FALLON, NV (June 16) – Nice late spring night set the stage for a night of racing at Rattlesnake Raceway. After a good start the IMCA modified was a very different race than was expected.
More like the wheels fell off the wagon actually.
Mellssa Natenstedt celebrates after winning the IMCA feature race.
After the dust settled winner Melissa Natenstedt said, “That was a lot of yellows, two reds and all those yellows. Too many yellows that’s for sure and that’s never good when you’re leading. I’m just glad I’m feeling comfortable in my car again and its been a couple of years since I’ve felt that comfortable.”
Then she thanked Ultimate Air our sponsor, husband Shawn Natenstedt, Dave Sciarroni, who prepares her car and Nate Creiglow.
The first row was Natenstedt on the outside along with Mark Skender on pole. When the green waved Natenstedt took off with Skender Andy Strait and the pack in hot pursuit.
At the start Melissa Natenstedt leads Mark Skender (18) and Andy Strait.
By the third or fourth lap the leaders were passing the slowest cars. Then there was a short caution.
On the restart Natenstedt an Skender had contact that sent him to the pits with a flat tire.
There would be three cautions after that due to spins and one of them when the car of Tim Lamkey stopped in Turn 4. By now it had taken 16 minutes to race seven laps.
After the next restart the card of Dan Pieretti bounced off the front stretch wall after hard contact. The race was stopped as officials and the medic rushed to see if he was all right.
According to a message from his wife he’ll be fine although he suffered a concussion from the impact.
By now the officials decided all restarts would be single file.
Two more cautions followed and another red flag after the car of Wade Lumsden had hard contact with the wall at the entrance to Turn 3. The impact knocked at least one of the concrete blocks off the wall and that had to be repositioned.
Fortunately he was uninjured but very disappointed. The same can’t be said for his car as major repairs are in order.
At this time the race has 14 more laps to go but times was running out. After some discussion the officials decided to end the race.
In the final laps of the IMCA main Dave Sciarroni chases winner Melissa Natenstedt.
In the final laps Natenstedt was chased by Sciaronni and Strait, who at one point was second, but had slipped back to third.
According to the results the race took almost an hour to do 15-laps.
A bad tangle eliminating three cars highlighted the start to the Hobby Stock main. Since the track’s tow truck had not been returned a front loader was assigned the duty and really made shot work of getting the wounded cars to the pits.
Finally the survivors started the race again and up front Ray Davis was on point after a short duel with Jeff Tuttle. By the fifth lap the leaders were passing the slowest cars. One did spin but since it was out of the way there was no caution.
Up front Royce Goetz was challenging Davis for the lead. Behind them David Ausano was making his way to the front.
After a caution Dave Ausano (63) is ready to pounce on leaders Rocky Goetz (39) and Ray Davis.
After a caution and on the restart Ausano used his patented outside move to sweep past the lead duo and take the point. However Goetz wasn’t about to roll over and chased him to the end where they finished in that order with Davis ending up third.
David Ausano scored his fourth Hobby Stock victory of the year and is taking a victory lap.
Later Ausano posted on his Face Book page “Barely missed the 42c and 69 when they went into the wall. Moved up to 6th on the restart then chased Ray and Rocky Goetz for lots of laps. Got lucky, passed for the lead and never looked back, got win #4 for the season.”
The he thanked Tori Edgington, D&L Tile, Parsons Drilling, Landa Muffler, Battle Born Performance and his other sponsors.
When the Gen-X main began there was short side-by-side duel until Ray Blankenship took the point with Will Evenson giving chase. Behind them Rovert Crane moved into third ahead of Jesse Showe and Robert Crane.
For most of the Gen-X feature Ray Blanenship was chased by Will Evenson.
There was a long duel for third until the only caution when a car stopped with broken steering. At that time there was three laps to go.
Ray Blankenship wins the Gen-X feature.
On the restart Blankenship and Evenson took off and finished in that order. Crane wound up third ahead of Kevin Reuter and Travie Showe.
