Thursday, October 12, 2017

Winter Showdown Increasing to 300 Laps in 2018


Via SRL Media

Bakersfield, CA – The Fourth Annual Winter Showdown at Kern County Raceway will move from its traditional 250-lap race length, to 300 laps in 2018. The race pays $30,000 to win, $3,000 to start and takes place on Saturday afternoon February 3rd in 2018.

The format of the race weekend will also change for the teams in 2018, as the top thirty drivers from Friday night’s single car qualifying will go straight to Saturday’s 300 lap Winter Showdown. Four drivers will transfer from Friday night’s Last Chance Qualifier and the final two positions will be provisionals to make up the 36 car-starting field.

“Our approach to the Winter Showdown is to make it better each year,” stated the SRL’s Larry Collins. “We paid $25,000 to win in 2015, then increased the winner’s share up to $30,000. Last year we increased the start money from $2,000 to $3,000 with the support of Coors Light and Speed51.com, and now we’ll increase the laps to 300 in 2018.”

The race weekend has also been shortened by one day for the race teams, as the event will officially open on Thursday for tech inspection and a four-hour afternoon practice session. Friday will feature two more practice sessions with single car qualifying at 7pm, followed by the Last Chance Qualifier. The Winter Showdown 300 will remain a twelve tire race, and start at 2pm on Saturday afternoon.

In its first three years, the “Winter Showdown” at Kern County Raceway, in Bakersfield, California has awarded over $400,000 in prize money to the top Super Late Models drivers in the nation. The 2018 edition of the Winter Showdown 300 will take place on Saturday afternoon, February 3rd, with a cash payout of $147,000 with $30,000 going to the winner, and a minimum $3,000 to start, making it the richest short track event of the year.

Senoia, Georgia’s Bubba Pollard has two Winter Showdown victories and Bakersfield’s Derek Thorn is the 2017 defending race winner.

For additional information on the Fourth Annual Winter Showdown, go to www.srlsouthwesttour.com, contact the SRL office at 661-679-4681, lcollins@mesamarin.com or rickybrooks5@aol.com.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Analyzing the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by TriCo Welding Supply



DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West heads to All American Speedway in Roseville, California, for the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by TriCo Welding Supply on Saturday, October 14. Below is a look at the race itself and some of the selected participants.

Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 Race Setup:
• Park City, Utah’s Michael Self returned to Victory Lane for the first time since 2013, winning last time out at Meridian Speedway.
• The win was just the second this season by a driver not named Todd Gilliland or Chris Eggleston.
• Gilliland, of Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, has six wins this season and owns an 11-point lead atop the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings over teammate Eggleston, himself a four-time winner in 2017, with two races remaining.

At All American Speedway:
History
• This is the series 19th visit to All American Speedway. The track hosted five events between 1977 and 1982 when it was a quarter-mile oval and 13 races since 2008, after it was renovated and became a third-mile track.
• The series visited Roseville twice each year from 2008-2011 and once each year since 2012.
• All American Speedway is located at the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville, California. It began as a dirt oval in 1955 and was known as Placer County Speedway. It was paved in 1972.

Notebook
• The 18 series races at All American Speedway have produced 14 different winners. Eric Holmes, with four wins, and Paulie Harraka, with two wins, are the only multiple winners.
• Fourteen different drivers have qualified on the pole in series competition at Roseville. Harraka has the most poles, with three.
• Holmes has the most top-five and top-10 finishes at Roseville, with seven and eight, respectively.
• Holmes has the most series starts at All American Speedway, taking the green flag 10 times.
• Toyota leads manufacturer with seven victories at All American.
• Nine of the last 10 races at All American have been won by a driver starting on the front row. Only one driver — Jason Fensler in 2011 — has started worse than eighth and won at the track. Fensler started 15th that year.

