RACE AND RIDE FOR AUTISM NIGHT AT MADERA SPEEDWAY THIS SATURDAY

It was a very special evening of entertainment and racing on Saturday as Madera Speedway and Carlos Vieira Racing proudly hosted Race and Ride for Autism Night. The NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series program featured the Western Late Models in a 100-lap main event plus the American Limited Stock Cars, Modified Super Toyotas, Toyota Sedans and Hornets. In addition to some fantastic racing, over 40 motorcycles participated in bike show and a parade lap around the 1/3-mile oval prior to the start of the main events. The Ride for Autism included Harleys, Choppers, Sport Bikes, Metric Cruisers, European and Trikes with prizes awarded in all classes. The Race and Ride for Autism Night is one of the largest fundraisers for the "Race For Autism" campaign that is a developed partnership among Autism Speaks, Challenged Family Resource Center, Families for Effective Autism Treatment (F.E.A.T.) and Carlos Vieira Racing. The campaign’s goal is to raise over $51,000 throughout the 2009 racing season to aid the organization’s mission to support the children and families affected by the complex developmental disability of Autism. For more details about the "Race For Autism" campaign, visit www.raceforautism.net. Prior to the Western Late Model main event Coulterville’s Matt Erickson won the special 4-lap "Dash for the Cash" trophy dash by beating out Modesto’s Kyle Gottula, the leader coming into the evening of Madera’s "Chase for the Championship" four race competition to determine the 2009 track champion. "It is an honor to beat some of the best drivers on the west coast and I hope this is an omen for the main event," said Erickson. A season high 21 Western Late Models jammed on to the track for the Race for Autism 100-lap feature event including special guest NHRA drag racing star Ron Capps, the driver of the Don Schumacher Racing NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Nitro Funny Car, in a car prepared by Carlos Vieira Racing. Stockton’s Joey Stearns, 2007 track champion Mark Holeman of Los Altos and Madera "Young Gun" Trevor Schlundt of Clovis battled it out for the lead through the first portion of the race before Gottula was finally able to take charge by getting the jump on Holeman following a caution on lap 33. By mid race Gottula would be joined at the front of the pack by his friend and season long advisory Ross Strmiska, the third generation driver out of Stockton. Despite numerous yellow cautions and a couple of red flag stoppages, Gottula and Strmiska would battle for the lead throughout the remainder of the race until mechanical failure put Gottula on the sidelines with only nine laps to go in the race. Strmiska would not be denied one of the biggest wins of his career as he held of all challengers through the final laps to earn his fifth Madera victory of the 2009 season. Salida’s Mike Beeler, Joey Stearns, San Jose’s Dave Byrd, Matt Erickson and Carlos Vieira, driving his familiar #51 Racing for Autism Chevrolet Monte Carlo, completed the top six. "That was a hard fought one. I though the cautions and restarts were never going to stop," said an exhausted Strmiska. "What a great field tonight. We come down here to win races and to do it against a field like this is really something." Ron Capps finished a very respectable 10th, despite a couple of incidents that left his car battered and in need of some long shop time by the end of the event. "That was a lot of fun. I think some of them thought my sponsor was Target instead of NAPA because a few of them punted me around pretty good out there. I told my spotter that if they have any talent they shouldn’t have any trouble just going around me," laughed Capps afterward. "Everybody treated me great here and I am really pleased that I was allowed to participate in this for such a great cause." The battle for the 2009 Madera track championship could not be any tighter. With just two races to go in the "Chase for the Championship" Gottula now holds an ultra slim one point lead over both Strmiska and Matt Erickson while Carlos Vieira sits only three points out of the top spot. Modesto’s Dennis Saunders and defending track champion Howard Holden of Clovis led the 10-car American Limited Stock Car field to the green flag for the start of their 30-lap feature. Saunders quickly assumed the lead and seemed to be in control of things until Madera’s CJ Dizney began to slowly creep up on him at mid race. On lap 18 Dizney seized on an opportunity to go underneath of Saunders to take over the lead. Despite a late yellow flag that bunched the field back up behind him Dizney would not succumb to the pressure as he powered to his first ever career win in the