Three races come down to the final lap at the Madera Speedway!
Madera, CA — Six drivers emerged victorious Saturday, August 4, 2012, at the Madera Speedway but their competitors certainly didn’t make it easy for them to get those wins on Valley Children’s Kids Night Presented by Super 8 featuring the Southwest Tour Trucks, LunkerDaddy Late Models, Toyota Sedans, Hobby Stocks, MSTs and 4-Bangers.
One driver that kept his cool throughout the entire race was Southwest Tour truck driver Ed Cutler, who won the 75-lap main despite not leading until the final three laps after Tony Curtis was disqualified.
“I was racing by myself,” Cutler said. “The No. 7 (Curtis) wasn’t an issue tonight. Tony’s a class driver, he came out and put on a great show but unfortunately his truck wasn’t within the rules and mine totally is so I knew I had it. I’m beyond words, my crew (Steve Lozano) does everything, he’s my right hand man.”
In the beginning of the eight-truck race, Cutler led for the first 20 laps of the race before being passed by Curtis, who led from Laps 20-73.
On Lap 13, fast time setter (15.635) Jeff Williams was black-flagged due to his car leaking fluids and was sent to the infield for safety precautions.
“It was nothing really,” Williams said. “All it was really is that we filled the fuel cell up too much and a little bit flew out when we hit the corners but it evaporates as soon as it hits the racetrack.”
That put Williams three laps behind the leader before he got back on the track and made a run toward the front. He passed several cars twice to get back into third with just 10 laps left to go in the race.
After Curtis was black-flagged, Cutler was back in the lead on Lap 72 but had Williams right on his tail. Williams almost caught him near the finish line but Cutler had just enough push at the end to hold on for the win.
“If it would’ve been a 76-lap race, we would’ve won it,” Williams said in good sportsmanship. “We caught him big-time in that last lap and just got too tight underneath him right there trying to beat him to the start/finish line. I just needed one more lap and we would’ve had it. It was our win man but if I had to lose to anybody it would be (Cutler), he’s my best friend and I’m okay with that.”
Mike Gilboy took third place while Don Dority, who won the six-lap trophy dash earlier in the day, finished fourth.
Another close battle was in the Toyota Sedans division between Jarred Tickel and Del McIntosh.
Tickel, who had the fastest qualifying time of 17.842 and won the six-lap trophy dash, got a big challenge from McIntosh in the 30-lap main.
It was McIntosh that beat out Tickel by a nose in the previous main on July 28 as the two drivers put on an encore show in this race.
“It was just a great race and we have a lot of respect for each other,” Tickel said after the race in the winner’s circle. “We tried to run tight and got collected up but it was a fun race and made the fans real happy. It was a really good deal.”
From the start, the two drivers were trying to outmuscle each other with McIntosh holding the slight edge through the first 10 laps.
On Lap 10, Tickel tried to make a move on the inside after Turn 4 but his car rubbed into McIntosh’s and turned it sideways as both drivers were sent to the back leaving Kyle Fortney in first place. McIntosh and Tickel passed Tim Curtis and Donnie Large Jr. to get into second and third place respectively.
“I was just thinking, get back up there and go racing,” Tickel said. “Everything just lined out where it should’ve been.”
For five laps, Fortney was the leader with Bud Tickel, who took third overall, trailing behind in second. Just like McIntosh and Jarred Tickel, it was Fortney and Bud Tickel’s cars that got mixed up as both spunout on Lap 16.
“I couldn’t believe that happened,” Tickel said of the caution caused by his dad Bud and Fortney. “I was thinking, what the heck is going on?”
On the restart, McIntosh jumped out to lead with Tickel peaking behind. On lap 20, both McIntosh and Tickel were running side-by-side with neither driver giving up an inch for the next five laps. On Lap 26, Tickel gained the modest edge and it was enough to hold off McIntosh by the narrowest of margins on the final lap.
Tickel won his fourth main of the season a day after turning 26.
“It’s definitely special and it was just a great race to be apart of,” he said.
It was a great two-car between Nastasia Dodd and fast qualifier (19.715) Tyler Johnson.
Dodd won the 12-lap main in a race that wasn’t secure until she crossed the finish line.
Though she led for all 12 laps, she could never lose Johnson in any of them. But whatever maneuver Johnson tried to use to get around her, he was unsuccessful as she countered all of his moves.
On the final lap, the two cars were neck-and-neck but made contact which caused her car to skid against the wall while Johnson’s tire flattened as Dodd won her second main of the season.