All American Data:
Race: #13 of 14 overall
Race Date: Saturday, October 14, 7 p.m. PT
Track Layout: .333-mile asphalt oval
Race Length: 150 laps (50 miles)

Qualifying/Race Data:
2016 Winner: Ryan Partridge
2016 Pole Sitter: Todd Gilliland
1-Lap Qualifying Record: Jason Bowles, 13.589 seconds (88.218 mph), April 2009.
150 Lap Race Record: Eric Holmes, 44 minutes 21 seconds (67.576 mph), April 2009.

All American Leaders:
Wins
Eric Holmes … 4
Paulie Harraka … 2
Several others tied with … 1

Poles
Paulie Harraka … 3
Jason Bowles … 2
Several others tied with … 1

Top Fives
Eric Holmes … 7
David Mayhew … 6
Greg Pursley … 5
Paulie Harraka … 4
Moses Smith … 4

Top 10s
Eric Holmes … 8
David Mayhew … 8
Moses Smith … 7
Greg Pursley … 7
Paulie Harraka … 5

Laps Led
Eric Holmes … 661
Paulie Harraka … 314
Ryan Partridge … 191
Derek Thorn … 173
Jim Robinson … 150
Greg Pursley … 146
Alex Schutte … 104

Selected Driver Highlights:
Chris Eggleston (No. 99 NAPA Filters Toyota)
• Sits second in the overall West standings, 11 points behind leader Todd Gilliland, with four wins, 10 top fives and 12 top 10s in 12 races.
• Has nine career K&N West wins with 29 top fives and 34 top 10s in 43 career starts.
• Was the 2015 series champion in his first full season of competition with Bill McAnally Racing.
• Is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in every race this season and has wins at Tucson (Ariz.) Speedway, California’s Orange Show Speedway, Colorado National Speedway and Washington’s Evergreen Speedway.
• Finished second last season at All American, where he has an average finish of 2.5 in two K&N Pro Series West career starts.

Todd Gilliland (No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)
• Has six wins, nine top fives and 11 top 10s in 12 West races this season to lead the series standings by 11 points over Chris Eggleston.
• Won at Oregon’s Douglas County for his series-leading sixth win of the season.
• Won four of the first five K&N Pro Series West races this season and owns 13 career K&N Pro Series West wins.
• Won the first five pole awards of the season and four straight races — California’s Kern County Raceway Park, California’s Irwindale Event Center (twice) and Spokane (Wash.) Raceway.
• Finished second this season in the final K&N Pro Series East standings.
• Won the pole and finished eighth last season at All American in his only K&N Pro Series West career start at the track.

Derek Kraus (No. 19 Carlyle Tools Toyota)
• Sits third in the current West standings with seven top fives and eight top 10s through 12 races.
• Leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by five points over Will Rodgers with two races remaining.
• Finished a career-best second at Kern County in March and equaled the effort at Spokane and Colorado.
• Won his first career pole at Iowa Speedway, and finished fifth in the most recent event at Idaho’s Meridian Speedway.
• Made his K&N Pro Series debut with the East at New Smyrna this season and finished third.
• Has never competed with the series at All American.

Julia Landauer (No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Eibach Springs/Braille Batteries/Lucas Oil Ford)
• Sits seventh in the overall standings with one top five and seven top 10s in 12 starts this season.
• Finished fourth in the K&N Pro Series West standings in 2016, the highest finish for a woman in the series’ history.
• Posted a season-high finish of fifth at Douglas County two races ago and enters the weekend with three straight top 10s.
• Finished third last season in her only series career start at All American.

Michael Self (No. 9 Sunrise Ford/Eibach Springs/Braille Batteries/Sinclair Ford)
• Despite missing the season opener, is fifth in the standings with five top fives and 11 top 10s in 11 starts.
• Has seven career K&N West wins, including the most recent event at Meridian, his first win since 2013.
• Has one top five in six series career starts at All American.

Todd Souza (No. 13 Central Coast Cabinets Toyota)
• Ranks a career-high sixth in the overall standings with two top fives and eight top 10s in 12 starts this season.
• Finished fourth in the most recent event at Meridian, giving him six top 10s in the last seven races.
• Won his only career race at Utah Motorsports Campus in 2008.
• Has an average career finish of 11.7, including a fourth in 2008, in three career K&N Pro Series West starts at All American.

