ERIC HOLMES CAPTURES NASCAR CAMPING WORLD SERIES WEST WIN AT MADERA SPEEDWAY

Kenny Shepherd congratulating old friend, Bill McAnally after his car was put into victory lane...courtesy Eric Holmes.

MADERA, California — In one of the biggest programs in the long and storied history of the Madera Speedway, the NASCAR Camping World Series West returned to the "Fastest 1/3 Mile in the West" for the first time since 2003 with the NAPA Auto Parts/Toyota 150 Presented by Exclusive Energy Drink on Saturday. Also racing were the United States Auto Club (USAC)/Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) Midgets which teamed up for the Fred Gerhardt 100 Classic and the NASCAR Whelen All American Western Late Models, USAC Focus Midgets and WSRA Mini Cup & Baby Grands.

Prior to the NASCAR Camping West Series race, Modesto’s Jack McCoy was honored in a special ceremony. McCoy, who passed away last week at age 72, was a two-time champion and the winningest driver in series history with 54 victories.

"Racing was the love of his life. He became addicted to it when he was about six the first time he went to a race in Bakersfield and that was all he ever wanted to do," told Bob McCoy of his brother Jack. "I want to thank everyone for Jack."

After an initial tussle between front row starters Jason Bowles (#6 Sunrise Ford Ford) of Ontario and Paulie Harrake (#12 NAPA Autocar/Adaptive One Brakes Toyota) of Fairline, NJ for the first 25 laps, the race developed into a classic three way battle between defending champion Eric Holmes (#20 Napa Toyota) of Escalon, Mike David (#2 Bennett Winery Toyota) the 2007 series champion from Modesto and David Mayhew (#17 MMI Services/Ron’s Rear Ends Chevrolet) of Atascadero.

For the next 100 laps the trio swapped the top spot between themselves, mostly on restarts where the outside position always seemed to have the advantage. David held the lead in the closing stages of the race, but fell to third after Mayhew used a bump and run maneuver on him coming out of turn #4 on lap 127.

The seventh caution on the night on lap 139 set up a crucial restart. Mayhew, well aware that the highside had been faster lane all night, drifted high to stall Holmes’ momentum, but Holmes was able to dive to the inside of Mayhew coming out of turn #2 to take the lead.

Holmes was then able to survive one final single file restart on lap 147 to take the victory as the near capacity crowd roared its approval.

"The high groove was the place to be tonight because the bottom was hard to hold with these big cars. It was slick out there with all this weight and horsepower," explained Holmes, who now has two wins in just four outings this season. "We’re off to good start, but there is still a long season ahead of us. We know how to win championships and my team just keeps giving me good cars like tonight."

Mayhew, who was looking for his first career win, was a disappointed second, David third, Harraka fourth and Newhall’s Greg Pursley rounded out the top five.

"I thought the car would come in when we ran up high, but we came up just short again," said Mayhew. "Eric ran us clean just like he always does, but we got up in the loose stuff and we just couldn’t hold on."

The SPEED Channel will replay the NAPA Auto Parts/Toyota 150 Presented by Exclusive Energy Drink on Thursday, May 7 beginning at high noon.

The 100-lap Midget race turned out to be the best of times and the worst of times for brothers Tanner and Kody Swanson of nearby Kingsburg.

Again driving the #88 car owned by Dallen McKenney of Clovis that carried him to win at Madera earlier this season, Tanner swooped past early leader Scott Pierovich of Alamo and proceeded to check out on the rest of the 22-car field as Billy Wease of Noblesville, IN, and brother Kody desperately gave chase.

The first yellow-caution of the event came out on lap 58 and it spelled doom for Tanner. As the field slowly circled the track awaiting the green flag, Tanner was pulled over by officials to check a reported oil leak. The leak was deemed to severe for Tanner to continue and he was sent to the pits to park for the night.

Wease grabbed the lead on the restart, but Kody Swanson was eventually able to overtake him following a prolonged side by side fight. While Kody gradually pulled away, Wease faded to third behind the night’s fast qualifier Bryan Clauson also of Noblesville, IN.

"I feel bad for Tanner. He had us all beat. Nobody could touch him," said Kody, a 4.0 engineering student at Fresno State. "It would have really been neat to race him and have a Swanson 1-2, but it just wasn’t in the cards tonight."

The Western Late Model regulars had a very special guest competitor for Saturday’s 50-lap feature when PRO-RDS teamed up with "Race for Autism" car owner/driver Carlos Vieira of Merced to put NHRA Nitro Funny Car driver Ron Capps, of Carlsbad, behind the wheel of Vieira’s spare #51 Chevrolet for the 50-lap race.

Capps, who leads the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car standings and has amassed 28 Nitro wins in his career, graciously signed autographs and even created some impromptu NAPA art work that was auctioned off for charity.

"A Funny Car goes 330 mph and a run last less than five seconds so you really don’t get to enjoy it, but we are really having fun out here tonight," said Capps, who also raced a late model last season in Roseville. "It has been really special to come out here and do this for the ‘Race for Autism’ charity. It is close to my heart."

As has been the case for most of this season, "Young Guns" Kyle Gottula of Modesto and Ross Strmiska of Stockton once again fought it out at the front. Strmiska held the advantage through the first half of the race, but a blown engine on lap 28 put a sudden end to his efforts. It was a tough night all around for the third generation driver who had also prepared a car for the Camping West race only to end up watching that event from the pits after losing his engine in practice.

With Strmiska on the sidelines, Gottula went on to earn the checkered flag alhough Trevor Schlundt of Clovis made him work hard to the end. Manteca rookie Jacob Gomes continued to impress, finishing third and Capps proved he could turn left by finishing sixth in the 12-car field.

"I feel bad for Ross. It was shaping up to be a good race because we seemed evenly matched and I was looking forward to the challenge," commented Gottula, who now has three wins this season. "The car wasn’t the best, but I had a little more in reserve if I had really needed it."

Jeff Oleen of Bathesda, MD, shot past polesitter Cody Gerhardt of Madera, on the opening lap of the 25-lap USAC Ford Focus. He never looked back as he cruised to the win in the main over Nic Romano of Atherton and the night’s fast qualifier Eric Gunderson of La Jolla.

In a replay of their season opening race on March 28 at Madera, Dillon Hutchison grabbed the early lead in the 25-lap WSRA Baby Grands main over Manteca’s Josh Gomes and then held off the hard charging Gomes the rest of the way for the win.

"We were running great all day and we were able to get the lead and keep it," said Hutchison, age 14 of Citrus Heights, "This place has become my best track and I hope it stays that way."

Brentwood’s Patrick Hill went to the outside and blew past polesitter Eric Hamilton of Hanford in turn #2 of the opening lap of the WSRA Mini Cup feature, then held off Hamilton to the end of the 25-lap race for his second win of the season at Madera.

"I wasn’t sure if I could get by him (Hamilton) but I thought I might have a chance if I tried it," said Hill, age 12.

The Madera Speedway will be back in action next Saturday, May 2 with "Fan Appreciation Night" presented by Port Authority Apparel. As a special thank you to the greatest fans in California Madera track president Kenny Shepherd has proclaimed that everyone will be admitted for FREE. That’s right, every man women and child will be admitted to the races next Saturday, May 2 for FREE!

On the bill Saturday, May 2 will be the NASCAR Whelen All American Western Late Models in twin 50-lap features, plus the Grand American Modifieds, American Limited Stock Cars, Modified Super Toyotas, Toyota Sedans and Hornets.