The Mod Minis rounded out the night with Rich Innis scoring the victory ahead of runner up Dennis Crook and his third placed brother Stephen Crook while Jesse James ended up fourth.
Rich Innis, shown here during his heat race, won the Mod Mini main.
Next up for the track will be the traditional 4th of July race that includes Fallon’s fireworks show. It’s always a good time.
OTHER RACING NEWS:
- The Red Army from Nevada Kart Sport competed this weekend in the third round of the KPX series. They were racing at Prairie City over in California.
In Junior 2 LO206 Cain Fredricks and Matthew Fecko were first and third while Bryce Berry wound up fifth in Jr. KA100. Brandon Apodaca was second in Senior Heavy 206 while Jeff Wamre an Brian Baker ended up third and fourth in Masters LO206.
• Once again remember to either listen or stream the Teresa’s Garage Radio Show. Subjects are all things automotive and it runs from 2 until 3 p.m. every Tuesday.
Teresa’s Garage Radio Show poster.
I have a preview part around 2:15 and this week we have a special guest so please give it a listen.
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We now have five very appreciated sponsors that are helping support this site. Please patronize them as they support your sport.
Our newest is Big Valley Honda and is the first dealer we have as a sponsor. They sell everything from motorcycles, UTV’s, ATV’s and about anything else things one could want.
They are located at 2225 Market Street in Reno and their website is www.bigvalleyhonda.com and they have a Face Book page, www.facebook.com/bigvalleyhondareno.
Our first sponsor is a full service motorcycle shop, Reno Motorsports and they too have a full service shop as well as about anything a rider could want.
They are located at 964 Terminal way, by Mill Street and their website is, www.rms-renomotorsports.com.
Sponsor PJ & Co Restaurant and Saloon located at 1590 Wells Avenue in Reno is familiar to most in the riding lifestyle.
Good food, great place and they have Bike Night every Wednesday. For further information please check their website at, www.pjandco.net.
Concours Body Shop, owned by racer and race supporter Gil Grieve, is a business doing quality repair work on cars and trucks.
The business is located at 240 Telegraph Street in Reno and their website is, www.concoursbodyshop.net.
If you are into karting or want the most cost effective way to start racing then check out Nevada Kart Sport, our only full service kart shop in this region.
The shop has moved to 894 Deming Way in Sparks and their website is, www.nevadakartsport.com.
Have a business targeted toward the motorcycle, motorsport or off road demographic? Well we are looking for more sponsors.
You can contact us either through the comment section of the site or our Face Book page.
RESULTS:
Rattlesnake Raceway – June 16
- IMCA Modifieds:
+ Heat Winners:#1 Melissa Natenstedt, #2 Dave Sciarroni.
+ Main (15-Laps): 1. Melissa Natenstedt, 2. Dave Sciaronni, 3. Andy Strait, 4. Jay Badley, 5. Fred White, 6. Anthony Messman, 7. Steve McQueen Jr., 8. Robbie Conley, 9. Mark Skender, 10. Wade Lumsden, 11. Dan Pieretti,12. Tim Lamkey.
• Hobby Stock:
+ Heat Winners: #1 Jeff Tuttle, #2 Ray Davis.
+ Main (25-Laps): 1. David Ausano, 2. Royce Goetz, 3. Ray Davis, 4. Richard Italiano, 5. Randy Boyd, 6. Jeff Tuttle, 7. Chris Lumsden, 8. Mike Dewinters, 9. Rusty McMillian, 10. Mikki Beuchat, 11. Dan Dias, 12. CodMorris.
• Mod Mini/SS4:
+ Heat Winners: #1 Jesse James, #2 Dennis Crook.
+ Main (25-Laps): 1. Rich Innis, 2. Dennis Crook, 3. Stephen Crook, 4. Jesse James, 5. Kevin Reuter, 6. Tyler Cheek, 7. Josh Evans, 8. Tom