Will Rodgers (No. 7 Solvang Brewing Company Ford)
• Ranks fourth in the West standings with eight top fives and 10 top 10s in 11 races this year.
• Competed in six races a year ago and is running for K&N West Rookie of the Year this season.
• Finished third in the most recent event at Meridian, giving him three straight top-five finishes and four in the last five races.
• Has two career K&N Pro Series East wins at New York’s Watkins Glen International and New Jersey Motorsports Park this season.
• Has never competed with the series at All American Speedway.

Up To Speed:
• The 2017 season is the 64th for the K&N Pro Series West.
• The 2017 schedule features 14 races at 12 different tracks.
• Point leader Todd Gilliland, who won the first five poles of the season, swept the Twin 100s at Irwindale in March as part of a stretch of four straight wins.
• Gilliland won at Iowa Speedway and Douglas County for his fifth and sixth wins of the season.
• Chris Eggleston won the season opener at Tucson and then two straight events at Orange Show and Colorado National.
• Eggleston won at Evergreen for his fourth win of the season.
• Michael Self won at Meridian for his first win in the series since 2013.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

For Kraus, First Win Appears Just Around the Corner



Via NASCAR PR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West returns to the track for the penultimate race of the season, the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by TriCo Welding Supply on Saturday, October 14, at All American Speedway in Roseville, California.

While he won’t win the series championship, 16-year-old Derek Kraus has his sights set on a couple of career milestones as he enters the final two races of the season. A first trip to Victory Lane tops that list of possible achievements for the Stratford, Wisconsin, driver, and with seven top five finishes in 12 starts this season, it’s clear that Kraus is closing on his first win. He has three runner-up finishes this season — at California’s Kern County Raceway Park, Washington’s Spokane County Raceway and Colorado National Speedway — and has finished in the top five in each of the last two races entering the weekend. Kraus sits third in the overall standings.

Kraus is also locked in a tight Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle with Will Rodgers, sitting five points ahead of Rodgers for the honor.

Rodgers, too, is inching closer to a first career K&N Pro Series West win, despite being a two-time winner in the East series. The 23-year old from Murrieta, California, won both of his starts on road courses in the East this season — at Watkins Glen and New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Rodgers is fourth in the West standings, with eight top fives — including three straight entering Roseville — this year.

Kraus and Rodgers sit third and fourth in the championship standings, respectively, and are separated by just one point headed into Saturday.

Kraus' Bill McAnally Racing teammates are also in a battle. Todd Gilliland and Chris Eggleston are in a tight fight for the 2017 championship with Gilliland holding an 11-point lead over Eggleston in the standings.

RACE: Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by TriCo Welding Supply
PLACE: All American Speedway, Roseville, California
DATE: Saturday, October 14
TIME: 7 p.m. PT
AIRDATE: Thursday, October 19 at 3:30 p.m. ET
TRACK LAYOUT: .333-mile asphalt oval
2016 WINNER: Ryan Partridge
2016 POLE WINNER: Todd Gilliland
EVENT SCHEDULE: Saturday, October 14 — Garage opens: 10 a.m.; Practice: 12:15-1 p.m.; Final practice: 1:45-2:30 p.m.; Group qualifying: 4:45 p.m.; Driver autograph session: 5:30 p.m.; Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by TriCo Welding Supply: 7 p.m.
TRACK CONTACT: Kevin Green, (707) 301-2053, kgreen@billmcanallyracing.com
TWITTER: @AASpeedway
EVENT HASHTAG: #ToyotaNAPA150
NASCAR IMC CONTACT: Brooke Franceschini, (386) 631-6142, bfranceschini@nascar.com.
FAST FACTS:
The Race: The Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 will be the 13th of 14 races on the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule.

The Procedure: The starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 20 cars will qualify through the group qualifying process with the remaining four spots being awarded through the provisional process. The race is schedule for 150 laps covering 50 miles.

