Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Penultimate Round Of MAVTV Late Model Action At Madera On Saturday

Buddy Shepherd (#22) and Logan Zampa (#92) lead the RPM Mortgage Late Model points
(Photo Courtesy Jason Wedehase)

MADERA, CALIFORNIA (September 20, 2017) – Madera Speedway’s MAVTV-televised Late Model championships are nearing the finishline with Round #7 of eight set for this Saturday night. RPM Mortgage Pro Late Models race for $2,000 to win and 100 laps along with 51FIFTY Energy Drink Jr. Late Models for 75 laps. Toyota Sedans and Modified Super Toyotas will also be competing on the fastest one-third mile in the west.

Bakersfield’s Buddy Shepherd holds a narrow one point lead in the RPM Mortgage Pro Late Models despite missing the August race. His closest rival, Napa’s Logan Zampa, scored a fast-time and a fifth place finish on August 26th in round #6. The duo have four wins and six fast-times between them. The only other winners this year were Matt Erickson in the $5,000 to win season opener in March and August winner Jeremy Doss of Upperlake, CA. Erickson is the winningest driver in Madera Late Model history and recently won the track’s non-televised Madera Late Model championship. Doss is the winningest driver in the touring PCS Super Late Model series.

While the gap between Zampa and Shepherd is only one marker, Dillon Tucker is not far behind with only 29 points in arrears of first. Modesto’s Garland Tyler and Erickson round out a top-five all separated by just 36 points. Any of the five are still very much mathematically in the hunt for the series championship.

Saturday’s race is expected to draw a large turnout as the final tuneup before October 7th and the $10,000 to win Short Track Shootout. The Short Track Shootout also serves as the championship race for the division.

Jesse Love IV of Menlo Park scored his fourth win of the year in the 51FIFTY Jr. Late Models in August and is riding that wave into Saturday’s 75 lapper. If Love can win, he’d tie Austin Herzog with five career wins in the series for drivers ages 10-16. Love leads the points and paced his teammate Adam Lemke of Hollister across the stripe last month.

Redwood Valley’s Kolby Berry has set fast-time in five of the six races but is still in search of his first victory. He will work on visiting victory lane coming from second in the points. 12 year-old Austin Edwards of Mentone has worked his way up to third, just ten points ahead of Las Vegas’ Kyle Keller. Hailie Deegan missed the last event but is expected for the final two races as a tune-up for bigger plans in 2018. Deegan is also winless but has two podiums good enough for fifth in the points. She is closely followed by Jesse Burks who finished a career-best third in August.

Bert Stephens leads the Modified Super Toyota points with ten top-two finishes. Mike Marley has led the Toyota Sedan points for most of the year and has eight top-two finishes including a streak of four in a row. Both divisions will run 25 lap main events this weekend.

An open practice kicks off the weekend on Friday before a full day of action on Saturday. Friday practice runs from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. On Saturday, pit gates open at 11:30 a.m. with practice from 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Qualifying will follow with B Mains and Heat Races beginning at 5:15 p.m. Opening ceremonies and main events will follow at approx. 6 p.m.

Tickets for this great night of racing are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and military, $7 for youth ages 6-12, and kids five and under are free!

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

Madera Racing on MAVTV airs again Thursday September 21st with coverage of the fifth round of the RPM Mortgage Pro Late Models from July 29th. The broadcast beings at 8 p.m. Eastern / 5 p.m. Pacific. Madera Speedway racing is also available on the LucasOilRacing.TV app

Monday, September 18, 2017

Whitley, Dothage Wins Close Out Kart Season At The Acres

#7DJ Dryver Dothage, winner of the Williamson Financial Group box stock division

Eureka, CA (September 17, 2017) – Redwood Acres Raceway hosted the sixth and final outlaw kart race of the 2017 Saturday night. As always, the drivers in all four kart divisions provided exciting racing on the 1/10-mile dirt oval.

