2011 Local Tracks

  STOCKTON 99 SPEEDWAY
2011 Schedule         Last race: WEEKLY RACE RECAP
 

The New Stockton 99 Speedway Media Release – 6-18-2011           
Media Relations – David Holman                                                                          
All Photos are the property of Jessica McAnelly
Jessie's Fast Photos/ www.jessiesfastphotos.com

The SRL Came To Town and Jacob Gomes Stole the Crown and
Then the WLM Came Along and Nic Belletto Proved Too Strong

On Saturday, June 18^th, the SRL Spears Southwest Tour Series Late Models roared onto the high-banks for their first appearance of the year in the Mid Valley Iron & Metals 150. And, as expected, the high-octane entertainment the Series produced was second to none.  Also on the Ticket for the Evening were the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Western Late Models, Super Stocks, Bombers and the Mini Cups.  For the 4000 fans in the stands, it was easy to decipher whether their collective cups were half-full or half-empty with excitement because the consensus was: like the grandstands for this Event, the excitement level poured out over the brim in a continuous flow.   On this night, Saturday Night Short Track Racing was Alive and Well in Stockton, California.

The Mini Cups were on tap for their fourth appearance of the year to get this event underway.  Division Points Leader from Scotts Valley, Bryce Napier (03) made quick work of the 25-lapper to score his second win on the Season.

With Napier at pole and Lodi's Jackson Ezell (15) close at hand, the green flag fell on a beautiful day for racing.  Napier got a fantastic jump and grabbed the lead immediately where he would ride it out to the checkers for the flag to flag, dominating Victory, his second of the year.  "It was fun to come out here and win my second race this year," said the well-spoken young driver, then added, "This race gave us more points for the Championship, and that's what we're racing for this year."  Once this race strung out, it finished pretty much in the same order it started with Ezell finishing well-back in second.  2010 Champ Cody Johnston (50) of Stockton had his usual solid run in finishing on the podium in third, while Danville's Colin Mullan (27) wrapped up his night in fourth.  The #48 of Discovery Bay's Jared Cronk, suffering mechanical failure at the onset, had to settle, if a top five can be considered having to settle, for fifth.

In the Bombers Main, Mike Massone (007) of Stockton proved, once again, he was one who would have to be reckoned with as he drove to his second win of the year in their 30-lap Main Event.

Massone inherited P1 due to a six invert, while Stockton's Dave "Fluff" Anderson (500) inherited the #007's right-side door panel to get this one up to speed.  The inside line seemed to be the preferred line on this night, car-attitude-wise, anyway, as Massone beat the field down into turn one where he assumed the point early on and held strong, despite some intense nibbling at his back bumper by Tyler Guzman (93x) of Ceres, until lap 21 when the #043 of Stockton's Roy Luft came spinning high off turn two, which brought with it the first yellow of the night.  On the restart, before the field even got back to take the green, Guzman and Bobby Simpson (819t) of Stockton, apparently resumed their rivalry by making contact coming out of four and both cars came spinning down the front-stretch bringing with them the second caution of the race.  On what would be the final restart on lap 21, Massone assumed his position out front where he would not be denied on this night as he rolled beneath the checkers for the wire to wire win, he second on the year.  Points Leader Jeremy Tucker (028) of Stockton, showed his skills in a borrowed car by finishing second, which allowed him to retain the Point's Lead thus far.  Stockton's Guido Bindi, Jr. (816) also showed some skills of his own by finishing on the podium in third.  Bindi usually drives in the Mini Truck Division.  Simpson slipped back, if only slightly, to finish up in fourth with Guzman losing the most ground, but still managing a fifth place finish.

Mike Graham (93) of Hughson just keeps rolling along in the Super Stock Division as he picked up his fourth win of the year by flexing his muscles for the entire 30 laps. 

This one got underway with Robbie Knittel (03) of Lodi and Graham occupying the front row and pacing the field to green.  Graham got to the gas early and grabbed the holeshot off into turn one where he would relish the taste of clean air, pretty much unchallenged, over the next 23 laps until lap 24, when  Lodi's Matt Wendt (1) looped it down low coming off four and came to rest facing traffic in the middle of the front-stretch at which time the flagman had no choice but to throw the yellow high and hard to try to avoid any catastrophic shots, which he managed with grace and skill.  On the ensuing restart, Graham, once again, took up residence on that much-coveted real estate out front and from that point forward, it was his race to win, which is exactly what he did by crossing the stripe ahead of the pack for his fourth win of this young season.  Atwater's Jason Aguirre (45), after some technical difficulties last time out, came on strong at the end, but had to finally settle for second.  Stockton's own Ben Lewis II (22) drove her onto the podium in third with Modesto's Garland Tyler (73) up next in fourth.  Rich Harper (5) of Stockton rounded out the top five.

In the Western Late Model Division, it's been a long time coming, but third generation driver, Nic Belletto (15) of Modesto, finally had that break-through race by winning his first-ever Late Model Main Event.  Not only did the young driver win, but he did it in convincing fashion by taking it to the house, wire to wire.

This one got up to speed with Belletto sitting P1 and Lodi's Michael Wendt (2) flanking him to the right.  Belletto jumped out quick and took the early lead, but not without terrific harassment from the #2 of Wendt.  There was some absolutely great racing throughout the pack as several drivers took their turns to try to unseat the young driver from Modesto.  However, much like a skilled mathematician, he calculated and handled each challenge like a seasoned veteran until there was nothing left for him but to take the checkers, and with fist-pumping excitement he did just that, almost a full second ahead of his nearest competitor.  And, to make the win even more impressive, that nearest competitor happened to be the Legendary Dave Byrd (78) of Seaside.  Sammy Solari (3x) of Oakdale was back in his Late Model for only the third time this year, but no rust was visible when he crossed below the checkers and onto the podium in third.  Nic's uncle and Points Leader, Jeff Belletto (12x), also of Modesto, had another strong finish in fourth with Carlos Vieira (51) of Atwater rounding out the top five.

