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What's this?At the Races
ByPenny Elsebusch
Beacon Correspondent
The first race of the season at Redwood Acres Raceway ran on April 26, after the scheduled first race was rained out before it even started. The grandstands were full as the regular groups of racers were running and the North State Challenge Series (Late Models) were featured.
”Hammerin' Hank” Hilton was remembered and Frank Billy slowly drove Hilton's number 98 Late Model racer around the track and parked it in the infield. The flag was raised and then lowered to half staff, and it was announced that this was to honor a “great man on the North Coast,” Supervisor Roger Rodoni, who passed away on April 24.
Real Stock: Shawn Craig won the Trophy Dash in a car that was built in a week after he wrecked his other new car a week ago in practice. The first Heat race started with last year's champion, Bill Middleton and Mark Mullen having contact out of turn 2 and both went to the pits. Dustin Walker took the lead but mid way in the race Pat Conway took it away.
Conway won, Nick Green was second and Walker finished third. Bob Lima took the lead and the win in the second Heat with Donnie Hyman finishing second and Jim
At the restart Lima took the lead but Redd was charging and after a few laps got by him. Ryan Peeples was dogging Lima and after Lima slid through the infield, he moved into second spot. Craig had been on the move and after a couple of caution flags that kept the field bunched together moved into third and then got past Peeples for second. Redd won, Craig was second and Peeples finished third.
Limited Street: Duane Mayo won the Trophy Dash. Mayo took the lead in their Heat race. Kenny Demello and Scott Lyons had contact resulting in Lyons going to the pits and Demello's rear bumper hanging loosely.Mayo went to the pits with sparks flying under his car, Demello was black flagged for his loose bumper, leaving only Romeo Venza and Rick Armstrong to race. Venza won and Armstrong was second. They did not have a Main Event.
Mini Stock: Craig Baker won the Trophy Dash. Brian McIntosh took the lead in their Heat race and won. Scott Baker chased McIntosh until Craig Baker passed him and began to race side by side with McIntosh, but he suddenly slowed and coasted to the pits. Scott Baker was second and Denzil Barrett finished third. McIntosh took the lead and the win in the Main. Scott Baker's car spewed sparks and he pitted and Craig Baker soon slowed and coasted to the pits. Denzil Barrett was second and Max Capps third.
Sportsman: Marty Walsh won the Trophy Dash driving Rick Fox's car that they will share this year. Al Acuna jumped into the lead and held on for the win in the Heat race. Jerry Peterson and Larry Pries were chasing him but Pries spun bringing out the yellow flag. Walsh got past Peterson but could not chase down Acuna. Walsh was second and Peterson finished third. Walsh took the lead from the front row in the Main and the win.
Following him were Pries and Dennis DelBiagio but they had contact in turn 4 and ended up in the back of the field. This moved Barnwell into second, and Peterson in third and after a couple of yellow flags they finished that way. Pries, who has run a silver car
with extensive Coors Light graphics for years, has a new dark blue paint job as his new sponsor is Corona beer.
Thunder Roadsters: Paul Peeples, Jr. timed in as the fast Roadster and won the Trophy Dash. Mike Ward took the lead and the win in the first Heat race with Donn Cole in second, Jay Bahner in third and Robert Miller who previously drove in Limited Street finishing fourth. Gehry Foster took the lead with Tom Payne, LeRoy Marsh, Jr. and Peeples in tow. Peeples soon got by Marsh and chased down Foster for the lead and the win.
Payne finished second, and Marsh was third. Foster took the lead in the Main with Payne, Bahner, Ziemer, Peeples and Marsh in tow.
Peeples was headed for the front passing cars one by one and by lap 5 had taken the lead. The yellow flew when Dave McMurray hit the wall at turn 3 and it looked like something broke on his car that caused the single car hit. Payne got past Foster to run second to Peeples and they stretched their lead over Foster, Chris Banfill and Marsh and they finished in that order.
Late Models: Willie Thom won the Trophy Dash. The 100 lap Main Event started with Kyle Pope taking the lead but Howard Ford soon got by and never looked back. Pope ran in second with Riley Watson, Thom, and Jr. Roddy bumper to bumper. Pope began to fade and slid back to sixth. Jimmy Walker hit the turn 3 wall while running in tenth spot ending his racing night which also happened to be his birthday.
C. J. Bawden had contact with Thom and they ended up in the back. After the restart, Andrew Snider and Mike Sackett had contact coming out of turn 2 and Sackett went to the pits and Snider was sent to the back. After a couple more yellow flags and cars going to the pits, the field was being reshuffled. Ford led followed by Watson, Roddy, Bawden, Pope, Brad Wassman and Barnwell. Watson spun and he and Bawden went to the back and Pope was towed to the pits as he hit the wall.
This had moved Roddy into second, Barnwell third, Snider fourth and Thom into fifth. After the restart Snider and Thom had side by side contact on the front straight which sent Thom hard into the turn 1 wall, destroying the front of his racer and the race was red flagged to clean up various fluids from Thom's racer on the track. After the restart on lap 73, Ford led, Roddy was second, Barnwell third, Wassman fourth and Watson fifth and they finished in that order.
After the race when they were asked about their car's horsepower, Barnwell said his Sportsman crate motor has 400 horsepower, Roddy said he was running 490 hp this race, and Ford said he had 700 horses under his hood.
Next race is the Mother's Day race on May 10.
