North State Modified Series points leader, #20 Darrin Knight looks for a sweep at Redwood Acres Raceway

By Matthew J. Sullivan

After a long three-week break, racing returns to the 3/8-mile paved oval known as Redwood Acres Raceway this Saturday July 23rd. In addition to the six local divisions, the North State Modified Series will also be in action for Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Eureka Night at the Races.

The championship battle in the California State and Federal Employee’s Credit Union roadrunner class is a two-driver race at this point in the season. Steve Paiment holds the lead by 15 points over Tyler Peach. Patrick Sproul is the highest rookie in the standings in third but is 41 points behind Paiment. Bethany Rapp is fourth in the standings followed by Dominic Vogelsang in fifth.

In the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bombers, it’s a one man show for the division’s track championship. James Moore holds a huge 57 point advantage over second place, Ryan Ahrens. Rookie, John Lally holds down third in points while division dominator, Tyler Avelar is fourth. Another rookie, Kimberly Sorrels rounds out the top five in the division standings.

The Humboldt Hydroponic mini stock division features a tight, three-man race for the track championship. Only 11 points separate the top three drivers of Jarrett Mayo, Gary Klinetobe and Eugene Palmer. Daniel Buell is a mini stock rookie but has done well so far in 2016 and is fourth in the points. Brothers hold down fifth as Brett Murrell and Brian Murrell, Jr. are tied for the position.

The point battle in the Thunder Roadster class is even tighter as division rookie, Ronnie O’Neil leads veteran Tommy Payne by one point. Donnie Brown is third in the standings with Aaron Byers in fourth. Both drivers are still in the fight as they are 19 and 22 points behind the leader but they will need misfortune to strike O’Neil and Payne. Fifth is LeRoy Marsh, Jr. who has returned to the Acres after several years away from the track.

Brent Mack’s once substantial lead in the Legends division is slowly being chipped away by Robert Miller who is only 15 points behind. The daughter and father combination of Anissa Curtice and Brad Curtice are third and fourth in the standings. Young M’Kinzy Uselton holds down fifth in the points.

Despite suffering issues in the most recent event, the Don Graham Memorial Firecracker 100, Mic Moulton still holds the lead in the Mid City Motor World late model standings. Moulton leads Jedd Ambrosini by 14 points. Richard Knight is third in the points and is only four behind Ambrosini. Marty Walsh was unable to even start the last race but is still in the fight and fourth in the standings. Kenny Demello has been steady all season long and is fifth in the points.

The North State Modified Series will return to Redwood Acres Raceway for the second time in 2016. Darrin Knight dominated the first event and is the series points leader by 65 points. Knight has been a dominant force in the NSMS as he has won 3 of the last six series races at the Acres. Even though Knight is running away with the series championship, only six points separate second through fifth in the standings. Bryan Denton and Codi Barba are tied for the second position with 262 points. Darrin Sullivan is fourth while Mike Collins is fifth.

Grandstands open at 5:00 PM this Saturday while racing begins at 6:30 PM. One of the most anticipated events of the year follows on August 6th when the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series returns to the 3/8-mile paved oval for the third time ever. The Bear River Casino & Hotel and Renner Petroleum 125 promises to be intense and action-packed with the top super late model racers on the west coast taking to the Acres pavement. This upcoming weekend’s race will be the last that fans can purchase pre-sale tickets at a discount.

There are only two more chances to see the outlaw karts in action. Saturday July 30th is the second to last event for the karts while Saturday August 27th is the final event of the year. For more information on everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website www.racingtheacres.com

By Dave Grayson

KERN COUNTY RACEWAY PARK. 1/2, 1/4 & 1/8 OVALS. BAKERSFIELD, CA. www.kernraceway.com FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JULY 22ND & 23D.

The KCRWP has been most impressive this year with its combination of strong racing shows and special, fan friendly, promotions. They're going to present another one of those special promotions this Friday and Saturday night they're calling Back To Back Racing: A Dirt - Asphalt Double Header. Purchase a ticket to Friday night's dirt track show and you will receive a free ticket to Saturday night's racing on the asphalt ovals.

Friday night's on track action will be provided by the Total Lubricants A-Mods, the B-Mods, Mod Lites and the Mini Dwarfs. The spectator gates will open at 5 pm with the racing going green at 730 pm.

Saturday night's paved oval action has been dubbed Whelen Engineering Night At The Races. Whelen is the official electronic warning system of NASCAR. However, it's even more well known for being the sponsor of the NASCAR Whelen All American Series, a national championship series held at 55 NASCAR sanctioned short tracks with more than 10,000 drivers participating in the program.

Saturday night's on track action will be highlighted by the NASCAR Late Models who will treat their fans to twin 35 main events. Also on the action agenda will be the NASCAR Super Stocks, the INEX Legends and the Mini Dwarfs. The front gates will open at 5pm with racing at 7pm.

General admission tickets, for both tracks on both nights,are $10. Tickets for seniors, age 65 plus. active duty military personnel and kids, age 6 to 15, are $7 with kids age five and under admitted free. The raceway park also offers a budget friendly family package, priced at $25, that admits two adults and two kids age 6 to 15,

LAKEPORT SPEEDWAY. 1/4 MILE OVAL. LAKEPORT, CA. www.lakeportspeedway.com SATURDAY, JULY 23D.

The Lakeport - Ukiah Speedway Challenge, presented by Furia Motorsports, returns to Lakeport Saturday night with an old school, but very viable, racing line up. Providing the on track action will be the Bomber, Bandolero, Jalopy, Jammer, Legend and Mini Stock divisions. The front gates will open at 330 pm, qualifying starts at 5pm with the racing to follow.

General admission tickets are $12. Tickets for seniors, age 60 plus, and students with valid ID are $9. Kid's tickets, age 5 to 11 and first responders with valid ID are $6 with toddlers and infants admitted free. There's also a budget friendly family pack, priced at $30, which admits two adults and three kids.

TUCSON SPEEDWAY. 3/8 MILE OVAL. TUCSON, AZ. www.tucsonspeedway.com SATURDAY, JULY 23D.

Tucson will be presenting the Killer Bees Twin 20's Saturday night, sponsored by Chuys. The on track excitement will be powered by the Late Model, Pro Stock, Hornet and Mini Stock divisions. Adding to the racing intensity is the fact that the Hornets and Mini Stocks will be racing for double points. The spectator gates will open at 5pm with the racing going green at 7pm.

General admission tickets are $12 and $10 for seniors, age 55 plus, and military personnel. Kid's tickets, age 11 to 16, are $5 with kids 10 and under admitted free. A family package, value priced at $25, is available and admits two adults and two kids.