On Saturday, July 16th, the NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series returned to action to celebrate the racing career of one of the Speedway’s favorite sons in a Tribute to Johnny Brazil Night, Brought to you by Performance Electric. On the docket for this very special event was the Western Late Models in Twin 50s, Super Stocks, Bombers, Legends of the Pacific, Vintage Super Modifieds, and the Powder Puff. What better Tribute can be paid to a legend than for every Division to produce some legendary racing of their own with the Legend himself, Johnny Brazil, in attendance? The command performances showcased on this night would have brought even the best to their feet, and it did, along with the rest of the 1800 fans in the stands, which proved, most convincingly, Stock Car Racing isn’t just a hobby.
The Bombers got the program going and it didn’t take long for Points Leader Jeremy Tucker (351) of Stockton to make quick work of this one by winning his fourth Main Event of the year.
Two Stockton drivers, Guido Bindi, Jr. (816) and, of course, Jeremy Tucker, were honored with the with the front row to get this one underway. And, at the drop of the green, Tucker had the heavier right foot and beat the field down into turn one for the early lead. However, on lap 7, Stockton’s Tony Karsting (312), apparently stricken by mechanical woes, came to rest low in turn two, which brought out the first yellow of the race. On the restart, Tucker assumed his role out front like he owned it, and he did. But not without a near-challenge from his Uncle David Tucker (350), also of Stockton, that came up short due to the strength J. Tucker possessed on this particular night as the #351 took it all the way to the glory land in this rather lopsided Victory, his fourth on the year. “I didn’t plan on winning four races this year, but it sure feels good,” said the quiet-mannered young Tucker, “I want to thank everyone involved with the car and the fans for coming out to watch us do this.” D. Tucker did manage to hold on to finish nearly a half straightaway back in second, making it a Tucker Clan one-two finish. Bobby Simpson (819T), yet another Stockton driver, after some rough going earlier in the day, brought her home on the podium in third. The young driver from Ceres, Tyler Guzman (93x), had another solid run finishing fourth while Bindi fell off the pace just a bit, but still finished fifth.
Next up, the Western Late Models Twin #1 brought with it a multi-time winner on the year in Lodi’s Michael Wendt (2), who actually made this racing stuff look really easy even though the opposite is certainly true.
Seaside’s Dave Byrd (78) won the pole with fast time in qualifying earlier in the day and the Points Leader from Modesto, Jeff Belletto (12x), joined him on the front row, high and to the right. And, as he often does, Belletto grabbed the holeshot going off into turn one where he laid claim to that much-coveted real estate out front, but not without company which came in the form of one Dave Byrd, and in turn, Byrd had company feasting on his back bumper which came in the form of one Michael Wendt. During the first half of this race, these three drivers battled over that rarified air at the front with Belletto rarely giving an inch as he held command and began to inch away while Byrd and Wendt were arguing over their own little plot of asphalt. This appeared to be Belletto’s race to win, but unfortunately, on lap 42, the #28 of Clovis’s Trevor Schlundt came to rest high in turn two which brought with it the first yellow of the night. During the caution period mechanical difficulties befell Belletto, which sent him to the pits and ended his race. On the ensuing restart, Wendt jumped out quick to nab the lead, and once there, he would not be denied on this night as he drove it to the checkers for his third win of the year and second in a row. "It certainly was a good night for us," Mike Wendt said. "We built Matt's (Wendt) car ourselves, so that's very gratifying." Byrd, despite getting everything out of the car it had to offer, had to settle for a second place finish. Atwater’s Carlos Vieira (51), in his best finish of the year, raced onto the podium in third with the young, second generation driver from Stockton, Colby Potts (12), finishing up in fourth. Modesto’s Mike Beeler (6) rounded out the top five.
The Legends of the Pacific were on tap to display their talent as they always do. This time, however, they produced a first-time winner in Jessica Walker (21) of San Ramon. Jessica has been knocking on the door for a while. Tonight she drove right though it for the extremely popular Victory.
