the aftermath of the melee and hit the wall, ending his evening.
At this time Arroyo held the lead over Peeples, Payne, Henderson and Foster. Henderson used the restart to his advantage moving by Payne. On lap seven, Peeples made his bid for the lead, taking it away from Arroyo. On lap 8, Ward and Banfill spun with Banfill having right front damage putting an end to his night. On the restart, Baldwin moved by O’Neill for fifth. Lap nine, Henderson moved inside of Arroyo for second. The duo dueled side-by-side until lap 11 when Henderson gained the upper hand down the back stretch. The field spread out and try as he might, Henderson just could not close the gap on Peeples. The race concluded with Peeples winning by several car lengths over Henderson, Arroyo, Baldwin and Foster. The win capped off what was a season of pure domination by Peeples, resulting in the division championship.
Dennis Delbiaggio returned to the Acres in the sportsman division and laid down fast time with a 16.493. Angelo Marcelli won the dash over Brandon Barnwell, Rick Fox and Delbiaggio. The dash saw two unfortunate incidents, one of which involved Lissa Uselton and Marcelli making contact off the fourth turn, another which saw Frank Billy, Jr. hit the turn four wall ending racing action for him. Barnwell won the heat over Delbiaggio, Uselton, Fox and Larry Pries.
Delbiaggio and Fox took the field to the green flag for the 25 lap main event. Delbiaggio took the early lead while the field settled into single file formation. On lap two, Barnwell moved by Usleton into fourth. On lap seven, Barnwell moved outside of Pries for third, but Pried found room under Fox to take the second spot, allowing Barnwell to follow him into third. Pries and Barnwell closed in on Delbiaggio quickly and the three raced nose-to-tail until lap 24 when Pries finally found room under Delbiaggio down the back stretch. Unfortunately the two tangled in the third turn collecting Barnwell. Fox slowed down and drove under the wreck while Uselton had to spin her car out to avoid a more serious situation. Fortunately, all cars involved received little to no damage.
With the field regrouped, it was Fox leading Delbiaggio, Barnwell, Marcelli and Pries to the green and white flag restart. Coming off the fourth turn, Barnwell moved outside of Delbiaggio for second but the two tangled causing a major incident involving Marcelli, Pries and Uselton behind them. At the line, Fox was the lone car without damage. Barnwell took second, Delbiaggio third, Marcelli fourth and Uselton fifth. Barnwell was crowned the sportsman division champion for 2007 after an impressive season.
Racing returns to the Acres September 28 and 29 for the annual Fall Spectacular. The championship for the real stock division will be determined. Joining them will be the thunder roadsters, the I.M.C.A./Grand American Modifieds and the North State Challenge Series late models. It promises to be an exciting close to what has been an exciting 2007 season.
By Matthew J. Sullivan
The 2007 points season came to a close for four of the five divisions at Redwood Acres Raceway this past weekend, thankfully for many drivers and teams. As has been displayed over the duration of the 2007 schedule, there was some great, tight racing as well as some spectacular crashes which severely damaged several cars. Orion Mosher capped off a spectacular season, winning another limited street stock main event, however rookie Scott Lyons claimed the division championship. Second year driver, Byron McIntosh took another main event victory in the mini stock division, which only added to his joy of being the division’s champion. While the real stock class didn’t finish their points season, the racing was just as close as Barry Barnwell took the trophy in the main. Paul Peeples, Jr. finished off a dominating season in the thunder roadster division with the main event win and the championship. Finally, in the sportsman division, Rick Fox took his first main event win of 2007 but Brandon Barnwell took the championship, unfortunately with a demolished race car at night’s end.
Scott Lyons took fast time honors for the limited street stock cars with a 17.505 lap. The dash victory went to Orion Mosher ahead of Stan Young, Robert Miller and Lyons. The heat was claimed by Mosher ahead of Duane Mayo, Miller, Lyons and Fergy Ferguson who made his lone appearance of the 2007 season. Mayo and Young led the field to the green flag in the 20 lap main event. Young led from the start while Mayo held of Miller and Mosher. On lap four, Miller moved inside of Mayo and took the position the next lap while Mosher followed into third. Mosher moved inside of Miller on lap six and the two raced side-by-side until lap nine when Mosher cleared Miller for the position. On lap 10, Mosher swept past Young for the lead.
While Mosher pulled away from the rest of the field, Young, Miller and Mayo fought for the second spot. On lap 14, the yellow came out for debris on the race track. Just after the restart, Miller pulled his car into the pits. As Mosher continued to pull away, Young and Mayo continued to duel for second. On the last lap the two tangled. Mosher won while Lyons moved into second. Mayo took third, Young fourth and Romeo Venza finished fifth. Lyons second place helped him finish off a spectacular season with the 2007 championship in the division.
Fast time for the mini stock division was set by Max Capps with a 19.095 time. Craig Baker won the dash over Capps, Denzil Barrett and Nick Karanopoulos. The heat was won by Bill Wood. Brian McIntosh took second, Glenn Bernald third, Barrett fourth and Capps fifth. Nine cars started the 20 lap main with Wood and Stacy Minnick taking the field to the green flag. Off the start, By. McIntosh took the front row three wide to take the lead. The next lap Karanopoulos tried the same maneuver but unfortunately contact was made with Wood causing a huge melee.
After the mess was cleaned up, Baker and Barrett were the two who weren’t able to make the restart. McIntosh led Wood, Minnick, Br. McIntosh and Capps. Byron pulled away from the field while Brian maneuvered his way through the field. He moved by Minnick for third off the restart and then by Wood on lap six. For the rest of the race, the excitement was whether or not Brian could catch brother Byron. By the time the race ended, Brian had closed on Byron’s bumper but that was it. It was Byron winning the race and clinching the title over Brian McIntosh, Wood, Capps and Karanopoulos.
