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| Press Release |
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Wiesz and Shank rock in MRP Sprint
Cars. |
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(Marysville, CA - June 28, 2009) The MRP Winged Sprint Cars, the Browns
Valley RV Wingless Sprint Cars headlined the 5-division program at Marysville
Raceway Park Saturday night. The “Colfax Comet” Colby Wiesz topped a stellar
MRP Winged Sprint Car field and infrequent visitor Terry Shank beat a full field
of Browns Valley RV Wingless Sprint Cars. 104-degree temperatures battered the
facility all day long. Track personnel were able to keep mother nature in check
as both high and low grooves provided bite for both classes of the mighty
sprinters all night long.
Lady Luck was looking after both sprint car winners as the pill draw placed Wiesz and Santa Rosa’s Shank on the outside pole in both feature races. Both took immediate advantage at the green flag and both drivers went wire to wire in their victory drives. Oregon star Brian Johnson picked up the SUDS 4 trophy from 7th position, Tim Maclaughlin parlayed 3rd row start into victory in the Pro 4 Sprint main. Former Marysville High School coach Neil Stinson made a sweet mid race, 2-car pass to grab the Nor Cal Dwarf Car honors for the 2nd consecutive time. In primary division championship competition, the Brown’s Valley RV Wingless Warrior Sprint Car feature was up first. Shank bolted to the lead he would not relinquish as the green banner flew. Fellow front row starter Tony Richards dropped into 2nd and was under immediate, relentless pressure from youngster Tyler Wolf who, like Shank, stayed on the cushion and powered forward. The race was slowed only twice for incidental spins. The mid pack slugfest continued throughout the event and Wolf finally passed Richards on the high side and got into 2nd. 8th starting Billy Wallace started to turn some of the quickest laps of the race late. Wallace made a daring 2 car pass as he battled his way past Jay Youngman and point leader Cort Dozier to a fine 4th place finish at the end. Dozier wound up in 5th, with Youngman 6th. Richards won his heat and stayed a close 3rd in the feature and picked up some ground on point leader Cort Dozier. After the event promoter Hawes told this observer that he would invite Shank (who races all over the west, with no particular home track) to return on July 11th. If Shank shows, he will pay him an additional $100 if he wins the main event…but he has to elect to start LAST in the feature to secure the bonus. Shank who was in the top 5 in points in the 1995 MRP Winged Sprint Car standings found a home when the sideways style of wingless sprint cars became popular in California. Shank has driven for several different owners and has been one of the most potent, daring and successful drivers in the class. His association with Roger Gleeson’s Joe Hunt Magneto Special this year seems to be a near perfect fit. An Internet hunt of owner Gleeson’s achievements shows that he was the 1983 Sprint Car driving champion at Templeton Christ Church in New Zealand. The transplanted Kiwi is now a resident of Yuba City. When the MRP Winged Sprint Cars feature was presented, Wiesz was gone at the drop of the green flag from veteran starter Robin Davies. Behind Wiesz some of the most frantic winged sprint car racing of the season was going on. Point leader Brent Dothage quickly got to 2nd and Herman Klein fell into 3rd as quick time qualifier Andy Forsberg started a forward march from 8th. Luckless Jeremy Burt was on the button, too, as this youngster was determined to change his long run of bad luck. He started 7th. Forsberg and Burt became the show early on as both 4th row starters picked and clawed their way to the front. Pole sitter Brandon Dozier dropped like a rock in water and faded to 7th after the green flag. Then, he gathered himself up and was brilliant as he diced with all of the top runners and flew forward back as high as 3rd until mechanical woes sidelined the young charger. Speaking of mechanical woes, 2004 MRP Winged Sprint Car champion Mike Monahan was in a rocket fast racecar and in 3rd place closing on Dothage when some ugly sounds, and a lot of liquid came from the beautiful #49. Monahan was on the sidelines once again. Incidental yellow flags kept Wiesz out of lapped traffic for the most part and a scary red flag crash stopped the action near ½ way. Rising star Sean Martin sailed into turn 1 as 3rd place runner Klein spun out of contention at the same time. Martin’s car simply did not slow down on the entry to turn 1. Martin fought for control but slammed right side into the concrete at very high speed. Martin popped out right away and said he didn’t know why it didn’t slow as he entered the turn. An obvious mechanical failure seemed to be confirmed as infield announcer Andy Foster found pieces of a brake rotor near