Fernley (March 28) – The speedway here opened its season with an afternoon race this weekend. While some classes were down on cars the IMCA group fielded 22 cars for this heat races and main events.
“The race was great even though the track was dusty. It was a heated battle when I jumped on Cory (Sample) as he was trying different things,” Robert Miller said after winning the IMCA main. “After that I just held the bottom but when I saw Jake’s (Holland) tire I moved up to the middle.”
When the green dropped Cory Sample lead the pack with both Miller and Walter Ball close behind. Three laps into the race and Miller was on point with Sample being chased by Jake Holland, Jeff Olschowka and Malen Gonzalez.
Soon Holland took over second and the chase was on as he tried his best to get around Miller.
Jake Holland (11H) tried about everything to get around the IMCA winner Robert Miller (59). They both helped open the Fernley 95A Speedway’s 2015 season.
The first caution came out on Lap 15 when a car spun in Turn 4. Once the green waved again there was another caution as Mark Skender and Royce Goetz tangled coming out of Turn 4.
About this time Shawn Natenstedt made a quick stop in the pits for a new tire as one of his had gone flat. Then when the field was beginning to make a restart the caution waved when Missy Natenstedt wound up in the back straight wall.
Two more cautions followed with one of them causing a red flag as six cars piled up heading for the green flag. It took a bit to clear the track so the survivors could line up and take the green.
With four to go there was a race stopping pile up as the pack roared out of Turn 4. Fortunately none of the IMCA drivers were injured, only their cars.
With four to go the green waved and Miller took off. Behind him Ryan McDanile grabbed second sending Holland to third followed by Darrel Hughes and Shawn Natenstedt, who came from dead last in just a few laps.
Natenstedt isn’t using a crate motor as many others are but using an open one with the Bob Oliver restrictor plate program.
Later Miller allowed that he appreciated Holland racing him clean and will repay the favor next time they meet. Miller also explained that his brother and sponsor with R&J Landscaping bought a new car for him to race.
“We got a brand new GRT car with the Terry Phillips package so it’s an updated car with an old driver,” he said.
This year there is renewed effort to get more pro stocks racing again although on this day only five showed. When their main began there was contact that ended David Rauscher’s afternoon when his car lost a wheel.
On the second attempt at starting the race Gordon Russell was briefly on pole until Robbie Grace used an inside move on the back straight to grab the lead. Jay “Wingman” Sears was on the move and began to close the gap until he spun later in the race but recovered in time to stay in second.
Once the green waved again Sears only needed three corners to grab the lead and sail off to victory. Behind him Grace got loose and Gary Nevers then took second dropping Grace to third ahead of Russell.
Jay “Wingman” Sears is cheered by his car owner and team after winning the Pro Stock main.
At the trophy presentation Sears said, “In the beginning I held back and gave it a little too much. Then the car came to me when I slowed down so we got it done. Have to thank Travid Petersen, Jason, the crew and our sponsor High Sierra Auto Sales.”
Over the winter 95A Speedway changed the rules for the Hobby Stocks so they are now called Street Stocks. When their first main began David Ausano led the charge with Cody O’Brien and J.T. Stark giving chase.
After a quick caution the chase resumed with Ausano holding off Jake Baker. A couple of laps later there was another caution when a car spun in Turn 4.
Two more cautions slowed the race but at ever restart Ausano held the point and won the race. Dwight Bolton, Rick Miller and Jesse Vankol tool the next three spots.
In the late stages of the initial Street Stock main David Ausano (63) holds off a determined Dwight Bolton (515/0)
“I dropped out of the Modifieds for this class,” Ausano said later. “It’s a brand new car, the race was awesome and the track was good. And I need to thank Edgington Motors as well as Wet,Wild Water Company.”
Bobby Wilson (118) is chased by Rodney Sweet (10) in the early stages of the Dwarf Car main.
The Dwarf Car main was a three-way battle for the lead but in the end Bobby Wilson was in the catbird’s seat as he led all the laps and won the race. Lovelock driver Rodney Sweet did his best but ended up second ahead of Billy Wilson and Roy Peterson.
“This is not my usual car as I lost the drive line in the heat race so this is my backup car,” Wilson said. “And my daughter Elyse is here as she’ll start driving my Outlaw Kart in about two weeks.”
Bobby Wilson had some help driving to the awards ceremony from his 4-year-old daughter Elyse. She’ll start racing an Outlaw Kart in a couple of weeks.
Although only three cars finished, out of the four that started the Super Stock 4 main the leaders put on the race of the day.
The first attempt at a start of their main came to a sudden halt when the car of Dennnis Crook slowed and stopped. Once that was out of the way the race began in earnest when Danielle Paine grabbed the point and Kenny Martin was chasing her.
