LOVELOCK, NV (July 24) — After being dark for a full year the Lovelock Speedway Silver State Racing had its grand reopening this weekend. It was a Friday-Saturday show and this season the track will have four racing weekends.
During the driver’s meeting the promoter said the track will be smoother when everyone returns for the Frontier Days two-day show. After the heats it was time for the main events.
When the green waved 13 Bookleggers charged into Turn 1. This class is really the new Bomber division and many of the cars have flags or interesting paint jobs.
Up front Ray Blankenship was on point with Mikki Beuchat not far behind. Soon Taggart Garland took over second with Rusty McMillan in third.
There was a caution when one car hit the way and on the restart four cars tangled in Turn 2 with one ending up stalled on the infield.
When the green waved again Blankenship took off with McMillan giving chase. Now Logan Sage was after second place while Garland’s car began to smoke and he soon headed for the pits.
In the final laps McMillan was closing the gap but had to settle for second behind Blankenship while Sage ended up third. During the race Blankenship set the fastest lap at 19.328 seconds and only five cars completed 20 laps.
The Sprint Cars were up next and on the green Josh Bolt briefly led until Jeff Macedo flew past him to take the point. The race did slow for a caution when one car spun in Turn 3.
On the restart Macedo rocketed into the lead where he stayed until taking the checkered flag. Kurt Goddard was second with Josh Bolt third. During the race Macedo set the fastest lap at 16.572 seconds and only the first three completed all 20-laps.
After getting a push to the front straight a very happy Macedo climbed on top of the back of his car and waved the checkered flag.
Then he said, “Thank you everybody that came out and watched. I also want to thank Maury and Carol, my grandparents, as well as sponsors Total Custom Carbs, Shadow Wings and everybody.”
Only three Hobby Stocks were on hand but their 15-lap main was anything but a yawner. On the green Angela Dias took off with Dan Dias right behind her.
Lap after lap she held the bottom line and while he might get beside her or even had a nose out front, she kept the lead. In the end Angela scored the victory. While Dan turned the fastest lap at 19.508 seconds they had the closest finish of the night with her being slightly over 1/100th of a second at the finish.
Five Mini Stocks took the green to start their main. Up front Colton Blankenship, who was celebrating his birthday, led while Ainsleigh Evenson and Kent Knisley were giving chase.
As the race progressed two dropped out but in the end Blankenship scored the victory followed by Evenson, who set the fastest lap at 17.644 seconds, and third place Kent Knisley.
Nine IMCA Modifieds started their 25-lap main but it took three attempts to get the race rolling. Up front Olexiewicz was on point with Wade Lumsden and Cole Jones giving chase.
Back in the pack eighth place Alec Childs set the fastest laop with a timeof 17.945 seconds. In the end Olexiewicz would lap all the way to sixth place.
In the final laps the lead trio would close up but in the end end Olexiewicz crossed the finish line not quite a half second ahead of Lumsden with Jones further back.
Asked about the slightly confused start Olexiewicz said, “I’m probably responsible for two of those. I think I got on the gas a little early and the last time when we got a warning I realized how close together those cones in Turn 4 are. Fortunately the flagger was kind enough to give up a warning and let us redo that.”
Of course without mirrors or radios, except for one that allows the officials to talk to the drivers, lap traffic can be a problem at times.
“Fortunately the guys out here, even on a slick track, were online and easy to read where they were going,” he said. “When you get behind somebody that holds a race line it’s easy to figure out where to get around.”
Then Olexiewica thanked his family for sacrificing time so he can race as well as his son Cole and Ron Brown for the time they’ve given him. He then expressed his appreciation of sponsors Elkhorn Construction, Kline Racing Engines, Auto Pro Collision, Smith Pumps and Zane Devilbiss for his technical help.
• In Friday night’s races rusty McMillan was the Bootlegger winner while Colton Blankenship won in Mini Stocks. In Sprint Cars Bob Cooney won and Olexiewicz started his sweep of the weekend in IMCA Modifieds, a race that went from green to checkered without a caution.
Next up for the track is the two-day Frontier Days races when the town celebrates its founding. Friday’s races begin at 7 p.m. while Saturday’s will start at 5 or 6 p.m.
OTHER RACING NEWS:
• UPDATE: Due to fire fighters staging at the fairgrounds in Quincy the American Valley Spedway has canceled its July 31 race.