In the SRL, there is so much talent, anyone can win on any week.  Tonight, that driver would come in the form of Manteca's Jacob Gomes, driving the #16 Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats Chevrolet.  Driving yourself into position to be there for the win is just as important as leading every lap.  And Gomes proved that on this night capturing his second win in as many races.

This one did not go without controversy, wrecks and mayhem, but go it did, for 150 laps.  Mike David of Salida, driving the Heritage Cattle Co., Approved Memory #1 Chevrolet, inherited the pole position due to the seven invert.  Zane Lovelace of Sacramento, in the PDQ Automatic Transmission Parts, Inc. #46 Chevrolet, picked up the pace, high and outside.  With the green flag in the summer breeze, David beat the field down into turn one and came out on the other side with the early lead, only to be slowed on lap 2 when no less than three cars tangled high in turn one, including Series Points Leader M.K. Kanke of Frazier Park, driving the Sims Trucking, RPM-PSI #33 Chevrolet, which brought out an immediate yellow, the first of the race.  Unfortunately, Jared Vorse of Olympia, WA, driving the #20 Knight Fire Protection, Thurston County Transmission Chevrolet, was also collected in the melee, which brought his night to an abrupt end.  On the ensuing lap 5 single-file restart, and ten more thereafter, Lovelace got the great jump out of four and laid claim to that much sought-after real estate out front in the fresh air.  The only serious challenge for the lead in the first 75 laps came on lap 51, when Derek Thorn of Bakersfield drove his Superior Crankshaft, Sigma Engineering Solutions #26 Toyota deep into turn three and nosed by the #46 at the line just as the fourth yellow of the night broke the silence of the night sky.  Unfortunately, and much to his chagrin, after the lap 53 restart, Thorn encountered some mechanical misfortunes, which sent him to the pits on lap 62 and ended any hopes for the #26 to mount another challenge on this night.  At the halfway split, it was Lovelace as it had been since early on.  However, after working his way methodically through the field from P12 on the starting grid, Prunedale's Legendary Jim Pettit II, had driven his Golden Gate Petroleum, Swift Spring, Mo's Gold Ford into contention in second place.  Jacob Gomes was sitting comfortably in third with the #9 3M Automotive Aftermarkets Central California Ford, driven by Madera's Justin Westmoreland, next up in fourth.  Manteca's Ross Strmiska, in the #90 Mid-Valley Iron and Metals, Mainline Equipment Chevrolet, rounded out the top five thus far in the race.  On the second half restart, Lovelace appeared to have the deepest hunger as he controlled the pace of the race by owning that prime piece of real estate up front.  At this point, the wily veteran, Pettit, began to pinch and nibble and bite and claw at the back bumper of the #46, but to no avail.  Lovelace continued to chew away at the asphalt, lap after lap, until he could taste the final 5 laps savoring easy on his palate.  Unfortunately for the young rookie driver, on lap 145, he left a little too much room low between turns one and two and Pettit jumped all over it, but in doing so, he made contact with the leader, which sent Lovelace up the hill in turn two and the #46 was never able to correct the attitude of his race car.  The final yellow flew, which sent both Lovelace and Pettit to take up residence at the tail-end of the longest line.  And, wouldn't you know it, and much to his surprise, Gomes inherited the golden ticket in front of the field and took it on to the checkers for the extremely popular win.  This would be his second win in a row in the Series, which vaulted him to the top tier in the points standings.  Kanke, being the great driver he is, rallied back from his earlier altercation to finish in the not-so-unbelievable runner-up position.  Seaside's Dave Byrd, driving the #42 Whalen's Mobile Parts, LunkerDaddy Fishing Lures Chevrolet, worked his way, meticulously, through the field to finish on the podium in third.  Strmiska, one of the home-track favorites coming into this Event, ran a very solid fourth with the #18 Moeller Bros. Body Shop, HUR Engines Chevrolet, driven by none other than Eric Holmes of Escalon, after some absolutely fantastic battles throughout the 150 laps, rounding out the top five.  After being relegated to the back of the pack, Pettit would finish eighth and Lovelace would finish, the last car on the lead lap, in eleventh.  Including the Competition Yellow on lap 75, this race was marred by thirteen caution periods and a single red flag.  Derek Thorn set fast time in qualifying with a blistering 13.135/68.5mph, just slightly off the Track Record of 13.084 set in 2009 by Mike Mendenhall.  The 150 lap race, the longest ever for this Series at Stockton, took the eventual winner, Jacob Gomes, one hour and twenty-six minutes to put this one in the books.

Next Saturday, June 25^th, the NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series takes a break, but if you’re interest in driving a race car or just going along for a ride, the Drive Tech Racing School will be on hand to grant your wish.  For more information, check them out on their Website or give them a call at: www.drivetech.com - 888-495-RACE.

The New Stockton 99 Speedway is located at 4105 N. Wilson Way, ¼-mile west of Highway 99.  For more information on tickets and times, please contact the Speedway Office at (209)466-9999 or visit their Website at www.stockton99.com. 

The New Stockton 99 Speedway is sponsored by Jackson Rancheria Casino Hotel, California Welding Supply, Budweiser, Alamo Alarm and Stockton Hampton Inn and Suites and Lodi Holiday Express.

RESULTS

Bombers

Super Stocks

Mini Cup

WLM

Attn. Visitors; Rooms available at Stockton 99's New Official Hotel!