As the Racing Gods would have it, the front row was occupied by two of Stockton’s own Clement Clan: Keith Clement, in his green hotrod on pole, with Cousin Fred Clement (58), already gnawing at the right side numbers of the #8. Fred got a great jump coming off four to the green, which sent him straight to the front where he enjoyed the lead until lap 7, when Brisbane’s Luis Tyrell (74M) went spinning low in turn two bringing with him the one and only yellow of the race. On the lap 7 restart, Walker took control of that golden piece of property out front where she would be greeted with that magnificent fresh breath of air as she inhaled it all the way to the finishline for her first-ever, very exciting win. “It feels really good to finally win out here,” said the polite young driver. Dylan Albiani (56) of Modesto, in a rare appearance at the Speedway, and despite mounting a brief challenge for the lead, brought her home in second while Tyrell, after recovering from the earlier incident, drove back through the field and onto the podium in third. Napa’s James Bickford (25B) ran an impressive race of his own in finishing fourth with Tony Mangini (7) of Benicia completing the top five.
The Powder Puff race had an unusually small car-count, nonetheless, the ladies managed to bring some excitement to the forefront. Not-so-surprisingly, when the dust settled and the dealing was done, every competitor finished on the lead lap with Cindy Dueck (028) of Stockton taking home top honors this time around. The #819T of Stockton’s LuLu Simpson brought her home neck-n-neck with Dueck, but Dueck got the nod. Bryde Tucker (819), another Stockton driver finished on the podium in third while French Camp’s Rhoda Haines (077) finished up in fourth.
The Super Stocks also produced a first-time winner in Lodi’s Matt Wendt (1). And, to be sure, the younger Wendt went out there and took it to the field with a fantastic car on the night. Older brother Michael won the first WLM Twin, so this was a very exciting night for these two young drivers.
Points Leader Garland Tyler (73) of Modesto inherited the pole due to the six invert with Atwater’s Jason Aguirre (45) already nibbling chips off the right side paint as both drivers paced the field around to greet the green. Aguirre took full advantage of the high line and grabbed a huge hunk of forward bite that vaulted him into the lead. Once out front, Aguirre began to chew away at the asphalt until he found himself with what seemed to be an insurmountable lead. Unfortunately for Aguirre, Wendt had pulled into the number two position and began to close the gap that, at one point, was a full straightaway separation between first and second until lap 25, when Manteca’s Johnny Cardoza (32) looped it up to the outside wall between one and two, which caused a brief pause by the flagman, who then sent the only yellow of the race flying high in the summer sky. On the ensuing restart, Aguirre assumed what would be an extremely brief lead when Wendt drove it hard into turn three with both cars making contact in a battle of wills and one lap later, we had a new leader: the #1 of Matt Wendt. From that point, Wendt took it to the checkers for a sensational first-ever win. “The car was on rails tonight, we finally got the car figured out and I used every bit of it to get the win last night,” said the very excited young driver from Lodi, “It felt awesome to get my first win, it was totally unexpected because we haven’t been able to figure this car out this whole season. Winning on the same night as my brother was very cool because we got to share the spot light together!” 2010 Champ, Sammy Solari (79) from parts unknown, starting deep on the grid, worked his way patiently through to a second place finish. Stockton’s own Rich Harper (5), after some bad luck last time out, came from just as deep to finish on the podium in third. Mike Graham (93) of Hughson, starting even deeper on the grid, was able to manage a strong run in finishing fourth while Ben Lewis (22) of Stockton rounded out the top five.
In the Vintage Super Modifieds, one of the Greatest Legends of All Time, Johnny Brazil (1) of Manteca, in a borrowed car, had the crowd on their collective feet as he crossed below the checkers for the Victory. It would be his 100th win in a long and storied career at Stockton.
L.D. Nix (61) of Fresno, grabbed the pole in this one with Miles Humphries (77) of Bass Lake nipping at his right side door. Nix and Humphries would mix it up over the first few laps, swapping the lead back and forth until lap 5, when Brazil drove into the picture, and the lead followed shortly thereafter. From that point forward, Brazil would display his driving skills and took the race all the way to Victory Lane for his 100th career win at Stockton. "I had to wait a while to get it," the 77 year old Brazil said of the win. "It was fun to come out here and quite a night for me." Everett Edlund (10) of Caruthers, despite a strong challenge for the lead with two laps to go, would have to settle for second on this very special night. David Barrett (9) of Fresno brought her home on the podium in a comfortable third with Danny Green (5), also of Fresno, and after mounting a challenge of his own early on, crossed the line with a fourth place finish. Madera’s Ray Lasswell (44) put forth a strong effort and was rewarded with fifth to complete the top five.
