FERNLEY (July 18/19) – For the first time Fernley 95A Speedway hosted a Western States Dwarf Car Association National event which was both a celebration of speed and a way of honoring two drivers.
Joe Frock celebrates after winning the final at this past week’s Western States Dwarf Car regional at Fernley 95A Speedway.
Frock’s win wasn’t easy as he was tailed and challenged by Matt Sargent (25).
The Dwarf Car field sits on the front straight before Saturday’s final race at Fernley 95A Speedway.
Josh Miller (12N) is collected by Michael Grenert, who got his car sideways at the exit of Turn 4.
During the parade laps before Saturday’s final dwarf car race the field was paced by a Monster Truck
Saturday’s surprise winner of the A main was Cameron Diatte shown here celebrating with a victory lap.
Trying to get Friday’s B main was a challenge due to several wrecks before the field had even finished one lap. Here Glen Sciarani’s
(foreground) is check while Gene Winter’s car had a wheel torn off in the melee that claimed at least four cars.
The celebration was two nights of speed as these little cars ripped around the oval. But the race, the first annual Dave Richardson and Leroy Kay Memorial also honored two popular drivers lost last year during a dwarf car race.
The event wound up with a final race won by local driver Joe Frock, a close friend to both Richardson and Key, in fact he dedicated the victory to them.
“This is definitely for Dave and Leroy, two close friends of the whole dwarf car community and personally I was really close with them. It meant a lot to win the first memorial race in their honor,” Joe Frock said after winning Saturday’s A main.
Friday started with qualifying and Matt Sargent threw the gauntlet down as he posted the only sub-19 second run with a time of 18.771 seconds.
After four heats it was tine for the B Main. A race turned out to be a carnage derby.
A spin after the green waved made a restart necessary. On the second green Ryan Winter briefly led but the field never made a complete lap.
Tearing through Turn 4 one car spun then collected another and the mayhem began. It all ended after Roy Peterson’s car was hit and rolled.
Due to the cars needing to be towed to the pits both trucks were very busy and the mess took a long time to clean up. As a result the official cut the race from 20- to 15 laps. By then it was 21 minutes since the first green and the field had yet to complete a single racing lap.
Attrition finally whittled the field down to the eight that would transfer so the officials flagged the race after only nine laps.
Friday’s A main was important as the top 10 were guaranteed a spot in Saturday’s A main and wouldn’t need to run in the next day’s heats.
When the green waved Reese Wilson briefly led until Matt Sargent took the point. A couple of cautions would slow the field but at each restart Sargent showed everyone on his heels.
Behind him Cameron Diatte had been working his way to the front as had Joe Fock. A caution, with two to go, proved the turning point in the event.
When the green waved again Diatte took off from his outside position while Sargent was slowed after getting a bumper hooked with another car. Diatte scored the victory followed by Sargent and Frock.
“Oh man that was really exciting and for a while I really didn’t think we had anything to win. But we had a few good restarts, got around cars and on that last restart I just went balls out and it stuck,” Diatte said later. “On that last restart I think I just had better drive getting into the corner and my momentum carried me out so I’m very happy with the way the car preformed.”
Then he thanked his father Troy and mother, Nature’s Bakery, B&B Chassis, Samuel Marson, his brother at DRI for building the car and his hometown sponsor North County Plastering.
Asked what happened, since it appeared the race was his, Sargent said, “A few guys behind me got anxious and we hooked bumpers on the restart. We were the only car in the 18-second range, won our heat so we had a good night going but I mean second is still good. I have to thank Todd Damron for building the car and letting me drive it as it’s usually his son’s but he’s off so school so I kind took over for the year.”
On Saturday, after the heat races, the Fast Dash drivers took to the track. Once again it appeared Sargent would be in the catbird’s seat as he scored the victory followed by Frock and Fred Hay.
That race set the starting order for the fastest cars. Then it was time for the B main where 14 would transfer into the final where the championship was decided.
On the green Reese Wilson took off with Derek Rosse and Ryan Winter giving chase. Two cautions slowed the race and allowed the cars to bunch up.
Wilson was the class of the field as he roared off to claim the victory followed by Winter, Darren Brent, Terry Rothenburg and Derek Rosse following
Finally the field assembled on the front straight, were introduced and got ready for their feature race. This time they had a special pace car, a Monster Truck!
On the green Frock pounced and used his outside pole position to take off with Sargent in hot pursuit. Five laps later the first of several cautions came when a car wound up sideways in Turn 2.
One more caution followed then the field got ready for a restart. This time Sargent tried an inside move in Turn 1 but Frock was able to hold him off.
The next caution came four laps later with another coming five laps after that. Despite their best efforts neither Sargent nor Shawn Jones could catch the Frock.