The race-of-the-day was in the Super Stock 4 main. For all but one of the laps Danielle Paine (9) held off eventual winner Kenny Martin (20).
Lap after lap they tore around the track with Martin inches behind Paine but while he would catch her in the corners she had a better drive off than he did.
Finally Martin moved into the high groove and got in the lead as the duo took the white flag. So it was a Martin, Paine one-two with Aaron McIlvain coming home in third.
Asked about the race Paine said, “I felt him coming but he found the upper line and went by me. I tried to block him but there was nothing to block but it’s OK as I got over being nervous and had a good race.
Then Martin said, “She made me work for it. It was a good race, I tried various line but the top was the only line. And I have to thank Cyril my pit guy.”
Unfortunately only three Pure Stocks were on hand and their main was all Rich Innis. At the green he took off and left the other two in his dust so his winning margin was about a half a lap.
Rich Innis Jr. (29) dives inside of Jim Paulk and takes the lead during the Pure Stock main.
“It was fun, a good race and the car was great,” he said. “Need to thank my crew as they just kill themselves to get the car ready. And appreciate the support from sponsors IBEW Local 401, Affordable Electrical Service, Bayshore Trucks and Ames Machine.”
Now the track is dark until the Saturday after Easter when it will once again have an afternoon program starting at 2 p.m.
OTHER RACING NEWS.
- There was only one Nevada driver racing in NASCAR’s upper tier of divisions this weekend. Kurt Busch started the race at Martinsville 26th and finished 14th on this short, paperclip shaped track.
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RESULTS
Fernley 95A Speedway – March 28
IMCA Modifieds:
+Heat #1 – 1. Cory Sample, 2. Ryan McDaniel, 3. Jake Holland, 4. Jeff Olschowka, 5. Gene Kay, 6. Royce Goetz, 7. James Thobodeaux, 8. Darrell Hughes
+Heat #2 – 1. Robert Miller, 2. Walter Ball, 3. Melissa Natenstedt, 4. Malen Gonzalez, 5. Russell Rosario, 6. Rocky Goetz, 7. Mark Skender
+Heat #3 – 1. Steve Boucher, 2. Shawn Natenstedt, 3. Keith Walsh, 4. Travis White, 5. Carl Barlow, 6. Paris Archie, 7. David Paine
+Main – 1. Robert Miller, 2. Ryan McDaniel, 3. Jake Holland, 4. Darrell Hughes, 5. Shawn Natenstedt, 6. Russell Rosario, 7. Paris Archie, 8. Mark Skender, 9. Travis White, 10. Carl Barlow, 11. Royce Goetz, 12. Rocky Goetz, 13. Jeff Olschowka, 14. Cory Sample, 15. Keith Walsh, 16. David Paine, 17. Melissa Natenstedt, 18. James Thibodeaux, 19. Walter Ball, 20. Malen Gonzalez, 21. Steve Boucher, 22. Gene Kay
Pro Stocks:
+Heat Race – 1. Jay Sears, 2. Gary Nevers, 3. Robby Grace, 4. Gordon Russell, 5. David Rauscher
+ Main – 1. Jay Sears, 2. Gary Nevers, 3. Rob Gace, 4. Gordon Russell, 5. David Rauscher
Street Stocks:
+Heat Race 1 – 1. Jesse Vankol, 2. Jake Baker, 3. J.T. Stark, 4. David Ausano
+Heat Race 2 – 1. Dwight Bolton, 2. Rick Miller, 3. Tom Haxall, 4. Michael Bartlett, 5. Cody O’Brien
+ Main – 1. David Ausano, 2. Dwight Bolton, 3. Rick Miller, 4. Jesse Vankol, 5. Tom Haxall, 6. J.T. Stark, 7. Jake Baker, 8. Michael Bartlett, 9. Cody O’Brien
Dwarf Cars:
+Heat Race – 1 Billy Wilson, 2. Rodney Sweet, 3. Tyler Hornburger, 4. Calvin Ryle, 5. Cameron Knight, 6. Chris Knight, 7. Bobby Wilson
+Main (20-Laps) – 1. Bobby Wilson, 2. Rodney Sweet, 3. Billy Wilson, 4. Roy Peterson, 5. Calvin Ryle, 6. Chris Knight, 7. Cameron Knight, 8. Tyler Hornburger
Super Stock 4:
+Heat Race – 1. Kenny Martin, 2. Danielle Paine, 3. Steve Singley, 4. Steven Crook, 5. Aaron McIlvain
+Main – 1. Kenny Martin, 2. Danielle Paine, 3. Aaron McIlvain
Pure Stocks:
+Heat Race – 1. Rich Innis, 2. Jim Paulk, 3. Trevor Quell
+Main (12-Laps) – 1. Rich Innis, 2. Jim Paulk, 3. Trevor Quell
