Source: Manzanita Speedway Public Relations
Date: 11/15/2007

PHOENIX, Arizona -- The 2007 racing season at Manzanita Speedway will end the way it started back on January 27 when a track full of bombers take the green flag for the U-Pull-It 150 Lap Enduro Saturday night at 7:30. Shawn Kennedy took home the $1000 winner’s check in the season opening enduro and, odds are, there will be another name added to the winner’s list in the season finale.

The 2007 season has in some instances been predictable but in others there were surprises. The first big shocker came in the Copper on Dirt which ran on February 9th and 10th. An unknown, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., a first time visitor to Manzanita, won not only the USAC National Sprint Car race but followed it up with a win in the USAC Silver Crown feature.

At the beginning of the year if someone had predicted that a rookie would emerge as champion in the ultra competitive Barnett Dirt Modifieds he would have been seen as a jokester. However Ricky Thornton, Jr. withstood a full year of challenges and took home the championship trophy. It was only a little less of an upset when third year driver Justin Upton beat two time champion Bobby Taylor for the title.

It was predictable that the team of Jeremy Sherman and his car owner Fred Bryan would add another title in the sprint cars. Less predictable that Jim Massey would put together a car for Charles Davis, Jr. midway through the season and Davis would battle Sherman on even terms and win six feature.

No one would have figured that three local drivers would get wins in the USAC/CRA series but Davis won once at Manzy and once in Tucson while Sherman took a win at Manzy and R.J. Johnson won at Perris Auto Speedway.

Kenny Gill and Don Costa battling for the super stock crown was no surprise nor was it a shocker that Gill picked up a second straight title.

Other champions at Manzy were Kyle Shipley in mini sprints, Chris Snyder in dwarf cars and Nathan High in midgets and Anthony Madrid in the new sport modifieds.

The long season produced 68 different main event winners. Sherman and Madrid tied for the most wins with eight and their were 32 drivers with single wins.

The enduro races are the hardest to chose a favorite as there are usually less than 25 cars still running at the checkered flag. As the saying goes, no experience is necessary. The same will hold true in the season finale.

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