Toward the end the race was stopped as the safety crew raced to check on a driver that bounced off the wall then came to a stop at the top of Turn 1. Fortunately he was uninjured but the same can’t be said for his car.
When the field was turned loose there was only three to go and once again Frock left everyone in his dust. By now Kevin Bender had taken third dropping Jones to fourth.
Further down the pack former local driver Derek Rosse, who now lives in Las Vegas, had managed to charge from his 16th starting position to end up seventh. Fellow local driver, Billie Canham also had a good race coming from the back row to end up 12th.
After a victory lap, doing donuts on the front straight Frock was greeted by cheering drivers as he returned to his trailer.
“It was a good race, we got a good start, was kind of on cruise control and saved dthe car as I was just waiting for anyone to come and challenge,” he said. “The track was real nice and they did a good job prepping it.”
Then he thanked supporters and sponsors Todd Damron, Hot Rod Shop Las Vegas, Darrick Rosse, Wild Island, Nature’s Bakery, Axcel Sports and DRI.
For Sargent, after his second place finish in as many days, he said, “I think we had something for Frock but it’s hard to pass and the track’s fast. It took rubber so it’s almost like pavement racing. The race was decided on the start.”
Rounding out Saturday’s show were some Hobby Stocks and their feature had an exciting start. Racing down the backstretch the winds picked and blew a huge dust cloud across the track blinding the drivers.
As a result they all slowed down including Randy Boyd, whose car bounced off the backstretch wall. After that the officials had the cars park on the front straight while the water trucks made quick work of the offending loose dirt.
Dwight Bolton led from start to finish as he won the event followed by Brian Moore, Rick Miller and Boyd.
RESULTS
Western States Dwarf Association National
Fernley 95A Speedway
• Saturday, July 19
Heat Winners – #1 Bobby Wilson, #2 Reese Wilson, #3 Dan Zuge
B Main (20-Laps) – 1. Reese Wilson, 2. Ryan Winter, 3. Darren Brent, 4. Terry Rothenburg, 5. Darrick Rosse, 6. Rodney Sweet, 7. Doug Martin, 8. Punky Pires, 9. Michael Pecoff, 10. Dan Zuge, 11. Justin Ynez, 12. Josh Miller, 13. Billie Canham, 14. Gene Winters
Fast Dash (10-Laps) – 1. Matt Sargent, 2. Joe Frock, 3. Fred Hay, 4. Cameron Diatte, 5. Shawn Jones, 6. Daniel Wagner, 7. Kevin Bender, 8. David Taft, 9. Michael Grenert, 10. Robert Brown
A Main (30-Laps) – 1. Joe Frock, 2. Matt Sargent, 3. Kevin Bender, 4. Shawn Jones, 5. Michael Grenert, 6. Cameron Diatte, 7. Derek Rosse, 8. Ryan Winter, 9. Terry Rothenburg, 10. Daniel Wagner, 11. David Taft, 12. Billie Canham, 13. Rodney Sweet, 14. Punky Pires, 15. Josh Miller, 16.Robert Brown, 17. Justin Ynez, 18. Doug Martin, 19. Darren Brent, 20. Michael Pecoff, 21. Reese Wilson, 22. Fred Hay, 23. Gene Winters, 24. Dan Zuger
Hobby Stocks:
Heat Winner – Rick Miller
Main (10-Laps) – 1. Dwight Bolton, 2. Brian Moore, 3. Rick Miller, 4. Randy Boyd
• Friday, July 18
Pole Position – Matt Sargent, Lap Time, 18.771
Heat Winners – #1 Matt Sargent, #2 Reese Wilson, #3 Cameron Diatte, #4 Shawn Jones
B Main (20-Laps*) – 1. Ryan Winter, 2. Michael Pecoff, 3. , 4. Punky Pires, 5. Calvin Ryle, 6. Jeff Fitch, 7. Josh Miller, 8. Cameron Knight
A Main ( 30-Laps) – 1. Cameron Diatte, 2. Matt Sargent, 3. Joe Frock. 4. Robert Brown, 5. Shawn Jones, 6. Michael Grenert, 7. Fred Hay, 8. David Taft, 9. Kevin Bender, 10 Daniel Wagner, 11. Reese Wilson, 12. Rodney Sweet, 13. Darren Brent, 14. Ryan Winter, 15. Bobby Wilson, 16. Terry Rothenburg, 17. Justin Ynez, 18. Calvin Ryle, 19. Michael Pecoff, 20. Cameron Knight, 21. Jeff Fitch, 22. Derek Rosse, 23. Josh Miller, 24. Punky Pires
* – Race cut to 9-laps due to so many cautions and wrecks