• Tuesday, from4 until 8 p.m. the south Steak ‘N Shake has its next cruise in.
• On Wednesday around 5 p.m. is when the Sparks A&W has its cruise in. its located across from Reed High School.
• Teresa’s Garage Radio Show is on the air from 2 until 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. In Northwest Nevada it can be heard over the air at 1060 AM.
There is also a Podcast at amm.streamon.fm or the show can be seen live on Face Book. The show focus on all things automotive
SPONSOR LIST:
• If you enjoyed this article please “like” and share it as widely as possible. Comments are welcome.
Subscribers have articles posted to their inbox as soon as they are up on the site.
We now have eight appreciated sponsors supporting this site. Please patronize them as they support your sport and help nvracingnews continue. And do let them now you heard about them through this site.
• Tread Connection is our newest sponsor and Blake Sobiloff owns the local franchise. The business brings the tire store to the customer so they don’t have to take time off work or even leave home.
Once the tires are ordered Sobiloff picks them up and arrives where the customer’s car is located with a van full of state of the art equipment. The tires can be selected, purchased and paid for on line.
He can also scan tires to see if any alignment is needed. A good service for fleet managers as they can tell when a vehicle might need new tires rather than finding out a bunch need them all at once. There are discounts for First Responders, Veterans, Active Duty Military and members of the National Guard and Reserves.
His primary area is Reno and Sparks. To contact him there is a direct line 775-870-3600, there is a Face Book page or the website at www.treadconnection.com.
• Next sponsor is G.I.S.L. Land Services that, while having a global client base,is focused on the western US. Owner Greg Ekins is a long time off-road motorcycle racer competing with MRANN and in the AMA National Hare and Hound series
Among the services offered are surface and mineral title reviews and cartographic services. The website is, www.gislandservices.com.
• Next sponsor is General Transmission and Power Train Specialists owned by former motorcycle racer Pete Attashian. The shop is located at 2515 Sutro Street in Reno, a few blocks below Hug High School.
The shop services older and new transmissions and now has a section for high performance units as well as for those used in towing. Phone number is, 775-786-5888 and the website is, www.generaltransmissionreno.com.
• Racing photographer Melissa Coker is another sponsor. If you’ve raced at Summit in Elko, Battle Mountain, Lovelock, Rattlesnake Raceway or Diamond Mountain Speedway, she probably has a photo of you on the track.
She’s photographed Duel in the Desert, Northern Nevada Modified Tour, Wild West Tour and the IMCA Super Nationals. Beside photographs she can make hero cards and memory books. To see her work or place an order please check the website at, www.melissasoutonalimb.smugmug.com.
Two of our sponsors are first class motorcycle shops in Reno.
• Our first sponsor is Reno Motorsports (RMS). Not only do they carry about anything a rider might want or need but they have a full service shop.
Their address is 964 Terminal Way, by the intersection with Mill Street. Phone number is 775-322-1499 and website is, www.rms-renomotorsports.com.
• Next shop is Moto-Source located at 3180 Mill Street. Once again they are a full service shop plus the showroom has about anything a rider might want or need.
Phone number is 775-856-3855 and website is, www.moto-source.com.
• Concours Body Shop, located at 250 Telegraph Street in Reno, is another sponsor that does quality collision repair for cars and trucks.
Owner Brian Saul is a car enthusiast himself and is committed to continuing the shop’s reputation of quality work. Phone number is 775-329-4557 and website is, www.concoursbodyshop.net.
• Hungry, want a great place to eat, then try PJ&CO for breakfast, lunch, dinner and it’s also a great place to watch your favorite sports. Wednesday evenings, starting around 5 p.m. is Bike Night, a good time to meet fellow riders and have a great dinner.
Location is 1590 South Wells Avenue, just north of the round about. Phone number is 775-323-6366 and the website is, www.pjandco.net.
Have a business targeted towards motorsports or car enthusiasts? This site is a great way to expose your services to those groups. You can contact us either through the comment section of this site or our Face Book page.
• RESULTS:
Lovelock Speedway Silver State Racing
• Saturday, July 24
BootLeggers:
+ Heat 1: 1. Ray Blankenshiop, 2. Mikki Beuchat, 3. Ryan Parkhurst, 4. Joe Keough, 5. Robert Schostagt III, 6. Emanuel Mello, 7. Robert Schostag Jr.
