|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“Flyin’” Brian soars to Nationals title.
McDaniel and Gillaspie take fendered mains.
134 cars and packed house see 13th edition.
Wingless Nationals this weekend.
By
Bob
Burbach
|
Marysville CA - September
27,
2008 ---
The 13th WSDCA West Coast Dwarf Car Nationals was the luckiest one of all for former Nor Cal champion “Flyin’ Brian Quilty. Quilty bested a field of 24 in the A main “National” coming from 12th and grinding his way to the front in a stellar drive. Paul and Kathy Hawes hosted the nation’s premier dwarf car event in front of a full grandstand and offered an amazing 134 entrants for the weekend. Quilty went to the top of the charts in a race that, after “Big Dog” qualifying on Thursday, 20 heat races, 3 Fast Dashes and 10 main events finally seeded the National field. Gary Ebeling of Monrovia CA (near L.A.) won the Veteran main event and Eric Alton of Simi Valley (also near L.A.) ventured north to take the Sportsman portion of the show. Marysville’s Ryan McDaniel grabbed the MRP Street Stock point finale at the flag on Friday and Olivehurst’s James Gillaspie picked up the trophy in the MRP Mini Stock point finale Saturday.
The National featured drivers from 9 states and from as far away as Wyoming. Vernal, Utah’s Monte Morris jumped to an early, convincing lead from his second row, outside, starting position. Marysville’s Jeremy Blackshere was the pole sitter and fell to 3rd in the early laps as Minden, Nevada’s Reece Wilson led the opening round. Morris whipped on by Wilson at the starting line on lap two and set sail. Quilty and two-time Nationals Pro champion Ryan Cottrell of Las Vegas started to move right away. Cottrell, who started next to Quilty in row 6, went to the high side and Quilty went wherever he needed to stay with Cottrell. Grass Valley’s Pat Weger was among the pre-race favorites and he too, went to the top and forward. On lap 3 it all went south for Weger, though, as he tried a high side move on Blackshere for third. Cotrell moved inside Blackshere at exactly the same time as Weger was on the top. They were 3-wide at the entrance to turn three and Weger popped up into the air and slid to a stop. Ryan Diatte of Salinas hammered him, at full tilt boogie. The crash ruined both racers. Another pre-race favorite Kevin Bender was also involved and he had to restart at the rear.
The new green saw Morris in control as he motored smoothly to nearly a half-lap lead. 2007 Nor Cal champ Mike Grenert was in second, but could not keep pace with the fleet 17 of Morris. Quilty and Cottrell systematically moved in to challenge Grenert. The heat was on for 2nd as Grenert, Cotrell and Quilty hooked up in a fierce battle. Wilson and Blackshere began to fade a bit as this trio slugged it out.
Suddenly, as the race closed in on lap 10, Cottrell’s car slowed dramatically and he headed for the pits. His race was run. Quilty pressed Grenert relentlessly and a dramatic struggle took place that endured during a long green flag segment that took the race into its final stages. Quilty muscled on by Grenert to pick up the runner up spot by lap 20 of the grueling 30 lapper.
By the time Quilty showed up in second Morris was nearly in another state. Quilty was turning in the quickest laps of the race when he cleared Grenert. He was starting to catch Morris, but the laps would run out before he could get to Morris… if it stayed green. Morris had run a dazzling series of perfect laps. Quilty needed a yellow flag desperately.
Behind Quilty, a monstrously good battle was going on between Grenert, Wilson, a fast closing Neil Stinson and a surprising Derek Rosse. Stinson went to the high side and Rosse went low as the pair tried to slip by Grenert and Wilson. On lap 22 Quilty, and everybody else in the top 6, got what they needed as the yellow flag flew.
As the green flag fluttered with 8 to go, Quilty made a slick inside move and just nipped Morris on the entry to one. He stole the lead with a perfect restart. Morris, for the first time was pushed off of the low side and the floodgates opened as Stinson, Grenert and Rosse would get by. Rosse made a banzai run for the runner up spot with a daring 3 wide move in turn three. This time it was on the nose and Rosse secured 2nd. Quilty, after Cottrell’s untimely exit seemed to pull away at will.
As the fortunes of racing would have it, with two laps to go, the fever pitch of the event was crushed into a fearful hush as a car started to flip wildly up the front stretch. It was John Hibelink. Hibelink got a wheel in four and it pitched his electric blue 83 into a series of dizzying flips. Hibelink had won the Friday preliminary feature…running away. To everyone’s relief Hibelink limped from the wreckage. Blackshere’s evening was over as he was involved in the wreck and hammered the front stretch wall a ton. Local product, Blackshere, had won the pole for the event with an outstanding effort in the fast dash beating many of the country’s best.
