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Marysville CA. “The Colfax Comet”, Colby Wiesz
dominated the winged Pacific Sprint Car portion of the 1st Open Wheel Open at
Paul and Kathy Hawes Marysville Raceway Park Saturday night. Maryville’s
Jeremy Hawes took a close victory from a persistent Mark Hill in the Wingless
Warrior Sprint car class. “Spanky” Grenert beat “Hollywood” Kevin Bender
by a paper width in the Nor Cal rumble, and Tim McLaughlin beat Tony Gaoiran in
a surprising S-100 feature.
Wiesz used a slick inside pass of off turn four to bolt into the lead in the
Pacific Sprint Car feature. The three-time MRP Champ waited for early leader
Cortney Dozier to bobble and it didn’t take long. Courtney Dozier took the
lead at the start, but slid a little high off of four on lap one and the
“Comet” flashed by. He was never headed.
The race behind Wiesz was a taught thriller as the five cars following Wiesz
slugged it out on the fast changing surface. 2004 Champion, Mike Monahan,
two-time champ Mike Wasina Jr., Brandon Dozier, Cortney Dozier and a fast Jeremy
Phillips had a war going on behind the fleet Wiesz. Positions two through five
changed almost at will as the powerful winged machines battled relentlessly.
A pair of yellow flags in the late going bunched the field and a
green-white-checkered scenario would conclude this entertaining motorized bout.
As starter Robin Davies waved the green banner with two to go, 2005 Rookie of
the Year Brandon Dozier and Monahan banged wheels in one. Brandon Dozier took
advantage and secured third behind Cortney Dozier. Phillips went to fourth with
Monahan breathing down his neck after recovering.
The white banner flew with Brandon Dozier just inches behind uncle Cortney for
second. Brandon got a great run off of two and it was side by side into three.
As Wiesz took the checkered, the dueling Doziers touched wheels in four and
Brandon was launched high in the air. The long lazy flight ended with Brandon
stopped near the wall in four, but he had saved it from going over. The scoring
sheets showed that Courtney wobbled across the finish line in sixth after the
incident. The big winner in the last 100 yards of the race was Marysville’s
Jeremy Phillips as he streaked by the crashing Doziers to pick up the runner up
share of the purse. Monahan powered into third at the flag with Grass Valley's
Jeremy Burt fourth and Marysville's Derek Dozier in fifth.
The box score on Hawes’ win in the companion Wingless Warrior feature event
would lead one to believe that this event was a runaway. It was far from it!
Yuba City’s Mark Hill was back in the saddle again and it’s as if he got
better with his nearly yearlong lay off. Hawes was quick off the mark from his
front row start and beat Hill into the first turn. Many of the railbirds thought
it was over from there but to his credit, Hill never gave up. He hounded the
Flyin’ Ford lap after lap. In all of the stages of this event, Hawes was as
good at protecting his position as he was in securing it. Hill was equally able
to challenge.
A couple of minor incidents slowed the pace, and it was during these periods
that Hill allowed some space between them…and only then. At each new green
Hill pulled up and was camped on Hawes’ tail. The pressure was intense, and
the crowd loved it. On three occasions Hawes’ car hit ruts in turn four that
straightened him up, but Hill could not quite get the advantage as Hawes was
quick to recover and close the door as quickly as it opened. The thriller ended
just that way with the Hawes’ 01 pulling Hill’s white 8 across the line,
just a foot or two apart. The dry-slick track conditions worked in Hawes’
favor as he noted after the event that if the tables had been turned, and Hill
had beat him into turn one, he doubted if he could have passed Hill. This may
well be the two drivers who will contest for the championship beginning on April
7th.
MRP will be dark next week in preparations for the beginning of the point season
for the two sprint car classes. Saturday April 7th will bring a return of the
mighty Wingless Warriors and the winged, injected Pacific Sprint Cars. Both
divisions will begin the local point season. Marysville Raceway Park remains the
only professional sporting event in the Yuba Sutter area. This year over
$250,000.00 in prize money will be up for grabs.
Pull the belts tight…it will be wild ride in 2007. Rivalries will be renewed
and new ones will emerge as Marysville Raceway Park begins its 39th consecutive
season of operation. For the 9th consecutive season this observer will be here
to cover it and comment on it. The Simpson Lane facility is California’s
oldest continually operated, privately owned racing facility. Promoter Paul
Hawes intends to establish an MRP Hall of Fame trophy and photo gallery on the
grounds. This observer will write more on that enterprise in articles to come.
But, having watched racing at MRP over the last sixteen years, this observer
tips his hat to the Hawes group for making an effort in this direction.
Friday night April 6th, the Outlaw Karts will bring out their own brand of open
wheel excitement to the new 1/8 mile raceway carved into the infield. Five
divisions of Karts are expected to contest the event with a large number of
local drivers involved. If you’ve never seen a winged outlaw Kart race, you
owe it to yourself to check it out.
In Saturday’s Nor Cal competition, Mike “Spanky” Grenert used a banzai
transition pass from the top of three to the bottom of four to take the second
closest feature race ever seen at MRP. The Grenert victory was only .067 seconds
(measured digitally on video tape). Only Jeremy Hawes’ victory last year over
Tony Richards in the final Wingless Warrior event of the season was closer
(.021).
The race looked to be “Hollywood” Kevin Bender’s personal showcase as the
event neared it’s conclusion. Bender had pulled to seemingly secure leads at
will. A yellow flag at three quarters distance closed the field, and Grenert got
up on the wheel. Grenert shot into second and shadowed Bender across the line at
the white flag. As the pair entered turn three on the final circuit Grenert just
threw the red #12 sideways and headed for the cushion. It was either going to
hook up or send Grenert into the adjacent miniature golf course. It hooked up.
Grenert came through three like a rocket and he cut a diamond off of four. The
drag race was on and Grenert won by the slimmest of margins with the fans on
their feet!
Grenert was all smiles afterward, “Wow, how ‘bout that.’ is all he said
and wandered back into the group of well wishers.
Local driver Neil Stinson of Marysville had an interesting night. He wound up
third after a trip to the rear in the early going. Stinson was one to watch as
he used the entire race distance to get back to the show spot .
In Saturday’s SORA Sprint 100 feature Tim McLaughlin of Colusa made the pass
of his career on perennial favorite Tony Gaioran, thus winning the caution
plagued, shortened event. The “G” man had an unusual front row start for the
feature and, I guess you could say we all expected a ho-hummer at best. Enter
“Terrible Tim”. He came from the absolute back row to the front in THREE
laps. At mid-way he rocketed by the early leader Gaioran and the “G” man
couldn’t do a thing about it.
It was a great victory for someone who spent way too much time peeling his #99
off of the MRP walls last season.
The SORA Sprint 100s and the ever-popular Nor Cal dwarf Cars will round out the
April 7 4-division open wheel extravaganza.
Make our website one of your “favorites” on you computer.
Watch this site for press releases and updates.
Pit gates always open at 3PM. Pit meeting and pill draw are at 5PM. Spectator
Gates Open at 5PM with racing getting underway at 7PM. Contact the promoters at
1.530.743.1327 or email as indicated on the home page at
marysvilleracewaypark.com.
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