GOTTULA, AGUIRRE, KERNS, LARGE AND HUMPHREYS TRIUMPH ON USG NIGHT AT MADERA SPEEDWAY

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Racing Series returned to Madera Speedway for USG Night on Saturday, July 25th. The huge seven-division program included the Western Late Models, American Limited Stock Cars (ALSC), Modified Super Toyotas (MST), Toyota Sedans, Hornets and WSRA Mini-Cup & Baby Grands.

Matt Erickson, of Lake Don Pedro and former Madera track champion Rick Thompson, of nearby Clovis, shared the front row for the Western Late Model feature. The pair went at it tooth and nail during the opening laps with Erickson finally inching ahead for the lead on lap five.

Erickson’s stay at the top would be a short one however, as second generation driver Kyle Gottula, age 22 of Modesto, cut underneath him just three laps later for the lead. Gottula saw the rest of the race in his rear view mirror as he cruised to his sixth win of the season, celebrating his victory with a smoking sideways skid to a stop on the front straight.

"I figured I would do that little spin to give the fans a show, but the official kind of scared me so I though I better cut the motor or I would have skidded into victory lane," said Gottula. " I want to thank my mom and dad because they put a ton of money into this thing and without them I would not be here."

The 40-lap American Limited Stock Car feature was a bit ugly, but very entertaining race.

Fresno’s Larry Pasquale would lead the opening laps before succumbing to Modesto’s Garland Tyler on lap four who would in turn would be swallowed up by Dennis Saunders, of Modesto, just one lap later. Matt Erickson, once again doing double duty, followed Saunders under Tyler and the pair were soon locked in a side by side battle for the lead, which lasted until Saunders used a lapped car as a pick to secure the lead on lap 14.

A lap 33 yellow caution reset the table for another Saunders/Erickson shootout. Their dogfight was quickly interrupted when Atwater’s Jason Aguirre spun one lap later. On the following restart, Saunders and Erickson got together on the front straight causing a chain reaction that involved several cars.

Pasquale found himself back out front when the race resumed, but he was unable to stave off the hard charging Aguirre who took over the lead on lap 39. The race ended one lap later appropriately enough on a checkered yellow when Erickson spun as he lost control of his damaged car and tagged the wall. Saunders and Pasquale were credited with second and third.

"That was one heck of a race. I went three wide, got into the marbles and slide into the wall. After that I got so angry, got on the gas and went for it," said the ecstatic Aguirre. "Everybody is so evenly matched and there was a lot of pushing and shoving out there. Nobody wants to give an inch because almost everybody thinks they have a car that can win."

It was the second win of the season for Aguirre and it elevated him into the division points lead by a 217 to 207 margin over Saunders.

Stockton’s John McCollum Jr. help the pole and the early lead in the 13-car Toyota Sedan feature before Madera’s Del McIntosh roared under him on lap seven to take the point. Fresno’s Jason Kerns slowly worked his way through the crowded field to take over second place on lap 10 and then set about trying to reel McIntosh in.

Although Kerns cut the gap between himself and McIntosh, it seemed he had run out of time when McIntosh was forced to slow going into the final lap of the 30-lap race after he encountered traffic. That was just the break Kerns needed as he slipped past the leader and then held off the disappointed McIntosh through turns three and four to pick up his third win of the season.

"Sometimes it is better to be luck than good and that was one of those instances there," admitted Kerns. "Man, I was trying everything I could to catch him, but Del had a very fast car tonight and he was going to win that race."

Division leader Chris Lewis, of Sanger, finished third, but saw his points lead slashed to just a 254 to 248 margin over the fast closing Kerns.

Fresno’s Donnie "Mr. Excitement" Large, with three straight wins, has been hotter than a two dollar pistol in the Modified Super Toyotas, but it was Chowchilla’s Jason Bowersox, the son of division points leader John Bowersox, who was cooking on Saturday.

Jason started the 30-lap Toyota Sedan feature from the fourth position and roared into the lead by the end of the first lap. A couple of laps later Large was on his tail, but despite trying every trick in his vast arsenal, was unable to get past the determined Bowersox.

On lap 22 the pair split, with Bowersox going high and Large diving low, to lap another car. Bowersox car slipped causing him to get off the throttle to stay off the wall and that was just the advantage Large needed to take over the lead. Large then held on for the remaining laps to post his fourth consecutive victory over a very disappointed Bowersox and third place finisher John McCollum Jr.

"Jason was really tough tonight. I could get under him, but he had a great car and would hold me off," said Large. "I am not sure if I could have got by him or not without that lapped car."

The crowd-pleasing Hornets put on another exciting performance as Fresno’s Justin Petz jumped out to an early lead as a pack of six cars jostled for second place right behind him. Two time defending division champion Miles Humphreys, the 68-year-old great granddad out of Clovis, eventually emerged from the mass of challengers and soon thereafter swooped to the outside of Petz to take over the lead on lap seven.

Kingsburg’s Dean Davison, the 67-year old rookie who has three wins in his last four starts, wiggled past Petz on lap 13 and then set off after the leader, but he ran out of laps as Humphreys held on for his first win of the season.

"I have been trying to help Dean and I am really proud of how he has come along. It is his first year in racing and he should get rookie of the year and maybe even the championship," said Humphreys proudly. "I was watching him coming after me and I think he would have had me if we went 25 laps tonight instead of 20."

The popular WSRA Baby Grands and Mini Cup touring divisions returned for their fifth appearance of the 2009 season.

Modesto’s Michael Ray and Manteca’s Michael Sandoval, the night’s top qualifier and

trophy dash winner, set the early pace in the Baby Grand main until they encountered a backmarker on lap seven, which caused them to tangle up with each other. Dillon Hutchison, of Citrus Heights, inherited the lead and he would never relinquish it for the remainder of the 35-lap race despite the repeated efforts of Manteca’s Josh Gomes to unseat him.

"The car wasn’t in the best shape and I just had to drive what I had," explained Hutchison, who now has four wins in five races at Madera this year. "It started getting really tight at the end and I just tried to keep it low and luckily I came home with the victory."

Mountain View’s Tommy McCarthy set a new track record of 17.890 seconds in qualifying, but he had his work cut out with a full invert in the main. Tyler Johnson, of Dos Palos, held the early lead in the race before being consumed by Brentwood’s Patrick Hill on lap four. McCarthy eventually worked his way up to second, but he was never able to mount a serious challenge for the lead as Hill took a three-car length victory.

"I would like to thank all the fans for coming out, Tommy on a good second place and all the other competitors," said Hill, who also has amassed four victories at Madera this season.

The Madera Speedway will be hosting the second leg of the $50,000 "HOTWOOD 333" Series next Saturday, August 1st. The Western Late Models will be battling in a 111-lap feature plus the American Limited Stocks, Modified Super Toyotas, Toyota Sedans and Hornets will all be racing. In addition, it will be the third annual Boots & Bikini Night, which will include live music and a bikini contest.

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