STOCKTON, California -- Following last weekends bye in the schedule Stockton’s 99 Speedway will return to action this Saturday night, May 13, with a special NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Program featuring round #3 of the special “HOTWOOD 1000” series presented by JM Environmental and Havoline, plus the Grand American Modifieds, American Limited Stocks and Legends by C.L. Bryant.
The battle for the 2006 Havoline Western Late Model season championship - the final track championship – was anticipated to be one of the most fiercely contested in the 60 year history of the track and so far in this young season it has more than lived up to those expectations producing three different winners in the first three races.
Manteca’s Ron Strmiska Jr. made a dramatic return to the speedway by picking up the victory on opening day, Salida’s “Slammin” Sammy Solari, a Late Model rookie coming from the Modified ranks, proved to be a quick learner with a superb win in week two and former track champion Dave Byrd of San Jose showed he still has the touch and desire by earning a hard-fought victory two weeks ago.
Although he has not taken a checkered flag this year, Guy Guibor of Manteca holds down the number one spot in the current Western Late Model standings on the strength of three solid top seven finishes.
If Guibor wants to remain top dog he will have to stave off a hungry pack of drivers nipping at his heals including Solari, defending track champion Pete Anderson Jr. of Stockton, Mark Holeman of Los Altos, Eric Humphries of Chowchilla, Byrd, NASCAR diversity driver Pete Hernandez of Chicago and Danny Contessotto of Stockton who are all stacked within 28 points of Guibor.
The “HOTWOOD 1000”, which acts as a series within a series consisting of 10 special 100-lap races throughout the season, has proven to big a big hit among both drivers and fans. This Saturday’s race is once again expected to draw a quality field in excess of 20 Havoline Western Late Models.
Three of those entries are expected to be piloted by the Philpott family of Tracy, as David Philpott, the father of Justin Philpott and uncle of Ryan Philpott, returns to the track for the first time this season.
A former track champion in both 1992 and 1993, David Philpott has raced only sporadically in the Late Model and Grand American divisions at the 99 Speedway in recent years. The return of Philpott, in combination with Byrd, Pete Anderson Jr. and Modesto’s Harry Belletto, means that four former track champions, with 157 main event wins at Stockton between them, could be taking the green flag in Saturday’s HOTWOOD 100 lap feature.
Ron Strmiska Jr. enters this weekend with a slim six-point edge over Pete Anderson Jr. at the top of the HOTWOOD point standings. Similar to the regular season Western points there is a logjam of drivers close behind the leaders including Humphries, Guibor, Holeman, Contessotto, Solari, Byrd, Ryan Philpott and Scott Masellis of Modesto.
After a long four-week layoff following their season debut back on April 15, the drivers in the Grand American Modified division are chomping at the bit to get back on the Stockton ¼ mile. The popular open wheelers will be trading paint and rubber in a 50 lap feature where hometown driver Chris Mays will be looking to prove his opening round win was no fluke.
The anything can happen and usually does American Limited Stock Cars will also be back in action on Saturday. Stockton’s Joe Allen (a.k.a. Joe Racer) has dominated the class in the early season with four straight fast times and three wins, but a DQ in the second race of the season has him trailing Escalon’s Darrell Hughes and Matt Erickson of Ceres in a close points battle.
Rounding out Saturday’s card are the Legends, which will be making their 2006 debut.
You can expect pleasant weather, big car counts and over 200 laps of feature event racing this Saturday night so come out and be a part of all the action as the Stockton 99 Speedway celebrates 60 years of thunder and excitement.
The pit gates will open at 1:00 PM on Saturday May 13, grandstands open at 3:00 PM, qualifying begins at 4:30 PM and the first green flag will fall at approximately 6:00 PM.
Ticket prices this Saturday are $25.00 for adults, $15.00 for seniors 65 years of age or older, $12.00 for juniors age 13-17, $5.00 for kids age 6-12 and kids 5 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. A family ticket is also available for the bargain price of $49.99. VISA and MasterCard are accepted at Gate 2.
The Stockton 99 Speedway is located just off Highway 99 at 4105 North Wilson Way. If you are traveling south on Highway 99 take the Wilson Way exit. If you are heading north on Highway 99 take the Cherokee Road exit, loop over the freeway, turn right onto Newton Road and then turn left on Wilson Way.
Stockton 99 Speedway Info/Race Line (209) 466-9999.
