Quincy, CA (Aug. 17) – American Valley Speedway hosted its annual Fair Races on Sunday. It’s part of the Plumas County Fair, an event that for some marks the end of summer as school is starting soon.
Chase Nieman takes the checkered flag as he wins the IMCA Modified feature at the Fair Races.
Winning the Fair Races wasn’t easy for Chase Nieman (1) as he had to hold off a determined Jeff Olschowka (121).
Cory Sample (00) and Matt Murphy (6m) had a many lap duel to see who was going to finish third in the modified feature.
Chris Nieman (3) and MitchMachado (81) lead the pack as the 21 modifieds roll off to start their feature race.
After being spun backwards the car of Richard Papenhausen sits backwards on the backstretch.
Mark Skender’s smashed car sits across the backstretch after being unable to miss Paphausen’s car. The incident caused the race to be halted on the first lap.
Jesse Vankol takes the checkered flag as he wins the Hobby Stock feature at the Fair Races.
Nick Vidovich won the Mini Stock main and is taking the checkered flag.
As usual there was a good field of IMCA Modifieds as well as Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. But for a Quincy native, it was his night to shine.
“He (Olschowka) was on the outside of me the whole time,” Chase Nieman said after climbing out of his car. “There’s very little on the bottom of the track and if you get above that grip, you’re done. The car’s the best it has ever handled.”
Then he thanked hid dad, Kevin Moore, Environmental Alternatives and Kunsman Fence, “with out them I wouldn’t have anything.”
After the 21-car field formed up they then did a four-wide salute to the crowd. Once back in their two-wide formation the field roared through Turn 4 and took the green flag.
Then everything came to a sudden halt as there was a crash about a third the way down the backstretch.
Richard Papenhausen, after some bumping and pushing, got turned around and wound up backwards on the outside wall. Behind him Mark Skender was trying to find a clear path and never saw the stricken car until it was too late.
The impact pushed Papenhausen’s car a bit backwards and crushed the right front of Skender’s car that was left sideways on the track. Red flag came out and the field was stopped in Turn 2.
The safety gear these cars have did their job and neither driver was hurt although Skender did take some time before getting out of his. Seems he neglected to use his HANS device so his neck was a bit sore.
After the clean up the field reformed then took the green for the second time. Mitch Machado led the first four laps until Nieman zoomed past him with Jeff Olschowka in hot pursuit.
Machado also brought out the first caution when he had to pit due a flat tire. By now Cory Sample, in his first visit to the track, had moved from 14th to seventh.
Once racing resumed Nieman took off with Olschowka trying to get around him on the outside. While the would be side-by-side sometimes the advantage was on Neiman’s side.
Behind them Sample moved into fourth where he and Matt Murphy engaged in a long duel for third. Finally around lap 17 Sample took that position and started running down the lead duo.
Nieman got into traffic first but was able to clear it before Olschowka could take advantage of the situation. And finally the checkered flew so they finished in that order with Sample a strong third.
After the race the top three drivers pulled onto the front stretch where they congradulated each other on a good race.
Then runner up Olschowka said, “We were trying all we had on top and when it went away I just parked it on the bottom and follow Nieman around. The top went away pretty quick but we had a couple of good runs on him.”
Then he thanked his father Harold for his support was well as sponsors BMS and Robert’s Truck and Tractor.
For his part Sample was somewhat pleased to have finished as high as he did.
“I guess third wasn’t too bad after starting 14th. There’s nothing bad to say about that, especially since it’s our first time here so it was definitely a good finish,” he said.
Then he thanked his father and supporter Alan whose last name he couldn’t spell.
Two other classes supported the main show.
When the Mini Stock man began Colby Russell promptly spun in Turn 3 but kept going. Nick Vidovich took off with Lance Bain in hot pursuit.
Then Russell once again spun followed by Kelsea Wood and she brought out a caution. Now Bain would start right behind Vidovich when racing resumed.
On the green Vidovich took off and soon put a gap between himself and Bain. Behind the leader Larry Whitebird caught Bain and took over second while Wood spun yet again but kept her truck rolling.
Vidovich reached the finish line with a good lead while Whitebird was a distant second ahead of third place Bain.
When the Hobby Stock feature began Jesse Vankol, Dan Dias and Ryan Svensson led the charge. It only took a lap or two for Vankol to leave everyone in his dust and go into cruise control.
During the last half of the race Vankol was catching a pack of slower cars and that allowed Dias to close in a bit. Once Vankol cleared the pack he couldn’t be caught.
In the end Vankol, Dias and Svensson finished in that order and were the only three cars on the lead lap.
The final points race of the season is Saturday, August 23rd with the final race of the season, the annual Timber Cup scheduled for September 20th. As usual 7 p.m. is the start time for racing.
RESULTS
American Valley Speedway – Aug. 17
Plumas County Fair Races
IMCA Modifieds:
Heat Winners – #1 Matt Murphy, #2 Jeff Olschowka, #3 Chris Nieman, #4 Bill Pearson
B Main (7-Laps) – 1. Bobby Higgins, 2. Royce Goetz, 3. Jim Smith
A Main (25-Laps) – 1. Chase Nieman, 2. Jeff Olschowka, 3. Cory Sample, 4. Matt Murphy, 5. Chris Nieman, 6. Riley Simmons, 7. Robert Miller, 8. Will Zinn, 9. Bill Pearson, 10. Erica Buhr, 11. Wade Kennmore, 12. Jim Smith, 13. Mitch Machado, 14. Jim Turner, 15. Craig Nieman
Hobby Stock:
Heat Winners – #1 Jesse Vankol, #2 Dan Dias, #3 Skeeder Bethel
Main (20-Laps) – 1. Jesse Vankol, 2. Dan Dias, 3. Ryan Svensson, 4. Joe Wood, 5. Dana Gordon, 6. Joe Blackwell, 7. Guido Armanino, 8. Brittney Neiman, 9. Dennis Johnson, 10. Don Ramey
Mini Stock:
Heat Winner – Nick Vidovich
Main (15-Laps) – 1. Nick Vidovich, 2. Larry Whitebird, 3. Lance Bain, 4. Kelsea Wood