competitive class. Saunders held on for second and Holden completed the podium. "This feels amazing. Words can’t describe how I feel right now," said a very excited Dizney. "We hit on the perfect setup tonight. I hated to see that yellow at the end, but luckily we were able to hold Dennis and Matt off." Atwater’s Jason Aguirre finished the race in fifth, which allowed Saunders to close to within 13 points (249-236) of him for the season points lead in the American Limited Stock Car class championship. Starting in the third row Cody Stout, of Clovis, grabbed the early lead from fellow Clovis pilot Don Davey on the third lap of the Toyota Sedan feature. As Stout gradually pulled away from the rest of the field, a tight pack quickly formed behind him that included Davey, Madera’s Del McIntosh, Fresno’s Jason Kerns, Sanger’s Chris Lewis the division points leader and Fresno’s Jarrad Tickel to jostle for second. Lewis, the night’s fast qualifier and trophy dash winner, would eventually emerge from the group and slowly reel in Stout until he was close enough to begin to harass him for the lead on lap 12. Their battle would extend throughout the remainder of the 30-lap feature when both were forced to brake slightly after Stout over corrected in turn four on lap 28. The small bobble allowed Kerns, who was quietly lurking behind them, to swoop by both on the outside for the lead and ultimately his fifth win of the season. "There was a lot of bumping and banging early. Cody really got on his horse and for a while I didn’t think I had a chance to catch him," said Kerns, who now moves to within just 10 points (349-339) of Lewis in the season standings as a result. "I tried to really run those last 10 laps hard and get in position just in case anything happened at the front and I got lucky tonight." The Donnie Large juggernaut continued to roll on as the long time Madera veteran posted his seventh consecutive victory and third consecutive qualifying/heat/main sweep, in the Modified Super Toyota division. Large, of Fresno, started 10th in the 12 car field, but quickly worked his way to the front and following a wheel to wheel battle with Stockton’s John McCollum Jr. for second, snatched the lead from Fresno’s Kevin Thompson on lap six. Large was never seriously challenged for the remainder of the 30-lap main as McCollum held off a late race charge by Chowchilla’s John Bowersox to capture second. "We had a great car again tonight. We don’t make a lot out here, but I would like to donate everything I won tonight to the fight against autism. I have a little nephew who is autistic so this means a whole lot to me. I would really like to thank all the fans for coming out to this race and helping to support this cause," said an emotional Large, who is now tied with Bowersox for the division points lead despite missing the first three races of the season. Making a bold move on the high side of the track at the drop of the green flag, Fresno’s Justin Petz to move from his second row starting spot and into the early lead of the 20-lap Hornet feature before the completion of the opening lap. Petz held the lead throughout the first half of the race as two-time defending champion Miles Humphreys, Amy Roberts of Clovis and 2009 points leader Dean Davison, of Kingsburg, fought it out amongst each other for second. Humphreys, who posted wins earlier in the evening in the heat and trophy dash, eventually emerged as the primary challenger to Petz and after three laps of side by side racing, took over the lead. Roberts followed Humphreys past Petz, but was never able to catch Humphreys as the 69-year old great grandpa drove to his fourth win of the season. "Justin drove really well tonight. He was hard keep up with. I couldn’t get by him on the inside and the only way I was finally able to make it past him by going high. And Amy was absolutely fantastic tonight. She was really tough," said the gracious Humphreys, who now trails Davison by 20 points (242-222) in the Hornet standings. Madera Speedway will be back in action next Saturday, September 5th with Round #3 of the SRL SouthWest Tour Holiday Classic, presented by Performance Electrical, in a 110-lap feature. This fantastic program will also include the Western Late Models in the "Chase for the Championship" plus the American Limited Stock Cars, Modified Super Toyotas, Toyota Sedans and another round of the "Two Track Challenge" for the Hornets and Chowchilla 4-Bangers. Madera will not be racing the following weekend due to the county fair, but will return for a the two day 18th Annual Harvest/Coors Light Classic on Friday September 18th and Super Saturday #6 on September 19th featuring the 410 and 360 Supermodifieds. 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.