MADERA, California -- Unlike the motorcycle riders who drove smoothly around the track, it wasn't easy riding for the race car drivers at the Madera Speedway. In the 25th annual Vukovich Classic, several car parts where lost and laps were cut short during the races that featured the WSSRL, 360 Supermodifieds, Legends, and Lucas Motorsports Modifieds.
WSSRL racers Jeff Russell and Jim Tartaglia, both felt the impact of the ups and down of racing. Russell crashed into the wall during the heat race and lost his tires. He would return in time for the main event and held his own by winning the marquee race of the night.
On the other hand, Tartaglia's race was cut short after accidentally getting clipped from behind by Bobby Dalton, which caused Tartaglia's car to twirl into the wall, just two seconds after the start of the race. His car was towed off the track which caused a 20 minute delay.
His night was bittersweet because he was coming off a first place finish in the 360 Supermodified race earlier in the night.
"It was the first time out with that 360 car," Tagtaglia's said. "We worked on the suspension and the car was fast and ran pretty smooth. In the 410 car, we struggled all night with it. The motor didn't want to run right, there was a leak in the fuel suction. After we took care of it and changed the hose, there was another leek."
After Tartaglia's car wreck, the WSSRL's took off with Eric Silsby leading the way. Silsby would hold the lead over Russell until he realized there was problem with his car. On lap 24, Silsby bowed out of the race when the car started to act up.
"On the restart, I looked at the temperature and it was up to 240," Silsby said. "Then the motor shut off. I didn't want to chance blowing up the motor so I stopped."
Silsby had a sizable lead before a spinout by Rick Cameron and A.J. Russell caused a restart.
"There's no doubt in my mind we would have won," Silsby said. "But that's why they call it racing, you have to take the good with the bad."
While Silsby was going through car problems, Russell overcame his which included damage in the heat race earlier in the day.
"We were pretty bummed out after that," Russell said. "But it did make the win more satisfying. We have a great team that got the car back together and we were able to come back from adversity. By the wreck happening made it worth whole while to win."
After taking over Silsby's spot after lap 24, Russell held off Jim Birges, Mike Baisch, and Troy Regier to win the main event after 48 laps. Birges was just seconds from Russell before the race was called two laps before the original scheduled finish.
"I wasn't even looking at the board," Russell said. "I knew what kind of drivers were back there and that all of them are capable of a comeback. I was concentrating on my driving, I had to adjust because I had no shocks and lost the power steering. "
One racer that was definitely capable of that was Regier. He won both races last season at the Madera Speedway but didn't have a suitable challenger. In this race Regier started in the ninth spot. He passed Ray Stebins, Martin McKeefery, Cameron and A.J. Russell but would finish no better than fourth place. He finished behind Birges, who took second, and Baisch, who ended up third.
Though Tartaglia didn't get to fully compete in the main race of the night, he did dominate in his 360 Supermodified class. He led from start to finish in the 30 lap race. Dave Tuey and Donnie Large Jr. were his closest competitors. Tuey was trailing Tartaglia and held a steady second place for a majority of the race before his car skipped out into the infield on lap 24. That left Large in second and Lance Jackson in third heading into the final lap. Kevin Hays car bumped into Jackson's sending him to the pits. Tuey came in third, while Large finished second.
Just like Tartaglia, Kyle Gottula and Jeremy Wood both raced to victory once they seized the lead. On a night a dominant racing legend was remembered, in Bill Vukovich Sr., Gottula and Wood wouldn't relinquish their lead.
In the Modifieds race, Gottula took the lead after the second lap and from there, he wouldn't be touched, winning in 30 laps. He was followed by Late Model Sportsman driver Bryan Herzog, who wound up second, while third place was occupied by John Highfill.
For the Legends, Wood was the top racer. The previous Legends winner at the Madera Speedway, Frankie Marks, was done after the second lap when his car was rammed into the side of the wall, losing his door and tire. After the restart on lap 3, Wood started in the fourth spot. He sped up and passed Mark Bailey, Jason Fensler, Steve Frensler on lap 7 to take over first place where he would finish after 25 laps. Bailey stayed in second from lap 8, while Fensler wouldn't give up his third place slot.
Madera Speedway will take a weekend off for the KRZR Man Fest on Saturday, May 13th until the speedway continues the excitement on May 20th with the
Late Models, 360 Supermodifieds, Selsor Construction & Demolition Company Street Stocks, Toyota Sedans, Hornets and inaugeral Peoples Church “Faster Pastor” Race
For further information, call (559) 673-RACE (7223) or visit www.MaderaSpeedway.net.