In the second Western Late Model Twin, whether it was a surprise or not is up for debate, but the Points Leader from Modesto, Jeff Belletto (12x), made a strong statement by starting shotgun on the field and working his way through to his fourth win of the year.
This one got underway with Trevor Schlundt (28) of Clovis and Modesto’s Mike Beeler (6) strapped in tight and sitting on the front row. With the green flag flapping high above the racing surface, Schlundt got the great jump and beat the pack down into turn one to become sole owner of that prized property at the head of the field. Once there, he would bask in the glow from the lights above as he breathed in, lap after wonderful lap, of that rare air that is known to only the lucky few who find themselves out front and pulling away. In the meantime, on lap 18, the points battle was heating up on the track when Belletto and Seaside Great Dave Byrd (78), got side by side fighting over that almost precious real estate in third. Byrd had it, Belletto took it. When Belletto finally took second from Beeler on lap 26, Schlundt was over a half straightaway ahead. Unfortunately for Schlundt, Belletto had the fresher tires after problems in Twin #1, and the #12x began to chew away at that well-established lead until, on lap 37, Belletto drove low and squeezed by the young driver from Clovis where he would drive away to the checkers for the astonishing win, his fourth on the year. Considering the problems Schlundt encountered last time out, he was more than likely pleased with the outcome this time around in finishing second. Byrd held on to finish on the podium with a very consistent run in third. Winner of the first Twin, Michael Wendt (2) of Lodi came home reasonably well in fourth while Beeler fell off the pace just a bit, but still brought home a top five.
Next Saturday, July 23rd, the Speedway will be vacant of any sign of racing. However, we will not go dark because there will be a different kind of entertainment that will come in the form of a South-of-the-Border Special called Charreada. This is an Old Mexico Rodeo Competition steeped in tradition and history. If you consider curiosity an asset, you might want to let it get the best of you on this one and come on out and check it out.
The New Stockton 99 Speedway is located at 4105 N. Wilson Way, ¼-mile west of Highway 99. For more information on tickets and times, please contact the Speedway Office at (209)466-9999 or visit their Website at www.stockton99.com.
The New Stockton 99 Speedway is sponsored by Jackson Rancheria Casino Hotel, California Welding Supply, Budweiser, Alamo Alarm and Stockton Hampton Inn and Suites and Lodi Holiday Express.
RESULTS
Legends of the Pacific
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 21 Jessica Walker
35 11:47.419 15.613 11 57.644
2 56 Dylan Albiani
35 11:47.917 0.498 15.563 21 57.829
3 74M Luis Tyrell
35 11:48.308 0.889 15.495 22 58.083
4 25B James Bickford
35 11:48.828 1.409 15.455 33 58.234
5 7 Tony Mangini
35 11:53.710 6.291 15.666 18 57.449
6 63 Cody Berger
35 11:53.971 6.552 15.701 27 57.321
7 58 Fred Clement
35 11:57.526 10.107 15.755 3 57.125
8 8 Keith Clement
35 11:58.948 11.529 15.931 31 56.494
9 5 Bob Kuebler
34 11:51.798 1 Lap 16.161 32 55.690
10 25 Greg Baxter
34 11:57.087 5.289 16.123 3 55.821
11 91 Doug Braddock Jr.
34 11:57.134 5.336 16.020 7 56.180
12 64 Hunter Anderson
34 11:58.177 6.379 16.128 5 55.804
13 29 Dan Munier
32 11:58.776 3 Laps 17.032 23 52.842
Bombers
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 351 Jeremy Tucker
30 11:30.412 17.497 5 51.437
2 350 David Tucker
30 11:31.481 1.069 17.644 11 51.009
3 819T Bobby Simpson
30 11:32.753 2.341 17.710 14 50.819
4 93x Tyler Guzman
30 11:33.872 3.460 17.602 16 51.131
5 816 Guido Bindi, Jr.
