STRMISKA NOTCHES THIRD STRAIGHT WIN AT MADERA SPEEDWAY

Strmiska Notches Third Straight Win at Madera Speedway

The action was hot and heavy as Madera Speedway hosted another fantastic NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series program on Saturday, June 6th that included the Western Late Models, American Limited Stock Cars, Modified Super Toyotas, Toyota Sedans and Hornets. Topping the evening’s entertainment off was a 100-lap Enduro.

It was perhaps the most entertaining night of racing this season at the "Fastest 1/3 Mile in the West" as every division provided wheel to wheel action and down to the wire finishes.

Trevor Schlundt, age 19 of Clovis, used his front row starting spot in the 50-lap Western Late Model main to maximum advantage by quickly disposing of pole sitter Matt Erickson, of Coulterville, and jumping out to a commanding lead over the rest of the 13-car field. He was able to hold down the top spot with relative ease until the first yellow caution flag of the race popped out on lap 19.

Starting next to Schlundt when the race resumed was Stockton’s Ross Strmiska. The two third generation drivers slugged it out side by side for the next 13 laps before Strmiska was finally able to pull ahead of the determined Schlundt.

As Strmiska continued out in front Schlundt, Erickson, Merced’s Carlos Vieira and Rick Thompson the evening’s trophy dash winner out of Clovis, all fought for position behind him until Thompson and Vieira became tangled up in turn #1 of lap 40. Although they were not directly involved Schlundt and Erickson were trapped behind the accident with no where to go and as a result when the race resumed Kyle Gottula, the season points leader out of Modesto, suddenly found himself elevated to second.

Choosing to start on the outside, where he was effective all night, Strmiska was able to pounce back into the lead and keep Gottula at bey for the final 10 laps to chalk up his third consecutive victory. Following him to the finish were Gottula, Erickson, Vieira and Bakersfield’s Brennan Newberry.

"I had a good race with Trevor. I couldn’t get by him until I used him up a little bit, but I was a lot faster than him once I did get by," said Strmiska who now four wins overall at Madera this season. "It has really turned around and been a smooth ride of late."

Although he now trails Gottula by a mere 205 to 192 margin in the points Strmiska professes that he is not really concerned about the standings.

"We aren’t really racing for points, we are racing for wins. That gives us five on the year (including one win in Stockton) so we need about five more and we are good to go."

Fresno’s Larry Pasquale held the early lead in the 30-lap American Limited Stock Car feature until defending division champion Harold Holden, of Clovis, overtook him on lap 13. Just behind him, in a tightly packed group, Pasquale, Modesto’s Dennis Saunders, Matt Erickson, Atwater’s Jason Aguirre, Madera’s CJ Dizney and trophy dash winner Garland Tyler of Modesto, all churned for position throughout the remainder of the race.

Holden was able to stay out of the fray going on in his mirrors as he successfully fought off all challengers for the rest of the way to earn his first victory of the season. Following closely behind him in second through fifth were Saunders, Aguirre, Erickson and Tyler.

"This was too long coming. We had some bad luck last week, but this week we finally got one," said Holden. "I also have to thank Dennis (Saunders) he could have gotten a little closer and made me choke up, but he kept it clean."

Although he finished just behind him in the main, Aguirre was able to extend his advantage in the season standings over Saunders to 161-141 thanks to the points he earned as the night’s fast qualifier.

Stockton’s John McCollum Sr. started on the pole and held the lead over his son John McCollum Jr. for the opening laps of the Toyota Sedan 20-lap feature before two-time defending division champion Stan Hankins, of Fresno, shot by both of them in one quick swoop on lap 11.

Trophy dash winner Chris Lewis of Sanger, Fresno’s Jason Kerns and Madera’s Del McIntosh soon moved up in some exciting wheel-to-wheel action to challenge for the lead, but Hankins would not be denied as he held off all comers to earn his first win of the 2009 season.

"Finally! We were ready to win tonight," he exclaimed in victory lane. "Most of our bad luck this year has been self inflicted. It has been driver error and I have nobody to blame but myself."

Those words would come back to haunt Hankins when track officials later announced that he had been disqualified for an illegal transmission. The decision gave Lewis his third win of the year and extended his points lead to a comfortable 174 to 140 margin over Kerns.

The Modified Super Toyota (MST) 20-lap main got off to an auspicious start when John McCollum Jr., Chowchilla’s John Bowersox and Dennis Schlundt, of Clovis, became entwined with each other and skidded up into the wall in turn #3 of the opening lap. McCollum and Bowersox, who entered the night holding down the top two spots in the season points, where able to continue, but Schlundt was not so fortunate as he was taken away on the hook without completing a lap.

When the race resumed, an anxious Bowersox turned Fresno’s Donnie Large on lap two as he attempted to work his way up through the field, earning another trip to the back of the pack. When the race again restarted Large, showing how he acquired the nickname of ‘Mr. Excitement’ charged through the field, passing Jason Bowersox, the son of John Bowersox, on lap eight to take over the lead.

As Large and Jason Bowersox continued to hold down the top two spots in the closing laps of the race, McCollum and John Bowersox began to slug it out for third. Although Bowersox seemed to have the faster car, McCollum had position and when Bowersox tried to go underneath of McCollum on the final lap the two touched sending McCollum into a spin. When the dust settled McCollum was credited with sixth place and Bowersox, who was penalized a lap for causing the spin, ended up in seventh.

"This car hasn’t run for a while and Chris Lewis helped tune it up. It was on a string tonight," explained Large of his first win of the season. "I am really glad to be back in the winner’s circle."

Despite all of the on track fireworks, the points battle for the MST championship remained virtually unchanged. McCollum entered the night with a one-point lead over John Bowersox and left it with a two point (136-134) advantage.

Once again 67-year-old racing rookie, Dean Davison of Kingsburg, proved he is a quick learner as he notched his second consecutive victory in a Hornet division feature that was even the wilder and wackier than usual.

For the majority of the 20-lap main Modesto’s Richard Hull and Pleasanton’s Rodney Lopez traded the lead while Davison and JD Silva lurked behind them. On the final two laps the leaders encountered heavy traffic and Davison was able to split Hull and Lopez to take the checkered flag by less than half a car length as the drivers crossed the finish line three abreast.

"That was one of the most exciting races I have been in so far. I am enjoying every minute of this," said Davison. "I really didn’t figure I had a chance. I was hoping for a strong third and all of a sudden I was past Richard and Rodney."

The "Fastest 1/3 Mile in the West" was then made slick as ice with soap and water for the first Enduro of the 2009 season.

Stockton’s Ryan Strmiska and Linden’s David Pabst ran away from the rest of the field as they battled it out throughout the 100-lap contest. The two traded the lead on several occasions before Pabst was finally able to retake it for good on lap 81. Strmiska trailed him to the finish by about 10 car lengths for a disappointing second while Loren Chitwood took third, a distant seven laps behind the leaders.

"Usually it takes a couple months for us to prepare our car, but we worked on this one over a year to get it ready to raced," said Pabst, who has posted six straight Enduro wins at Madera dating back to 2007. "Winning never gets old. I really wanted to keep our undefeated streak here alive tonight."

On tap next Saturday, June 13th at Madera will be Super Saturday #3, Presented By Inside Lines Apparel & Graphics. This fantastic open-wheel program will include the fire breathing SMRA 410 Supermodifieds and 360 Modifieds in a combined feature race, the USAC and BCRA Midgets also in a combined feature, plus USAC Focus Midgets, NCMA Sprint Cars, WRA Vintage Sprints and Midgets.

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.