Ryan Peeples laid down a blistering 19.238 lap time in the real stock division to claim fast time. Peeples won the dash ahead of Dan Brown, Troy Wood and Ray Robinson. Wood won the first heat over Chuck Essex, Barry Barnwell, Marvin Savage and Brown. Doug Way won the second followed by Peeples, Bill Middleton, Robinson and Steve Kimberling. Pat Conway and Way brought the field to the green in the 25 lap main event. Conway took the lead early before a lap two yellow flag. After the restart, Middleton moved inside of Nick Green for the fourth position on lap four bringing Barnwell with him. Peeples moved outside of Barnwell on lap six for fifth, while ahead of them Middleton moved outside of Savage for third. The four raced in a tight formation for several laps before Barnwell moved under and past Middleton on lap 10.
On lap 11, Barnwell moved outside of Savage but couldn’t pull off the pass. At the same time, Peeples moved by Middleton for fourth. The two leaders Conway and Way pulled away while Savage and Barnwell continued their duel. On lap 14, Barnwell moved into second. Peeples really began to show his strength, as he moved by Savage at the same time and moved by Barnwell for second a lap later, just as Way pulled his car into the pits and out of the race. Peeples rapidly began to close in on Conway. On lap 19, Brown moved by Barnwell but pushed up the track allowing Barnwell to move back inside.
On lap 20, Peeples and Conway made contact in the first turn sending Conway into a spin and bringing out the yellow flag. Officials determined Peeples to be at fault for the incident and he was sent to the rear of the field. Brown would have inherited the lead but pulled his car into the pits under the caution period handing the top spot over to Barnwell over Savage and Middleton. Barnwell got a good restart and stretched out a comfortable lead over Savage. Barnwell maintained a comfortable margin and took the win over Savage and Middleton. Kimberling was running in fourth on the last lap but got severely loose off the final corner allowing Wood and Peeples to take fourth and fifth at the end.
Paul Peeples, Jr. once again set the fastest time in qualifying for the thunder roadster cars with a very fast 16.898 time in. Peeples won the dash over David Henderson, Mike Ward. Unfortunately fourth place finisher Leroy Marsh, Jr. wrecked in the dash. Mark Baldwin won heat one over Ron Rosenthal, Chris Banfill, Mark Arroyo and Bruce Ziemer. Bill O’Neill won the second heat ahead of Troy Combs, Henderson, Thomas Payne and Peeples.
A strong 19 car field was brought to the green flag of the 30 lap main event by Arroyo and Payne. Arroyo grabbed the lead early. By lap three, Peeples had quickly maneuvered his way into the top five, getting by O’Neill. Donn Cole moved by Payne for second on lap five. Gehry Foster took the fifth position, moving by O’Neill on lap six. On the same lap, Cole spun in turn four causing cars to scatter left and right of his car. Fortunately everyone missed Cole’s car. Unfortunately for Combs, he was caught up in the aftermath of the melee and hit the wall, ending his evening.
At this time Arroyo held the lead over Peeples, Payne, Henderson and Foster. Henderson used the restart to his advantage moving by Payne. On lap seven, Peeples made his bid for the lead, taking it away from Arroyo. On lap 8, Ward and Banfill spun with Banfill having right front damage putting an end to his night. On the restart, Baldwin moved by O’Neill for fifth. Lap nine, Henderson moved inside of Arroyo for second. The duo dueled side-by-side until lap 11 when Henderson gained the upper hand down the back stretch. The field spread out and try as he might, Henderson just could not close the gap on Peeples. The race concluded with Peeples winning by several car lengths over Henderson, Arroyo, Baldwin and Foster. The win capped off what was a season of pure domination by Peeples, resulting in the division championship.
Dennis Delbiaggio returned to the Acres in the sportsman division and laid down fast time with a 16.493. Angelo Marcelli won the dash over Brandon Barnwell, Rick Fox and Delbiaggio. The dash saw two unfortunate incidents, one of which involved Lissa Uselton and Marcelli making contact off the fourth turn, another which saw Frank Billy, Jr. hit the turn four wall ending racing action for him. Barnwell won the heat over Delbiaggio, Uselton, Fox and Larry Pries.
Delbiaggio and Fox took the field to the green flag for the 25 lap main event. Delbiaggio took the early lead while the field settled into single file formation. On lap two, Barnwell moved by Usleton into fourth. On lap seven, Barnwell moved outside of Pries for third, but Pried found room under Fox to take the second spot, allowing Barnwell to follow him into third. Pries and Barnwell closed in on Delbiaggio quickly and the three raced nose-to-tail until lap 24 when Pries finally found room under Delbiaggio down the back stretch. Unfortunately the two tangled in the third turn collecting Barnwell. Fox slowed down and drove under the wreck while Uselton had to spin her car out to avoid a more serious situation. Fortunately, all cars involved received little to no damage.
With the field regrouped, it was Fox leading Delbiaggio, Barnwell, Marcelli and Pries to the green and white flag restart. Coming off the fourth turn, Barnwell moved outside of Delbiaggio for second but the two tangled causing a major incident involving Marcelli, Pries and Uselton behind them. At the line, Fox was the lone car without damage. Barnwell took second, Delbiaggio third, Marcelli fourth and Uselton fifth. Barnwell was crowned the sportsman division champion for 2007 after an impressive season.
Racing returns to the Acres September 28 and 29 for the annual Fall Spectacular. The championship for the real stock division will be determined. Joining them will be the thunder roadsters, the I.M.C.A./Grand American Modifieds and the North State Challenge Series late models. It promises to be an exciting close to what has been an exciting 2007 season.
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