The National had come down to a green-white-checker to decide it. The atmosphere was electric and 2 laps would decide who would be the master of 3 days of competition. The green flashed on and the frantic run to the line was on. Quilty was on top of it, flashed through the gears and pulled a 2-car length lead up the backstretch. Rosse, now second, closed rapidly as the pair went under the starter’s white banner. Rosse made up inches through one and two and yards up the back chute. As Quilty entered three Rosse was closing hard and hooked up nicely through the center of the track. With the checkered flag in the air, Rosse looked low, but was out of time as Quilty won by a 2 feet.
Morris recovered for a fine third and Stinson was fourth. Grenert had a miserable last 2 laps and crossed the line 6th behind Wilson who had a great second half of the race.
It was an emotional Quilty that thanked his family for their support during the trophy presentations. Quilty’s father, and most fervent supporter, has been battling a series of health issues lately and it was great to see a broad smile on dad’s face during the ceremony.
In the Veteran’s feature event, Gary Ebeling scored a stunning victory. He simply led all the way with ease. The real show was Gold Hill Oregon’s Kelly Gutches as he spent the entire race going from the back to the front. A mid race cluster of battling racers included Gordon Brand of Huntington Beach, Bobby Meek of Pahrump NV and Acton’s Mike Van Acker. Newcomer to the event, Dan Youngblood soldiered through his first Nationals to a fine sixth place finish.
The Sportsman main event was captured by Eric Alton after a race long struggle with Chris Olson of Whittier (also near L.A.). Nickie Youngblood (daughter of Dan?) finished in third.
Ryan McDaniel of Marysville pulled off a last turn-last lap pass of race leader Corey Hall to claim the $500 first place check in the MRP Street Stock finale. The story of the race was Hall as he was seemingly on his game, and in control. The fleet 16-year-old chauffer was the class of the field until McDaniel finally got to him as the pair shot under the white flag.
McDaniel showed Hall a fender in one and Hall tuned back the challenge. Hall threw his hot rod into three for the final time, but slipped high. McDaniel saw his opportunity and got side by side with Hall as they drag-raced to the line. McDaniel nosed by and claimed the victory by .055 seconds. It was a rip-snorter of a finish that had everyone in the house on their feet. There were few slowdowns in the entire program for the stockers as Yuba City’s Lisa Shelby carried her title proudly into the last race of the season.
Saturday’s MRP Mini Stock finale was a James Gillaspie benefit for much of the distance. A big hit into the turn 2 wall by Rookie of the Year Nathan Mayo had the front-runners digging for the caution flag on lap 1. Gillaspie beat fellow front row starter Misty Castleberry to the line.
Gillaspie didn’t look back after that, leading every lap handily to bring the curtain down on this class’s season. Castleberry had another adventurous night as she and Jamey Ollar were battling for the runner up spot in the title chase. Castleberry did a quick spin in 2 early and was involved in a big crash in 3 later to end her season. Sutter’s Joel Giusti had clinched a tie for the title last week and secured it when he took the flag in his heat race.
A mid race battle, for fifth, between Scotty Kames, Blane Baker and Shaun Merritt was the highlight of wheel to wheel action in this one. Baker tagged Kames sending them both sliding in turn 1. Merritt went on to a credible fourth place finish behind Gillaspie Ollar and Giusti.
The large, vocal contingent of spectators went home buzzing about the great night of racing.
Next week at MRP Paul and Kathy Hawes will present the second MRP Wingless Sprint Car Nationals. The show will feature the best in the west for a two-day event. This will be the final appearance for sprint cars in MRP’s 40th Anniversary season. The feature will pay $2000 to win and $200 to start in the main event. (please see the flier posted on the home page at www.marysvilleracewaypark.com. Added to this show will be the 1200 winged Mini Sprints in an open competition event. The winged 600 sprints will also be on the card. Pit gate opens at 3 PM both days. You may camp on the grounds Friday. Practice is at 6 PM each day and the racing action starts on Friday with qualifying at 6.30 followed by preliminary action. On Saturday, racing will start at 7 PM following practice at 6.
Note: Please make this observer aware of any names that are misspelled or incorrect. The text is based on information we have at the time of its release. Complete finishes, stats and points become official and available at the close of business on Tuesday and will be posted to the web site.
|
|
|
|
|