The Track: All American Speedway is a .333-mile paved oval with eight degrees banking in Turns 1 & 2. Turns 3 & 4 have progressive banking, beginning at 10 degrees and graduating to 14 degrees. The track hosted five NASCAR K&N Pro Series West events between 1977 and 1982, when it was a quarter-mile oval and 13 races since it was renovated prior to the 2008 season.

Race Winners: There have been 14 different winners in the 18 previous NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races held at All-American Speedway. Eric Holmes leads all drivers with four career wins at the track, while Paulie Harraka won twice and is the only other driver to win multiple races at All American.

Track Records: Qualifying: Jason Bowles, Ford, 13.589 seconds (88.218 mph), April 4, 2009. 150-lap Race Record: Eric Holmes, Toyota, 44 minutes and 21 seconds (67.576 mph), April 4, 2009.

TOYOTA/NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 NOTES:
Championship Battle: With wins in six of the 12 races held thus far in 2017, reigning series champion Todd Gilliland leads Chris Eggleston by 11 points atop the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings. Gilliland, who finished second in the final K&N Pro Series East standings this season, has nine top fives and 11 top 10s entering the final two races of the season.

Eggleston has been equally impressive this season, with four wins and series-highs in both top fives (10) and top 10s (12). He is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in every race to date.

American Style: Bill McAnally Racing has found the quick way around All American Speedway.

Since the start of the 2008 season, BMR teams have won five races at the track. Eric Holmes, a three-time K&N Pro Series West champion, has four wins to lead all drivers at the track, all while driving for BMR.

In the last eight races at All American, BMR teams have three wins, three runner-up finishes and two third-place finishes.

Self-less No Longer: When Michael Self won the NAPA Auto Parts Idaho 208 presented by Perfect Hydration and Lights Out at Meridian Speedway two weeks ago, it marked the Park City, Utah, native’s first K&N Pro Series West win since he conquered Missouri’s I-44 Speedway in 2013.

Despite missing the first race of the season, Self sits fifth now in the series standings — just 12 points out of third.

Self has not finished outside the top 10 in any of his 11 starts this year, and he’s not finished worse than seventh since an 8th-place finish at Colorado National Speedway in early June.

Think Pink: The Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by TriCo Welding Supply will also serve as a fundraiser for the Placer Breast Cancer Foundation.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and fans will be encouraged to make donations to the Placer Breast Cancer Foundation. More information about the foundation can be found by visiting their website at www.placerbreastcancerfoundation.org.

North State Modified Finale This Saturday At All American Speedway

Charlie Collins (#69) is only 16 points behind Darrin Knight (#20) in the North State
Modified Series championship race.

Via NSMS PR

The final event in the 2017 championship race for the North State Modified Series, presented by Protect the Harvest, will be held this Saturday night at All American Speedway in Roseville, California. The Sinister Diesel October Classic will feature a six-car six-lap Lucas Oil Dash for Cash along with a 60 lap feature event. The A-Main purse payout has been increased, courtesy of Economy Heating & Air of Roseville, Ward Ranches and Roseville's Sinister Diesel.

At the end of the competition the 2017 North State Modified Series (NSMS) champion will be revealed. Currently Darrin Knight of Kelseyville leads Charlie Collins of Lakeport by only 16 points. It is possible to earn as many as 79 points at each event.

After his win at Shasta Speedway last month, Darrin Sullivan (Kelseyville) took over third from Eric Johnson (Kelseyville.) Sullivan's margin over Johnson is a mere 22 points. These four drivers are the only ones having a mathematical chance to win the championship.

Sierra Furia (Lakeport) sits in fifth place, only 26 points ahead of Cloverdale's Dustin DeRosier. Trailing DeRosier by 56 points is Jason Philpot of Sacramento. Adrianna Strugnell (Kelseyville) rides in the eighth spot, six points behind Philpot and four points ahead of veteran driver Richie Potts of Petaluma. Simi Tour of Potter Valley rounds out the top ten contenders.

