MERCED, California — Sunday’s “Run What You Brung” program brought the final curtain to the 2011 season at Merced Speedway, with Troy Foulger, Larry Damitz and Brad Myers bring home the checkered flags in the three main events of the evening.
"Since it is the last race of the year, I decided to race to bring awareness to two good causes."— Troy Foulger
The rules were wide open for the modified stock car, supper stock and hobby stock divisions. Damitz, of Vallejo, arrived to the speedway with a giant sprint car wing on top of his super stock. He flew away from the rest of the flock in the super stock main event.
“I imagine the wing helped a little bit,” Damitz smiled in victory lane.
He was chased by Merced’s Steven Hannah, who borrowed a four-barrel carburetor to mount on his super stock engine. Third place John Murrieta, also of Merced, said he wasn’t going to race but came out with pink ribbons on his car to help breast cancer awareness and a free ad on the side of his car to publicize “Stepping Stone Recovery Options” of Merced.
“I’m lucky to have a race car,” he said. “Since it is the last race of the year, I decided to race to bring awareness to two good causes.”
Foulger, of Martinez, sported a sail panel on the left side of his modified.
“It helped me dig in, and it lifted up the left front of the car,” he said.
Foulger was challenged by Antioch’s Chester Kniss, who got by him on a few restarts. Kniss was sporting big tires on his modified.
“I put late model tires on the modified,” he said. “It was good, but I had a little too much bite.”
Syd Fin of Merced was ecstatic as his third place was the best he’s ever done.
“It’s the first time I finished a modified feature,” he said. “Every time I came out to race the car broke down.”
Antioch hobby stock champ Brad Myers of Brentwood dominated the Hobby Stock main event. He dedicated the race to fiance Melissa Hansen’s grand dad Bob and engine builder George Santos, who both recently passed away.
Melissa Hansen, who runs int he limited late model class at Antioch Speedway, helped Myers prepare his hobby stock for “Run What you Brung”. Myers topped the largest field of the year in the hobby stock division, as 18 cars started the main event.
“I gave him a few go-fast goodies,” she laughed in victory lane.
The “Run What You Brung” event was a fun event that rewarded drivers for supporting the speedway throughout the season.
Merced Speedway will celebrate the 2011 season with an Awards Banquet, held in conjunction with sister track Antioch Speedway at the Clarion Inn and Suites in Stockton. The Speedway will re-open in March 2012, and will hold races on Friday nights.
For contact information and general information updates in the off season, visit www.racemerced.com or Merced Speedway on Facebook.
| Merced Speedway |
|---|
| Hobby Stocks Heat 1 1. 197 Kyle Camperud 2. 45 Gene Haney 3. 8 George Silva 4. 78 Jarod Fast 5. 18 Gary Hansen 6. 97J Jim Watson 7. 27 Jeremy Davis Heat 2 1. 33 Brad Myers 2. 99 Jim Freethy 3. 03 Cole Oreta 4. 70L Robbie Loquaci 5. 14 Paul Mulder 6. 3 Chris Falkenberg Heat 3 1. 71 Jeff Tomlinson 2. 55 Shane Haussman 3. 87 Brandon Speck 4. 87D Charles Parmley 5. 38 Ryan Hart Main 1. 33 Brad Myers 2. 99 Jim Freethy 3. 45 Gene Haney 4. 38 Ryan Hart 5. 55 Shane Haussman 6. 71 Jeff Tomlinson 7. 78 Jarod Fast 8. 3 Chris Falkenberg 9. 18 Gary Hansen 10. 03 Cole Oreta 11. 8 David Soares 12. 27 Jeremy Davis 13. 14 Paul Mulder 14. 97J Jim Watson 15. 87D Charles Parmley 16. 70L Robbie Loquaci 17. 197 Kyle Camperud 18. 87 Brandon Speck Super Stock Top 5: 1. 15 Larry Damitz 2. 36K Steven Hannah 3. 9 Don Murrieta 4. 37K Donnie Shearer 5. 28 Dennis Rolfe Modified Top 5: 1. 49 Troy Foulger 2. 28 Chester Kniss 3. 76 Syd Finn 4. 19 Royce Mull 5. 15X Russ Sieber |
