InsideGroove - Race Report

STAHL, THORN AND ROBINETT OPEN SHASTA WITH FEATURE WINS

Anderson, CA -- Following a six week delay to completely redesign the now 3/8 mile paved oval, Shasta Raceway Park opened it's 2004 season under the management of George Wade and a turnaway crowd watched veteran car builder Dana Stahl pace the final 24 laps as he won the 30 lap super late model feature on Saturday night. The track was expanded in length, the banking on the turn 3-4 end changed and a crashwall installed. A four car crash among the race leaders advanced fast timer Stahl into the lead on lap 7 and he paced the remainder of the race to win ahead of Sacramento's Mike Lehman and late model graduate Richie Crowell. In the 40 lap feature for the Auto City Modifieds, a tangle between leaders Eddie Laws and Edgar Schanuth gained 18 year old Derek Thorn the top spot on lap 6 and the Lakeport based driver won the 40 lap main event ahead of fast timer Guy Young and defending track champion Charlie Kramm. The Coors Light Late Model feature saw Rusty Robinett on the pole with a four car inversion and he stayed out front for all 40 laps to win ahead of John Pedersen and fast timer Gary Pyszora. The track is racing under NASCAR sanction for the first time in several years with former Canadian Wade running the show.

Stahl was the quickest of the 9 super late models with his 15.57 qualifying run. Kyle Cattanach won the dash ahead of R Crowell, Bill Ward and Mike Simpson. The lineup for the 30 lap feature was a complete inversion off the time trial results putting James Carpenter and Sal Lopez on the front row. Simpson elected to drop to the rear and Lopez took a quick lead over R Crowell and Ward. Cattanach settled into fourth and Roger Gannon passed Stahl for fifth on lap 4. On lap 6, Lopez, Ward, Cattanach and Gannon crashed and new leader R Crowell pitted. Only five cars were left in action and Stahl led the restart over Simpson, Lehman, Carpenter and R Crowell. Second place Simpson had problems for a lap 24 yellow flag and Stahl won with Lehman the only other lead lap car. J Crowell was scored in third ahead of Carpenter.

Young paced the 13 modifieds in time trials with his 16.60 clocking. Kramm took dash honors ahead of Laws and Young. Laws won the fast heat with Schanuth in second ahead of Thorn. Ron Copeland beat Wes Taylor and ageless Jack Epperson in the slow heat. The field was half inverted for the 40 lap feature, putting Laws and Kramm on the front row ahead of Schanuth, Kelly Peacock, Thorn and Young. Laws led the first five laps before he and second place Schanuth tangled. When action resumed, Thorn was the new leader ahead of Kramm and Peacock. Young settled into fourth ahead of Epperson and Ralph Borden. Young advanced to third on lap 18. Raymond Dorman brought out a lap 28 yellow flag and the three spin rule eliminated him on lap 32. Peacock lost fourth with a lap 33 spin. Thorn stayed out front for the win and Young raced around Kramm on the final lap to take second place. Epperson ran fourth ahead of Borden, Wes Taylor, Schanuth and Copeland.

Veteran Gary Pyszora was the quickest of the 12 NASCAR late models with his 17.40 clocking. Jerry Nichols beat John Pedersen in the dash and Pedersen was the fast heat winner ahead of Robinett and G Pyszora. Kirk Sealander won the slow heat ahead of Lyle Lindsey and Jeff Rushing. With Alan Pyszora going to the rear, the front of the feature grid found Robinett and Tom Ames in row 1 ahead of Pedersen and G Pyszora in row 2. Robinett raced into the lead over Pedersen, G Pyszora and Ames. Lindsey settled into fifth ahead of Sealander. Those six ran in order for the entire 40 lap distance that was slowed just twice by yellow flags. Robinett won with Pedersen second ahead of G Pyszora, Ames, Lindsey and Sealander. Jerry Nichols was 7th ahead of former dirt tracker Richard Workman, Jeff Rushing and Lee Crowell.

Summary Late Model Fast Time-Gary Pyszora 17.40 Dash-Jerry Nichols, John Pederson, G Pyszora. Heat 1-Kirk Sealander, Lyle Lindsey, Jeff Rushing, Penny Ayers, Richard Workman. Heat 2-Pederson, Rusty Robinett, G Pyszora, Tom Ames, Nichols. Main-Robinett, Pedersen, Pyszora, Ames, Lindsey, Sealander, Nichols, Workman, Rushing, Lee Crowell, Ayers, Alan Pyszora. Modified Fast Time-Guy Young 16.60 Dash-Charlie Kramm, Eddie Laws, Young. Heat 1-Ron Copeland, Wes Taylor, Jack Epperson, Ralph Borden, Tim Heisler. Heat 2-Lawes, Edgar Schanuth, Derek Thorn, Kramm, Kelly Peacock. Main-Thorn, Young, Kramm, Epperson, Borden, Taylor, Schanuth, Copeland, Stan Gunderson, Peacock, Heisler, Raymond Dorman, Laws. Super Late Model Fast Time-Dana Stahl 15.57 Dash-Kyle Cattanach, Richie Crowell, Bill Ward. Main-Stahl, Mike Lehman, Crowell, James Carpenter, Mike Simpson, Sal Lopez, Ward, Cattanach, Roger Gannon.

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