The North State Modified race is running in conjunction with the NASCAR K & N Pro Series, the Pacific Challenge Series Late Models, Bombers and F-4 Skid Plate cars.

The North State Modified Series is presented by: Protect the Harvest, Lucas Oil, Sinister Diesel, Ward Ranches, Penney Racing Supply, American Racer Tires, Naake Suspension, Sunoco Race Fuels, Five Star Bodies, Racer Bling, Keyser Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, DJ Safety, and the Buckhorn Bar & Grill, Economy Heating & Air, and Mort Houston.

PCS October Classic Decides Championship At Roseville This Saturday



ROSEVILLE, CALIFORNIA (October 7, 2017) – A strong entry list with talent top to bottom will compete for 100 laps in Saturday’s 4th annual October Classic 100 for the Pacific Challenge Series presented by PenneyLawyers.com The giant night of racing at All American Speedway in Roseville, CA includes NASCAR K&N Pro Series, West. North State Modifieds for their championship race, a Bomber Open Show, and Skid Plates round out the busy night of entertainment scheduled. 22 Bombers join 19 PCS, 8 Skid Plates, and expected fields above 20 cars for both the K&N West and Modifieds competition for nearly 100 entrants total.

PenneyLawyers.com has pushed the guaranteed purse to $2500 to win, $400 to start regardless of car count to reward the teams already entered but also to entice any last minute entries. Entry information can be found at www.BMRNAPA.com

2015 PCS champion John Moore of Granite Bay and 2014 champion Mike Beeler of Modesto are tied in the points standings in the tightest championship battle in series history. Saturday’s event is the tenth race of the 2017 series and decides the champion for the first time since 2014. The 2015 and 2016 editions were non-points races won by Moore and Jason Romero respectively. Romero has generally had Roseville’s number in PCS competition as the 2009 track champion has accumulated five wins including most recently on September 16th in the ninth race of the series. His victory made him the ninth different winner this season as well.

Madera season opener winner Carlos Vieira will make his first Roseville PCS start at the one-third mile oval and joins Ukiah winner Randy Hedrick of Reno, NV as some of the stronger entries for the race. Three-time Roseville champion Matt Scott is still in search of his first PCS series win and may be in a prime position to do so on Saturday night. Granite Bay’s Cole Moore, the 2016 Rookie of the Year, was the other Roseville PCS winner in 2017 and is third in the series standings.

Stockton September 2nd winner Matt Wendt is fourth in the points ahead of 2017 Rookie of the Year Jack Wood. Wood’s cousin Travis Milburn of Eagle, ID is in sixth. Romero, 2016 Shasta winner Tracy Bolin, Mike Hite of Elk Grove, and Scott round out the top-ten.

Roseville favorites Shannon Mansch, the 2009 Westcar Late Model champion, and JR Courage are both entered. Former Rose Classic champion Tim Bost will make his first PCS start in several seasons as well. Shasta regular Ryan Peeples has a pair of ninth place finishes in his PCS Roseville starts and will aim for his first career top-five on Saturday. Six-time Madera Speedway Jr. Late Model main event winner Austin Herzog, 15, will look to improve on a sixth place Roseville finish two weeks ago. Fellow Jr. Late Model racer Kolby Berry is expected to make his series debut as well.

Activities get underway Friday with practices for every division competing except for the K&N division. The only practice fee will be a $40 pit pass per person. Gates open at 2 p.m. with practice running until 9 p.m.

Saturday’s schedule is an early one with gates opening at 9:30 a.m. The first practice sessions are at 12 p.m. Grandstands open at 4 p.m. with a PCS dash and North State Modified dash pre-empting a full night of racing. The PCS 100 lap race and the North State Modifieds 60 lap race will actually occur after the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, West, Bomber, and Skid Plate races. The Modifieds are scheduled for an 8:10 p.m. green flag with the PCS scheduled for a 9 p.m. green flag. Ticket information is available at BMRNAPA.com

For more information on the Pacific Challenge Series presented by PenneyLawyers.com, visit www.PacificChallengeSeries.com or follow them on Facebook or YouTube

The Pacific Challenge Series is presented by: Penney Racing Supply, Penney & Associates, American Racer Tires, Radio Law Talk, Compact-It, Northwest Compactors, Naake Suspension, Sunoco Fuels, Five Star Bodies, BrakeOMeter, Lefthander Chassis, ARP Bodies, Joes Racing Products, Bassett Wheels, Frank's Radio, WrapStar Pro, and Blakesley Sports Media. All PCS Super Late Models race ABC Bodies or Muscle Car bodies on American Racer Tires with Sunoco Racing Fuel.