Another top notch race was in the LunkerDaddy Late Models division.
Though Tony Schmitz had the fastest qualifying time of 15.615 and won the six-lap trophy dash, the main win wasn’t a piece of cake.
It was Ray Mayer that led for the first 37 laps before Schmitz took the lead.
In the beginning of the race, Mayer and Rusty Robertson were fighting for first place before Robertson’s car struck the wall after Turn 3 on Lap 6. That left Mayer in first all by himself as he was looking for his first main win of the season.
On Lap 36, Schmitz lined up next to Mayer and cut inside of him on the back straightaway to pull ahead and take his fifth main of the season.
While Mayer finished second, Emma Tucker rounded out the top three.
Two drivers that picked up their third straight main wins included MST driver John McCollum Jr. and Ryan Hart of the Hobby Stocks division.
It wasn’t a simple task for McCollum Jr. as his dad, John Sr., made it a tough race to win.
McCollum Sr. led for the first 15 laps of the race before McCollum Jr., who had fastest time and won the six-lap trophy dash, took the lead on Lap 16.
On that lap, McCollum Jr. caught up with his dad and scooted past him with a move to the inside on the back straightaway on his way to the 20-lap victory.
Like McCollum Jr., Hart also made it three in a row. He won the 25-lap Hobby Stocks main.
Hart, who had the fast time of 18.584, and Frank Mazzei, who won the six-lap trophy dash, each passed Shelden Cooper on Lap 6.
After a spinout by Cooper, Mazzei and Hart were lined up together before Hart was able to pull away for the victory.
The Madera Speedway will go dark next week but will return to action Saturday, August 18, 2012 with the local classes competing again including the LunkerDaddy Late Models, Toyota Sedans, Hobby Stocks, MSTs and 4-Bangers.
Results
Main
Southwest Tour Trucks
Ed Cutler
Jeff Williams
Mike Gilboy
Don Dority
Darrin Tappe
George Perret
Dan Coburn
Alan Rizzone
Cecil Phelps
Tony Curtis
LunkerDaddy Late Models — 40 Laps
Tony Schmitz
Emma Tucker
Aaron Mullins
Ray Mayer
Ivan Scozscur
Rusty Robertson
Toyota Sedans — 30 Laps
Jarred Tickel
Del McIntosh
Bud Tickel
Tim Curtis
Candee McIntosh
Kyle Fortney
Donnie Large Jr.
Hobby Stocks — 25 Laps
Ryan Hart
Frank Mazzei
Shelden Copper
MSTs — 20 Laps
John McCollum Jr.
John McCollum Sr.
4-Bangers — 15 Laps
Nastasia Dodd
Tyler Johnson
Trophy Dash — 6 Laps
Southwest Tour Trucks
Don Dority
Mike Gilboy
Dan Coburn
George Perret
Cecil Phelps
LunkerDaddy Late Models
Tony Schmitz
Ray Mayer
Emma Tucker
Rusty Robertson
Aaron Mullins
Ivan Scozcur
Toyota Sedans
Jarred Tickel
Del McIntosh
Bud Tickel
Tim Curtis
Donnie Large Jr.
Kyle Fortney
Hobby Stocks
Frank Mazzei
Ryan Hart
Shelden Cooper
MSTs
John McCollum Jr.
Kevin Thompson
John McCollum Sr.
4-Bangers
Nastasia Dodd
Tyler Johnson
Qualifying — 2 Laps
Southwest Tour Trucks
Jeff Williams 15.635
Ed Cutler 16.297
Alan Rizzone 16.383
Tony Curtis 16.721
Mike Gilboy 16.815
George Perret 17.078
Don Dority 17.180
Dan Coburn 17.234
LunkerDaddy Late Models
Tony Schmitz 15.615
Ray Mayer 15.860
Emma Tucker 16.038
Rusty Robertson 16.110
Aaron Mullins 16.271
Ivan Scozscur 17.492
Toyota Sedans
Jarred Tickel 17.842
Kyle Fortney 18.074
Del McIntosh 18.083
Donnie Large Jr. 18.306
Tim Curtis 18.452
Bud Tickel 18.514
Candee McIntosh 18.546
Hobby Stocks
Ryan Hart 18.584
Frank Mazzei 18.760
Sheldon Cooper 18.867
MST’s
John McCollum Jr. 16.888
Kevin Thompson 17.023
John McCollum Sr. 17.028
4-Bangers
Tyler Johnson 19.715
Nastasia Dodd 19.750
