On Saturday, July 7th, the North State Challenge Series Late Models rolled onto the racing surface for their debut at the Speedway. Also on the schedule for the Event were the Legends of the Pacific, USAC Ford Focus Midget in Twins, Stockton 99 Mini Cups and 199 Lap Enduro (Enduro Series Race #2). If you’ve never seen the NSCS Late Models, then you absolutely chose the wrong night to miss the races. The weather was a bit on the warm side, but, so too was the racing in every Division.
The IEMRS Ford Focus rolled onto the quick racing surface to get this Event up to speed. On this night, once again, racing sensation from West Sacramento, Garrett Peterson (31), would start on pole in Twin #1 by virtue of fast time earlier in the day and take it to the house in dominating fashion. In Twin #2, a full invert would place Peterson shotgun on the field, which didn’t seem to faze the young driver as he made quick work of the pack and found himself sitting at P1 on lap 9 where he would simply walk away from his nearest competitor for the sweep of the Twins. Peterson is undefeated thus far on the year.
In the Mini Cups, Stockton’s own Andrew Vanderpool (1) stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park for his second win of the year.
Third generation driver from Manteca, Seth “IceChip” Holman (75) nabbed pole honors and Sacramento’s Austin Herzog (11) nabbed the lane high and tight to the right. With the green flag wrinkled against the summer breeze, and unfortunately for the front two, Points Leader from Scotts Valley, Bryce Napier (03), performed an astonishingly brilliant move when he dove low and hard into three and came out on the other side with the first-lap lead. Once out in the breathable air, Napier began to pickem up and puttem down, but not without the heavy bites at his rear bumper by Vanderpool. So much so, on lap 10, the #1 car squirted by for the lead. Not to be outdone, Napier would steal it back over the next two laps until lap 13, when Vanderpool decided this would be his night to rejoice, and rejoice he did as he high-stepped it away from the rest of the field, despite a few cautions and restarts, until there was simply and most-assuredly, nothing left to race for but that not-so precious territory behind P1 at the checkers. Napier, on this night, would have to settle(if second-place can ever be consider “settling”)for a second place finish. Fremont’s Cameron Winninger (88), after some hit and misses early on, brought her home on the podium in a strong and impressive third. Holman, after being swept up in someone else’s wake, salvaged a wonderful fourth place run while A. Herzog hung around the top five all race long and finished fifth.
The Legends of the Pacific were in town to do what they do best, and the fans in the stands couldn’t have been happier. On this night, a first-timer all the way from San Diego who came to display his wares, Eric Gunderson (97), did just that by starting mid-pack on a twenty-car field and working his way beneath the checkers for the surprise Victory.
Due to a complete restart, Keith Clement (8) of Stockton’s infamous “Clement Clan” and the #55 of Caity Miller started up front to get this one underway. Unfortunately, for both drivers, going off into turn three on the first lap, Benecia’s Tony Mangini (7) made a beautifully wicked move which sent him low coming off turn four and into the lead. Mangini didn’t get much time to enjoy the fresh air, because soon enough, Eric Gunderson (97) was gnawing and biting at the entire tail-end of the #7 until, on lap 13, Mangini had no choice but to relent to the massive and incessant pressure that was being applied by Gunderson when the #97 used a slower car for a pick and drove it off turn four into the lead. Once out in the rarified air, Gunderson would establish himself as one that would have to be reckoned with as he took it the rest of the way, mostly unencumbered, for his first-ever win in his first-ever outing at the Speedway. Mangini, after leading the first half of the race, settled into second where he rode it out to the finish. Lincoln’s Danny Allen (24), starting very deep on the grid, maneuvered his way through traffic and onto the podium in an impressive third. James Bickford (25B) of Napa, yet another deep starter, ran a wonderful race of his own by finishing fourth, while Legend Super Star from Rocklin, Robby Czub (37), rounded out the top five.
The NSCS Late Models displayed much talent all day long. But when the books closed on their first chapter at the historic Speedway, 15 year old Jeremy Doss (75) of Upper Lake stamped his name deeply into the hot asphalt surface by coming from the back all the way through to the checkers for the extremely popular Victory.