2017 Pacific Challenge Series Schedule

March 18th - Madera Speedway (Madera, CA) Winner: Carlos Vieira

May 6th - Shasta Speedway (Anderson, CA) Winner: Derek Copeland

May 20th - Stockton 99 Speedway (Stockton, CA) Winner: Jeff Bischofberger

June 17th - All American Speedway (Roseville, CA) Winner: Cole Moore

July 1st - Stockton 99 Speedway (Stockton, CA) Ron Strmiska Memorial Winner: John Moore

July 29th - Ukiah Speedway (Ukiah, CA) Winner: Randy Hedrick

August 12th - Madera Speedway (Madera, CA) Winner: Jacob Gomes

September 2nd - Stockton 99 Speedway (Stockton, CA) Winner: Matt Wendt

September 16th – All American Speedway (Roseville, CA) Winner: Jason Romero

October 14th - All American Speedway (Roseville, CA) *2017 Championship Finale* w/ North State Modified Series & NASCAR K&N Pro Series, West)

PCS Track Stats - Roseville
(includes 2 non points races)

#6 Mike Beeler
Starts: 13, Wins: 1, Top-Fives: 8, Top-Tens: 12

#18 Travis Milburn:
Starts: 11, Wins: 1, Top-Fives: 7, Top-Tens: 8

#27 John Moore
Starts: 11, Wins: 1, Top-Fives: 4, Top-Tens: 7

#70 Mike Hite
Starts: 10, Wins: 0, Top-Fives: 0, Top-Tens: 4

#61 Shannon Mansch
Starts: 9, Wins: 1, Top-Fives: 1, Top-Tens: 3

#35 Matt Scott
Starts: 9, Top-Fives: 4, Top-Tens: 6, - Best Finish 2nd

#20 Cole Moore
Starts 8, Wins: 1, Top-Fives: 6, Top-Tens: 6

#37 JR Courage
Starts: 7, Wins: 0, Top-Fives: 0, Top-Tens: 3

#8 Jason Romero
Starts: 6, Wins: 5, Top-Fives: 5, Top-Tens: 5

#1 Matt Wendt
Starts: 5, Wins: 0, Top-Fives: 0, Top-Tens: 2

2017 October Classic 100 presented by PenneyLawyers.com Entry List
*As of 10-9-17*

1 Matt Wendt
4 Tim Bost
5 Ryan Peeples
6 Mike Beeler
8 Jason Romero
11 Austin Herzog
18 Jack Wood
19 Travis Milburn
20 Cole Moore
27 John Moore
29 Randy Hedrick
35 Matt Scott
37 JR Courage
51 Carlos Vieira
61 Shannon Mansch
70 Michael Hite
75 Austin Gant
88 Kolby Berry
97 Shane Butler

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Shepherd Wins Championship And $10K Short Track Shootout

Photo Courtesy Jason Wedehase

MADERA, CALIFORNIA (October 7, 2017) – Bakersfield’s Buddy Shepherd claimed his third career Late Model track championship and outlasted Eric Holmes to win the 5th $10,000 Short Track Shootout, in the season finale for the RPM Mortgage Pro Series at Madera Speedway on Saturday night. The young driver’s win was his biggest in a productive career at the fastest one-third mile in the west on a night televised for MAVTV.

95 cars lined the pits including 50 Pro Late Models, 14 51FIFTY Junior Late Models, 24 Lucas Oil Modifieds, and seven Mini Cups for the exciting evening of action in front of a healthy crowd.

