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Wiesz,
Hawes take Open Wheel hardware
Grenert wins closest Nor Cal
ever! McLaughlin bests G-man in S-100s
By
Bob
Burbach
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Marysville CA.
“The Colfax Comet”, Colby Wiesz dominated the winged
Pacific Sprint Car portion of the 1st Open Wheel Open at
Paul and Kathy Hawes Marysville Raceway Park Saturday
night. Maryville’s Jeremy Hawes took a close victory
from a persistent Mark Hill in the Wingless Warrior Sprint
car class. “Spanky” Grenert beat “Hollywood” Kevin
Bender by a paper width in the Nor Cal rumble, and Tim
McLaughlin beat Tony Gaoiran in a surprising S-100
feature.
Wiesz used a slick inside pass of off turn four to bolt
into the lead in the Pacific Sprint Car feature. The
three-time MRP Champ waited for early leader Cortney
Dozier to bobble and it didn’t take long. Courtney
Dozier took the lead at the start, but slid a little high
off of four on lap one and the “Comet” flashed by. He
was never headed.
The race behind Wiesz was a taught thriller as the five
cars following Wiesz slugged it out on the fast changing
surface. 2004 Champion, Mike Monahan, two-time champ Mike
Wasina Jr., Brandon Dozier, Cortney Dozier and a fast
Jeremy Phillips had a war going on behind the fleet Wiesz.
Positions two through five changed almost at will as the
powerful winged machines battled relentlessly.
A pair of yellow flags in the late going bunched the field
and a green-white-checkered scenario would conclude this
entertaining motorized bout. As starter Robin Davies waved
the green banner with two to go, 2005 Rookie of the Year
Brandon Dozier and Monahan banged wheels in one. Brandon
Dozier took advantage and secured third behind Cortney
Dozier. Phillips went to fourth with Monahan breathing
down his neck after recovering.
The white banner flew with Brandon Dozier just inches
behind uncle Cortney for second. Brandon got a great run
off of two and it was side by side into three. As Wiesz
took the checkered, the dueling Doziers touched wheels in
four and Brandon was launched high in the air. The long
lazy flight ended with Brandon stopped near the wall in
four, but he had saved it from going over. The scoring
sheets showed that Courtney wobbled across the finish line
in sixth after the incident. The big winner in the last
100 yards of the race was Marysville’s Jeremy Phillips
as he streaked by the crashing Doziers to pick up the
runner up share of the purse. Monahan powered into third
at the flag with Grass Valley's Jeremy Burt fourth and
Marysville's Derek Dozier in fifth.
The box score on Hawes’ win in the companion Wingless
Warrior feature event would lead one to believe that this
event was a runaway. It was far from it! Yuba City’s
Mark Hill was back in the saddle again and it’s as if he
got better with his nearly yearlong lay off. Hawes was
quick off the mark from his front row start and beat Hill
into the first turn. Many of the railbirds thought it was
over from there but to his credit, Hill never gave up. He
hounded the Flyin’ Ford lap after lap. In all of the
stages of this event, Hawes was as good at protecting his
position as he was in securing it. Hill was equally able
to challenge.
A couple of minor incidents slowed the pace, and it was
during these periods that Hill allowed some space between
them…and only then. At each new green Hill pulled up and
was camped on Hawes’ tail. The pressure was intense, and
the crowd loved it. On three occasions Hawes’ car hit
ruts in turn four that straightened him up, but Hill could
not quite get the advantage as Hawes was quick to recover
and close the door as quickly as it opened. The thriller
ended just that way with the Hawes’ 01 pulling Hill’s
white 8 across the line, just a foot or two apart. The
dry-slick track conditions worked in Hawes’ favor as he
noted after the event that if the tables had been turned,
and Hill had beat him into turn one, he doubted if he
could have passed Hill. This may well be the two drivers
who will contest for the championship beginning on April
7th.
MRP will be dark next week in preparations for the
beginning of the point season for the two sprint car
classes. Saturday April 7th will bring a return of the
mighty Wingless Warriors and the winged, injected Pacific
Sprint Cars. Both divisions will begin the local point
season. Marysville Raceway Park remains the only
professional sporting event in the Yuba Sutter area. This
year over $250,000.00 in prize money will be up for grabs.
Pull the belts tight…it will be wild ride in 2007.
Rivalries will be renewed and new ones will emerge as
Marysville Raceway Park begins its 39th consecutive season
of operation. For the 9th consecutive season this observer
will be here to cover it and comment on it. The Simpson
Lane facility is California’s oldest continually
operated, privately owned racing facility. Promoter Paul
Hawes intends to establish an MRP Hall of Fame trophy and
photo gallery on the grounds. This observer will write
more on that enterprise in articles to come. But, having
watched racing at MRP over the last sixteen years, this
observer tips his hat to the Hawes group for making an
effort in this direction.
Friday night April 6th, the Outlaw Karts will bring out
their own brand of open wheel excitement to the new 1/8
mile raceway carved into the infield. Five divisions of
Karts are expected to contest the event with a large
number of local drivers involved. If you’ve never seen a
winged outlaw Kart race, you owe it to yourself to check
it out.
In Saturday’s Nor Cal competition, Mike “Spanky”
Grenert used a banzai transition pass from the top of
three to the bottom of four to take the second closest
feature race ever seen at MRP. The Grenert victory was
only .067 seconds (measured digitally on video tape). Only
Jeremy Hawes’ victory last year over Tony Richards in
the final Wingless Warrior event of the season was closer
(.021).
The race looked to be “Hollywood” Kevin Bender’s
personal showcase as the event neared it’s conclusion.
Bender had pulled to seemingly secure leads at will. A
yellow flag at three quarters distance closed the field,
and Grenert got up on the wheel. Grenert shot into second
and shadowed Bender across the line at the white flag. As
the pair entered turn three on the final circuit Grenert
just threw the red #12 sideways and headed for the
cushion. It was either going to hook up or send Grenert
into the adjacent miniature golf course. It hooked up.
Grenert came through three like a rocket and he cut a
diamond off of four. The drag race was on and Grenert won
by the slimmest of margins with the fans on their feet!
Grenert was all smiles afterward, “Wow, how ‘bout
that.’ is all he said and wandered back into the group
of well wishers.
Local driver Neil Stinson of Marysville had an interesting
night. He wound up third after a trip to the rear in the
early going. Stinson was one to watch as he used the
entire race distance to get back to the show spot .
In Saturday’s SORA Sprint 100 feature Tim McLaughlin of
Colusa made the pass of his career on perennial favorite
Tony Gaioran, thus winning the caution plagued, shortened
event. The “G” man had an unusual front row start for
the feature and, I guess you could say we all expected a
ho-hummer at best. Enter “Terrible Tim”. He came from
the absolute back row to the front in THREE laps. At
mid-way he rocketed by the early leader Gaioran and the
“G” man couldn’t do a thing about it.
It was a great victory for someone who spent way too much
time peeling his #99 off of the MRP walls last season.
The SORA Sprint 100s and the ever-popular Nor Cal dwarf
Cars will round out the April 7 4-division open wheel
extravaganza.
Make our website one of your “favorites” on you
computer.
Watch this site for press releases and updates.
Pit gates always open at 3PM. Pit meeting and pill draw
are at 5PM. Spectator Gates Open at 5PM with racing
getting underway at 7PM. Contact the promoters at
1.530.743.1327 or email as indicated on the home page at
marysvilleracewaypark.com.
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