30 11:39.992 9.580 17.715 9 50.804
6 077 Mark Jacke
30 11:40.766 10.354 18.091 9 49.748
7 210 Mark Irwin
30 11:48.531 18.119 18.113 2 49.688
8 028 Kasi Lewis
30 11:48.732 18.320 18.064 11 49.823
9 003 Rick Roberts
29 11:30.714 1 Lap 17.895 16 50.293
10 819 Robert Dueck
29 11:31.159 0.445 18.095 4 49.737
11 312 Tony Karsting
28 11:40.997 2 Laps 19.006 5 47.353
12 500 Dave Anderson
4 5:02.291 26 Laps 20.209 4 44.535
Powder Puff
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 028 Cindy Dueck
15 7:17.939 18.877 13 47.677
2 819T LuLu Simpson
15 7:17.939 0.000 16.276 14 55.296
3 819 Bryde Tucker
15 7:22.184 4.245 19.404 8 46.382
4 077 Rhoda Haines
15 7:25.318 7.379 19.656 15 45.788
Super Stocks
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 1 Matt Wendt
30 10:08.097 14.901 5 60.399
2 79 Sam Solari
30 10:09.416 1.319 15.305 11 58.804
3 5 Rich Harper
30 10:09.648 1.551 15.255 24 58.997
4 93 Mike Graham
30 10:09.669 1.572 15.262 24 58.970
5 22 Ben Lewis
30 10:10.115 2.018 15.336 18 58.685
6 03 Robbie Knittel
30 10:10.903 2.806 15.330 13 58.708
7 45 Jason Aguirre
30 10:11.218 3.121 14.981 4 60.076
8 75 Chad Holman
30 10:11.446 3.349 15.352 6 58.624
9 73 Garland Tyler
30 10:11.631 3.534 15.327 5 58.720
10 89 Brian Vosburg
30 10:11.920 3.823 15.249 13 59.020
11 47 Arron Shankel
30 10:12.839 4.742 15.494 11 58.087
12 32 Johnny Cardoza
30 10:13.098 5.001 15.479 18 58.143
13 3 Mark Squadrito
30 10:13.353 5.256 15.244 5 59.040
14 11 Steve Brown
29 10:15.207 1 Lap 15.881 5 56.671
15 76 Lance Butler
29 10:16.406 1.199 15.925 8 56.515
WLM #1
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 2 Mike Wendt
50 21:20.588 14.163 6 63.546
2 78 Dave Byrd
50 21:21.067 0.479 14.164 3 63.541
3 51 Carlos Viera
50 21:22.873 2.285 14.357 4 62.687
4 12 Colby Potts
50 21:23.149 2.561 14.351 11 62.713
5 6 Mike Beeler
50 21:24.260 3.672 14.240 9 63.202
6 28 Trevor Schlundt
50 21:32.992 12.404 14.315 4 62.871
7 55 Zack Huffman
49 21:28.354 1 Lap 14.490 8 62.112
8 12x Jeff Belletto
42 10:01.294 8 Laps 14.206 5 63.354
9 90 Ross Strmiska
8 2:04.239 42 Laps 14.774 2 60.918
WLM #2
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 12x Jeff Belletto
50 12:02.306 14.169 30 63.519
2 28 Trevor Schlundt
50 12:03.724 1.418 14.294 11 62.963
3 78 Dave Byrd
50 12:03.846 1.540 14.287 23 62.994
4 2 Mike Wendt
50 12:06.161 3.855 14.229 8 63.251
5 6 Mike Beeler
50 12:07.283 4.977 14.276 12 63.043
6 12 Colby Potts
50 12:09.160 6.854 14.325 8 62.827
7 51 Carlos Viera
50 12:09.793 7.487 14.367 8 62.644
8 55 Zack Huffman
48 12:08.905 2 Laps 14.735 9 61.079
9 90 Ross Strmiska
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