Shepherd qualified third behind 3-time defending Shootout winner Holmes but drew the pole for the 26 car, 150 lap feature. He had no trouble scooting ahead of Glen Cook with the lead. The first caution flew on lap ten and the restart saw the entire top ten upstairs. Cook drifted backwards on the restart with Doss up to second and Holmes up to third. The yellow flew again on lap 12.

Second in points Logan Zampa of Napa, CA entered the night five points behind Shepherd and found himself in numerous battles including early with NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national runner-up Trevor Huddleston. Tyler Herzog had been a strong story all year before he fell back to 14th position. Contact with 2007 Altamont champion Ryan Philpott in turn two sparked a wild crash that included Lawless Alan making hard contact with Herzog. Eric Nascimento, Jr. launched over them causing Kolby Berry to slow and sending Rick Thompson hard into the turn two wall.

Zampa snaked up to fourth while the back-and-forth musical chairs among the top-three of Shepherd, Doss, and Holmes began. Inaugural Short Track Shootout winner Mike David of Modesto worked past Hailie Deegan in her debut and she was bumped back behind Ross Strmiska as well. Cook took over fourth from Zampa and ran nose-to-tail with the top-three in a strong showing early.

Doss applied pressure at the lap 50 mark showing his nose inside Shepherd before a caution on that lap. David’s race ended when he collided with Strmiska in turn three and stalled a handful of laps later with broken rear trailing arm. Zampa returned the pass on Cook in the ensuing restart and still 21 cars were running at the lap 70 mark.

Hailie Deegan’s brilliant debut hit a snag when she bounced off the wall and collected Herzog on the front stretch. The race stayed green despite debris on the entry to turn one. Holmes went for a Bonzai charge on Shepherd in lapped traffic in turn four with the pair sliding and making contact. The following lap Holmes developed a right front flat tire as more debris appeared in turn three. The race went yellow on lap 96 for the debris, bringing the lap 100 race break four laps early. Holmes was forced to restart last after the break as he changed a tire in the pits.

Coming out of the break after the Lucas Oil Modified feature was completed, Strmiska looked outside Doss for second. Doss jumped out of line with a mechanical problem on the following lap for a caution to end his night.

2016 RPM Pro LM champion Matt Erickson had worked from 17th to fourth by that point. A caution for a spin in turn two saw Deegan retire to the pits with mechanical problems as well. Kolby Berry’s series debut was interrupted by a flat tire for another caution on lap 101.

Six-time 51FIFTY Jr. LM winner Austin Herzog began to make his presence felt. The 15 year-old drifted backwards on the inside, then turned up the wick passing Huddleston, Erickson, and Strmiska to take over on second by lap 111. Zampa stopped in turn four on that lap for a yellow and Holmes had worked from 21st up into sixth. Holmes then moved up to fourth on the restart and began a long term battle with Herzog and Strmiska for the second position. The battle never really relented until the final stages.

A lap 121 caution saw Kevin Thompson suffer a stuck throttle and go hard into the turn one wall with Zampa along for the ride. Zampa’s night and championship chances were ended and he had to settle for second in the points.

Holmes used the inside to get past both Herzog and Strmiska after numerous side-by-side duels with each, to assume second on lap 140. He put Buddy Shepherd in the crosshairs as Jagger Jones spun in turn four with five to go. Holmes had run his best lap of the race on that lap, and had a solid restart that gave him a good look at Shepherd. They ran within inches of each other before Matt Erickson crashed hard on the front stretch in a tangle with Garland Tyler.

That set up a three lap shootout, but Shepherd was much better on this attempt at a restart. Holmes made one last dive inside on the final set of turns, but came up short. Buddy Shepherd cashed the 2017 RPM Mortgage Pro Late Model championship and $10,000 for winning the Short Track Shootout. The three-time defending winner Eric Holmes was second with Strmiska snookering Herzog for third. Trevor Huddleston rounded out the top-five.

Robby Hornsby won from the C Main event from the outside pole in his first Madera start with Canadian Geoff Morris, Ray Mayer, and Del McIntosh transferring to the B Main event.

