RESULTS FOR MADERA SPEEDWAY - HOOSIER TIRE NIGHT

MADERA, Califronia - Madera Speedway was back in action on Saturday, May 30th with Hoosier Tire Night featuring a six division NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series program that included the 360 Super Modifieds, Western Late Models, Grand American Modifieds,

American Limited Stock Cars, Hornets and Toyota Sedans.

The powerful 360 Modifieds, which normally run in a combined feature with the 410 Supermodifieds, took center stage on Saturday as the open-wheel rockets competed on their own for the only time this season in a 40-lap main event.

Sanger’s Willie Northammer sat on the pole, but his time at the front would end abruptly when he spun on his own coming out of turn #4 on the opening lap of the race. On the restart, defending division champion David Tuey, of Bakersfield, got the jump on Kyle Vanderpool to take the lead, which he would never relinquish for the rest of the race. Madera’s Lance Tatro made a pass to the outside of Vanderpool with just three laps to go to take second place.

"I think Vanderpool made a mistake by the lane he picked and after we got the lead we just hung on," said Tuey of his third straight 360 win this season. "I really have to thank my crew for again giving me a good car to work with."

Matt Erickson, of Lake Don Pedro, held the pole for the 50-lap Western Late Model feature, but Merced’s Carlos Vieira, the evening’s trophy dash winner who sat along side of him on the front row, was able to wrestle away the lead at the start of the race. Second row starters Ross Strmiska, of Stockton, and Trevor Schlundt, of Clovis, also quickly disposed of Erickson and immediately began to pressure Vieira for the lead.

On lap 15, both Strmiska and Schlundt were able to slip past Vieira to take over the top two spots after Strmiska gave Vieira a little tap from behind. Schlundt stayed glued to Strmiska’s tail for the next 20 laps, but he could never gain the momentum he needed to make a serious pass attempt for the lead. Schlundt had to settle for second place ahead of Vieira while Strmiska gradually pull away over the final laps of the race, which ran caution free.

"This feels great after all the trouble we had a couple of weeks ago," said Strmiska after his second victory in a row and third overall at Madera on the season. "I had to use a little short track bump and run move to get the lead and it was smooth sailing from there."

The Grand American Modified 40-lap feature was almost a carbon copy of the Western Late Model race.

Polesitter Jeremy Grasty, of Suisun City, grabbed the early lead in the feature, but was soon swallowed up by former two-time Madera track champion Scott Winters, of Tracy, and Chris Smith, of Mendota. Smith gave chase to Winters, but was never able to mount a serious challenge and gradually faded back for a second place finish ahead of Grasty in a race that was also caution free.

"I was really pedaling it because the track was kind of slick tonight," explained Winters, who celebrated his 40th regional main event win since 2007. "We went to the top tonight and the car worked great up there."

Over the past two seasons the American Limited Stock Car division has provided more dogfights than Michael Vick and Saturday’s 30-lap main was no exception.

Front row starter Garland Tyler, of Modesto, jumped into the lead of the 30-lap main over polesitter Larry Pasquale, of Fresno, with a large pack of challengers nipping at his heals. The group shuffled back and forth over the next 10 laps, often going three wide, before Matt Erickson, doing double duty on the night, worked his way up to Tyler’s back bumper. Erickson was finally able to slide around Tyler for the lead on lap 12 while the rest of the tightly packed field continued to grapple for position.

On lap 19 defending division champion Howard Holden, of Clovis, attempted to get past Tyler and a backmarker in one swoop coming out of turn #4 only to see the move end in disaster. Holden, Atwater’s Jason Aguirre, Modesto’s Dennis Saunders and Pasquale all tangled with Pasquale landing on top Aguirre’s front hood, causing the red flag to come out. Miraculously, everyone involved was able to limp to the pits on their own power although Aguirre was the only driver who was able to return to the track.

When the race resumed Erickson found himself battling a very determined CJ Dizney, of Madera, for the lead. Erickson, however, was up to the task as he was able to successfully defend the top spot to the checkered flag for his third straight win in three starts this season. Following Dizney across the line was Aguirre, completing an incredible comeback from his accident.

"I had to really work for this one tonight. I got lucky by picking the right line to get the lead," said Erickson, who celebrated his win with some crowd-pleasing donuts in both turns 1 and 4. "I think driving in both divisions helps me a little because it gives me a little more time to adjust to the track."

Stockton’s John McCollum Sr. started the 20-lap Toyota Sedan feature from the pole, but his lead was short lived when he spun in turn #2 of the opening lap as defending division champion Stan Hankins, of Fresno, charged to the front. McCollum was able to continue without bringing out a caution, but when the first yellow flag of the race came out on lap seven Hankins was invited to the back of the field by race officials for the first lap incident.

On the restart, Fresno’s Jason Kerns charged to the lead and never looked back as he cruised to the win ahead of Sanger’s Chris Lewis, the season points leader, and Madera’s Del McIntosh.

"I think the officials made the right call to put Hankins to the back, but I would have much rather have passed him on the track," said Kerns, who now has two wins this season. "We have had a little thing going on the track between us (Hankins) and it makes for some good fun for the fans."

Anything and everything can happen in the wild and wacky Hornets and they more than lived up to that label on Saturday.

Modesto’s Richard Hull, the season points leader, started from the pole and took the early race lead only to slip to fourth when he went wide in turn #2 of the third lap.

Justin Petz, age 18 of Fresno, inherited the top spot and he was immediately challenged by 67-year-old rookie driver Dean Davison, of Kingsburg, who went under Petz for the lead on lap seven. Petz fought back and returned the favor, slipping past Davison on lap 13, but Davison was not about to give up as he tried everything in his arsenal to retake the lead.

He finally succeeded with a dive bomb move into turn #1 on the final lap to post the first victory of his brief four-race career.

"I was on edge most of the time. Justin gave me a pretty good run for my money," said Davison as he received congratulations from his good friend and car owner Miles Humphreys, who finished in third place. "This still hasn’t quit sunk in yet but I am sure it will before the end of the night."

Humphreys has tried for years to get Davison, who prefers to work on cars more than drive them, to get behind the steering wheel.

"I built that car for myself and I let him (Davison) drive it and now he won’t let me have it back," laughed Humphreys, the two time division champion out of Clovis.

It will be USG Night at Madera Speedway next Saturday, June 6th. The NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series program will feature the Western late Models, American Limited Stock Cars, Modified Super Toyotas, Toyota Sedans and Hornets.

The Madera Speedway is conveniently located at the Madera County Fairgrounds just off to the west side of Highway 99 at the Cleveland Avenue exit. For more Madera Speedway information visit the track’s website at www.racemadera.com or call the Info/Race Line phone number at (559) 673-RACE.