+ Heat 2: 1. Taggart Garland, 2. Logan Sage,3. Rusty McMillan, 4. Stewart Satathite, 5. Jeremy Lampey, 6. Charles Hooten.
+ Main (20-Laps): 1. Ray Blankenship, 2. Rusty McMillan, 3. Logan Sage, 4. Ryan Parkhurst, 5. Charles Hooten, 6. Robert Schostag III, 7. Emanuel Mello, 8. Joe Keough, 9. Mikki Beuchat, 10. Taggart Garland, 11. Stewart Satathite, 12. Jeremy Lampey, 13. Robert Schostag Jr.
Mini Stock:
+ Heat: 1. Kent Knisley, 2. Colton Blankenship, 3. Ainsleigh Evenson, 4. Joe Cook, 5. Mallory Evenson, 6. Cooper Lee.
+ Main (15-Laps): 1. Colton Blankenship, 2. Ainsleigh Evenson, 3. Kent Knisley, 4. Joe Cook, 5. Mallory Evenson.
DNS: Cooper Lee.
Hobby Stock:
+ Heat: 1. Angela Dias, 2. Dan Dias, 3. Alex Kniestedt.
+ Main (15-Laps): 1. Angela Dias, 2. Dan Dias, 3. Alex Kniestedt.
Sprint Cars:
+ Heat: 1. Jeff Macedo, 2. Kurt Goddard, 3. Josh Bolt, 4. Chevy Brown, 5. Emerald Adair, 6. Justin Bolt, 7. Bob Cooney.
+ Main (20-Laps): 1. Jeff Macedo, 2. Kurt Goddard, 3. Josh Bolt, 4. Emerald Adair, 5. Chevy Brown, 6. Justin Bolt.
DNS: Bob Cooney.
IMCA:
+ Heat 1: Robert Mull, 2. Dale Tatum, 3. Cole Johnes, 4. Michael Anderson, 5. Cody Kalmer.
+Heat 2: 1. Chris Olexiewicz, 2. Wade Lumsden, 3. Alec Childs, 4. Keity Sample, 5. Ty Gamble.
+ Main (25-Laps): 1. Chris Olexiewicz, 2. Wade Lumsden, 3. Cole Jones, 4. Ty Gamble, 5. Kaity Sample, 6. Michael Anderson, 7. Dale Tatum, 8. Alec Childs, 9. Robert Mull.
DNS: Cody Kalmer.
• Friday, July 23:
Bootlegger:
+ Heat Race: 1. Jemmy Berhorst, 2. Rusty McMillan, 3. Ray Blankenship, 4. Robert Schostag Jr., 5. Robert Schostag III, 6. Joe Keough.
+ Main (20-Laps): 1. Rusty McMillan, 2. Ray Blankenship, 3. Robert Schostag Jr., 4. Emanual Mello, 5. Robert Schostag III, 6. Jimmy Berhorst, 7. Joe Keough.
Mini Stocks:
+ Heat Race: 1. Kent Knisley, 2. Colton Blankenship, 3.* Mallory Evenson, 4.* Angelo Rallo, 5.* Joseph Cook, 6.* Ainsleigh Evenson.
*- DNF
+ Main (20-Laps): 1. Colton Blankenship, 2. Kent Knisley, 3. Joe Cook, 4. Ainsleigh Evenson, 5. Mallory Evenson.
DNS: Angelo Rallo.
Sprint Cars:
+ Heat: 1. Bob Cooney, 2. Josh Bolt, 3. Emerald Adair, 4. Chevy Brown.
DNF: Justin Bolt.
+ Main (20-Laps): 1. Bob Cooney, 2. Josh Bolt, 3. Justin Bolt, 4. Chevy Brown.
DNF: Emerald Adair.
IMCA:
+ Heat 1: 1. Kaity Sample, 2. Ty Gamble, 3. Alec Childs, 4. Cody Kalmer.
+ Heat 2: 1. Cole Jones, 2. Chris Olexiewicz, 3. Robert Mull, 4. Wade Lumsden.
+ Main (21-Laps): 1. Chris Olexiewcz, 2. Wade Lumsden, 3. Alec Childs, 4. Kaity Sample, 5. Ty Gamble, 6. Cole Jones, 7. Robert Mull.
DNS: Cody Kalmer.