Allen Gibney (44) of Fort Bragg grabbed P1 due to a total invert while John Dalerio (14) of Ukiah flanked him to the right to get this one under green. And, with the green flag flying high about the racing surface, Dalerio got to the gas an eighth-inch sooner than did Gibney which garnered #14 the holeshot and the early lead. Once out on that much-coveted real estate up front, Dalerio appeared sure and steady until lap 9, when Cloverdale’s Todd Land (5) looped it low off turn two, which brought with it the first yellow of the race. On the restart, Dalerio assumed the point, but this time he had major company who came in the form of one Forrest Kuecker (79) of Upper Lake. And, on lap 18, Kuecker showed the superior car as he drove by Dalerio for the lead where, once there, he would enjoy the spotlight at vista point over the next thirty circuits until lap 48, when Cloverdale’s Clay Caturegli (55) came sliding, backwards, out of turn two and the third yellow followed close behind. On the ensuing restart, Kuecker got a sniff at that pristine beauty out front, however brief, because on lap 49, the kid from Upper Lake, Jeremy Doss (75), simply proved too much as he motored off to the lead. With the Racing God of Victory-Without-Question smiling down brightly, Doss began to chew away at the asphalt, in rather large increments, until second place wasn’t even a hint in his rear-view mirror as he slid beneath the checkers to the Promise Land and the winner’s share of the spoils in a battle well-fought. Junior Roddy (41) of Gualala, after starting deep on the grid and enduring four caution periods, pretty mush held steady at second for most of the race, which landed the #41 on the second step of the podium. Kuecker, after showing his strength mid-way through, slipped back ever-so-slightly, but still kept pace as he drove it onto the podium in third. Another young gun from Eureka, 15 ½ year old Brandon White (99X), had a very solid run finishing her up in fourth, while the transient from Boise, ID, Trevor Christiani (90), in a strong run of his own, rounded out the top five.
In the Enduro, as always, it get real crazy, real quick, but that particular scenario certainly doesn’t sway these drivers from their appointed goals. And on this night, Manteca’s Ryan Strmiska (98) would not be denied. At the drop of the green, Strmiska sat P10 on the starting grid, but on lap 6, the #98 slipped into the lead where he would hold serve the remainder of the race and slide beneath the checkers the only car left on the lead lap.
Next Saturday, July 14th, NASCAR Whelen All American Series Western Late Model in Twins, Pure Stocks, Pro-4 Modifieds, Vintage Hard Tops and Basically-4-Cylinders.
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, Budweiser, Alamo Alarm and Stockton Hampton Inn and Suites and Lodi Holiday Express.
RESULTS
IEMRS Ford Focus Main #1
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 31 Garrett Peterson
30 10:54.600 13.513 27 66.603
2 24 Tyler Edwards
30 10:56.563 1.963 13.589 27 66.230
3 42 Ricky Bowers
30 10:58.090 3.490 13.679 28 65.794
4 3 Sheldon Didinger
30 11:00.269 5.669 13.695 29 65.717
5 44 Colin Milroy
30 11:02.423 7.823 13.850 27 64.982
6 7 Shawn Buckley
30 11:04.762 10.162 14.041 13 64.098
7 11 Cole Glasson
30 11:07.602 13.002 14.210 28 63.336
8 9 Molly Helmuth
11 4:28.646 19 Laps 13.708 9 65.655
IEMRS Ford Focus Main #2
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 31 Garrett Peterson
30 8:49.179 13.550 22 66.421
2 9 Molly Helmuth
30 8:53.273 4.094 13.729 27 65.555
3 3 Sheldon Didinger
30 8:53.596 4.417 13.723 17 65.583
4 24 Tyler Edwards