Wyatt Burns set quick time in the beginner box stock division with a 10.437. Charles French won the four-lap trophy dash while Burns took home the main event victory. The 20-lap main event was an absolute runaway for Burns as he took the lead from the drop of the green and never looked back. Only a late caution in the race prevented Burns from lapping the entire field. Burns’ margin of victory over second place Seth Grammar at the finish was over 10 seconds. French was the first car a lap down in third while Aaliyah Uselton and Corbin Green rounded out the top 10 finishers.

In the Williamson Financial Group box stocks, Dryver Dothage set fast time with a lap of 9.530. Tater Reich took trophy dash honors while the heat race victories were claimed by Kadence Mace and Reich. Derrick Kessler jumped to the race lead on lap one of the 20-lap main event. On lap five, the two fastest drivers were Dothage and Reich as they moved into the first and second divisions. After chasing Dothage for most of the race, Reich was able to get by for the lead on lap 14. A caution with two laps remaining in the race proved to be the turning point in the race. Under the yellow, Reich’s engine quit as officials lined up the field. Per the rules, Reich had to restart in the rear of the field which gave Dothage the lead. At the checkered flag, Dothage’s lead was almost two and a half seconds over the second place finisher who was Kessler. Reich made a late charge to place third with Jayden Molloy fourth and Dylan Combest fifth.

If was Jeff Smith’s night in the speedway/old fart kart class. He set fast time with a 10.514 and was able to sweep the trophy dash, heat race and main event on the night.

The 250 karts were paced in qualifying by Landen Green. Green’s lap was a 9.277. He would go on to win the trophy dash and heat race. Green appeared to be the favorite in the 30-lap main event but issues on lap seven took him out of the race. Maleesa Miles inherited the lead and would go on to take the 250 victory. MKinzy Uselton placed second while Green was credited with third.

Daniel Whitley’s time of 8.727 was just enough to earn him quick time for the 500/open karts. Whitley took home the trophy for the dash while Brad Curtice was victorious in the heat race. Tony Miles initially held the lead in the main event before giving way to Curtice on lap two. Curtice led until lap 11 when Daniel Whitley took over. Whitley had his car dialed in and was able to run away to a four second victory. Curtice placed second while Kyle Whitley, Miles and Dax Williamson completed the top five.

Even though outlaw kart action is over for 2017, racing at Redwood Acres Raceway is not. The 25th Annual Fall Spectacular will conclude the season. Track championships in all six divisions will be decided. For the Super 6 Late Model Challenge Series, it will be the first of two playoff races. Mid-City Motor World will present the raced and the weekend will be in honor of the late Dennis Wendt who was a beloved member of the Humboldt County racing community. For more information please visit Redwood Acres Raceway’s website, www.redwoodacresracing.com

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Jason Romero Scores Fifth Career PCS Win At Roseville



Via PCS Media

ROSEVILLE, CALIFORNIA (September 16, 2017) – Jason Romero set a new track record then became the Pacific Challenge Series’ ninth different winner of 2017, when the All American Speedway track champion won on Saturday night in the 100 lap feature. The ninth round of the Super Late Model Series presented by PenneyLawyers.com also saw the points lead tighten with John Moore and Mike Beeler now tied as they face the championship race in October.

Romero led twice including the final 80 laps but not without numerous challenges from both Moore and Beeler in a thrilling second half of the race on the one-third mile asphalt oval.

The evening kicked off with Sunoco Fuels qualifying where Romero set the tone with a blistering 13.068 second lap. Beeler won the American Racer Tire dash worth $500 for the pole for the feature, however.

Three-time All American Speedway champion Matt Scott used the outside pole to take the lead and lead the opening lap of the race. Beeler spun in a three-wide battle in turn four on the following lap for the first caution. Scott picked the inside line and Romero challenged him side-by-side before taking over the lead on lap four.

Activity settled down among the top-five as they jumped ahead of the rest of the field. The next caution flew on lap eight when leading rookie Jack Wood spun in turn four and nearly collected his cousin Travis Milburn.

