ROHNERT PARK, Ca — Rohnert Park teenager Camron Mendes ended his 2008 championship season at Placerville Speedway on a high note Saturday night. At the start of the season the former kart racer’s goal was a top ten finish in the standings and he took one step further. Actually, Mendes took it two steps further with an eighth place finish in the final season point standings.
“We set a few goals for ourselves this season. One of those goals was to finish in the top ten at the end of the year and it feels really good to accomplish that,” said Mendes. “I was setting my sights on the Rookie of the Year and I gave it my all in these final weeks but we were a few points shy. Trent Canalas had some great runs at the end of the year and got us by single digits in the end but we’re happy with our season. I’m actually sad its coming to an end already.”
On the final night of competition, Mendes drove his way to a ninth place position in qualifying after turning a 10:916 second lap. In the preliminary heat races, his closest competitor, Canalas, placed fourth and Mendes more than matched the effort, finishing third in his own heat race to insure his rival gained little or know point over him entering the feature event.
In the 25-lap feature event, Mendes drove to a 14th place finish to advance two positions in the standings ahead of veteran drivers C.J. Humphreys and Andy Forsberg. When the final point standings were tallied Mendes trailed Canalas by a mere ten points in the battle for the Rookie title.
“I gave it my best and I’m happy with the year I had up here,” said Mendes, who traveled nearly two hours past his nearby track, Petaluma Speedway, to compete on Placerville’s competitive bullring. “Each week we got better and better and learned a lot along the way. Now I’m looking forward to the post season and running some bigger races. I’m hoping to get someone’s attention and possibly pick up a ride for next year.”
Traveling such a great distance all season has been a chore for Mendes and the JMS Motorsports team. His step father Jim Cartwright is the crew chief of the car and is working hard to seek sponsorship for the post season as well as for the 2009 racing season. Following a successful top ten finish in the Placerville series, Mendes will now focus on several high profile events including the Gold Cup Race of Champions and the Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals. As he looks to compete with California’s best in the coming weeks, Mendes pays tribute to those who have helped him this season.
“I would really like to thank everyone that made this season possible, my step father Jim worked really hard every week on the car along with the support of my Mom and my Dad and my sponsors,” said Mendes. “I was proud to have the Schellinger Brothers on my car this year and I’m happy I was able to represent them in such a position fashion. I really look forward to our relationship in the future and hopefully I can get myself a ride and run my own car in a number of events too.”
Following the final weekly championship event at Placerville Speedway Saturday, Mendes headed north to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. The team looks forward to competing at the 55th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions. On Wednesday night Mendes is one of 32 drivers that have been invited to compete in the annual Civil War Pacific Sprint Cup for the Civil War Series. The event pays $3000 to win and is known as the crown jewel of the series. Mendes is 14th in the series standings. In the days following the Civil War opener the team will compete in California’s biggest open wheel race featuring the nationally recognized World of Outlaws. As he begins to compete in post season competition, Mendes hopes to catch the eye of a competitive team or car owner for the 2009 racing season.
Camron Mendes and the JMS Motorsports #29x sprint car are financially supported by the Schellinger Brothers which can be found at www.parkside-lakeport.com, VSR VanLare Steering Repair of Windsor and A1A Performance Muffler of Santa Rosa. The team also wishes to thank Robbie and Donnie Johnson for their assistance in repairing the frame of the 29x sprint car. JMS Motorsports is actively seeking additional sponsorship and marketing partners for the 2009 racing season. They welcome you to visit them at any of the upcoming events or check out their website at www.camronmendes.com.