Morris then drove through the field to take the $1000 grand prize of the 40 lap B Main event, after the four transfers of Lawless Alan, Racin Vernon, Ryan Hart, and Kevin Thompson were pulled out at lap 25.

Linny White won the Lucas Oil Modified Dash then followed that up with victory in the Lucas Oil Modified 75 presented by K&N Filters. A lengthy red flag on lap 38 came out after Arizona’s Blake Rogers tagged the front stretch wall and caught fire. The driver was uninjured. Idaho’s Trevor Cristiani continued his reign from the front of the field with Jason Irwin and White in tow. Things intensified on lap 60 in lapped traffic when Cristiani spun and was hit in the door by former champion Dylan Cappello of Arizona. Both were out of the race.

White led the last 15 laps for the victory with second place Taylor Miinch also wrapping up the series championship.

Jesse Love IV put on arguably the best display of driving in the championship race for the 51FIFTY Junior Late Models, making passes high and low to win the 75 lap season finale. The top-three finishers of Love, Kolby Berry, and Austin Edwards were the top-three in the championship points as well.

Eric Nascimento, Jr. started on the pole and led the opening lap while Las Vegas’ Tanner Reif began to show the outside line that would be a factor in the race later. Reif worked past Berry with Nascimento sliding up in front of Reif in turn four on lap five. That allowed Berry to charge back inside Reif in a tremendous scrum up front.

Reif tagged the front stretch wall nearly half a dozen times as he tried to edge ahead of Berry and Nascimento. Reif finally went a bit too high in turn two and spun, tagging the inside K Rail rear end first for a lap 11 yellow.

The single file restart saw Nascimento, Berry, and Hailie Deegan – all racing the same cars in the Short Track Shootout as well – break away while Anthony Guaimano got sideways down the backstretch but made a nice save. Love and his teammate Adam Lemke ran a side-by-side battle with Love taking fifth on lap 22. Edwards jumped inside Lemke but after some side-by-side running Lemke successfully defended the position. 11 laps later, Love got around Guaimano for fourth.

Lapped traffic became a factor on lap 42 for the lead pack while midpack Reif was attempting a comeback run rolling the outside to pass three cars in succession. Guaimano and Lemke tangled in one on lap 48 to bring the lap 50 break two laps early with 27 laps to go.

Reif continued the amazing use of the outside groove to try to nab fifth from Edwards before he headed to the pits with a mechanical issue.

Love began to close on the top-three and started to take his shot on the outside himself. Love cleared both Deegan and Berry on lap 64 nearly edging Nascimento before a caution for Guaimano and Lemke having a hard crash in turn three.

On the restart, Nascimento went high to defend the outside from Love. The move allowed Love to cut to the inside to take the lead on lap 66.

The battling continued behind Love with Nascimento and Deegan zigging and zagging down the front stretch, with Deegan spun out into turn one against the wall with two go.

Love would not be denied as he led second in points Kolby Berry and third in points Austin Edwards across the line with Las Vegas’ RJ Smothermon and Bakersfield’s Kabe McClenny the top-five.

Tyler Reif of Las Vegas wrapped up a strong rookie Mini Cup campaign, leading all 20 laps of the season finale. The win also gave Reif the championship for the youngest drivers at Madera. Kale McClenny of Bakersfield and Aaron Thomas rounded out the top-three.

Madera’s season concludes October 21st with the 11th Annual Pumpkin Smash Halloween Bash and Blow Up!!! West Coast Sportsman Series, MST's, Toyota Sedans, $2,000 to Win 250 lap Enduro, the Extreme Barrel Racing Series, a Trick or Treat thru the Pits and on Track PUMPKIN SMASH for the KIDS!

For more information about Madera Racing on MAVTV please visit www.racemadera.com or www.mavtv.com. For more information about RPM Mortgage and to obtain loan information please visit www.rpmwins.com and for more information about 51FIFTY Energy Drink visit www.51fiftyenergydrink.com