Romero gave Scott the outside for the restart and for the third time in the early part of the race, the lead changed hands with an outside move. Scott took over the lead while Ukiah winner Randy Hedrick of Reno, NV passed Cole Moore for third using the high line as well. Hedrick’s night ended when he spun to a stop atop turn three with a rear end issue which forced a caution on lap 19.

Scott went inside Romero on the following restart but Romero managed to take the lead anyway to lead on lap 20. John and Cole Moore raced side-by-side behind them in a father-son duel for third. Scott stopped abruptly in turn one with a broken axle for the next caution period. Romero held off John Moore on this first of what would be several restart battles.

The best battle developed between Beeler, Matt Wendt, and Milburn for third. The trio had a moment when Beeler got sideways and Milburn tagged Wendt hard coming out of turn two as they avoided. They separated while they gathered themselves up before coming back to a nose-to-tail formation by lap 58.

Business began to pick up at the back half of the field when on lap 73 Mike Hite of Elk Grove spun in turn two and Wood lost his drivers side door trying to avoid. Cole Moore made the first of several pit stops under this caution. The ensuing restart was a mad scramble that resulted in Shannon Mansch spinning out Milburn in turn one. Mansch elected to “tap” which gave her responsibility for the incident and gave Milburn his position back. John Moore made a valiant effort outside Romero on the restart before managing to fall in line between Romero and Beeler.

Wendt stopped on the backstretch with a flat tire that cost him a lap on lap 84. Moore again tried his hand on the outside of Romero but couldn’t complete the move. Beeler challenged Moore while behind them both Cole Moore and Milburn worked their way inside 15 year-old Austin Herzog to drop him from fourth to sixth.

Wendt tangled with Mansch while trying to get back through the pack to bring out the yellow with eight to go. Moore had his final look at Romero where he stayed side-by-side with him for an entire lap. Coming down the front stretch to complete lap 93, Beeler took advantage to sneak inside and nab second. Milburn jumped inside to attempt to take third from Moore and they raced side-by-side for three laps. The battle ended when Milburn stopped immediately on the front stretch with an engine failure.

The veteran Mike Beeler got to start outside Jason Romero for a four lap sprint to the finish but Romero proved too strong. Romero paced Beeler in a nose-to-tail dash across the finish line with Moore third over his son Cole Moore. Mike Hite pulled off a rather surprising comeback to pass Herzog at the line for fifth with Herzog settling for sixth. The pass gave Hite the Penney Racing Supply Hard Charger as well.

For their efforts, Beeler and Moore are now tied atop the series points standings with October 14th at All American Speedway looming. The championship race is paired with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, West, North State Modifieds, Bombers, and Skid Plates in a very busy night of racing! Ticket details 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)

Pacific Challenge Series Round 9: All American Speedway results
Finish Car Driver Hometown Sponsors
1 8 Jason Romero Cameron Park, CA Folsom Lake Asphalt
2 6 Mike Beeler Modesto, CA Beeler Industries
3 27 John Moore Granite Bay, CA JM Environmental
4 20m Cole Moore Granite Bay, CA JM Racing
5 70 Mike Hite Elk Grove, CA Storage For Less
6 11 Austin Herzog Clovis, CA Richard Herzog Construction
7 61 Shannon Mansch Roseville, CA Mansch Motorsports Concepts
8 18 Jack Wood Loomis, CA Velocity Racing
9 1 Matt Wendt Galt, CA Cali Style Customs
10 19 Travis Milburn Eagle, ID NEU Energy
11 35 Matt Scott Pine Grove, CA Kamps Propane
12 29 Randy Hedrick Reno, NV Sierra Speed

Sunoco Fuels Fast Time: #8 Jason Romero 13.068
American Racer Dash ($500): #6 Mike Beeler
Penney Racing Supply Hard Charger: #70 Mike Hite
Lap leaders: #35 Matt Scott 1-3, #8 Jason Romero 4-8, Scott 9-19, Romero 20-100