30 8:54.034 4.855 13.691 9 65.737
5 42 Ricky Bowers
30 8:55.575 6.396 13.780 20 65.312
6 44 Colin Milroy
30 9:01.031 11.852 13.848 12 64.991
7 7 Shawn Buckley
30 9:02.271 13.092 13.948 28 64.525
8 11 Cole Glasson
29 8:54.311 1 Lap 14.183 26 63.456
Legends of the Pacific
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 97 Eric Gunderson
35 21:37.094 15.422 29 58.358
2 7 Tony Mangini
35 21:37.607 0.513 15.513 29 58.016
3 24 Danny Allen
35 21:37.700 0.606 15.349 27 58.636
4 25B James Bickford
35 21:38.554 1.460 15.387 34 58.491
5 37 Robby Czub
35 21:40.124 3.030 15.590 33 57.729
6 8 Keith Clement
35 21:40.877 3.783 15.744 7 57.165
7 21 Jessica Walker
35 21:41.220 4.126 15.649 31 57.512
8 7C Cameron Austin
35 21:43.921 6.827 15.770 5 57.070
9 55 Caity Miller
35 21:49.382 12.288 16.007 9 56.225
10 42 Chase Madjik
34 21:42.703 1 Lap 15.901 26 56.600
11 58 Fred Clement
34 21:43.502 0.799 16.023 32 56.169
12 25 Greg Baxter
34 21:43.950 1.247 16.117 31 55.842
13 94 Kevin Cadieux
34 21:44.685 1.982 16.122 31 55.824
14 11 Jim Mronzinski
34 21:47.377 4.674 16.091 34 55.932
15 15 Roger Fletcher
34 21:48.927 6.224 16.406 30 54.858
16 20A Joe Leduc
34 21:49.169 6.466 16.227 6 55.463
17 29 Dan Monier
34 21:49.599 6.896 16.452 9 54.705
18 27 Zack Frazier
29 20:25.034 6 Laps 16.388 26 54.918
19 0 David Winchel
27 15:30.519 8 Laps 15.886 4 56.654
20 19 Brian Malin
20 11:02.120 15 Laps 16.198 5 55.562
21 12 Jim Eby
0 --:--:--.--- --:--:--.--- 0 -
22 70 Bob Kuebler
0 --:--:--.--- --:--:--.--- 0 -
Mini Cups
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 1 Andrew Vanderpool
20 17:16.076 16.468 4 54.651
2 03 Bryce Napier
20 17:18.098 2.022 16.609 6 54.187
3 88 Cameron Winninger
20 17:18.098 2.022 16.705 19 53.876
4 75 Seth Holman
20 17:22.653 6.577 17.260 9 52.144
5 11 Austin Herzog
20 17:25.930 9.854 17.238 8 52.210
6 17 Thomas Suareaz
20 17:29.743 13.667 17.646 11 51.003
7 7 Gabriel Herzog
16 16:22.511 4 Laps 17.095 4 52.647
8 27 Colin Mullan
1 21.018 19 Laps 19.837 1 45.370
NSCS Late Models
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 75 Jeremy Doss
75 34:49.042 14.054 33 64.039
2 41 Junior Roddy
75 34:52.827 3.785 14.178 15 63.479
3 79 Forrest Kuecker
75 34:53.523 4.481 14.170 17 63.514
4 99x Brandon White
75 34:53.916 4.874 14.165 30 63.537
5 90 Trevor Cristiani
75 34:57.617 8.575 14.326 40 62.823
6 6 Keith Nelson
75 34:58.736 9.694 14.224 27 63.273
7 55 Clay Caturegli
75 35:01.087 12.045 14.378 31 62.596
8 99 Tony Ramazzotti
75 35:02.008 12.966 14.404 16 62.483
9 44 Allen Gibney
55 30:28.259 20 Laps 14.306 7 62.911
10 41B Jeremy Donahoo
51 24:13.715 24 Laps 14.239 9 63.207
11 5 Todd Land
46 23:32.249 29 Laps 14.705 9 61.204
12 14 John Dalerio
28 15:39.176 47 Laps 14.262 4 63.105
Enduro
Pos No. Name Laps Total time Diff Best time In lap Best speed
1 98 Ryan Strmiska
150 49:40.336 18.759 34 47.977
2 01 Brandon Erickson
149 49:47.636 1 Lap 19.254 119 46.744
3 27 Robert Slagle
148 49:57.568 2 Laps 19.363 59 46.480
4 2 David Pabst
146 49:56.742 4 Laps 19.469 6 46.227
5 80D David Etheridge
143 49:54.891 7 Laps 19.841 65 45.361
6 007 Jason Allen
140 49:53.357 10 Laps 20.400 130 44.118
7 66 Mike Robinson
139 49:51.700 11 Laps 20.227 56 44.495
8 23 Russell Johnson
138 49:52.982 12 Laps 20.779 27 43.313
9 12R Ken Radabaugh
130 49:56.182 20 Laps 20.702 14 43.474
10 62 Jose Hernandez
124 49:55.494 26 Laps 21.318 49 42.218
11 44 Rich Bentz Rob Arndt
100 35:15.471 50 Laps 19.278 20 46.685
12 24x Adam Baggett
72 24:35.056 78 Laps 19.673 13 45.748
13 37 Tony Mentzer
64 24:21.108 86 Laps 20.578 3 43.736
14 99 Kathy Reyes
23 24:39.236 127 Laps 21.091 19 42.673
