HUNT TAKES 100 LAP GERHARDT CLASSIC AT MADERA

Photo by Chris Cleveland of race winner Tony Hunt in victory lane with Madera Speedway promoter Kenny Shepherd.

SACRAMENTO, California — After a wild back-and-forth duel with Scott Pierovich, Tony Hunt of Lincoln, CA picked up his 52nd career United States Auto Club victory by winning the 100 lap Fred Gerhardt Classic at Madera Speedway.

The event marked the first pavement race for the USAC Western Classic Racing Series and the eighth annual running of the Gerhardt Classic.

Hunt took over the lead for good from Pierovich on lap 57, leading the final 43 laps to victory. The win gives Hunt the points lead in the pavement portion of the series and just three points back from Pierovich in the overall series standings.

Fair Oaks’ Shauna Hogg led the 15 car field to green over Audra Sasselli. Local product Tim Skoglund of Fresno got a piece of the wall on the opening lap and slowed dramatically down the backstretch with a large fire underneath the Western Speed entry. Skoglund was pulled from the car uninjured but done for the night.

On the restart Pierovich began to make his presence felt and he led briefly before the caution came out for Cody Gerhardt spinning into the inside wall in turn four.

Gerhardt was able to resume and on the restart Pierovich seized the lead from Hogg. A three wide battle ensued with Hunt making a bid for the top spot

Pierovich and Hunt traded back and forth with side-by-side racing for five consecutive laps. The caution came out on lap 40 for Shauna Hogg stalling on the backstretch, and Pierovich took off from Hunt on the restart.

Hunt ran on the rear nerf bar of Pierovich for the next 17 laps as their duel continued. Hunt finally took the lead on lap 57.

With Hunt’s lead in tact, the action picked up through the field. Fast-time qualifier Brian McClish battled with Sasselli, while rookie Geoff Ensign, Gordon Rodgers, and Luis Ramos III traded blows for fifth place.

Pierovich came to a stop for a broken throttle linkage on lap 90 to bring out a caution. On the shootout to the finish Ensign and Sasselli battled for the second position. Ensign, in his first ever pavement Sprint Car race, settled for third in the Ted Finkenbinder owned entry.

Hunt cruised to a comfortable victory over Sasselli, Ensign, McClish, and Ramos. Sasselli recently became a mother and spent the last three weeks working out extensively to prepare for the rigors of a 100 lap Sprint Car race. Ensign was awarded the Kaeding Performance award for his run in the feature.

McClish and Skoglund were the heat race winners with McClish setting fast time at 13.888 seconds. The series will resume on April 23 at the three-eights mile Shasta Raceway Park in Anderson, Calif. with the “Jimmy Sills Classic.”

In other USAC action at Madera on Saturday night, 13 year-old Brodie Kostecki from Perth, Western Australia won the USAC Young Guns feature while the 50 lap USAC Ford Focus main event went to 14 year-old Ross Rankine of Ohio.

More information on the USAC Western Classic Racing Series is available on Facebook at keywords “USAC Western Classic Racing Series”. The United States Auto Club is online at www.usacracing.com The USAC Western States is available at www.usacwesternstates.com with contact information and the latest news.

NEW WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT POINTS: 1-Pierovich-91; 2-Hunt-88; 3-Kobza-86; 4-Ensign-75; 5-Barber-74; 6-Bill Rose-69; 7-Hogg-68; 8-Kyle Hirst-65; 9-McClish-65; 10-Andy Forsberg-64.

NEW AMSOIL WESTERN SPRINT POINTS: 1-Hunt-72; 2-McClish-65; 3-Sasselli-64; 4-Ensign-57; 5-Ramos-55; 6-Rodgers-49; 7-Kobza-47; 8-Gerhardt-46; 9-Pierovich-46; 10-Barber-34.