the accident scene. The crash got this observer’s attention, as the white 55 just didn’t slow down for the turn. The car nearly stopped on impact, then lazily flopped over on it’s left side after the vicious hit. Martin continues to be one of the pleasant surprises of the 2009 season. After the red flag Wiesz sailed into the distance as the war behind him was finally settled with Dothage staying 2nd, Forsberg got to a fine 3rd with Burt shadowing him. Cort Dozier collected 5th. Speaking of pleasant surprises, Nicole Miller crossed the line to a fine 6th place finish. Ms. Miller is not only going fast, but her “pitch in and help” attitude in the pits is impressive. This observer noticed Miller working hard, changing wheels and concentrating hard in pre race preparations for Saturday’s race. Local hotshot Garry Burdick had a great night as well. He finished behind Miller, but was fast and competitive all night long. A tip of the straw hat goes to veteran MRP Winged Sprint Car campaigner Troy Degaton. Degaton made his first 2009 appearance Saturday in his fine looking #39. By his own admission, “I could finally afford to put it all together.” As luck would have it, on lap #1 in his 1st heat of his 1st race of the season, Degaton caught a wheel and rode out a wicked barrel roll in turn 4. His brand new car was turned into a ball. Degaton then went to work and spent the next 2 hours wrenching on his wrecked hot rod in 104-degree heat. Amazingly enough, Degaton presented his car for the feature and started last in the 20-car field. Degaton went to the top and whipped past cars with abandon. He got as high as 9th when he spun out near the end while trying to get by Korey Lovell for 8th. Degaton is a relentless hard charger. He restarted and still finished 12th. Richards, in the Browns Valley wingless sprint car main and Dothage’s run in the MRP Winged Sprint Car main got them the Contingency Connection bonus. They are members of the association. The bonus winner can receive up to $1250 in award certificates good for products from Contingency Connection sponsors. In addition to our cash purse prize money, MRP gets contingency vouchers and certificates for our winged and wingless sprint cars. The way it works is that Contingency Connection has signed up over 200 sponsors nationwide who contribute merchandise vouchers each race to the winner. The only catch is that drivers must be sporting the decal of that sponsor to earn the bonus. The vouchers can be saved and traded in for larger ticket items. The bonus is a healthy addition to the weekly $1000 cash prize promoter Hawes already pays to the winner of MRP winged sprint car main events and the $1000 he pays to the Browns Valley wingless sprint car feature winners. You must be a member of the association to be eligible, but you can become a member at any event throughout the year for a nominal fee. Tim Maclaughlin used patience and a late race charge to get another checkered flag in the Pro 4 Sprint Car finale. Attrition played a big role in this event as early race leader Greg Hansen pulled off after keeping Nick McColloch at bay for ½ the race. McColloch also wasn’t around at the finish. A spirited duel with Denmark Juan highlighted Maclaughlin’s run to victory. Juan was 2nd with Garry Eckman 3rd across the line. The SUDS 4 feature was all Bryan Johnson’s after he got by a tenacious, aggressive Misty Castleberry. Out gunned, and out horse powered, Castleberry made the race interesting as she gave Oregon’s Dave Duste and Johnson fits as they tried to get by her into the lead. In the end they got her, but Castleberry was the show in this one and came in 3rd. Stinson used a miscue by leader Ryan Winter in turn 2 that also bottled up 2nd running Pat Weger to win the Nor Cal Dwarf Car closer. Winter was leading handily when, near ½ way, he twisted sideways coming out of 2. Weger blipped the throttle to avoid the errant Winter. Stinson who was turning soap-on-a-rope laps on the high side blasted by them both and was never headed. MRP will be dark on the 4th of July to allow the MRP family some time with loved ones or to race somewhere else. We’ll turn the lights on again on July 11th. The mighty MRP Winged Sprint Cars will be back to headline the program with the Brown’s Valley RV Wingless Sprints. The Pro 4 Sprints will return. The MRP Mini Stocks and the return of the awesome Prime Time Pizza EXTREME BOMBERS will round out the ambitious 5-division card. Yep, the BOMBERS WILL BE BACK! The spectator gates open at 5PM with hot laps at 6 and qualifying at 6:30. The races will start promptly after qualifying. The pit gate opens at 3PM. Note: Please make this observer aware of any names that are misspelled or incorrect. The text is based on information we have at the time of its release. Complete finishes, stats and points become official and available at the close of business on Tuesday and will be posted to the web site. |
